The Scarlet Letter How To Read Literature Like A Professor

How does How To Read Literature Like A Professor applies to every piece of literature? This novel is written by Thomas Foster and he gives the better understanding on many things, including patterns, symbols, and other literary devices. He helps the reader to gain knowledge on how to recognize each small detail of the story. This novel makes the connection with The Scarlet Letter and makes it easier to comprehend. The Scarlet Letter is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne; this novel is about Hester Prynne, who is a young and beautiful woman and committed adultery with town’s minister, Reverend Dimmesdale. Her punishment was to wear a red "A" letter on her dress to disgrace her. However, Dimmesdale does not confess his sin and has to endure ceaseless

According to Foster, “Geography brings ideas, psychology, history, and dynamism. It’s enough to make you read….” (Foster 182). This tool perfectly applied in The Scarlet Letter because it shows why geography matters and how it makes the story. The setting of the story is in Puritan community and is acutely religious. According to them, adultery is the biggest sin and if anyone was found committing this kind of sin then they will be punished and have to wear “A” on their dress for committing the shameful act. In the novel, Hester lifted the weight of the scarlet letter on her shoulders because the Puritan community forced her to wear the letter “A”. This demonstrates the importance of geography and demonstrating the community’s religious viewpoints because of its place. If the story had taken place somewhere else then Hester would not have to through this agony. Geography is the device that makes the story. Furthermore, in the Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale can relate to the chapter called, “It never just heart disease” from How to read literature like a

He was suffering from chest pain because of the secret he was hiding from the Puritan society. He was dying every day from inside because he could not carry the weight of his sin. He was totally consumed by guilt; his “form grew emaciated; his voice ...... his hand over his heart, with first a flush and then a paleness, indicative of plain” ( Hawthorne 13 ). This quote shows that Dimmesdale’s guilt had an impact on his health. Dimmesdale’s decision to hide his sin was truly killing him from inside. He got weaker, more fragile, and pale and his suffering began to turn out to be more agonizing. The decision he makes not tell his sin to the Puritan community literally destroys him. In the end, he dies from a heart problem. This indicates that heart disease is a symbol of emotional distress. Moreover, In chapter 14 Foster talked about the importance of Christ figure. Hester can be seen as Christ figure in the Scarlet Letter. In order to become Christ figure, a character needs to have a certain characteristic such as “self-sacrificing, very forgiving, good with children, and in agony” ( Foster 125