ipl-logo

Rhetorical Elements In Scarlet Letter

680 Words3 Pages

I think that Hawthrone’s account of the Puritan’s harsh religious ways in his book, The Scarlet Letter, was not just an observation but a critique of their beliefs. The Scarlet Letter, in a New England town, points outs many ways where woman are treated in the Puritan society and the way their earthly sins were extremely punished. In Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” the narrator has a negative attitude toward Puritan America beacuse of the diction chosen to describe Hester’s torment on top of the Scaffold, the way the towns people treat Pearl, and the way they treat Hester. In the Scarlet Letter the narrator talks about Adultry in a negative way because of the symbolism used in the scaffold. Hawthorne tone he uses reveales what his true feelings …show more content…

“Unveiling at once the lack of understanding they had. Finding out about Hester and Pearl, the village at once "scorned them in their hearts, and...reviled them with their tongues" The tone that is used allows us to infer from the harsh words that he has a negative attitude toward the Puritans. Hawthorne’s negativity toward the Puritans is shown in the tone he talks about Hester. In the Scarlet Letter, Hester is portrayed as a rose in the thorns because she tries to keep the Puritan lifestyle and persistently prays for her enemies. Hawthorne continues to applaud Hester for her lifestyle she is trying to live eventhough it was the Puritans that made her go through a life of embarresment and suffering. "Except for that small expenditure in the decoration of her infant, Hester bestowed all her superfluous means in charity, on wretches less miserable than herself, and who not infrequently insulted the hand that fed them.” Hawthorne praises her further here and disapproves of the Puritan society because they can’t see Hester’s true personality and …show more content…

He shows how in the Puitan community the leaders are respected and people listen to them. This is why Hawthorne condemns them, because they are hypocritical leaders that are harsh and uses intolerant treatment; especially with Hester. Hester does not deserve the treatment she receives, and this is very clear to the reader. She tries to repay her community by giving clothes to the homeless and making garments for them but no one accepts her for what she did. These are the reasons Hawthorne shows negativity toward the Puritan society because of the way the punish Hester, and the way the treat Hester and

Show More
Related
838 Words | 4 Pages

Such dreary diction stirs up emotion of desolation and misery as Hawthorne’s word choice connects and reminds his audience of dark thoughts. By opening his novel with such a grim subject, Hawthorne creates a contemptuous tone as he indirectly scorns the austere Puritans for their unforgiving and harsh manners. With the demonstrated disdain, Hawthorne criticizes puritan society and prepares his audience for further

Read More
857 Words | 4 Pages

From the time in which justice and order was enforced by governing figures, man has struggled with the conflict of balancing freedom and protection. Often times, those who seek answers to the disorderly find solace within religious beliefs; they find protection and answers to questions of security, where an omnipotent being took reign and watched over one’s life. However, when applied to governing forces, these laws based off religious beliefs regulating certain actions and desires restrict freedom. In The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Arthur Miller argue that conscience should supersede religion. Hawthorne, the author of The Scarlet Letter uses pathos to enforce this claim; whereas Arthur Miller argues the same claim using logos in his book The Crucible.

Read More
315 Words | 2 Pages

Hawthorne uses many forms of rhetoric to portray his characters, but relies heavily on pathos in the instance of Hester Prynne. She’s a member of an inherently misogynistic society, and because she’s a woman, her every act is scrutinized. As punishment for her act of adultery, Hester is ordered to adorn her chest with a permanent scarlet letter. Although the audience is well aware of the atrocity of the sin she’s committed, Hawthorne’s writing sparks a feeling of empathy within the reader. Throughout the novel, the reader is exposed to several clear uses of pathos.

Read More
789 Words | 4 Pages

Being put in a time allotment where theocracies were plenteous, the novel contains numerous religious components that are then repudiated with the reason that it is being done for the sake of the Lord. All things considered, every one of the characters argued to be loyal adherents of the congregation and its statement, however all, yet Hester, ended up being to be deceiving themselves and the town. Hawthorne's incorporation of this incongruity is crucial to the section in light of the fact that it shows that regardless of how immaculate and honest one may show up, they might just be guarding a profound, dull mystery. Like the renowned saying goes, never judge a book by its

Read More
1547 Words | 7 Pages

In the 1630s, The Puritans came to North America in search of religious freedom. They were persecuted back in England. Their only hope was to leave England. Perhaps in America they could establish a colony whose government, society, and church were all based upon the Bible. In the process, they greatly impacted America in government, religion and social mores.

Read More
986 Words | 4 Pages

Stemming from the latin root, purity, the Puritans express everything except. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne intertwines juxtaposition and irony throughout the book; he emphasizes his prevailing hatred of the Puritans while also exposing their hypocrisy. Hawthorne beautifully juxtaposes his main character, Hester, with the common Puritan women. While anticipating the sinner’s release, the “broad shouldered” (59) and “man-like” (59) Puritan women are bombarded by Hawthorne’s pessimistic diction.

Read More
736 Words | 3 Pages

When you think of a Puritan society, what comes to your mind? Perfect, flawless, and a religion based on following God? Well, that is what it says on paper, but is it really that perfect? Throughout the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne jabs at the Puritans in an attempt to portray just how flawed they really are. After reading the book, you want to think that Hawthorne is telling the story of sinning in a Puritan society.

Read More
791 Words | 4 Pages

Punishment of Puritans for their sins occurred harshly and frequently, and these punishments ranged from fines, branding, and severe whippings to hanging and death. Many of these penalties involved public humiliation of some kind, which made it extremely difficult for townspeople to accept by their peers after they had sinned. Because the Puritans believed religion was immensely important, the community was often reluctant to allow citizens that exhibited sinful behavior to achieve redemption (Cox). However, in the case of Hester Prynne, an adulterer in Nathaniel Hawthorne 's The Scarlet Letter, the townspeople eagerly made amends with her. This novel narrates the life of Hester Prynne, who committed adultery and courageously accepted the repercussions

Read More
1213 Words | 5 Pages

This shows that Hester does not necessarily need to worry about what the people of Boston think of her or how she needs to redeem herself in order to fit back into the society. When Hawthorne says “The angel and apostle of the coming revelation must be a woman, indeed, but lofty, pure, and beautiful; and wise, moreover, not through dusky grief, but the ethereal medium of joy; and showing how sacred love should make us happy, by the truest test of a life successful to such an end!” he is showing how there is no way for Hester to change her society. She should have love and joy, but instead she is faced with guilt, which leads to her downfall. Along with this, Hawthorne demonstrates how the people of Boston are actually the sinners while Hester and Dimmesdale represent the Angel and the Saint of the city.

Read More
2184 Words | 9 Pages

When Hawthorne wrote the Scarlet Letter was his judgment biased due to his abhor feeling towards the Puritans or was it truthful? The Puritan society is portrayed as a happy, perfect, society without the need for sin, however, there are things camouflaged by the way Hawthorne writes. Hawthorne implies from the first chapter that the puritans followed rules and when a scandal is caused by Hester Prynne their truth about how they act is publicly shown. Hester Prynne ended up getting pregnant by a man who is unknown despite that she is not

Read More
1270 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne exposes the blindness of the Puritan people through the treatment of Hester, Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale’s external characters. Hester Prynne is labeled as an adulteress and mistreated by society because of their unwillingness to see her true character. Chillingworth, the husband of Hester, leads the town to believe he is an honorable man and skillful doctor, when his true intents root from his vindictive nature Finally, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester’s lover and the father of her baby, acts as the perfect man therefore the town views him as an exemplar model, while he is truly a sinner. In the novel, Hawthorne portrays Hester as a strong, resilient woman, though the members of her community

Read More
719 Words | 3 Pages

The townspeople “[began] to look upon the scarlet letter as a token, not of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance, but of her many good deeds since.” This quote exemplifies how sin is not a death sentence for Hester. Through hard work and charity it allowed the rigid Puritan society to see her as something different, and as someone who would not let society define who she was. Hester, thus, was not only able to change herself, but also the image in which society viewed her by working hard to benefit the public. Likewise, the scarlet letter which was supposed to represent sin was instead “fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom.”

Read More
920 Words | 4 Pages

(Hall, 127). This idea of a fair and just society was the centerpiece of Puritan society, and it subsequently led to the virtue of community over the individual which was previously discussed. When it comes to The Scarlet Letter, the ideology that Puritan morality is fundamental to everything is truly front and center. Hester’s struggle due to her past sin is a perfect example of this; The ministry attempted to purify and protect the community by excluding Hester from societal affairs, even going as far as attempting to strip Hester of her custody of Pearl. Overall, Hester’s forced

Read More
1284 Words | 6 Pages

The society’s intentions to portray themselves as pure individuals while condemning Hester for her sins even though they mask their own, highlights the hypocritical nature of the society. Ultimately, by the use of the supernatural character of Mistress Hibbins, Hawthorne is able to provide a metaphorical representation of the hypocrisy in the society while conforming to the conventions of the gothic genre. Moreover, through the presence of negative emotions that catalyze actions, Hawthorne effectively illustrates the consequences for not confessing sin while conforming to

Read More
936 Words | 4 Pages

In the “Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays hypocrisy of the Puritan society, where the protagonist Hester Prynne face many consequences of her actions and the how she tries to redeem herself to the society. During the seventeenth puritans believe that it is their mission to punish the ones who do not follow God’s word and it is their job to stop those from sinning. Therefore, the hypercritical puritan society punishes Hester harshly for committing adultery, but in Hester’s mind, she believes that what she did was not a sin but acts of love for her man. Eventually, she redeems herself by turning her crime into an advantage to help those in need, yet the Puritan society still view her as a “naughty bagger.” (Hawthorne 78)

Read More

More about Rhetorical Elements In Scarlet Letter

Related Topics

Open Document