John Winthrop

The past is an unchangeable occurrence that plays a major role in the development of human character. It involves triumphant memories and mistakes that completely alter self-portrayal and societal reputation. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the past ignominious love affair between Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale shapes not only Hester's character and lifestyle, but also those close to her to suggest that the past contains positivity, should be accepted openly, and…

During the 1600's there was a type of punishment in Puritan society where someone would have to wear a scarlet letter on their shirt. This was for the reason of public humiliation so people would be discouraged to do anything bad. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne the main character Hester Prynne is being punished for a crime she committed and the punishment was public humiliation so she was forced to wear a scarlet letter. She was being discriminated and left out of society. In this…

The nature of the society in which Hester and Dimmesdale live in comes from its religious teachings, combined with the unfamiliar and hostile surroundings in which it exists. One such thing which the they did not have control over was the wilderness beyond the town. The Puritans' manners and customs are important to the power of the story in The Scarlet Letter. The story of The Scarlet Letter would be different in modern society. The Scarlet Letter is greatly influenced and shaped by the Puritan…

Hester The Lover In The Scarlet Letter, Hester, the main character in this novel, gives up her public approval to protect her child. Hester is tried and punished for committing adultery and is made to wear a scarlet “A” at all times. This leads to the whole community shunning her, as they are all Puritans. She bears the burden of humiliation and being shunned from society without complaint, taking her punishment head on. She raises Pearl alone and with little income, but refuses to give up…

When Hester begin to wear the scarlet letter, the townspeople realize her sin and cannot see her as anything but that sin. As soon as Hester steps out of the prison, a crowd gathers around her—some people are “sombre and grave” (59) while others choose to gossip rudely about Hester. A group of women standing nearby criticize her shameful misconduct and argue that her punishment should be more severe. One woman demands, “they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead”…

The Scarlet Letter, written in 1850, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, functions as a critique of organized religion. Karl Marx states "the question of God’s existence is not the fundamental issue for Marxist analysis; rather, what human beings do in God’s name organized religion is the focus" (Tyson 76). Also, in the text, religion functioned to keep characters from resisting socioeconomic oppression along with other types. In chapter 1, The Scarlet Letter functions as a critique of organized religion,…

Having studied how the deadly sins find their reflection in the Grimm’s fairy tales, and having found the moral of the story for the various fairy tales, we may briefly summarize our findings. In Little Snow White, the queen who focuses too much on physical appearances and comparing herself to others results to wrath in order to achieve her desire and hence shows the danger of pride and envy. In The Fisherman and his wife, greed reveals it’s self in the fisherman’s wife who cannot stop wanting…

Dimmesdale is an active part in an adultery relationship with Hester Prynne. This relationship resulted in Hester getting pregnant with their daughter Pearl. Dimmesdale was odd about the whole situation by laying low when it came to Hester and Pearl, until Pearl was around seven years of age, he started to slowly come out to the public about being Hester’s forbidden lover and Pearls father. Chillingworth is Hester’s “forgotten and dead husband” that comes back and hides his identity and…

When children are growing up, adults always instruct them to be candid and be themselves. However, as people grow up, they become more and more reluctant to freely show themselves to the world because they want to hide their mistakes. In The Scarlet Letter, the author Nathaniel Hawthorne describes various characters’ lives after committing a mistake. While Dimmesdale chooses to keep his sins to himself for most of his life, Hester boldly confesses her folly and takes the rebuke. Though some may…

All human beings have inherent and universal patterns of behaviour which are depicted through myths and literature; these are called archetypes. In “The Lottery”, the author Shirley Jackson uses effective archetypal symbolism. The symbols portray that dark elements in the cultural traditions creates persecution. The symbolism of the archetypes seen in the characters, the tradition, and the objects use are all features of a cultural tradition that promotes persecution in the society. The…