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Preface to The Scarlet Letter
The scarlet letter summary essay
Writing style of hawthorne
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Preface to The Scarlet Letter
The scarlet letter summary essay
Writing style of hawthorne
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, Pearl abandons her once wild, untamed nature for a mature and humane lifestyle, because of her father's public confession. Pearl is originally described as a wild, inhumane child with no regards to the laws of both the town and the Puritan society. Pearl often surprised her mother with her elfish behavior: “It was a look so intelligent...but generally accompanied by a wild flow of spirits, that hester could not help questioning, at such moments, whether Pearl was a human child” (Hawthorne 84). At first Pearl can be seen acting out in direct defiance to the law.
Rossi1 Matthew Rossi Asha Appel English 4 11/15/14 Growing up Through the Actions of Others In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Pearl changes when different characters thoughts and believes are portrayed through voice or objects. This leads her to be very malleable to and be ever evolving. The townspeople, Hester, and Dimmesdale now play a key role in shaping Pearl from a product of sin into a god like child.
Daniels infers that Pearl provided new insights to “ the role of women in today 's society, a role that began to change as early as 1850” (Daniels 1). Daniels then discusses the meaning of the scarlet letter, going as far as to say that Pearl is “the scarlet letter personified” (Daniels 2). Daniels quotes other analytical pieces with varying opinions on the meaning of Pearl in regards to Hester’s scarlet letter. Then, she provides evidence about the foreshadowing of a woman’s role in society in that although Hester was controlled by the letter, Pearl was not. Daniels compares her own ideas to other sources throughout her criticism, such as Mark M. Hennelly’s literary criticism of the same novel.
Jackie Prokopeas Professor Crombar English 3 GT AP 23 September 2015 The Will Years had passed since Pearl and Hester had fled the New World and returned to Europe. Although no one in Europe knew about their past, it seemed almost as if their sins had followed them on their voyage across the Atlantic because wherever they fled to they had no companions, and were ostracized from the rest of society. Being so secluded, it was very unlikely for a letter to make its way to either Hester and Pearl, however on one very peculiar day, on a day Pearl was about to ensconce on a walk, until she noticed an envelope on her doorstep, handwritten across the top read, “For the eyes of the one who never wronged me, Pearl” Pearl, quite perplexed as
The exploration of societal pressures. Life can be separated into two equal parts totally independent from one another. The inner self, being the innermost thoughts and feelings of the individual, and the outer self, how the individual decides to conduct itself around the others in society. Often times one of these parts takes control of the other, suppressing its partner. The suppression is often not of equal frequency because of the obligation humans feel to be liked and to fit in causes the outermost self to be given the most thought and worry.
When Pearl looks at her mother’s reflection in a convex mirror, she claims to exclusively see the A: “the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance. In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it” (95). Hawthorne clearly illustrates how Pearl and the public choose to see Hester merely as her sin. Even numerous years later, Hawthorne suggest that the townspeople still cannot view Hester
The flowers appeared to know it"(194) Pearl fit in with natural things. Also, Pearl is always happy, which is definitely a negative to the Puritans because they probably believe she should be miserable. The council tests Pearl to see if Hester is teaching her correctly and Pearl acts smart to make them think her mother isn’t like it’s a joke. Pearl can be seen as the living embodiment of the scarlet letter. She is not only the proof of adultery but also the way her mother dresses her shows that Hester is not ashamed of her daughter.
Hawthorne’s declaration designates the tone and overall atmosphere of the forest as free and honest. This prevails since Hawthorne shows the absence of human corruption or heavenly presence, stating that the only presence there is love. In following the Romantic’s principles, children represent truth. Because Hawthorne writes with Romantic principles, Pearl is able to flourish in the forest because she is the embodiment of honesty, and was also born of a sin of passion. Hawthorne shows her purity as calling her, “untempered light”,
One may believe that the laws of society are a necessity in order to live in a tranquil society. Yet, under certain circumstances, people will break these laws, even if they conform to them. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a religious Puritan minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, breaks the strict laws of Puritan society by sleeping with a married woman, Hester Prynne. Committing an adulteress act, or having premarital sex, is breaking the laws of Puritan society because of Puritanism’s emphasis on religion. Furthermore, Dimmesdale’s position as a minister causes him to strongly believe that the laws of Puritan society should be acknowledged and followed.
What is the message that Hawthorne's trying to demonstrate with the character pearl? This question has been running through my mind throughout the entire book. Pearl is my absolute favorite character in the scarlet letter. I find her intriguing. Mostly because she acts really crazy and weird.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is set in a gloomy, distressed, religious atmosphere in Boston, Massachusetts with multiple main characters known for the sins they have done. One of those being a man named Arthur Dimmesdale who is known for being a sinful and hypocritical individual. He is part of the Puritan community who are very judgmental people, so readers can more likely see the conflict that will arise. Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates his theme that secrets that are hidden will have its consequences.
In The Scarlet Letter is merely a symbol in the story, her function is to remind Hester of her sin which affects her role in the story to become more antagonistic to Hester. Pearl is a character, yes, but in the novel, she is mostly a symbol. The way Hawthorne writes her, she is not like a regular person, and she 's not
Through Hester, Hawthorne presents a character isolated from society, who defines her own identity and demonstrates her individuality. Through Dimmesdale, Hawthorne presents a trapped character, continually defining his identity based on society with little to show for his individuality. The two star-crossed lovers each represent a side of the same coin; one isolated, the other immersed in society; one defining her own identity, the other depending on society to define him; one showing individuality, the other lacking it entirely. Nathaniel Hawthorne, in The Scarlet Letter, uses this contrast between Hester and Dimmesdale and their development in the setting of Puritan society to explore the themes of individuality, identity, and isolation,
“Pearl took some eelgrass, and … imitated, on her own bosom, the decoration… on her mother’s : A letter “A”, but freshly green, instead of scarlet!”, a quote pulled from Chapter 15, is another attempt by Hawthorne to convey the contrasting ideal of Pearl’s innocence and purity to Hester’s sin. The green of this imitated scarlet letter worn by Pearl is associated with nature and purity, while the scarlet of Hester’s original letter is typically associated with passion and
Nathaniel Hawthorne did not always speak positively toward the Puritans, but he has respect for the group. The main symbol that stands out is the scarlet letter “A” that was stuck on Hester Prynne for her actions of adultery which is a theme for this book. Another symbol is the rose bush that grew right outside of the old, rusty, decaying prison