Scarlet

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel set in Boston in the early 17th century that narrates the effects of an act of adultery. The main character, Hester Prynne, is forced to wear a Scarlet Letter ‘A’ as punishment for her sin. The novel was published in the 1800’s during the Romantic period of literature. Romanticism is a philosophy that emphasizes individualism, distrust in nature, and a belief in the good nature of mankind. Classicism, the opposing ideal, focuses on organized…

it; he was often observed, on any slight alarm or other sudden accident, to put his hand over his heart with a first flush and then a paleness, indicative of pain” (Hawthorne 90). When Dimmesdale places his hand over his chest, it represents the scarlet letter on Hester Prynne’s bosom. Dimmesdale’s health begins to decline because he feels guilty of the sin he committed with Hester Prynne. The guilt from the secret that Hester Prynne…

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne presents three important scaffold scenes that help determine the genre of the novel. The genre could be classified as a romantic tragedy and historical fiction, which is Romanticism for this novel. Even though the story is more of a tragedy, the romantic elements are littered throughout the story, which is why some people consider the novel a romance. The romantic genre could mean two different types of romance, a love story, or Romanticism, a movement…

In The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne helps the reader understand the actions of the Townspeople through giving an understanding of the time period and the setting. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s piece The Scarlet Letter narrates a story that is based in the New England Colonies during the mid-17th century. During this time the puritans were running from religious prosecution and came to the New World to further reform The Church of England. The Town is a setting in The Scarlet Letter…

Throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, many of the characters commit sinful actions. A common theme in the novel is that all characters live with sin, but only those who are worthy of redemption live with guilt. This integral relationship between sin and guilt is expressed through Hester’s public shame, Dimmesdale’s effort to save face, and Puritan hypocrisy. To start, Hester shows that she is worthy of redemption because she is ashamed to wear the scarlet…

In James Hurst’s, “The Scarlet Ibis”, the narrator uses the motif of red to describe the death of Doodle. Color red associates with blood which everyone would think of “Bleeding tree” is frequently appearing in this story, and this symbolizes Doodle’s death which is “A grind stone stands where the bleeding tree stood…”(89). The bleeding tree is just like the scene where Doodle dies, but the readers would not know that Doodle would die eventually and bleeding tree is illustrating Doodle but the…

private transgressions are something more than just keeping things hush-hush. This is the fear of allowing the truth to set you free. Nathaniel Hawthorne discerned this verity in his book The Scarlet Letter, noting man 's want to be seen as upright yet, holding sin within his being. In the passages of The Scarlet Letter, a woman called Hester 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…

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 context. One aspect of which they did not have control over was the wilderness beyond the town. The forest was unmanageable and overgrown,…

In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne shows how one’s character can be very influential to the people around them. Pearl, Hester Prynne’s daughter, who is very symbolic but also makes some drastic changes occur. Hawthorne wrote about Pearl to show how one character can make a difference no matter how young. Although some depict Pearl to be a flaw in society, she is actually an essential character in the novel. Pearl symbolizes the living version of the scarlet letter she also…