Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804, in Salem Massachusetts. Nathaniel is the only son of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Hawthorne. His father, a sea captain, perished in 1808 out at sea due to yellow fever. The family was left with very poor financial support which led Elizabeth to move in with her affluent brothers. While Nathaniel was at an early age, he sustained a leg injury that left him immobile for several months. During that time, he acquired a voracious inclination for reading and set his…
The definition of beauty is: a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. Society has taught us that beauty can be portrayed through a magazine’s idea of perfection, but in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, The Scarlet Letter, he introduces a character who quickly contrasts to our modern day definition of beauty. Hester Prynne, the main character of The Scarlet Letter, portrays her beauty not through her outward appearance, but a…
“Civilization largely consists in hiding human nature”, a quote by Opie Read, which holds true in The Scarlet Letter. Throughout the novel, many lies were told, sins committed and acts of hate and discrimination occurred in the town, which was thought to be civilized, pure and in strict order. On the other hand in the forest, which was viewed as a place where immortality and sins were committed, actually has the opposite meaning than it’s suspected to represent. The forest was where some…
Shame is meant to weaken a person and make them regretful, but it can also make them a stronger, more independent person motivated to make their society better. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, explores how Hester transforms her shame and successfully changes the way other people in her Puritan society perceive her. After, choosing to become an outsider living on the edge of town, Hester shows the people of Boston that she is not sinful and ashamed but is charitable and open hearted.…
Hawthorne uses sunlight to describe the treasure of enlightenment in The Scarlet Letter. Sunlight is described as contentment because of the warmth, comfort, and sense of acceptance it gives people. Hester Prynne, the local adulterer, creates a shadow of…
immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law. You can sin in thoughts, your actions, and the things you say. No sin is to little or too big. No matter what you may think everyone sins. In the story “The Minister’s Black Veil”, Nathaniel Hawthorne Mr. Hooper, has a personal sin that warrants his action of wearing the veil. In the minister black veil Mr. Hooper incites town gossip when he starts wearing a black veil covering his face. He refuses to tell anyone why he's wearing…
author of this work is Nathaniel Hawthorne. He uses symbols and images to help the reader grasp the idea of the good and evil that everyone has in his or her soul. Hawthorne carries the reader through the protagonist, Hester Prynne, life. This shows the battles of the public's opinion that Hester struggles to overcome. In a world consumed of sin, young Heater appears to be alone in the evil that the public condemns on her. Throughout this journey of Hester's life, Hawthorne uses symbols to show…
Another character experiences the complete loss of her worth as an individual as a result of another character's egotistical desires. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Birthmark", a scientist named Aylmer has a self-absorbed desire to prove he possesses godlike abilities. He attacks his wife's self-esteem to break her spirit, and make her complicit in his mad scheme to remove her birthmark. At first, Georgiana is simply confused, when her husband implies that her birthmark detracts from her beauty.…
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne showcases the Puritan community and their way of life: living by the Bible. Of course, some Puritans do not follow the teachings of the Bible, and thus they are referred to as sinners. These sinners are punished not only by the Puritans, but also by nature. However, Hawthorne shows that nature punishes leniently while the Puritans punish harshly. Hawthorne 's word choice of the sunshine in the forest shows nature 's lenient punishments. When Pearl and…
Having a child is typically a joyous, monumental time most people get to experience in their lives. Bringing another human into this world is looked upon as a blessing, not as a sin. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is accused of committing adultery in a Puritan society. Out of this sinful act she has a daughter named Pearl who the community does not support. In fact, the Puritan society as a whole views Pearl as product of sin that, in return, will teach Hester a…