Harvest of Shame

Red v. Black The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is full of symbolism especially in regards to the use of the colors red and black. This symbolism is important to the story and how we perceive the characters in it. Hawthorne uses color association throughout the novel to help accentuate the importance or meaning of a person, event, or object. Red symbolizes many things throughout the novel such as love, passion, lust, and sin. The most important use of red in the novel is the…

have people look at me with disgust. I would regret it so much. Having my name and my reputation tainted and tattered. The guilt of having hurt so many people, including my parents would eat at me. I would feel like dying, to free myself from the shame and humiliation. People would mention my name when they would talk about social stigmas. I would feel so lonely and dishonoured. Lewinsky became a focal point of a huge political scandal and a celebrity of sorts. She collaborated with Andrew…

sorry for the acts she committed. Hester Prynne, in the Scarlet Letter, commits the sin of adultery and is branded with a letter ‘A’ being embroidered on her dress. She accepts this punishment, as she believes she deserves the public ridicule and shame. However, Nina Baym in “Who? The Character.” The Scarlet Letter: A Reading, states she believes Hester isn’t as sorry as she seems to the townsfolk. Baym believes Hester does try to realize the choices she made was wrong, but argues because Hester…

Which pain is worse, guilt from within or humiliation of public shame? In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, characters deal with different pain in consequence of the same sin. Sin does not justify the pain experienced as result. Hester and Dimmesdale strive to contain the effects of their personal guilt from their adultery. Hester’s consequences make her a better person while Dimmesdale’s only hurt himself. Hester Prynne commits sin by having a child out of wedlock with Reverend…

connections between a person’s outer to inner form. In Pearl’s case, her mother dresses her to resemble the letter – in red dresses embellished with gold. But on the inside, her soul exemplifies the adultery the letter stands for. She is passion, guilt, and shame all in one. Pearl is connected to the scarlet letter. For instance, when Pearl was a baby, the first thing she noticed about her mother was the scarlet letter “A” on her bosom. Sometimes when Pearl would play, she would throw leaves and…

Symbols are commonly used by authors in novels to represent a larger theme or notation. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the scarlet ‘A’ is used as a symbol to present the progression of Hester, the protagonist, from feeling embarrassed to embracing the scarlet letter on her chest. The symbol of the ‘A’ also shows the development of Hester’s community’s acceptance of her and her sin. In the beginning of the novel, Hester is portrayed as an abashed woman whom greatly regrets…

A one eighty change It is ironic how one mistake can lead to the demise of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the novel, the reader experiences the drastic changes the main characters go through after the adultery the adulterous act of by Hester and Dimmesdale. Since Hester had committed a sin, she must endure the punishment of wearing the scarlet letter. The sin caused Dimmesdale to become sick with guilt and her ex-husband Chillingworth to be consume…

stronger woman than she went in, letting the reader know that her situation bettered her as a woman and a mother. Despite Hester overcoming her trials and tribulations, Dimmesdale wallows in his sin. Throughout the years, Dimmesdale holds his guilt and shame inside and that makes him internally ill. During this time, he goes upon the same platform where Hester and Pearl were and stands there like he is suppose to. “Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind… a scarlet token on his…

The Significant Effects of Sin in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter is a novel, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, that is mainly about sin and the consequences that come along with it. The three main characters of this novel all commit sins that change their perspective of life. Hester Prynne committing adultery with Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth feeling pleasure by torturing Dimmesdale. Throughout the novel, Heter Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth are affected significantly…

the main turmoil of the story follows a young woman who is burdened by the austere constraints of the Puritanical society she lives in. For her punishment of adultery, she is forced to wear a scarlet letter on her chest at all times representing her shame for the world to see. Throughout the novel, the letter, among other things, gains a vulgar reputation in the town to which many form their own opinions on who Hester is. Hester goes through many stages in her life where she finds herself in…