In The Scarlet Letter, light symbolizes knowledge. It is present each time a character gains knowledge, and absent when knowledge is concealed. Ancient humans equated knowledge to a light or a flame. In the Greek myth of Prometheus, Prometheus stole the flame of creativity from Zeus. Gifting it to humans, he bestowed new knowledge to them.
The hypocrisy of 1600s Puritan society was often disguised behind a facade of moral righteousness. Puritans claimed to use public shaming as a way to better the morals of society and lead people to repent; however, it was highly hypocritical as the Puritans found pure entertainment in the downfall of others and completely neglected sinners rather than educating them. Puritan society thrived off of gossip and rumors, which goes against many biblical morals. Nathaniel Hawthorne, a 19th century transcendentalist, tells the story of how 1600s colonial Puritan society reacts to a woman who commits the sin of adultery in the 1850 The Scarlet Letter. In an excerpt from Chapter 13, the transcendentalist ideals of Nathaniel Hawthorne are reflected through
Symbolism Within The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne created symbolism throughout The Scarlet Letter in order to develop the theme throughout Hester’s life. Hester is portrayed as a sheltered soul, shunned from society due to her adulterous acts. The red A and her daughter, Pearl, are symbols of Hester’s shame which she bares proudly despite society's harsh judgements. Hawthorne is able to use symbolism to develop themes, characters, and analogies in the Scarlet Letter.
In the first chapter of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne's use of details, syntax, diction, and imagery help set the mood in the novel. In the first two paragraphs of the book, Hawthorne’s descriptions, such as "sad-colored garments", "gray, steeple-crowned hats", and "studded with iron spikes" connotate sadness, gloominess, and general unhappiness. Also, the group of Puritan settlers dressed in dark clothing surrounding the prison introduce a dark mood and fearfully apprehending tone. This shows that the Puritans are powerful and important characters in the story. Moreover, since the whole chapter is written in passive voice and does not comprise of a protagonist, a very ambiguous narrative tone is created.
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, conveys many objects and characters that are used as a symbol of a trait or deed, this, in literary terms, is called symbolism. Symbolism allows writers and authors to explicate their works in a more complex way. An example of an object that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses as a symbol in The Scarlet Letter, is simply the scarlet letter A. This letter A was sewn onto one of the characters’ clothing as a symbol of her past. This character’s name was Hester Prynne.
Sinfulness Throughout the years, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter has acquired criticism from several writers, including D.H. Lawrence. Lawrence’s strong interpretation of Hester Prynne is different from that of other authors. His disapproval of Hester’s “heroic” portrayal in the novel is evident throughout his critique.
Brandon Volmer SLEssay English 11 Period 3 16 November 2017 Underlying Truths Have you ever seen or heard of someone you thought was genuine do something evil? In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, many characters are prime examples of this. All of these characters are hiding a secret in some way throughout the novel.
Ponder this, have you ever wondered what it would be like if the whole town hated you because you were punished for sinning even though everyone is a sinner. You tried to make things right, but it only made it harder on yourself. The Scarlet letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the middle of the 17th century. The story takes place in Boston and was first published in 1850. This novel is important in the modern age because it teaches one how to overcome challenges they might face and how using a light and dark state of mind might help one to figure out the problem they might be facing.
In the book, The Scarlet Letter, the author Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to bolster the characters and to help the readers get a better understanding of them. Symbolism is used by writers to better relate to objects. Some examples of symbolism would be in chapter 7. These would have to include: Pearl/the scarlet letter, the sunlight on Governor Bellingham’s mansion, and the reflection within the suit of armor. These three examples are the most paramount to help to reveal the characters and to distribute Hawthorne’s message.
In society, people are criticized and punished for their individual choices and flaws, according to Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter. The protagonist, Hester prynne, is a strong-hearted woman who faces hardship, but uses her inner strength to face the adversity and reveal her true self. Within the society that Hester lives in, Adultery is one of the worst sins that could possibly be committe, thus needing great punishment. Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” upon her bosom as a life long punishment for committing Adultery. Arising from this punishment, Hester is forced to find her way to prosper her uniqueness and individuality, even amongst the rigid society.
Many people analyze the people they walk pass on the street. Whether she was wearing last season’s boots, or he was talking emphatically into the phone, the first thoughts that come to mind are surface thoughts and generalizations that are based on a person’s existing experiences and knowledge. However, surface thoughts and generalizations can be changed when one learns and analyzes more information about the specified person. The woman might have been too poor to afford this season’s boots, and the man might have been talking to the doctor of his sick son. The new information helps understand the reasoning behind the characters’ actions and personality.
Colors in life can represent many things feelings, happiness, good, and evil. Hyatt Howe Waggoner’s review of “The Scarlet Letter” in his scholarly journal says that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the colors of pure, mixed, and drained in “The Scarlet Letter” to contribute as an additional character in “The Scarlet Letter”. Hyatt Howe Waggoner’s review of the colors being used as a character is very correct, the colors of pure symbolize the good during the puritan era, as well as mixed being the good conflicting with bad and drained as the evil during the puritan era. Together using the colors in “The Scarlet Letter” Nathaniel Hawthorne creates an additional character that contributes to the plot of the story greatly. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses pure
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is publicly shamed for committing adultery, but does not reveal the name of the father of her child. This child, Pearl, is frequently seen by many as a devil-child because of this, even though she has not committed any sin. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne's development of appearance versus reality through the treatment of Pearl reveals how one’s perception can be easily altered by social stigma. The Puritan society constantly eschews Pearl because of the fear that she will eventually emulate the sin she descends from.
During the 1800s Dark Romanticism, sometimes referred to as Gothic Romanticism, entered the world of literature. Unlike the writings before this time, Dark Romanticism showed the sinful thoughts that had not been previously shown in the world. Unlike the previous fiction stories or novels such as fairytales that used creative, positive stories to escape reality, these dark and sometimes supernatural writings eluded reality by taking its readers into disturbing and sometimes sacrilegious situations. Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne both used symbols to illustrate elements of Dark Romanticism. The symbols within the stories of these great writers revealed the impending darkness and gloom that characterized Dark Romanticism.
Bhimani 1 Outline Prescribed Question: How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for what purpose? Text: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Thesis: In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne effectively conforms to the conventions of the gothic genre for the purpose of characterizing the Puritan society as oppressive, portraying the hypocrisy found within Puritan society and highlighting the consequences for not confessing sin.
