The Scarlet Letter is based on the book written by Nathaniel Hawthorne which was published in 1850. This is the same year of the Compromise of 1850, also known as the Clay compromise, which postponed the American Civil War. This was during a time of great dispute over slavery and state rights. Although the earlier […]
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Nathaniel Hawthorne weaves an interesting web of characters into a plot criticizing Puritan ideals and ways of life. The most effective way he does this is through the use of subtle symbolism throughout the novel. Hawthorne’s style of writing is criticized by many for being far too slow, but beyond the naked eye lies a […]
The theme of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, revolves around one sin: adultery. This sin manages to ruin the lives of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. One wonders whether the sin is actually as terrible as the Puritans believe it to be, though. They ruin all natural good with their “harsh determinism and […]
The influences of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s upbringing in Salem, Massachusetts and his Puritan ancestry are evident in his literary works. Many of his writings are expressions of Puritan ideals and the correlation of those ideals with human nature. Considered serious and solitary by nature, Hawthorne used these character traits to clearly portray his feelings toward Puritanism. […]
The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden is the first case of knowledge being gained through a sinful experience. Many years later this same theme is again depicted in the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, in which Hester goes through much persecution as the result of a sinful incident. […]
The Scarlet Letter has many different types of symbols. There is the meteor, scarlet letter, Pearl, scaffold, rosebush and many others. Almost anything in the story can be interpreted as a symbol, as long it brings some importance to the story. The scarlet letter, meteor and Pearl are the symbols that I believe are the […]
Sin and guilt is the inward conflict that is continuously mentioned in Nathaniel Hawthorn’s book The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth experience the effects of sin and guilt in different forms and are forced to handle they’re delimmas. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale are both convicted for having the sin of […]
In describing the first scene in The Scarlet Letter, it is striking how drab and dreary Hawthorne’s descriptions are. He uses words like, “sad-colored garments” and describes structures as, “heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes” which gives the reader the impression of a strict and unwavering society with the stark and confined […]