Read The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. As you read, share your observations and analysis with your classmates on this blog as directed below. Keep your quoted passages and reflections original- we can all google Sparknotes and Shmoop for ourselves. Then respond thoughtfully to the posts of three (3) of your classmates with your interpretations, impressions, and reactions to their thoughts about each book to create a conversation. Make sure you add something new to the conversation in your responses. Ask a question, challenge an assumption, offer a different interpretation or a new insight. "I agree" does not qualify as a meaningful response.
You should submit a total of 6 original posts and 6 comments.
Due Dates:
All posts about your first book should be completed by July 31, 2019.
Posts about your second book are due before the first day of school.
The goal of the response portion of the assignment is to set the tone for the year and develop a thoughtful conversation about our reading. Obviously, the conversation only works if people participate. Adding something at the end that no one will see does not equal participating in the conversation.
Failure to complete these assignments before your return to school may result in your removal from the class.
For each reflection post, start with a quotation from the novel and comment on it, focusing on one of the following:
1. Cite a passage and explain why is it important to the meaning of the work as a whole.
2. Read between the lines. Sometimes it’s what characters don’t say that matters. Cite a passage and explain what’s really going on. Be sure to use evidence to support your conclusions.
3. Analyze the development of a dynamic character: explain how she/he grows, learns, changes, etc. and how his/her evolution is important to the meaning of the work as a whole.
4. Cite a passage and analyze the author’s style, word choice, syntax, tone, etc. How does it contribute to the meaning of the work as a whole?
5. Analyze the author's use of literary devices (e.g. metaphor, symbolism, juxtaposition, foreshadowing, irony, satire, etc.). and consider how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
6. Cite a passage that evokes a strong emotional response from you and explore your reaction.
7. Cite a passage that you find confusing as a reader. Pose genuine clarifying questions for yourself and others.
8. Explore the similarities and differences in plot, theme, and style between the two novels. Analyze how these similarities and differences impact the meanings of these works as a whole.
9. Analyze the impact of point of view on the reader’s understanding and the meaning of the work as a whole.
10. Something else? Think of something. We will add to this list as we go.
1. "Firefly Lane" by, Kristen Hannah
ReplyDelete2. "The Help" by, Kathryn Stockett
3. "Hidden Figures" by, Margot Lee Shettlerly
4. Harry Potter Series
“Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast – at her, the child of honorable parents, – at her, the mother of a babe, that would hereafter be a reality of sin. And over her grave, the infamy that she must carry thither would be her only monument.” (54)
ReplyDeleteThis passage in the novel uses a great deal of ethos through diction, repetition and imagery. The reality of Puritan views and values is made explicit in such a small amount of text, yet is able to convey a central mood regarding the reason for Hester Prynne’s ostracisation. Hawthorne emphasises how the embroidered letter “A” is received through the repetitive phrases of “at her” that proceeds to contrast who she is on a moral level. In other words, it is made clear that since she was raised by “honourable” people, her act of committing adultery is even more so troubling. Hester’s daughter or the product of Hester’s sin is more than a reminder to both herself and the townspeople as to why they need to be wary of her in the first place.
I found this part as more of a description of how the scarlet letter became her identity and was going to follow her until her death. I interpreted the phrase, "flaming on her breast," as something like a brand. The letter is burned into her soul permanently because the rest of the Puritan society would never let it fade. It also says that the letter would be "her only monument." I interpret this to mean that it would be her only defining characteristic. It's her whole identity, which is entirely unfair. It shows how rigid and cruel the Puritan society truly was, since she could never truly move on with her life; the letter would stay with her for eternity.
DeleteAlthough this passage does have the rhetorical devices you state, I think the passage is less about the devices and more explaining the situation so the readers understand all the parts of the situation at hand. This passage emphasizes her sins and how she has to live with it for the rest of her life. This passage shows the readers how for the remainder of Hesters life in the book she will be known by the "A" and by Pearl. I agree with Grace for this, I think this passage is more about how she will be identified by these things and this and shame will become her identity, making it even more so shameful because of her honorable parents and her upbringing.
DeleteI think the rhetorical devices are used in this passage are used to express how the scarlet letter has become her permanent identity. The passage builds the ethos appeal through repetition and imagery, but, like what Grace and Genevieve said, I think the purpose on using these devices is to show how Hester will always be identified by her "A" and Pearl. I also agree with what you said about the strict Puritan views in the passage, but I think Hawthorne acknowledges Puritan views to create contrast between society's morals and Hester's actions. By creating this contrast, Hawthorne shows how Hester's identity is rooted in shame and sin.
DeleteI strongly agree that her diction, but also her tone, portray her realization that her good name has been shot. Hester will never be able to escape the mark that has been put on her, literally and figuratively. Her "A" has become her identity, but it will also become her child's as well. The child will forever be remembered as a product of sin.
DeletePearl is a paradox. She is marked the moment she is born, but is totally innocent. While she may be the product of sin, she by no means embodies it.
Delete“Pearl was born outcast of the infantile world. An imp of evil, emblem and product of sin, she had no ring among christened infants. Nothing was more remarkable than the instinct, as it seemed, with which the child comprehended her loneliness; the destiny that had drawn an inviolable circle round about her; the whole peculiarity, in short, of her position in respect to other children.” (64)
ReplyDeleteThe way in which Hawthorne describes Pearl’s inherent evilness may invoke an emotional response to other readers besides myself. No one has control over whether or not they are born and for that reason alone, should never be treated unjustly because of the circumstances made before them. The reception of Pearl’s mere existence can compare to how some people may view others today outside of Puritan society. For example, interracial marriage or relationships were not well-received throughout history. In the 20th-century, a white individual having a black partner was considered taboo. It would not be a surprise if the biracial child of the two would be treated with a lower amount of respect than their “pureblood” peers. Like Pearl, these children were not asked to be born and yet, were deemed outcasts, unable to fit in with either group (racial in this case). Nowadays, it can be imagined that interracial families are much more accepted and the concept of infidelity can be compared to an ignorant take on “turning one’s back” on their fellow predetermined classes or families.
This part also really shows the hypocrisy and backwardness of the colonial Puritan society. In the Bible, it says to love your neighbors and to forgive those who sin. By this standard, if the Puritans truly were following the words of God (with some small changes due to it being a sect of Christianity), then Pearl and Hester should have been forgiven. Pearl shouldn't have even been outcast because her mother's sin was not her own fault. The fact that the Puritans deemed Hester and Pearl outcasts imply that they really only cared about controlling everyone, rather than helping each person on their journeys in order to reach salvation.
Delete“And thus, while standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart. On that spot, in very truth, there was, and there had long been, the gnawing and poisonous tooth of bodily pain. Without any effort of his will, or power to restrain himself, he shrieked aloud; an outcry that went pealing through the night, and was beaten back from one house to another, and reverberated from the hills in the background; as if a company of devils, detecting so much misery and terror in it, had made a plaything of the sound, and were bandying it to and fro.” (102)
ReplyDeleteThis passage depicts the minister, Mr. Dimmesdale, feeling intense remorse for his sins in the same place Hester was displayed to atone. His situation is quite ironic; leaders of the church are not the types of people who sin, yet Mr. Dimmesdale, a church leader, committed adultery. This part of the story helps develop the themes of hypocrisy and sin through the irony of his situation. His moral crime undermines his duties to the church because he is no longer credible. This section of the book clearly shows Nathaniel Hawthorne’s intent to make it a criticism of Puritan customs. Mr. Dimmesdale is supposed to be a moral, pious leader, yet he (like all people) submits to sin and imperfection. This imperfection and display of even the highest and most religious people sinning is a clear jab at the Puritan expectation of perfection and piety. This section illuminates the idea of sin and imperfection in every person, even those who are thought of as leaders. It also highlights the hypocrisy that festered in the colonial Puritan society.
I enjoyed your take on how the usage of situational irony helps add conviction to Hawthorne’s criticism of Puritan ideology. It is true that although Dimmesdale assumes a leadership role and is expected to act like the perfect moral compass for his society, he is still subject to acting “sinful” like any person would be tempted to. Hawthorne certainly makes a distinct clause here and from reading your response, the focus on these different yet connected themes is something worth mentioning. I wonder if Dimmesdale’s anguish/internal conflict would have been shown in a different light if he were not a minister. Do you think he may have felt more or less compelled to atone for his crime?
DeleteYour take on this is very thoughtful and made me think of this passage in a way I never really did before, however I agree with it completely now that you've said it. I think that Hawthorn was very thoughtful and clever in the way he sent out his message that everyone has imperfections, sins, or flaws. The way Hawthorn put it is very smart by not coming out and directly saying it, yet it being strongly implied. I have a similar question to Erin, I wonder how the whole situation would play out if he were not a minister but just another common person. Would that make the situation any worse or better for him?
DeleteI had not thought about the direct connection to the puritan religion that this passage has. When I read the passage, I was reading more the connection between Hester and Dimmesdale while standing on the scaffolding. I completely agree with your interpretation of the passage however, and am thankful you made it because I never would have thought of it the way you do. Calling out the idealist ideas of the puritan religion were a likely tactic of Hawthorne, who probably thought that having an ideal of such was corrupt within itself. I think Hawthorne was trying to point out that there is no such thing as a perfect person or religion. Everybody makes mistakes, or does something they will regret later in life. I believe Hawthorne is trying to point out how normal it is to be imperfect, especially since he wrote this novel during a time where it was surrounded by great controversy. I will make it three on the question of how Dimmesdale being a ranking religious official affects him and his sins, whether it makes him guiltier, or less so. -Amy Pollack
DeleteIn an attempt to answer the question in the previous comments (about how Dimmesdale's title as minister affects his guilt) I think that if Dimmesdale were not a minister, or any sort of religious official, he would feel far less remorse over his actions, and it most likely wouldn't have lead to a deterioration in his health. I believe that every time Dimmesdale reads a sermon, he is reminded of his own awful sin, and that he is not one to preach about ignoring temptation and repenting for he is a sinner himself, who has not admitted to the crime but has kept it within himself for years, and this thought weighs heavily on his conscience. If he were not a clergyman, it is likely that his guilt would eventually pass, as he wouldn't be existing as a terrible hypocrite, reminded of his sins by his own sermons - maisy
Delete“As was usually the case wherever Hester stood, a small, vacant area---a sort of magical circle---had formed itself around her, into which, though the people were elbowing one another at a little distance, none ventured, or felt disposed to intrude. It was a forcible type of the moral solitude in which the scarlet letter enveloped its fated wearer; partly by her own reserve, and partly by the instinctive, though no longer so unkindly, withdrawal of her fellow-creatures.” (160)
ReplyDeleteThis section helps show the development of the townspeople. At first, when they discovered Hester Prynne’s sins, they essentially rejected her and Pearl from society and deemed them outcasts due to her unforgivable sin. People constantly watched her and whispered about her. However, at this point, many years into the story, the townspeople have switched their perceptions about her. Hester’s isolation is no longer out of disgust, but out of instinct, being “no longer so unkindly.” Essentially, the townspeople still isolate Hester because she sinned and bears the scarlet letter, but they have softened their judgments about her. While she is not accepted back into the Puritan society, the townspeople have moved from judging her to feeling indifferent. They have accepted her as a part of their world, but they will never befriend her. However, it also perfectly exemplifies the harshness of the Puritan customs. Puritan leaders sought to control their followers and wanted them to follow strict rules. As soon as any of those rules were broken, they would shun and severely punish the one at fault. In Hester’s case, the Puritans in her community still rejected her, despite her efforts to live a quiet life, work as a seamstress, and give back to the poor. Hester did all of these things, and even changed her appearance and wore bland clothing, as a form of repentance. However, even though Hester does these things, the town still rejected her. An important part of Puritanism was that forgiveness could be attained by changing one’s behavior. However, even though Hester changed her behavior, the town refused to forgive her. This small section highlights Hawthorne’s critique of the Puritans and their harsh judgments of others. It implies that the Puritan leaders only wanted to control and subdue their followers rather than help them achieve salvation.
The controlling aspect of Puritan society is something that I personally find interesting. Reading about Hester’s treatment and how the townspeople’s attitude towards her changed based on what they believe in undoubtedly involves an abstract thought process. With that being said, inspecting these elements in a thoughtful manner is something that you manage to convey well. The implications of Puritan dominance through analysing how and why certain behaviours are changed creates a solid thesis that I commend you for. Do you agree with how Hawthorne views the imperfections of Puritanism?
DeleteI think this quote is extremely telling of not only Puritan culture, but the culture of all humans. As people, we like to follow patterns, get into rhythms, and become accustom to our norms. We are also very much "sheep"; we follow others actions and the societal norms we have built for ourselves. This passage embodies our need for a norm. The towns people had been keeping their distance from Hester for so long, it became the new normal and although years had gone by and much of the shock of her sin had passed, the people were set in their ways. Grace, in your opinion, do you believe we represent these ideals in our everyday life, or is it rare to find a situation with this same idea of normalcy?
DeleteIt’s interesting how this sort of behavior shown by the puritan townspeople is such a universal theme in many societies, even regarding modern day. Of course now, the isolation is much less severe but still visible nonetheless. This first thing that came to mind when reading the description of the isolation was what a common thought process towards teen pregnancy is now. Throughout the book and in this section in particular there are many ways in which puritan society reflects a more severe version of our own society.
Delete“All this while, Hester had been looking steadily at the old man, and was shocked, as well as wonder-smitten, to discern what a change had been wrought upon him within the past seven years. It was not so much that he had grown older; for though the traces of advancing life were visible, he bore his age well, and seemed to retain a wiry vigor and alertness. But the former aspect of an intellectual and studious man, calm and quiet, which was what she best remembered in him, had altogether vanished, and had been succeeded by an eager, searching, almost fierce, yet carefully guarded look. It seemed to be his wish and purpose to mask this expression with a smile; but the latter played him false, and flickered over his visage so derisively, that the spectator could see his blackness all the better for it. Ever and anon, too, there came a glare of red light out of his eyes; as if the old man’s soul were on fire, and kept on smouldering duskily within his breast, until, by some casual puff of passion, it was blown into a momentary flame. This he repressed as speedily as possible, and strove to look as if nothing of the kind had happened.” (116)
ReplyDeleteThis passage describes Roger Chillingworth’s failure to hide his inner emotions and motives. Hester states that his calm, quiet, and studious nature had disappeared and that he had become a new man---one who is filled with evil, or “blackness.” She describes his soul as on fire, but also notes that he tried to hide all of this whenever possible. This section illuminates how revenge never satisfies anger. Roger Chillingworth had been psychologically (and maybe he was poisoning Mr. Dimmesdale?) attacking Mr. Dimmesdale and capitalizing on his weakened mental state due to remorse for his sins. In the end, Roger Chillingworth got what he wanted---Mr. Dimmesdale died due to his insurmountable guilt. However, Roger Chillingworth had devoted so much of his time and energy in making Mr. Dimmesdale suffer, that he had lost all purpose to his life when his victim died. He “positively withered up” because he had no reason to continue living (177). Roger Chillingworth’s story shows how revenge consumes one’s life and will never be found as fulfilling---one is always left desiring more pain, more suffering, etc. Revenge is never enough for the one seeking it.
I completely agree with your take on this passage. I think this passage really goes more in depth and shows another side to Roger Chillingworth. This shows the true side to Roger Chillingworth and helps the readers understand him better. This passage kind of puts everything into place so the readers better understand the real Roger Chillingworth and all his evil tendencies that we didn't see to t his degree through out the book. This passage you cited also plays into the story in later pages which is really important, and this passage definitely shows Roger Chillingworth in his true form.
DeleteI also agree with your take on this passage. I believe this passage also helps to show the character development of Roger Chillingworth. When we first see him through the eyes of Hester in the prison, he comes off a simply disappointed man, but not seemingly vengeful. He is calm and collected in himself, and makes a simple agreement with Hester to never speak of their marriage, as to preserve a reputation he had yet to built. As the story progresses we see him becoming more unstable and corrupt, beginning to darken. This may be because as the years go on, and pearl ages, Chillingworth becomes angrier, or sadder, seeing his wife whom he loved, raising a child who is not his own. This progression gives the reader a better understanding of the true character of Roger Chillingworth and his emotions towards Hester, and perhaps the rest of the town, who he may blame as a whole for the birth of pearl.
DeleteThis is Amy Pollack, I do not know how to make my name appear on my posts. I will sign them all from now on.
DeleteI also agree with your interpretation of the passage. I think Hawthorne uses this passage about Roger Chillingworth's development in the story to display the message that revenge will consume your life and never be fulfilling. I find it interesting that despite the fact that this book was written in the 1800's, the theme of guilt and Hawthorne's message about revenge can still be relatable today.
DeleteMany around Chillingworth think of him as a good man, specifically for his local work as a doctor, despite his true nature. I find this ironic, as the townspeople think badly of Hester for commiting the sin of adultery, but she is actually good and learns from her past. This shows just how unable Puritan society is to tell good people apart from bad, despite their efforts to punish those they perceive as sinners.
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Delete"They sat down again, side by side, and hand clasped in hand, on the mossy trunk of a fallen tree. Life has never brought them a gloomier hour; it was the point whither their path way had so long been trending, and darkening ever, as it stole along; - and yet it inclosed a charm that made them linger upon it, and claim another, and another , and, after all, another moment. The forest was obscure around them, and creaked with a blast that was passing through it. The boughs were tossing heavily above their heads; while one solemn tree groaned dolefully to another, as if telling the sad story of the pair that sat beneath, or constrained to forebode evil to come." (p.134)
ReplyDeleteThis passage evokes a lot of pathos imagery and foreshadowing as well as some other rhetorical devices. The passage starts by laying out the scene for the readers, describing the scene in which Hester and the Minister are in. This helps so the readers can see the text as well as read it. It's important for the readers to know the setting in which they're sitting because it helps with other rhetorical devices later in the passage.
This passage also uses pathos and tone to help better richen scene in the text. by using words and phrases such as "gloomier", "darkening", "linger upon", "solemn tree groaned dolefully", and "evil" Hawthorn sets a gloomy sad tone which makes the readers feel sadder for the two in the woods. The tone helps to evoke the pathos and let the readers know how dark and sad it is in the scene.
Finally, This passage uses foreshadowing. In the last sentence of the passage Hawthorn writes "The boughs were tossing heavily above their heads; while one solemn tree groaned dolefully to another, as if telling the sad story of the pair that sat beneath, or constrained to forebode evil to come." The "evil to come" foreshadows on what might happen later in the book, and lets the readers know that more problems may occur. By foreshadowing it hooks the readers so they will want to continue into the story to see if there is "evil to come".
I wonder if this passage is also supposed to be hopeful. When I read this the line that stuck out to me was, "and yet it enclosed a charm" to me this line was showing that even in the darkest most gloomy parts of life there is still a little hope, something that caught their eyes.
DeleteI find it interesting how Hawthorne personifies the trees, and illustrates them as talking to one another. He also does this with the stream, and describes it as sadly babbling as it flows over the rocks. This is an interesting way to create a setting, and set the tone for the conversation between Hester and Mr.Dimmesdale
Delete"But Pearl, not a whit startled at her mother's threats, anymore than mollified by her entreaties, now suddenly burst into a fit of passion, gesticulation violently, and throwing her small figure into the most extravagant contortions. She accompanied this wild outbreak with piercing shrieks, which the woods reverberated on all side; it seemed as if a hidden multitude were lending her their sympathy and encouragement. Seen in the brook, once more, was the shadowy wrath of Pearl's image, crowned and girdled with flowers, but stamping foot, wildly, gesticulating, and, in the midst of all, still pointing its small forefinger at Hester's bosom!" (p.144)
ReplyDeletePearl has always been an interesting child to me. She is so wise for her years and even though she doesn't fully understand what the scarlet letter means she still somehow hows what is best for her mother and her in situations. This passage is an example of that. She somehow knows that taking off the letter was a bad idea. and later on in this chapter Hester realizes Pearl right and she must wear the letter for a few more days. Pearl symbolized a lot in Hester's life, not only is she a symbol of the shame Hester endures along with wearing the letter. But, it also seems as Pearl symbolized life and common sense. In this passage Pearl inadvertently knows that Hester's letter is not ready to be taken off yet. She is so innocent and clueless yet she also has these insightful observations and ideas, such as knowing the letter is not ready to come off. Pearl definitely has a deeper meaning not only in this passage but in the entire book. Pearl knows things without even realizing it, and she helps to guide Hester throughout their entire journey.
Pearl is my favourite character because of her innocent, yet mature perceptiveness that allows her to raise questions the adults in the novel may not want to answer or even consider. I agree with how she is a symbol for different aspects in Hester’s life and that the passage you cited is a wonderful example of how this is portrayed. I like how you phrased, “She is so innocent and clueless, yet she also has these insightful observations and ideas, such as knowing the letter is not ready to come off”. I don’t know if this was your intention or not, but I interpreted it as the letter being sort of personified as “not ready to come off” and appreciated that depiction. I wonder how much would have changed in the novel if Pearl’s entire demeanor were to have been reversed.
DeleteI like how you think of Pearl as a "guide" in Hester's life, and I agree that Hester sees Pearl as a symbol of her sin and that it fills Hester with shame. I think Hester always dresses Pearl up to look like the letter she wears embroidered on her chest with a purpose, so that she is reminded of her 'crime' but I think she also feels empowered by it, so much so that by the end of the novel, Hester no longer feels bothered about being an outcast, which was the opposite of the community's intentions, and she continues to live the rest of her life in the same cottage after returning to the settlement. I think that because of Pearl being the product of her sin, it has lead her to think differently from the rest of the Puritan society and that she gained some sense of female independence through the whole ordeal—if she had never sinned she would never have had pearl, whom she loves dearly.
Delete^^ was my comment
Delete"But Hester could not resolve the query, being herself in a dismal labyrinth of doubt. She remembered- betwixt a smile and a shudder- the talk of the neighbouring townspeople; who, seeking vainly elsewhere for the child's paternity, and observing some of her odd attributes, had given out that poor little Pearl was a demon offspring; such as, ever since old Catholic times, has occasionally been seen on earth, through the agency of their mothers' sins, and to the scandal of his monkish enemies, was brat of that hellish breed; nor was Pearl the only child to whom this inauspicious origin was assigned, among the New England Puritans." (p.68)
ReplyDeleteThis is shows how the people viewed Hester and Pearl. Hester was marked as awful and sinful and a shame. Everyone didn't like her because of this one ting that happened, and she had to live with the shame for her entire life. This passage shows how this is how Hester was defined. By using words such as "sin" and "demon" Hawthorn wants the readers to really understand how Hester was defined by her actions, and how those were the only things society saw and defined her by. In this passage Pearls odd attributes are described as bad, and "demon" Hawthorn chose to describe Pearl in this way so the readers will understand how awful everyone viewed the pair, and emphasized how affected and in shock the people were by Hester and Pearl. This passage shows how in the time period "The Scarlet Letter" was set in how awful adultery was. By emphasizing the shame and horridness of the child the readers get into their head how people acted and begin to understand why Hester is shamed.
I believe this passage shows exactly as you say Genevieve. It gives a visual to the readers, showing how the townspeople view Hester and Pearl. I think that by using the terms "Demon" and "sinful" it not only gives the reader an idea of the public's idea of the two, but also how they were perhaps treated. The idea of a demon would repel most, which would explain Hesters seclusion from the town and the social life within. Sin would be the cause of the utter disrespect the pair receive not only from the townspeople but their children as well, who throw stones and snicker at the two. These descriptions of the pair give the reader a visual for their treatment, while also strengthening the readers understanding of how the townspeople view Hester and her "demon" child due to her sin.
Delete- Again it is Amy Pollack, I forgot to sign and still cannot figure out how to make my name appear, I am so sorry. :(
DeleteLike you said, I think the purpose of this passage is to show how Hester and Pearl were seen by the townspeople. The use of the words "sin" and "scandal" in the passage seem to show that the townspeople see Hester and Pearl as awful people. I found it interesting that the passage is written in the third person and still uses bold words like "demon" to describe Pearl. It seems like even from a narrator's perspective, Hester and Pearl are seen as shameful people because of Hester's adultery.
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ReplyDelete“It is the unspeakable misery of a life so false as his, that it steals the pith and substance out of whatever realities there are around us, and which were meant by Heaven to be the spirit’s joy and nutriment. To the untrue man, the whole universe is false, – it is impalpable, – it shrinks to nothing within his grasp. And he himself, in so far as he shows himself in a false light, becomes a shadow, or, indeed, ceases to exist.” (100)
ReplyDeleteThis excerpt takes on an idea regarding perceived truth versus the reality of certain situations. Doubtless, internalising negative feelings can lead to larger issues that may cause sufferers unnecessary pain, whether it be physical or emotional. For Dimmesdale, his moral dilemma is dramatised by Hawthorne’s tone and word choice. By using more of an objective stance on the matter, the author portrays Dimmesdale as a man whose turmoil evokes sympathy for him. Tone also contributes to this perception as it can be described as moralising, taking larger considerations for the “falsehood of Dimmesdale’s life”. The conflict in which Dimmesdale distresses himself with is caused by his inability to view himself as more than a shadow who is destined to be forgotten in the big scheme of things. This struggle is highlighted by the word choice Hawthorne uses, such as “unspeakable misery”, “impalpable” and “steals the pith and substance [...]”. The “unspeakable misery” is quite clearly inferred to emphasise how the secret Dimmesdale holds has a detrimental impact on his well being. This relates to how strict Puritan values were overseen and at the time, members of that society would go to mental extremes to save face lest they’d be given an unimaginable punishment. The utter remorse of Dimmesdale’s situation is demonstrated through Hawthorne’s rhetoric, involving a strong involvement with word choice and a dramatic tone.
DeleteI wonder if puritan societal "rules" were different in relation to mental health and keeping problems to yourself if Dimmesdale would have less internal turmoil? If Dimmesdale were facing this problem in modern day society how might it play out differently?
"'At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead. Madam Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me. But she,- the naughty baggage- little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown! Why, look you, she may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever!'
ReplyDelete'Ah, but,' interposed, more softly, a young wife, holding a child by the hand, 'let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart." (36)
This passage surprised me because I was not expecting the other colonists to want an even worse punishment for Hester. This quote seems to show that Hester is already seen as an outcast in society, before she is even released from jail. By having a member of the colony propose the idea of branding Hester with a hot iron, Hawthorne is showing the reader early on in the book that guilt and punishment is a strong theme. While one colonist is in favor of physical punishment, the young wife acknowledges that with or without physical pain, Hester will suffer from guilt in her heart. I interpreted this passage as Hawthorne's way to foreshadow how Hester will have to manage her pain and guilt throughout the story.
I also was taken aback by this passage. I thought it was interesting because of the intense juxtaposition between not only an extremely harsh punishment and a lesser one but also between physical and emotional pain. It just shows the many sides of shame and guilt that is put upon Hester. It is not just a letter that was put on her it was an intense amount of guilt, pain and hatred by some that was put on her and that she must live with for the rest of her life in the village
DeleteI agree with idea that this passage is foreshadowing how difficult it will be for Hester to deal with the guilt and constant criticism of the villagers. This passage also clearly shows the rage and contempt some had for Hester. Some did not believe emotional pain was enough. This idea to brand her leads me to believe the people to suggest such a punishment not only want to make her suffer, but want to make themselves look stronger. The person to perform such a punishment would heed lots of power over Hester, and may also look like a hero to other villagers.
DeleteThe woman who wanted a phyiscal punishment doesn't realize how emotional pain can cause even more damage and suffering than physical pain. While Hester didn't deal with any physical pain despite her emotional pain, Dimmesdale did. He became weak and touched his hand to his heart feeling stress placed on his body due to his mental state. Physical pain doesn't need to be inflicted to be present; this shows just how debilitating emotional pain can be in comparison, which the second woman in the conversation points out.
DeleteI agree with Sydney. The physical pain seems like a much lesser punishment then the emotional torture suffered by Hester her entire life from then on. Its also interesting the Hester does not cover up the A like they expect her to.
Delete"'Hester Prynne,' said he, leaning over the balcony, and looking down steadfastly into her eyes, 'thou hearest what this good man says, and seest the accountability under which I labor. If thou feelest it to be for thy soul's peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effective to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow sufferer! Ne not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me. Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life. What can thy silence do for him, except it tempt him- yea, compel him, as it were- to add hypocrisy to sin?'" (47)
ReplyDeleteWhen looking back on this passage, I find it very ironic that Dimmesdale is demanding Hester to reveal who Pearl's father is, when Dimmesdale is actually the father. I am curious if Dimmesdale actually wanted Hester to confess at that time, or if he was just doing his assigned job and hoping that she wouldn't expose his secret. I interpreted the phrase "step down from a high place" as a hint that the father is likely highly respected in the colony and would have to sacrifice his social status if his sin was revealed. Another phrase I found intriguing was "add hypocrisy to sin" because it seemed like Dimmesdale is trying to say that living with the guilt in secret and acting like a hypocrite would be more painful than being seen as a sinner, especially because of his social status and his duty to urge Hester to reveal who the father is. Seeing these two phrases in the passage make me wonder if Dimmesdale is begging Hester to tell the truth in this moment because it seems like he's acknowledging that secretly living with this guilt is just as shameful as being identified as a sinner.
Hester didn't tell people who the father was because she wanted to save Dimmesdale from the public humiliation that she was facing, yet he ended up suffering a lot more than she did. He carried that guilt around with him for years, while she was able to overcome the humiliation and eventually live a fairly happy life. Plus, Hester was able to have a relationship with their daughter, but Dimmesdale had to pretend like she was just some child with no connection to him.
Delete"The physician, as he had a fair right to be termed, next bestowed his attention on the mother. With calm and intent scrutiny, he felt her pulse, looked into her eyes, - a gaze that made her heart shrink and shudder, because so familiar, yet so strange and cold, - and, finally, satisfied with his investigation, proceeded to mingle another draught." (50)
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Hawthorne develops the pathos appeal through his use of imagery in this interaction between Chillingworth and Hester. The descriptive phrase " a gaze that made her heart shrink and shudder" shows the audience that there is a much deeper connection between Hester and the physician. By describing Hester's heart, Hawthorne is able to show that interacting with Chillingworth is causing Hester to feel shameful without revealing to the audience that Chillingworth was her husband. The phrase "so familiar, yet so cold" also adds to the pathos appeal by illustrating how Hester feels like she has lost her old identity as Roger's wife and has a new identity of being an adulteress and an outcast. This passage shows the readers how Chillingworth's appearance in the colony makes Hester feel even more shameful and guilty.
I really like this passage because, as you said, Hawthorne is able show the readers Hester and Chillingworths relationship without actually telling them that they had a relationship. This, mixed with the pathos you described really makes this passage a crucial one.
Delete"They averred that the symbol was not mere scarlet cloth, tinged in an earthly dye-pot, but was red-hot with internal fire, and could be seen glowing all alight, whenever Hester Prynne walked abroad in the night-time. And we must needs say, it seared Hester's bosom so deeply, that perhaps there was more truth in the rumor than our modern incredulity may be inclined to admit." (60)
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Hawthorne gives the reader a visual of the scarlet letter searing into Hester Prynne's chest. This passage for me hit a twang of sympathy, and perhaps empathy for Hester. Though I have not had a letter bearing adultury on my bosom, I too have had to walk amongst people whom I was a part of at one time, and look at them astranged, as I had been outcast for a decision I had made. I feel for Hester here, but also admire her strength. She has been secluded from all life around her, besides her dear Pearl. I envy her for this strength and composure in such an intense situation, one where I know I would not be able to hold myself so graciously and calmly as her.
- Amy Pollack (again)
DeleteIt is very interesting to me how Hawthorne continuously connects the scarlet letter with fire, using words such as "red hot," "burned," "flaming" and "branded." He uses sentences such as "but was red hot with eternal fire, and could be seen glowing all alight" to suggest that, like fire, her identity is always visible, even in the dark. I too feel for Hester when reading this passage. How can you lose an identity that you cannot escape?
DeleteAmy first off that was a good use of the word "twang," secondly I agree that this shows the empathy and sympathy for Hester. Hester shows that she is a strong woman throughout the whole book, I don't think anyone else could have dealt with the towns wrath more gracefully than she did. This really just shows how torturous the "olden days" truly were. I could not even imagine how Hester dealt with the shame and agony the town inflicted on her, I definitely admire her as well.
Delete"Could it be true? She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real. Yes!- these were her realities,- all else has vanished!" (41)
ReplyDeleteThis passage is extremely important to the novel as a whole, as it helps to set up the rest of the story for the reader to follow. This passage comes shortly after we meet Hester Prynne and her sinful babe. This passage gives the reader an idea how how horrific this event is for Hester Prynne, and how she truly wishes it had not happened, for the shame was great. This passage helps to set up the character development for Hester Prynne as well, giving the reader a point at which to begin their relationship with her. The reader will see Hester in her most extreme dismay near the beginning of the book, and will learn more about her true character and presence as they read. -Amy Pollack
I completely agree with you in stating that this passage is extremely important to the novel. It sets its readers up for what the book is really about. As you said, Hester was horrified at the thought of the scarlet letter. However, it is interesting to see that as the book progresses, Hester becomes more at ease with the fact that she has the scarlet letter and even wants to use it as a lesson to teach Pearl to not make the same mistakes she did.
DeleteI agree with both of you; this passage does help to set up the plot. I also believe that this passage helps show Hester beginning to come to terms with her situation. The "Yes!-these were her realities" help show some of the shock she felt when she finally realized that Pearl was real and the scarlet letter were real (it sort of felt like before she had this realization, she was numb to the world around her). While the passage does set up the story, I believe it also sets up the internal struggle Hester dealt with throughout the entirety of the book.
DeleteI do agree that the passage helped set up the character development for Hester and even Pearl, but I felt as though we truly don't see who Hester is until the very end of the book. I feel like we only see her in complete dismay through the entirety of the book (pretty much,) but this is the start of where the readers truly meet who Pearl is and Hester's and Pearl's relationship.
DeleteI think this passage is important because it gives the reader a clear interpretation of how Hester feels at the beginning of the novel, which is very remorseful about her sin, but as you say, with character development through the story, her perspective begins to change as she begins to become more and more fond of Pearl, her child born of sin, adapting to being the settlement's outcast. By the end of the novel, her perspective completely changes as she gains a sense of independence and empowerment from her situation: she no longer feels bothered about being an outcast and she continues to live her life as such, even after she returns from europe.
Deletemaisy ^^^
Delete"Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself, when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom. But what distinguished the physician's ecstasy from Satan's was the trait of wonder in it!" (95)
ReplyDeleteThis passage is confusing to me. I can read it, and understand it in two ways. I believe that the passage is supposed to be read as Roger Chillingworth being a devil-like creature, who is celebrating the gain of a human soul to hell, rather than to heaven, but I also can read the passage and understand something completely different. I can also read this passage as Roger Chillingworth being the soul lost to heaven and gained to hell. I am unsure which it is, because either one could make sense to me. Roger being the devil-like creature would be valid because of his emotional and potentially physical abuse to Mr. Dimmesdale, and his attempts to harm or even potentially kill him. However, I also could understand Chillingworth being the soul gained to hell, because of his malice toward Mr. Dimmesdale. I am unsure whether the soul being lost to heaven and gained to hell is that of Chillingworth, or Dimmesdale, as both make sense to me. -Amy Pollack
I defiantly read it more as Roger Chillingworth being devil like. I get that feeling because of the way that this passage is first set up, "Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment" It is because of this sentence that gives me the feeling that you're supposed to read this passage in the view of someone looking at the way Roger Chillingworth was exuding devilish energy
Delete"Day after day, she looked fearfully into the child's expanding nature; ever dreading to detect some dark and wild peculiarity, that should correspond with the guiltiness to which she owed her being."
ReplyDeleteThis quote strikes strong emotions when explaining how Hester feels about her own daughter. Hester obviously loves her child dearly, however, this quote tells us that she feels as though she does not deserve Pearl and lives in fear that one day she will find a "peculiarity" in Pearl, one in which Hester feels she deserves after committing such a sin. Although Hester is punished for her crime of adultery and is publicly humiliated for her entire life, Hester has always stayed strong. This quote is one of the first in which Hester shows sings of weakness. Pearl is Hesters weakness and she feels as though, at some point, will receive the real punishment she deserves which will have something to do with Pearl.
(Hawthorne 61)
DeleteI noticed that a little later in the book Pearl started to be compared to a witch by the people around her, such as on page 79: "the little baggage hath witchcraft in her, I profess." Especially in this early New England Puritan society, witchcraft is not welcome and would definitely be qualified as a "peculiarity." (I think it was mentioned that a woman people thought was a witch ended up being killed but correct me if I'm wrong). One has to wonder if Pearl's strange and unbaptized spirit will someday result in her being accused as a witch.
DeleteIn response to the other part of your prompt, I'm not sure if Pearl is Hester's weakness. The way I interpreted what you said makes it seem like without Pearl, Hester would be better off and I don't think that would be true. If Pearl had ended up being taken away, Hester would've been left alone with no one to live for. Pearl gives her a reason to keep moving foreward and Pearl also has an untainted view of her mother– she doesn't see the scarlet letter as a mark of evil but as something of beauty. Hester needs Pearl, so in a sense Pearl would only be Hester's weakness if she were to go away.
One thing many people forget while reading fiction is that these characters (although they are not truly real) are people too. People like Hester who are going through imaginary scenarios acts and lives just like you or me. I adore how human and flawed Hawthorne makes Hester to show us how a human really is. Although we ourselves are humans, many of us forget what it truly means to be one. By giving Hester a child Hawthorne allows the readers to see some baggage that Hester has. By making that child a fear and a weakness of Hester's, Hawthorne allows the readers to see how the character truly feels about key things in her life rather then letting the reader try to guess. Hawthorne is blatant and clear with his humanization of Hester, making her much more relatable to and understanding of.
Delete"Mother," said little Pearl, "the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now, see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I ma but a child. It will not flee from me; for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!"
ReplyDelete"Nor ever will my child, I hope," said Hester.
"And why not mother?" stopping short just at the beginning of the race. "Will not it come of its own accord, when I am a woman grown?"
This passage illustrates Pearls role in the story and explains how the sunshine is a symbol of Pearls innocence.Throughout the entire story, Pearl is portrayed as a child who is very aware of the things around her and sees things that most children do not see. In this passage, Pearl connects the scarlet letter, located on her mothers bosom, with the lack of sunshine in her mothers life. Pearl realizes that there is something different about her mother and how she is unable to be loved by the sun. This passage uses the sun as a symbol of innocence. Pearl being a child and having done nothing wrong in life, is loved by the sunshine which folllows her wherever she goes. However, Hester, being not so innocent is not loved by the sun which hides when it sees her. Hester only hopes that the sun will continue to lover her daughter and she will never have the scarlet letter in which Pearl has now become accustomed to.
(Hawthorne 126)
DeleteI find it odd that even after connecting the scarlet letter to the lack of sunshine in her mother's life, it seems as though Pearl wants to have one herself someday. This is especially weird to me because Pearl really enjoys playing in and being loved by the sun.
Delete"The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, so much power to do, and power to sympathize, that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength." (Hawthorne 111)
ReplyDeleteThe scarlet letter hides so many different meanings behind the symbol of shame. Originally given to her as a symbol of adultery and sin, The "A" eventually comes to stand as "Able." When Hester first realized the scarlet letter on her breast, she was horrified. It was meant to function as a reminder of her affairs with Dimmesdale. However, as the story goes on, Hester begins to realize that the "A" is ultimately meaningless and was only used to humiliate her in front of her community. As Hester begins to realize this, she becomes stronger. It is really interesting how a letter can have so much importance, until it just doesn't anymore.
"and so, perchance, the torture 0f her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint-like, because the result of martyrdom." (55)
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows us how much power the church has during this time. This is an important passage to the themes of punishment and power in the book. This passage establishes who has the power and moral authority to deal out punishments in their society. The magistrate were the ones who gave Hester her punishment,t however they claim that what she did was illegal both in their laws and according to the bible. In this way, they are getting their authority from the church. There is a priest who does a lot of the talking when Hester is up on her stage another way the church deals out the punishment. And it is solely the church that keeps her their actually to have her discipline. If the church did not have power over her telling her this punishment would cleanse her soul, or that her soul needed cleansing in the first place she would flee to where no one knew of her crime. She could go back to her home in England, but because of the power of the church, she doesn't.
Then why do you think the transition happens in the end of the book where she plans to do the exact opposite, run away. Also, when discussing the option of running away with the priest she is the one who convinces him, not the other way around. It is just a very interesting transition into almost the opposite of what is portrayed in the beginning of the book.
Delete"On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread appeared the letter A." (37)
ReplyDeleteThis passage is our first introduction to Hester's response to her punishment, and it sets up exactly how she feels. It is a rebellion. Fancy things such as this were against the rules of the colony. Against sumptuary laws which are laws limiting luxury, unnecessary spending, extravagance and such. Its also an act of rebellion because of what people had expected. The expectation was that she would hide the A, but Hester made it more visible. So not only is this a sign of rebellion shes owning her crime. She's saying yes I did it; I take responsibility for my actions. The colony wants to shame her, but by taking this responsibility, it makes it much harder for the colony to embarrass or shame her. In this way, Hester is trying to take away the colonies power over her.
I agree that Hester is, in a way, defying the rules of the colony and taking responsibility for her actions, and I think she is also using it as a way to rebel against the label that was put on her. She is no longer treated as entirely human because she has been labeled as a "mistake" in the Puritan society. So, when she marks herself as an adulterer but also with such care and beauty, she is showing that she is more than the unsavory being that people write her off to be.
DeleteWhen we want to distance ourselves from something or someone we think of all the ways that we are better or different. Hester's embroidered letter prevents people from being able to say that she is only a sinner because they can see she is more than that. Like you said, Hester is taking away the colony's power to shame her because it is hard to shame something that you find beautiful. And in the care that she obviously put in to the letter, there lies humanity, making it even harder for people to distance themselves from her.
Hester is definitely defying the colony, and is using the Scarlet Letter as a way to get back at them by showing it proudly. But she doesn't just get angry and try to get back at them, she instead helps them. She uses her crime as a way to help others, and uses it as a tool to teach them. "Her Breast, with it's badge of shame, was but the softer pillow for the head that needed one." (111)
DeleteI'm sure no one ever thought to find rebellion through clothing in 17th century colonial Puritan Mass, but Nathaniel Hawthorne saw something. Hester is in a way defying the rules of the colony by dressing up her "A" to make it something more than a mark on her body. She is kind of inadvertently doing so however. By not full on attacking the state but making a stand no matter, Hester becomes a silent and peaceful protester. The Scarlet Letter could, in some ways, be Hawthorne's advocation for silently and peacefully protesting as opposed to violently. This dressing up of her "A" is also her saying that she is more than just a criminal, she is a person, an actual human being who actually has feelings and cares about how she looks. By making this decision, Hawthorne is telling all of us to rock our own scarlet letters and whatever a scarlet letter is for us.
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ReplyDelete"Child, what art thou?" cried the mother.
ReplyDelete"O, I am your little Pearl!" Answered the child.
But, While she said it, Pearl laughed and began to dance up and down, with the humorsome gesticulation of a little imp, whose next freak might be to fly up the chimney." (67)
I found this quote to be very interesting just because it shows how weird Pearl is depicted throughout the story. Growing up in a situation like Pearl did will defiantly cause you to be a little different but I wouldn’t expect someone to act as Pearl does. With the constant shame and isolation that is sent her way with out her understanding of why, would be a lot for anyone to handle. Although the response I would have expected was for Pearl to be shy and sad, but instead Pearl is crazy, energetic, curious and at points just plan mean. It was just a very interesting choice for Nathaniel Hawthorne to characterize Pearl the way that he did. It makes me think that Pearl is supposed to represent something but I can’t quite decide on what it is. Throughout the whole book she is referred to as a devil child and other things of that sort. The theme of heaven vs hell and god vs devil is also a strong theme. So, maybe Pearl represents the devil and yet again shows the overlapping theme that we all have a balance of good and bad in us? I am curious to hear what you guys might think.
There is a passage on page 142 that touches on the sort of duality of Pearl that you are talking about: "just where she had paused the brook changed to form a pool, so smooth and quiet that it reflected a perfect image of her little figure, with all the brilliant picturesqueness of her beauty, in its adornment of flowers and wreathed foliage, but more refined and spiritualized than reality. " Even though there is not a super drastic difference between Pearl and her reflection as between God and the devil, the fact that there seems to be two sides of her enforces the idea that Pearl can represent both sides of what people deem black and white. Earlier in the book there was another instance where Pearl sees her reflection in the water and she beckons for it to come and play. It seems like Hawthorne wants to emphasize the idea that people have two sides.
DeleteIf you look at Mr. Dimmesdale he seems to have a "good" side (being a preacher and upstanding citizen) and a "bad" side (the sin that he is hiding). So, building on your theme of heaven vs. hell and God vs. the devil, there seems to be an overarching theme of duality: everyone has something that they are hiding and sometimes a whole other persona, and because Pearl is restricted by no moral or religious laws, she blurs the boundary between the two sides.
Pearl also seems to both make her mother happy and act as a reminder of her punishment. She makes her mother happy while also hurting her. This is another example of what your talking about I think.
Delete“Mother,” said little Pearl, “The sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now, see! There it is, playing a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me; for I wee nothing on my bosom yet!”
ReplyDeleteThis is another quote with Pearl as the main topic. I just found her character to be extremely interesting and strange, which I think was the intention of Hawthorne. This quote on the main surface is pretty plain and just kind of rude to Hester, but if you start to look deeper at it it has a lot of deeper meaning to it. The light, or sunshine can be interpreted as heaven while the darkness can be interpreted as hell. Pearl, even though she doesn’t yet understand why her mother wears the scarlet letter, knows and makes the connection that her mother can not be touched by the “light” aka God or Heaven or anything that fits in that category. Later in the quote she says that she is going to chase the light because she knows the light will not flee from her because she does not wear the letter, which just proves deeper that Pearl has this understanding that the letter is associated with bad or evil. To everyone else in this time period hell and heaven are extremely heavy topics and for Pearl to just dance over it like she does in this section just shows again how different she is.
I agree that Pearl is a very intriguing character. Throughout her life, she appears to comprehend so much about her mother and their complicated situation in a pure and unfiltered way. I think that the lightness you mention (born of sometimes questionably honest ignorance) is the very nature of a child raised in near isolation. She also does a lot to portray the inner emotions that Hester hides; she senses what her mother feels but fears to say, and brings the rather heavy topics up to both her mother and the reader with the innocent touch of a child—who knows just a little too much.
Delete“Could it be true? She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast, that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real. Yes! — these were her realities, — all else had vanished!” (41)
ReplyDeleteThis was quite a start off to the book! It set the tone of the rest of the story quite well. It showed the amount of confusion, shame and guilt that is felt by Hester for the entirety of the book. It introduces Pearl and shows the strong connection that Hester has with her. What I found extra interesting about this quote was the way that she bunched her child and her shame in as one. This is done by saying "the infant and the shame were real.” It is shown through out the whole book that Hester has an extremely strong love towards Pearl, it is interesting to see what her relationship was like with her at the very beginning. It must have been a very complicated mix of emotions that Hester felt towards the child at first. The Pearl was proof of her affair and was what got her that scarlet letter but Pearl is also her one and only child as well as her only true social contact in the town.
I agree with how she had bundled her emotions into her child, pearl was almost like a manifestation of her shame. Pearl acted as a constant reminder of her infidelity and the guilt/mix of emotions that surrounded her throughout the whole book.
DeleteAlso, connecting Pearl to the scarlet letter this early in the story foreshadows the connection the two have throughout the rest of the book. As Pearl grows, so does her interest in the scarlet letter, almost as if she knows that she's the manifestation of what it stands for.
DeleteBeing Pearl would be hard. Not only does the society see you as the product of a crime, but so does your own mother. Your very existence would be a reminder of what your mother did. I'm surprised by how happy Pearl often is despite this reality.
Delete"Such was the ruin to which she had brought the man, once,– nay, why should we not speak it?– still so passionately loved! Hester felt the sacfifice of the clergyman's good name, and death itself, as she had already told Roger Chillingworth, would have been infinitely preferable to the alternative which she had taken upon herself to choose. And now, rather than have this grievous wrong to confess, she would glady have laid down on the forest-leaves, and died there at Aurthor Dimmesdale's feet."
ReplyDeleteI find it striking that even Hester herself believes that everything that happended was her fault, and that she is able to feel sympathy for Mr. Dimmesdale. She feels that it is her duty to help him by telling him that she was married to Mr. Chillingworth. Not only that, she asks for his forgiveness after she tells him. She never once wishes for him to be shamed along side her because she knows he is suffering internally. Throughout the book Hester has endured public shaming and estrangement from the community but she never retreated into resentment and instead became a helping hand to the town (illustrated on pg. 110). On top of overcoming those obstacles, she now feels responsible for Mr. Dimmesdale, too. She seems to almost lack self-awareness and that grows throughout the story: the longer she is socially secluded, the longer she has to endure the shame of adultery. But, as her time with the scarlet letter lengthens, the more she returns to the community that initally shamed her, not really as herself, but as something that provides for it. It seems that in letting go of any anger she might've had, she also left behind her personality and ability to realize that everything that happened wasn't all her fault.
I was also shocked by the depth of her penitence in this scene. However, I think that her time with the scarlet letter strengthened her character rather than stripping her of her personality. The severity of her punishment made it so she was so greatly reduced in both her self-image and society's that she knew to pin any further mistakes she made on herself, just as harshly as her letter taught her. The severe nature of Puritan society did not push her to let go of her anger, but rather to turn it towards herself.
Delete“A writer of story-books! What kind of a business in life,—what mode of glorifying God, or being serviceable to mankind in his day and generation,—may that be? Why, the degenerate fellow might as well have been a fiddler!” Such are the compliments bandied between my great-grandsires and myself, across the gulf of time! And yet, let them scorn me as they will, strong traits of their nature have intertwined themselves with mine."
ReplyDeleteIn this passage the narrator is trying to write his version of Hester's story. The narrator both affirms and resists the Puritan values, he is driven yet the Puritan in him sees the frivolity in such an endeavor: what good, after all, can come of writing this story? The significance of this tale is not to just to interrogate the conflict between impulses and social codes but reflect on Hester and her nature. Hester is compelled by America's past but also her own experiences and her own dilemmas.The act of writing about Hester becomes not a trivial activity but a means of understanding himself and his social context.
"Among many morals which press upon us from the poor minister’s miserable experience, we put only this into a sentence–Be true! Be true! Be true!…"
ReplyDeleteI know it gets annoying when people always tell you to just “be yourself.” Hawthorne shows us why this is so important: eventually our true self comes forth. Which is basically the whole theme of the book, truth coming into the light.Those who think they can hide their innermost desires and feelings are involved in a grand self deception. Dimmesdale’s sin would have been made known whether he confessed it or not. Your inner guilt manifests itself outwardly and becomes noticeable to the discerning eye, it was his inner guilt that manifested on his body. This all just relates to who you define yourself as a person. Essentially the whole point of being truthful and to not hide your lies is to be true to who you are. How are you supposed to express who you are when you are hiding behind a veil of deception. It's like if you were to B.S. your way through high school and then get out into the real world and have no real skills.
I totally agree that a main message of The Scarlet Letter is to be true to yourself. Hawthorne literally says to "be true." However, was Hester being truthful when she wouldn't reveal the name of the man she cheated on her husband with? What makes The Scarlet Letter such a great story is that Hawthorne shows us imperfect humans with flaws. Hester cheated on her husband, Dimmesdale won't confess his crime, Chillingworth won't reveal his true identity and torments Dimmesdale. By showing us people who aren't perfect, like us, Hawthorne makes the characters more relatable and allows us to understand their stories, where they came from and how they got to where they got and fully accepted, or didn't, being true.
Delete"Doomed by his own choice, therefore, as Mr. Dimmesdale so evidently was, to eat his unsavory morsel always at another's board and endure the lifelong chill which must be his lot who seeks to warm himself only at another's fireplace, it truly seemed that this sagacious, experienced, benevolent old physician, with his concord of paternal and reverential love for the young pastor, was the very man, of all mankind, to be constantly within reach of his voice."
ReplyDeleteHawthorne's language is a stranger to our modern ears. I know I was not the only one who may have had difficulty with reading this book (I basically had to reread the book.) Thanks to words like "ignominy" and "cogitating" continually tripping us up, and Hawthorne's passionate love affair with the comma, these sentences can be truly epic. In this case the sentence is basically just saying, "because Dimmesdale has chosen a life of solitude, the fatherly doctor is the perfect companion for him." Hawthorne has also shown a pattern of almost excessive amount of commas. With the commas it shows Hawthorne's thought process and allows for more dramatic emphasis on the description of the young pastor. Without the breakage of the sentence you would not get the tone Hawthorne wants to convey about the pastor.
I also noticed Hawthorne’s unique writing style. Both the language and techniques he used were very different than any other books I’ve read recently. His complex vocabulary set the tone for passages in the novel and commas added to the pace. I noticed that Hawthorne used many hyphens in his writing to add to the rhythm of the novel and keep it even more dramatic.
DeleteI agree with both of you. I found the use of complex language beneficial to the book especially since it helps to covey the time and the formality of some of the language that used to be spoken. Yet, I still found it be difficult to read and follow at times between the commas, hyphens, and semi colons. Due to Hawthorne using these techniques he really did appeal to the audience in a much more dramatic way than if he had written it differently.
Delete"'Goodwives,' said a hard-featured dame of fifty... here comes Mistress Prynne herself." (pg.48-49)
ReplyDeleteThis whole conversation that takes place at the beginning of the novel between a bunch of Puritans gathered outside the jail where Hester is being held. These few paragraphs provide a great look inside the life of Puritan Massachusetts during the 16th and 17th centuries. By generalizing all of Puritanism and the beliefs held thereof into just a few characters, Hawthorne excellently criticizes Puritanism with satire. It is also important to note that here (and in many places in The Scarlet Letter) Hawthorne avoids something that many writers mistake doing: over-exposition or exposition done in a disruptive way. By creating a sort of Greek chorus through the townspeople, Hawthorne allows the readers to easily gather that Hester has committed adultery. Just a great chapter that truly allows Hawthorne to show off his writing skills.
"This rose-bush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally overshadowed it,—or whether, as there is fair authority for believing, it had sprung up under the footsteps of the sainted Ann Hutchinson, as she entered the prison-door,—we shall not take upon us to determine. Finding it so directly on the threshold of our narrative, which is now about to issue from that inauspicious portal, we could hardly do otherwise than pluck one of its flowers and present it to the reader. It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow." (Hawthorne 34)
ReplyDeleteThe narrator spends a lot of time establishing himself to the reader, beginning the book with an introduction of himself and how he found the story of Hester Prynne. He does an awful lot of talking to the audience directly, and even breaks the fourth wall here once his story has begun. He injects a lot of himself into the story, making his opinion on the story very clear. In "giving the rose to the reader," he says he does so to represent a lesson learned or as solace from what he considers to be tragedy. He even states in the end that he has grown attached to the historical people he has been writing about. This book is very near and dear to him, as he believes that Hester lived in a society that betrayed her in ways that are improving in his lifetime. She is shamed for her adultery, but the narrator doesn't seem to mind, focusing on the romance between them himself instead of focusing on sin like their community did. He feels guilty about the treatment she received from his Puritan ancestors, feeling somewhat responsible for the past. This mirrors Hester's attitude toward hers sins, feeling guilty for her actions as well as feeling responsible for her past. Both the Narrator and Hester take responsibility for their pasts by confronting them. Hester decides to return to Boston; "Here had been her sin; here, her sorrow; and here was yet to be her penitence" (Hawthorne 179). The narrator decides to spread Hester's story, to remind his society of their past faults and the immense darkness shame becomes on a person's life once they've been ostracized.
"'Woman, transgress not beyond the limits of Heaven's Mercy'...'Never!' replied Hester Prynne." (pg.64)
ReplyDeleteThroughout the whole novel Hester never reveals to the public who the father of her child is. It is only revealed to the readers that is Dimmesdale much later in the book. Here, Hester is withholding stoically from the reverend the name of her lover. This reveals much about the character and will of Hester Prynne and the moral values and principles she has. Hester's unwillingness to reveal the true name of the man she made a cuckold of her husband with shows not only how much she must love him but how true she is to herself despite being a Puritan.
I think that being a puritan, and being devoted to God actually proves your point more than it would oppose it. By being devoted to God, she obviously has strong morals, which you pointed out is one of her stronger characteristics. Love is one of the main morals preached by Christianity, which you pointed out she shows she loves Dimmesdale by not giving him away. Hester isnt going against her religion by doing this, she instead is practicing it.
DeleteReligion is very open to interpretation. I think you're right about her practice of her religion, But the church doesn't see it that way. Hester cuts out the middleman in her devotion to god. She probably has a much deeper spiritual connection than the other townsfolk, despite being dubbed a sinner.
DeleteMuch of the book seems to be critical of the way the established Puritan Christianity is practiced in colonial Massachusetts. Puritanical governments took it upon themselves to enforce what they considered public morality, and the book points out much of the hypocritical nature of this. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (or a shortened form of it) is a commonly known Biblical quote, and yet Hester's town, while attempting to enforce public Christian morality, hates and shuns her, and some townspeople go so far as to suggest executing Hester for adultery.
Delete"Pearl, that wild and unpredictable little elf, crept over to him [Dimmesdale]. She took his hand in both of hers and laid her cheek against it. Her caress was so tender and gentle that her mother, watching this, asked herself, “Is that my Pearl?” She knew there was love in the child’s heart, though it mostly exhibited wild passion. Hester had rarely seen Pearl’s heart softened with such gentleness as it was now. Only the long-sought love of a woman is sweeter than the spontaneous, instinctual love of a child—a fact that seems to suggest there is something truly worthy of love in all of us. The minister looked around, laid his hand on the child’s head, and, after hesitating for an instant, kissed her on the forehead." (Hawthrone 79)
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book, before Pearl is even aware that Dimmesdale is her father, she is strangely gravitated toward him, starting in the governor's house. She begins by holding his hand here, holding his hand on the scaffold in Chapter 12, washing his kiss off her forehead in Chapter 19, continuously asking about his strange behavior on Election Day, until Chapter 23 when Dimmesdale finally makes his confession, and she kisses him. While this can be attributed to her wildness, I also think that her reactions represent Hester's emotions towards Dimmesdale and her feelings about their past sin. When Dimmesdale stands up for her in the Governor's Hall, she is grateful that he convinced the others to let her keep her child. On the scaffold, she is hesitant towards him, as he will embrace her and their daughter under the night but never in the daytime, as Pearl points out. Pearl tries to leave his grasp, but can't manage to. In Chapter 19, Hester and Dimmesdale have agreed to sail away together and start a new life as a family, but Pearl reminds her of their sins by making her reattach her scarlet letter. When Pearl washes away Dimmesdale's kiss, this isn't a representation of Hester rejecting his affection, but trying to wash herself clean of the sins she made with him in the past. In the next several chapters before the revelation, Pearl's insistance on standing with Dimmesdale and joining hands in the daytime represent Hester's growing desire and anxieties to leave Boston and join with him in a safe place. And finally, in the conclusion, Pearl kisses Dimmesdale, and while this may represent some of Hester's emotions, the same paragraph discusses Pearl becoming a women of her own with love for her father instead of a symbol of her parents sin. Overall, this mirroring in Pearl's affection towards Dimmesdale is just one of the ways Hawthorne develops her as a symbol of Hester's past sin and her feelings about it, as well as the defiance she has to be with Dimmesdale despite what her colony thinks.
I agree that Pearl's character is used as a reflection of Hester's repressed thoughts and emotions; however, I would also look at her behavior and development from her introduction to the end of the story as a whole. Pearl, quite obviously, was brought into the world at a tumultuous period in Hester's life. As Hester struggles with the new burning symbol on her chest, Pearl runs wild, displaying the complete unrest of Hester's emotions. In regard to the scarlet letter, Pearl seems fascinated with it, her infantile curiosity reflecting Hester's journey to interpreting what it means to her, and her seemingly evil smirk expressing Hester's own humiliation and personal contempt. Hester continues to present herself with a stony exterior, while Pearl runs free with her true nature revealed for all the world to see. As we near the end of the story, Pearl slowly exhibits more grounded behaviors, rather than being depicted as an ethereal and malevolent sprite, and dons a more peaceful and loving persona, as shown in the moment you mention where she kisses Dimmesdale.
Delete"A wild rosebush...which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him"
ReplyDeleteAlthough the infamous A is quite the symbol in The Scarlet Letter, another important symbol is the rosebush that lives just outside the prison in Puritan Boston. Every prisoner who goes in and out of the building sees the rosebush before entering or exiting. To those who enter, it's a reminder that beauty still exists. To those who are exiting, it's a reminder of nature's pity towards them. In a story full of no mercy or relief, this rosebush symbolizes morality in a tale of "frailty and sorrow." As the story progresses and Hester changes, the rose serves as a relief from the weight of darkness and sin. A light in the dark.
The color red is symbolic in the scarlet letter. Red is traditionally a color associated with passion and love, as well as the primal forces in life. Atwood was probably very aware of the symbolic connotations of red when she wrote the scarlet letter.
Delete“ The physician advanced directly in front of his patient, laid his hands upon his bosom, and thrust aside the vestment, that hitherto, had always covered it even from the professional eye...After a brief pause, the physician turned away.
ReplyDeleteBut with what a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror! With what a ghastly rapture, as it were, too mighty to be expressed only by the eye and features, and therefore bursting forth through the whole ugliness of his figure, and making itself even riotously manifest by the extravagant gestures with which he threw up his arms towards the ceiling, and stamped his foot on the floor! Had a man seen old Roger Chillinworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have no need to ask how Satan comports himself, when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom.”(95)
Before reading this, The reader already knows Chillingworth's scheme to destroy Dimmesdale, and has already seen him execute some of his plans. But in this passage, we see the extreme extent to which Chillingworth’s anger has taken him, and where he has dared to go in his revenge. Mr. Dimmesdale is already crushed by his sin, even as someone who speaks Gods word, he believes his soul is ruined. His own punishment for himself is enough. However we see how Chillingworth's sin is worse than Hester or Dimmesdale, he revels in his anger, and we can see satan himself has “won him into his kingdom”.
The first time reading this, I was a bit confused what exactly was happening here, we can clearly see that Hawthorne is showing the reader how evil Chillingworth really is, and it adds a sense of uneasiness, and dread because Dimmesdale has no idea his closest friend is actually his greatest enemy. We can see that Chillingworth is performing some act of evil on Dimmesdale, and his explosive gestures indicate that he has no mercy. This part of the book is important for the reader to see Chillingworth's character development, and it shows how much his anger has really deteriorated him.
But this passage not only is important because it shows Chillingworth’s development, but it also indicates something that we see later in the book. Throughout the story, we see that Mr. Dimmesdale covers his chest with his hand, just as Hester wears the scarlet letter, and Pearl points this out many times. As a reader I assumed that it was because his health was severely worsening, and perhaps he was having a hard time breathing or had excruciating chest pains. But in the conclusion of the book, it says that one of the myths following this story is that Mr. Dimmesdale had the letter A carved into his flesh. “Most spectators testified to having seen, on the breast if the unhappy minster, a Scarlet Letter, imprinted in the flesh”(176) It goes on to suggest the ways that it could have gotten there such as; a way for Dimmisdale to torture himself, or that the letter appeared there from “his heart dreading heavens judgment”, or that it was from Chillingworth using poisons or drugs. After rereading the passage above, (“the physician advanced…”) it makes sense that part of Chillingworth’s way to torture Dimmesdale could have been carving the letter A into his chest. This would explain why he “laid his hands upon his bosom, and thrust aside the vestment”, it would explain why Dimmisdale held his hand over his chest, why Dimmisdale would have excruciating chest pains, and it would explain why Chillingworth used such explosive gestures. This suggests that the myth is true, Chillingworth used his own poison of hatred to fuel his anger, enabling him to further torture Dimmesdale.
“Her Breast, with it's badge of shame, was but the softer pillow for the head that needed one. She was self-ordained a Sister of Mercy; or, we may rather say, the worlds heavy hand has so ordained her, when neither the world nor she looked forward to this result. The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, - so much power to do, and power to sympathize, - that many people refused to interpret the scarlet letter A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (111)
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the book, Hester is seen as a disgrace, she is seen only for her sin, not her actual personality, and character. Hester is treated as an outcast, “every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came in contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished.”(58) Hesters only companion throughout most of the book is Pearl. This must be crushing for Hester, having social connections is crucial for human nature. However, as we can see, Hester doesnt let it devastate her, as Dimmesdale does. Dimmesdale lets his sin take over his life, and he tortures himself. Hester instead overcame the shame, and then used it for good. Even though society looked down on her at first, she was still compassionate, selfless, and kind to others. Instead of letting herself be defined by her sin, she continued to be a good person, and she redefined the letter A to symbolize her mercy and kindness. She was able to use her mistake as a tool, unlike Dimmesdale who used it to crush himself.
The Scarlet Letter is what you make of it, just as your faults and mistakes are what you make of it. This book, and particularly this quote, illustrate this, and shows that you can either learn from your mistakes, or you can let your mistakes crush you.
I agree with your interpretation of this quote. I like how you compare the way that sin affects Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester turned it positive, while Dimmesdale lived with it in secrecy and suffered from it. The way that Hester dealt with and learned from her sin shows that you can turn bad into good and like you said, mistakes are what you make of them. I think that this is an important theme/lesson illustrated in this book. Do you think that it was easier for Hester to turn her mistake into good than Dimmesdale because her secret was out in the open? Do you think if Dimmesdale’s secret had been known to the public it would have had a more positive impact on him?
Delete“”The people reverence thee” said Hester “and surely thou workest good among them! Doth this bring thee no comfort?”
ReplyDelete“More misery, Hester!- only the more misery!” answered the clergyman, with a bitter smile. “As concerns the good which I may appear to do, I have no faith in it. It must needs be a delusion. What can a ruined soul, like mine, effect towards their purification? And as for the peoples reverence, would that it were tuned to scorn and hatred!... I have laughed in bitterness and agony of heart, at the contrast between what I seem and what I am! And Satan laughs at it!”
“You wrong yourself in this” said Hester, gently. “You have deeply and sorely repented. Your sin is left behind you, in the days long passed. Your present life is not less holy…””(131)
Mr. Dimmesdale believes that his soul is ruined from his sin. He believes that the only sin he has committed turned him evil, and unsavable by God. I find it interesting that living in a society so devoted to God and his word, he believes this. Especially because he is a preacher. In the Bible, it tells us that no human soul is unsavable, if you ask Jesus for forgiveness he will give it to you. The Bible focuses on loving your neighbor, and showing your enemy mercy. But in this society, Hester experiences true hate from her neighbors, and Chillingworth vouches to destroy Dimmesdale. Why does this happen in a society whos daily lives are so devoted to God? I find it interesting that Hester, a woman who doesn't even go to church every sunday, which was expected, accepts Gods word more willing than the preacher. She allows herself to be forgiven, because she knows that she has been forgiven by God. Yet Dimmesdale allows himself to fall into a hole of anguish, and dispair, something that the bible tells us not to do, and tells us to instead look to God for help. Dimmesdale even loses faith in his own speeches and prayer, he completely loses his morals.
I think it's interesting how the book illustrates that by allowed yourself to dwell on your mistakes, like Dimmesdale did, your character will suffer. But instead by growing from them, like Hester, you can use them as a tool to help herself, and others.
I think a lot of this hypocritical attitude exhibited by many of the characters, who say one thing but do another, has a lot to do with society at the time. Religious piety comes before anything else in the Bay Colony, but in committing themselves solely to God they've also tried to erase parts of humanity like mistakes (sin) and complex emotions, like Hester's love for Dimmesdale despite being married, and her loss of love for Chillingworth. Hawthorne does an excellent job portraying this aspect of the time period, and showing how it affected the citizens of Massachussetts.
Delete“Once, this freakish, elvish cast came into the child’s eyes, while Hester was looking at her own image in them, as mothers are fond of doing; and, suddenly,—for women in solitude, and with troubled hearts, are pestered with unaccountable delusions,—she fancied that she beheld, not her own miniature portrait, but another face in the small black mirror of Pearl’s eyes. It was a face, fiend-like, full of smiling malice, yet bearing the semblance of features that she had known full well, though seldom with a smile, and never with malice, in them. It was as if an evil spirit possessed the child, and had just then peeped forth in mockery. Many a time afterwards had Hester been tortured, though less vividly, by the same illusion.” (Hawthorne 66-67)
ReplyDeleteIt’s clear throughout the novel that Hester has a great love for Pearl, as she is willing to do so much for her, yet it often seems that she’s scared of her as well. This isn’t the only passage in which a freakish or elvish quality of Pearl is described. I think Hester is afraid that Pearl will turn out evil because she is the product of sin, even though that shouldn’t have anything to do with Pearl’s personality. I think Hester’s also afraid that Pearl will turn out like she did, an outcast, all but shunned by society. And it seems as though Pearl wants to be like her mother. She’s fascinated by the scarlet letter and assumes that she’ll have one too someday. Part of the reason Pearl thinks this is because Hester hasn’t explained to her why she wears the scarlet letter, so she doesn’t yet understand that it’s not something she wants to have. Hopefully Pearl won’t turn out to be evil or an outcast, but I think a lot of that will depend on what Hester tells her about the scarlet letter and how they came to be where they are now.
“Calm, gentle, passionless, as he appeared, there was yet, we fear, a quiet depth of malice, hitherto latent, but active now, in this unfortunate old man, which led him to imagine a more intimate revenge than any mortal had ever wreaked upon an enemy. To make himself the one trusted friend, to whom should be confided all the fear, the remorse, the agony, the ineffectual repentance, the backward rush of sinful thoughts, expelled in vain! All that guilty sorrow, hidden from the world, whose great heart would have pitied and forgiven, to be revealed to him, the Pitiless, to him, the Unforgiving! All that dark treasure to be lavished on the very man, to whom nothing else could so adequately pay the debt of vengeance!” (Hawthorne 95-96)
ReplyDeleteIt surprises me just how badly Roger Chillingworth wants revenge on Mr. Dimmesdale. I feel like he should be much more mad at Hester, considering she was the one who cheated on him, yet it’s Mr. Dimmesdale that’s at the center of his plot for vengeance. It may just be that he can’t stand another man having taken his place, but if that’s the case, why pretend to be his friend for so long? Why not just tell everyone what he did? It’s also strange to me how Hester just lets this happen. Instead of warning Mr. Dimmesdale that her husband is back and seeking revenge, she promises Chillingworth that she won’t tell anyone who he is, and it takes her years to even consider breaking that promise.I think Hester just needs to tell Mr. Dimmesdale who Chillingworth is so they can work it out like adults.
“In such emergencies, Hester’s nature showed itself warm and rich; a well-spring of human tenderness, unfailing to every real demand, and inexhaustible by the largest. Her breast, with its badge of shame, was but the softer pillow for the head that needed one. She was self-ordained a Sister of Mercy; or, we may rather say, the world’s heavy hand had so ordainer her, when neither the world nor she looked forward to this result. The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her,—so much power to do, and power to sympathize,—that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. The said it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.” (Hawthorne 100-111)
ReplyDeleteBefore Hester is released from jail to stand on the scaffold, citizens are talking about how awful what she had done was, and how she should be branded on her forehead for it: “‘At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead. Madam Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me. But she,—the naughty baggage,—little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown!’” By this point in the novel, though, things have completely changed. Instead of continuing to hate her, people have started to admire her for her strength and compassion. They judge her not by one mistake she made years ago, but by the good things she does for the community now. Plus, if she hadn’t done it, not only would she not have Pearl, but she probably wouldn’t feel the need to make up for it by helping people in the community. This just shows how mistakes don’t have to define you, and how you can even benefit from them.
"on emerging from the old manse, it was chiefly this strange, indolent, unjoyous attachment for my native town."
ReplyDelete(atwood, 7)
This phrase is foreshadowing the alienation that Hester will face in the next years. Her "native town" represents her life. Hester's life turned into a hostile parallel of what it once was. The sentence I chose is an obviously foreboding symbolism for the remainder of the story. Hester's life changed from what it once was into a husk. A cruel mimicry of what it should've been.
From this intense consciousness of being the object of severe and universal observation, the wearer of the scarlet letter was at length relieved by discerning, on the outskirts of the crowd, a figure which irresistibly took possession of her thoughts.
ReplyDelete(Atwood 41)
Hester is rebellious in her exile. She is faced by a hostile world, and as a result she seeks solace in her own intellectual freedom. She is not granted any leniency in her physical world, so her only true rights are her thoughts. Her rebellion might not be stated by her, but the red A is evidence that she has rebelled before. It suggests that she might rebel again, and that she is in fact a rebel, not just an adulterer.
She seems to be a rebel from the first page we meet her, in the way she steps out of the prison and "into the open air as if by her own free will," rather than being lead out by the town-beadle. Even her choice to be a genuinely kind and charitable figure in her community could be considered rebellious in a sense - her world has chosen to shun her, and a natural response might be one of resentment and hostility, and to close herself off from the rest of the world, but she chooses kindness.
Delete“The tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers,-stern and wild ones,- and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss.” (137)
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows the change in thought process of Hester after isolation, when she begins to see her society in a different light. With all that time to think and look at her daily life from the outside Hester is able to see the flaws within the puritan society and question many roles and traditions, ultamatleety leading to her developing a more feminist view on the world and her role in it. “The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread.” This quote in particular shows that it was only through what some may consider to be her biggest failure that Hester was able to re-center her view on the world and discover her values. This is the turning point in Hester's character where she goes from a more meek, shameful presence in which societies views weigh her down to a strong independent woman who sees the flaws of her society in a way that no one else can relate too who has never known anything else.
I agree that Hester is definitely a strong female presence in a society that only benefits men. I think that she was always a rose amidst a gloomy background. I think that Hester has always worn her scarlet letter more proudly than one should in that society. Her hand-stitched scarlet A had no flaw. Her needlework was perfect, and I think that she wore it with fire. She may not have worn it proudly at first, but now it's a part of her identity.
DeleteI agree with this, as she brings such life to an already bright and outstanding color. The female sex has always been oppressed in some form or another, resulting int he historical ruling of man. I wonder however if the father would've been found out, would Dimmesdale also been forced out from his own society and made to wear the letter as well?
Delete“Thou wilt love her dearly,’ repeated Hester Prynne, as she and the minister sat watching little Pearl. ‘Dost thou not think her beautiful? And see with what natural skill she has made those simple flowers adorn her! Had she gathered pearls, and diamonds and rubies, they could not have become her better. She is a splendid child!” (141)
ReplyDeleteReading this passage the thing that stood out to me was the imagery, you can picture Pearl running around and enjoying nature. This passage is also extremely symbolic, by comparing jewelry and material riches to the beauty of nature, Hester is trying to emphasise that not all beauty is the same and even though the circumstances of Pearls birth are outcast by society she doesn’t have any control over that. This comparison also goes to reflect society’s misguided values on materialistic wealth rather than on joy and true experience. Pearl’s comfort within nature is clearly evident and shows the woods as her safe haven from a society that rejects her. Lastly, this passage also highlights the motif throughout the novel of women’s independence and how being an outcast can be the best way to see exactly where you belong. Similarly to Hester, Pearl is experiencing being an outcast and is finding her value through nature and realizing she doesn’t need societies approval.
I love Pearl’s character and every way that Hawthorne has decided to bring her together. In the passage above, Pearl is at peace with the world. She is glowing happily and seems to be quite beautiful herself. Pearl’s character is contradicted when she is described as a “devil child.” Society has rejected her, but she has found her own way. Some might call Pearl the consequence of a sin, but instead I believe she is truly a beautiful gift.
Delete“And, as Hester Pyrnne had no selfish ends, nor lived in any measure for her own profit and enjoyment, people brought all their sorrows and perplexities, and besought her counsel, as one who had herself gone through a mighty trouble.” (179-180)
ReplyDeleteThis passage just engulfs Hester’s entire personality, even after being outcast and brutally punished, she still has enough hope and love in her heart and for humanity to help those in need. Before going into isolation Hester’s view on the world was understandably very narrow as she had no comparison, through her hardships and journey she learned the importance of kindness and forgiveness even after you’ve been wronged. If it weren’t for Hester’s growth and understanding of the world that developed along with her openness and willingness to confront societal problems, the book never would have gotten to end with others asking for her counsel and her spreading wisdom. If Hester’s character had instead developed into bitterness and resentment for what her and Pearl had been put through the entire story would have gone differently. So to include this passage explaining Hester’s wisdom and kindness at the end of the book helps to complete the circle in her character growth and give a satisfying end to the story.
"still, if the auditor listened intently, and for the purpose, he could detect the same cry of pain. What was it? The complaint of the human heart, sorrow-laden, perchance guilty, telling its secret, whether of guilt or sorrow, to the great heart of mankind; beseeching its sympathy or forgiveness,–at every moment,–in each accent,–and never in vain! It was this profound and continual undertone that gave the clergyman his most appropriate power." pg. 167
ReplyDeleteThroughout the story there is a parallel between the suffering of Mr. Dimmesdale and Hester, as well as contrast between the ways they endure it. Hester is shunned and so has to endure it alone, and Mr. D suffers alone as well, but he is surrounded by people who want to ease it (except for Mr. Chillingworth). The one crutial difference in suffering between Hester and Mr. D is that people know of Hester's "crime" and give her no chance to voice her sorrow and ask for forgiveness. As the story progresses, the outcomes of their sin upon each of them contunie to differ: Hester grows to be forgiving and helpful to the community and Mr. D pleads for forgiveness and recedes into his guilt-riddled mind.
In this passage Mr. D is able to use his suffering to touch the hearts of people around him. Hester might be feeling the same pain, but she is unable to express it. Mr. D most desperately wants to be forgiven, and because the people know not for what (yet), they are willing to forgive and welcome him into their arms.
It is interesting that Mr. D does this sermon where his plea for forgiveness is most obvious right before he confesses to his sin and ultimately dies. What gives his voice power is what society is predisposed to condemn him for. It's ironic that what people loved him best for– his moving sermons– were powered by his sin. There is certainly a theme of perception throughout the book (how Hester vs everyone else perceives Mr. C, how people interperted the red A in the sky, who people thought Mr. D was and who he turned out to be) and this passage is like the final deception before everything is revealed.
"As the last touch to her mermaid's garb, Pearl took some eel-grass, and imitated, as best she could, on her own bosom, the decoration with which she was so familiar on her mother's. A letter,– the letter A,– but freshly green instead of scarlet." Pg. 122
ReplyDeletePearl is the only person around where Hester lives that isn't repelled by the scarlet letter. Even other children in town know that it means something bad. But because it is all Pearl has ever known, it has no effect on her. Pearl's sense of right and wrong has not been guided by the traditional morals of Puritan society because she herself is a blip in the rules. In almost every situation Pearl has encountered, she has been able to provide a new perspective because she has a perspective that is unique to everyone else: she sees the scarlet letter as what is part of her mother, but only the letter itself, not the connotations behind it. She seemed to have a hand in Mr. Dimmesdale's eventual confession because she would always ask him to walk by her and her mother's sides and he would have to acknowledge that he was afraid and wrong to be hiding. Pearl's unfiltered perspective throughout the story allowed the characters to see themselves as human beings, not just the labels put on them, as well as recognize their faults and help them find a path to correction.
I absolutely agree! Pearl came into this world not being taught society's standards. Pearl and her mother were very isolated from society, so she had a completely different understanding of the scarlet A. She saw that it represented her mother, whom she loves so much. She wanted to be like her mother, who is strong, kindhearted, and brave, and the scarlet A represented all of those qualities to Pearl.
DeleteI think it makes such an interesting point about the way our culture influences our response to the unusual. At a young age, Pearl and the other children are both fascinated by the scarlet letter - in Puritan Massachusetts, it is so bright and clear and out of the ordinary compared to the surroundings, but while the other children's fascination leans towards the morbid and their response is to be afraid or make fun, Pearl demonstrates a much less negative and more genuinely curious attitude towards the letter.
Delete"There glimmered the embroidered letter, with comfort in its unearthly ray. Elsewhere the token of sin, it was the taper of the sick-chamber. It had even thrown its gleam, in the sufferer’s hard extremity, across the verge of time. It had shown him where to set his foot, while the light of earth was fast becoming dim, and ere the light of futurity could reach him. In such emergencies, Hester’s nature showed itself warm and rich; a well-spring of human tenderness, unfailing to every real demand, and inexhaustible by the largest. Her breast, with its badge of shame, was but the softer pillow for the head that needed one. She was self-ordained a Sister of Mercy; or, we may rather say, the world’s heavy hand had so ordained her, when neither the world nor she looked forward to this result. The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her,—so much power to do, and power to sympathize,—that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength." (Hawthorne 110)
ReplyDeleteAs Hester adjusts to her life as an outcast over the years, we see that her moral character has grown stronger, and she holds no resentment against the society that chose to cast her out. Her punishment has softened her, making her more empathetic and giving, as she feels she has little to lose. Hester's punishment for sin has made her a better person, whether or not this counts as religious repentance. It is arguable that Hester is better for having committed sin, contrary her society and faith saying it's better not to commit it in the first place. Our sins and wrongdoings make us who we are, and teach us to be better people, but Hester lives in a society that refuses to believe that.
I really like the connections you’ve made between Hester’s punishment and the changes within her. It truly seems as though Hester has changed for the good, and this is due to the sins she’s made and what she’s learned from them. I also agree that Hester believes she has nothing left to lose. It seems as though people will be much more willing to take risks and try something new when they are not afraid of the consequences. Hester has already been through the punishment and humiliation which has made her stronger and an image that others in society should learn from.
Delete“The letter was a symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her,-so much power to do, and power to sympathize,-that many people refused to interpret the Scarlet A by its original signification. They said it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength.” (p.111)
ReplyDeleteThis section of the novel seems to be one of the first big turning points for Hester. It is stated that “Pearl was now seven years old,” (p.110) and a lot has changed in the lives of both Hester and Pearl. Hawthorne slowly uncovers details, hinting at Hester’s shifting lifestyle and attitude towards her daily activities. Hester now had a new outlook on her own life, as others also saw her in a new light. She still kept quiet to herself, but had become more involved in the society which surrounded her. Hester had gained the respect of others by always being there for anyone who was in need. She was one of the kindest and most pure hearted people, even after all the embarrassing torment she’d battled herself.
Hester had become the one who would treat the sick and bring food or clothing she’d made to the poor. Everyone around Hester now saw how strong, caring, and loving she truly was. They began to rethink what the Scarlet A meant, and now believed it signified “Able,” due to all of Hester’s support and sympathy she offered the community. In this section, Hester realizes that she is a strong and powerful woman. It’s a turning point in her mind, as she begins to question the society, her own worth, and identity. Hester shows us that she, similar to any other person, cannot be defined. Anyone can make the interpretations and assumptions that they’d like to, but there’s always another layer underneath.
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DeleteI totally agree! Hester was first seen as an outcast. The only thing that people respected her for was her needlework, because she was so skilled, but otherwise they didn't respect her at all. This definitely was a turning point in the book for Hester because her scarlet letter A was no longer seen as a burden, but as an honor. She had to prove herself to society, but she had always been pure of heart.
Delete“I am not the man for whom you take me! I left him yonder in the forest, withdrawn into a secret dell, by a mossy tree-trunk. Near a melancholy brook! Go, seek your minister, and see if his emaciated figure, his thin cheek, his white, heavy, pain-wrinkled brow, be not flung down there like a cast-off garment!” (p.148)
ReplyDeleteHawthorne writes with a unique style, where he is continuously showing changes within characters. By using dialogue, you are able to see directly into Dimmesdale’s head, aware of his thoughts, feelings, and tone as he speaks to others. After meeting Hester in the woods, hearing Pearl is his child, and making a plan to leave for Europe, something has shifted in Dimmesdale’s life. He is ambitious and unable to tell reality from a dream. Dimmesdale tries to identify what has changed since he came out of the forest, thinking it must be the town or the people among it. He soon realizes that the change is within himself. If someone were to approach him, Dimmesdale would’ve told them that he was not the same man as before. He had changed, and left his old self behind in the forest. Hawthorne uses “secret,” and “melancholy” to emphasize the image Dimmesdale paints of the forest. It seems mysterious, and as if his old self was abandoned and left behind. Dimmesdale even describes himself with sorrowful words such as “thin,” “heavy” and “pain-wrinkled.” As Dimmesdale looks back upon himself, he realizes the change in his own morals and how soon he wishes to escape this society. Hawthorne has constructed Dimmesdale with such depth that neither the reader or Dimmesdale himself are able to predict what unexpected move he’ll make next.
I agree that the new Arthur is unpredictable in his actions, which I think is also shown in those three times when he almost lets it slip that he is different: with the old lady, the pious virgin, and the sailor. Nice insight!
Delete“Happy are you, Hester,that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years’ cheat, to look into the eye that recognizes me for what I am! Have I one friend,-or were it my worst enemy!-to whom, when sickened with praises of all other of all other men, I could daily betake myself, and be known as the vilest of all sinners, methinks my soul might keep itself alive thereby. Even as much of truth would save me! But now, it is all fatherhood!-and emptiness!-all death!”
ReplyDelete(p.131)
One of the major themes that Hawthorne has incorporated into his novel is the importance of the truth. He has emphasized this through his characters and the experiences they’ve had in their own lives. For seven years, Hester has lived carrying the scarlet letter upon her chest. Dimmesdale feels guilty knowing that Hester has taken all the blame, hatred, and disgust from others. At the same time, he feels Hester is lucky to have worn the letter so she was not living her life as a secret, the way he was. No one knows that he has had any role in Hester’s affair and he’s ashamed for getting away with it. Dimmesdale knows that he has sinned and can barely look at himself. Dimmesdale can no longer be sure who he can trust. Who are his friends and who are the enemies? Dimmesdale knows that the only thing that will be able to save him from all his sins is the truth. Lies never do anyone any good, and leave Dimmesdale feeling especially empty and alone.
I agree! Truth seems very important to Hawthorne. I think another scene where he shows this is when Arthur joins Hester on the scaffolding and Roger starts yelling and seems to age, since the truth has allowed Arthur to escape his revenge plot.
DeleteI agree with both of you. I think that Hawthorne really illuminates Dimmesdale's guilt and desire to tell the truth when describing his experience with the physician and friend, Roger Chillingworth. You can see that all the digging that Chillingworth was doing was getting to Dimmesdale. He wanted to tell the truth and knew it was the right thing to do, but he was scared and lonely.
DeleteI agree with the theme of truth and that Hawthorne has emphasized it through the experiences of his characters. Through Dimmesdale the audience sees that keeping a secret can be detrimental to health. Dimmesdale destroys himself both physically and emotionally, keeping his secret and feeling guilt because of it. Along with this, through Hester’s sin being known, readers are shown the effects of the truth being told. Although her life may not be ideal, it seems to be that Hester’s life is better than Dimmesdale’s. Hester seems to suffer less than Dimmesdale, even with her secret known. She is able to live freely, for she doesn’t have the secret trapping her from being true to herself.
Delete"we have as hardly yet spoken of the infant; that little creature, whose innocent life had sprung, by the inscrutable decree of providence, a lovely and immortal flower, but out of rank luxuriance of a guilty passion."
ReplyDelete(Atwood 61)
In this passage Atwood shows us the cursed beauty that pearl carries with her: She is the result of adultery, which alienates her, but at the same time, she is the product of something the church looks down upon, but it is no fault of hers. Pearl is a conundrum. An innocent who is marked before birth as an outcast. Atwood casts pearl in this way not to show what kind of impact adultery can have, but the kind of impact that blind and unjust judgement can.
I agree! I think the description of Pearl in the book is very interesting, especially when Hawthorne compares her to something out of this world, which shows how much of an outcast she really is.
DeleteI also find it very interesting how Pearl is portrayed throughout the book. Even at the end when Hawthorne describes how Pearl is inheriting a large sum of money he says "So Pearl- the elf-child- the demon offspring, as some people, up to that epoch, persisted in considering her." (pg. 178) These names show how people saw her and how much of an outcast she was to many.
DeletePearl is by far one of the most interesting characters in the book for that reason. She inherits this large sum of money despite being the literal epitome of sin. I agree with your presentation of her as she's one of the stronger and under appreciated females in the novel
Delete“‘This child of its father’s guilt and its mother’s shame has come from the hand of God, to work in many ways upon her heart, who pleads so earnestly and with such bitterness for the right to keep her. It was meant for a blessing – for the one blessing of her life! It was meant, doubtless, the mother herself hath told us, for a retribution, too; a torture to be felt at many an unthought-of moment; a pang, a sting, an ever-recurring agony, in the midst of a troubled joy!’”
ReplyDeleteThe duality of Pearl is an interesting topic explored by Hawthorne in the chapters leading up to this passage. She is described as beautiful and physically perfect, “worthy to have been brought forth in Eden,” and a wild, disobedient child who is contrasted with the other children in the village, in behavior and appearance. Hester never seems quite sure how to feel about her. She knows Pearl is her daughter, but often seems to wonder. She loves her daughter, but Pearl simply existing causes her pain. The exploration centers on Pearl’s existence as a “product of sin,” and her status as both a gift and a curse for Hester. Pearl is an anomaly in her village simply by the situation of her birth, which she didn't choose, and her strange combination of beauty, exuberance, and wildness makes her seem all the more out of place in colonial Puritan Massachusetts.
"Her own dress was of the coarsest materials and somberest hue; with only that one ornament, -- the scarlet letter, which it was her doom to wear."
ReplyDeleteHester is very capable of making very fancy clothes. She makes fancy clothes for a living, so why does she dress so plainly? Many people dress plainly out of necessity, they might work jobs that are rough on clothes, they lack the money, but neither of these things is true of Hester. Hester has chosen this style for herself. Not only would the coarse material be uncomfortable, but it also just makes the scarlet A even more visible. I think this passage is essential in the theme of Hester punishing herself. She continuously makes the A more visible by making it fancy, by wearing dull clothes.
While reading, I did not notice Hester punishing herself, I was more focused on the idea of society punishing her. I mostly thought that Dimmesdale was the one who punished himself, while Hester was making the absolute best of the situation. As you point this out, it seems as though even though she was mostly making good of the situation, there was still a part of her that made the situation worse than it might’ve had to be. I think that it is interesting that you point this out, highlighting the fact that Hester did punish herself, along with the society doing so.
DeleteI find it very interesting that you perceived her dress as plain. Back in those times in was natural to dress in more mandatory clothing layers than style. Style was meant for the wealthy as fabric and supplies were hard to come by. I doubt she was trying to punish herself, though I do respect and like the idea that she's making the letter seem more apparent. She could've just been more so trying to blend in and make her appearance less outward
DeletePage 133
ReplyDelete“Woman, woman, thou art accountable for this! I cannot forgive thee!” “Thou shalt forgive me!” cried Hester, flinging herself on the fallen leaves beside him. “Let God punish! Thou shalt forgive!” With sudden and desperate tenderness, she threw her arms around him and pressed his head against her bosom; little caring though his cheek rested on the scarlet letter. He would have released himself, but strove in vain to do so. Hester would not set him free, lest he should look her sternly in the face. All the world had frowned on her, —for seven long years had it frowned upon this lonely woman, —and still she bore it all, nor ever once turned away her firm, sad eyes. Heaven, likewise, had frowned upon her, and she had not died. But the frown of this pale, weak, sinful, and sorrow-stricken man was what Hester could not bear, and live! “Will thou yet forgive me?” she repeated, over and over again. “Wilt thou not frown? Wilt thou forgive?”
This passage evoked a strong emotional response from me because throughout the book up to this point, I despised Arthur for abandoning Hester and leaving her to carry the burden of their shame publically for all these years. For the life of me, I could not understand why Hester refused time and again to give up his identity, so that she would not have to be alone in the scrutiny of the townspeople, alone on the scaffolding with Pearl clutched in her embrace. But this scene in the forest, with everything that they go through, makes me feel compassion for him. Earlier in the book there was a passage where Hawthorne describes that Hester became less of a woman and braver, stronger, after her torment. He didn’t say it was gone, just bundled up and stuffed in her heart, forgotten by everyone, including herself. That is, until someone could come along and awaken what she once was, and in this scene, where she lets down her hair and casts aside the scarlet letter momentarily, I feel like that is what is happening. Hester reuniting with Arthur almost takes her back to the first day that she stepped out of the prison doors, rekindling something in her firey soul. I think that Hester concealed his name out of duty, and love. Arthur’s actions, hiding his guilt and suffering quietly, are annoying, and sure, cowardly. But it was clear to me in the forest that they have a true bond, something Hester never had with her former husband. Their passion, their fight, their reunion, it strikes a match and the book suddenly becomes irresistible to readers.I flew through the ending from there, and I think the description of Hester’s hardships in detail and Arthur’s self-abuse and overwhelming guilt before the scene wherein they meet again just adds to the emotional investment readers have in the two. The pain adds to the feeling that they are truly in love, despite circumstances of great misfortune and suffering. Tragic love stories have been famously popular among readers, I suppose. Take Romeo & Juliet, for example. Anyway, this was the part of the book that transformed it from assigned reading to a golden classic in my mind. This is where Nathaniel Hawthorne really shows his full hand and his mastery of the pen.
I think that it is very interesting how Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the townspeople through him, all refer to Pearl as an unnatural being. Even Hester sometimes has doubts if Pearl is human or a demon sent to her as a constant reminder of her sin. I think that Hawthorne does this in order to more easily draw the reader to the conclusion that Pearl is, in a way, her scarlet letter. Hester clings to Pearl, but at the same time once in the book wonders if her daughter would be better off dead. She is loved by Hester, but also is a wild, incorrigible spirit. Pearl is the only good thing from her sin, but at the same time is a constant reminder of her shame. Some of the earliest evidence of this starts when Pearl is very little, and her mother dresses her in fine fabrics and gowns made as intricately as the letter on her chest, but none of Hester’s own clothing resembles the way she dresses Pearl. There is also evidence that Hawthorne is leading us to this conclusion when Hester has to fight for custody of Pearl and she says herself how Pearl is her only gift from God, but also a stabbing reminder of how she has done wrong. Pearl also says in this scene that she doesn’t come from anyone, but was plucked from the rosebush outside the prison by her mother. Her odd, and occasionally unusually peevish behavior for a child shows how she is different than anyone in the town, different from all people. Perhaps the most troubling scene where Hawthorne is telling us this is when Hester is talking with Arthur in the forest and Pearl has decorated herself in wildflowers, like a “nymph.” Pearl refuses to recognize her mother without the letter, and throws a fit until Hester adorns the letter once again, and Pearl rejoins her. It’s almost as if Hawthorne is saying that Hester cannot have Pearl without also having the shame of her wrongdoing, she cannot just cast it aside and start a new life. Hester’s choice to put the letter back on her chest when she returns to her cottage in her old age shows this too. Even though Pearl is not with her, she is hinted to have contact with her, writing letters back and forth. Hester accepts her punishment and the life that has been decided for her, just like she ultimately accepts Pearl for all she is, and doesn’t send her to Heaven or let her be raised by another family.
ReplyDeletePage 95
ReplyDelete“After a brief pause, the physician turned away. But with what a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror! With what a ghastly rapture, as it were, too mighty to be expressed only by the eye and features, and therefore bursting forth through the whole ugliness of his figure, and making itself even riotously manifest by the extravagant gestures with which he threw up his arms towards the ceiling, and stamped his foot upon the floor! Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself, when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom.”
I think this scene is important to the book and also to the development of the character Roger Chillingworth. This is a turning point for him, because it is like the moment where he stops being so much of a man and more like a monster, intent on causing Arthur a lifetime of pain and watching him suffer. When Arthur comes out and tells everyone of his sins with his last dying breath, and has evaded Roger’s revenge with the truth, and there is nothing left to hold up the old man. When he crumples at his defeat, he is no longer carried by hatred. The hatred made him a different person during his time in the town, too. He was no longer the quiet scholar that Hester once knew, he was loud and cunning and daring. He was truly transformed by learning of Hester’s sin; he is the perfect example of a tortured soul, a man wronged.
“Children have always a sympathy in the agitations of those connected with them; always, especially, a sense of any trouble or impending revolution, of whatever kind, in domestic circumstances; and therefore Pearl, who was the gem on her mother’s unquiet bosom, betrayed, by the very dance of her spirits, the emotions which none could detect in the marble passiveness of Hester’s brow.” (Hawthorne 156)
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book, Hawthorne seems to be very explicit in his use of Pearl’s expression of Hester’s inner turmoil, related primarily to the scarlet letter. Here, he clearly defines what he implies throughout the book, explaining how children generally have a sense of the issues their parents face, and more specifically, how Pearl displays, to onlookers and readers alike, the feelings of her apparently impenetrable mother. In this way, Pearl is the physical representation of the whims of Hester’s emotions, starting at the very beginning of the book. As I mentioned in a comment, Pearl is born during a turbulent period of Hester’s life; faced with unbearable humility and sudden ostracization, Hester is left alone with her shame and her child. Early in her life, Pearl is completely wild, of an unruly nature to match the storm going on inside Hester’s mind. In some of her first interactions with the letter, Pearl appears to be fascinated with it, a curiosity that reflects Hester’s impending journey to work through her shame and find new meaning in the red badge. In these moments, however, Hester instead notices Pearl’s seemingly evil smirk, which expresses Hester's own humiliation and personal contempt. In every outing, Pearl’s loud and boisterous nature greatly contrasts Hester’s stony exterior, drawing attention to the difference between the way Hester presents herself—society’s ideal pious woman—and her true nature beneath, which is still governed by love and repressed only by shame. As Hester grows into her forced situation and begins to reach an unsteady peace with the scarlet letter, Pearl’s character departs from the evil sprite that torments Hester and instead finally expresses the love of Hester’s troubled heart in the dramatic moments of Mr. Dimmesdale’s death. Hawthorne uses this symbolism to more clearly express Hester’s development throughout the story.
"This rose-bush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally overshadowed it, --or whether, as there is fair authority for believing, it had sprung up under the footsteps of the sainted Ann Hutchinson, as she entered the prison-door, -- we shall not take upon us to determine." (p. 34)
ReplyDeleteThis sentence in the first chapter of the Scarlet Letter really sets the tone and the mood for the story that's about to be told. There's this beautiful rose bush blooming amidst the chaos and bleakness of "the stern old wilderness." This description makes it sound like the rose bush is growing despite the darkness around it.
Hester is a rose amidst the chaos of society. She is brave, caring, fearless, and overall a kind soul. Society keeps trying to push her down, yet she thrives and nobody knows what powers that heart. Was is the spirit of the "sainted Ann Hutchinson," a Puritan spiritual advisor and strong woman, or is her strength growing within her? Either way, Hester is a fire that cannot be tamed.
Hester is a character that I don't believe is supposed to be seen as a rose. She is flawed, as that is the whole premise of the story. Society does keep her down, I do agree with that, but I don't think Hester had much that stands out about her. She became a nice person in the eyes of society as time went on and she was relentlessly selfless, but I don't think that Hawthorne every portrayed her to be an awful person. Maybe that's just me looking at it through a modern lens, I'm sure when this book was published someone would have seen her much differently. Her development wasn't in her personality or actions itself, but rather how she sees herself with this torture that has to be pinned to her chest.
Delete“‘Goodwives,’ said a hard-featured dame of fifty, ‘I’ll tell ye a piece of my mind. It would be greatly for the public behoof if we women, being of mature age and church-members in good repute, should have the handling of such malefactresses as this Hester Prynne. What think ye, gossips? If the hussy stood before us five, that are now here in a knot together, would she come off with such a sentence as the worshipful magistrates have awarded? Marry, I trow not.’”
ReplyDeleteIn The Scarlet Letter, the Puritanical (and generally European) beliefs about women in the era the book is set in come into play. Based on various Biblical stories and other sources, the generally accepted belief was that women were morally weaker than men (the story of Adam and Eve is a particular prominent and influential story in this belief, as it goes that Eve is the one that gave into temptation and ate from the tree first.) It’s put forth that Hester was likely “strongly tempted to her fall,” and this in part results in her avoiding the typical death sentence. Does this have to do with the fact men, rather then women, sentenced her? It’s possible Hester’s femaleness, along with other factors, meant that the powerful men were somewhat hesitant to place complete blame on Hester, while the women of the colony, while diverse in opinion, might generally believe they wouldn’t have made the same choices in the same situation, and are more willing to completely hold Hester accountable, giving less weight to the idea of women’s moral shortcomings, and wholly condemning her and her actions.
“But this very burden it was, that gave him sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind; so that his heart vibrated in unison with theirs, and received their pain into itself, and sent its own throb of pain through a thousand other hearts, in gushes of sad, persuasive eloquence. Oftenest persuasive, but sometimes terrible! The people knew not the power that moved them thus. They deemed the young clergyman a miracle of holiness. They fancied him the mouth-piece of Heaven’s messages of wisdom, and rebuke, and love. In their eyes, the very ground on which he trod was sanctified.” (Hawthorne 98)
ReplyDeleteThe irony of this phenomenon in which the minister is exalted in his community despite the truth of his adultery works to torture the man in his own way, and emphasizes Hawthorne’s commentary on the difference between Hester’s shame and the minister’s guilt. Mr. Dimmesdale gains his religious and persuasive power from this deep-rooted guilt, and so the fact that the people love the minister for the very reason they hate Hester, despite their identical sins, torments the minister even more. The nature of the minister’s isolation is one of the mind; he alone possesses the knowledge of his sin, so the condemning eyes that glare at his scarlet letter are none but his own. His guilt pushes him to punish himself in order to pay appropriately. With shame, however, the scarlet letter is regarded by those other than oneself, and this way, inflicts punishment and torture wrought by hands other than one’s own. Hester is isolated in a physical way, rather than the minister’s mental isolation, and is therefore able to reckon with her scarlet letter openly.
"It irks me, nevertheless, that the partner in her iniquity should not, at least stand on the scaffold by her side. But he will be known! - he will be known! - he will be known!" (Hawthorne 44)
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows how driven the people are to find out who Hester was with and who the father of her child is. The quote illuminates how much it means to the people and how big of a sin they believe Hester and her partner committed. Since the quote was spoken so early in the book it sets the stage for how driven the people are going to be to find out who the man is. It shows how nosy and how much knowing who the man is means to them despite the fact that it really has nothing to do with them. Which sets the reader up for the life of Hester and what it is like for her living this life on her own taking all of the blame.
“‘Men call me wise. If sages were ever wise in their own behoof, I might have forseen all this… from the moment when we came down the old church-steps together, a married pair, I might have beheld the balefire of that scarlet letter blazing at the end of our path! We have wronged each other… Mine was the first wrong, when I betrayed thy budding youth into a false and unnatural relation with my decay… I seek no vengeance, plot no evil against thee. Between thee and me, the scale hangs fairly balanced. But, Hester, the man lives who has wronged us both! Who is he?“
ReplyDeleteChillingworth is an excellent character to study manipulation through. When we first meet him, talking to Hester in her prison cell, he takes on some of the blame for her situation, saying it was his “folly” as well as her “weakness” that landed her where she is, and that marrying her had made the situation inevitable, and I assumed he was at least partially telling the truth. However, I’m now skeptical of the idea that he actually believes what he’s saying. He is willing to befriend and treat Dimmesdale in order to get close enough to confirm he was Hester’s lover and torment him. After reading the rest of the book and returning to this passage, it seems just as likely that this is another (clearly unsuccessful) tactic for convincing Hester to reveal Pearl’s father, as he knows that none of the town leaders’ tactics worked. Presenting himself as an ally of sorts, he treats her and Pearl, and tries to convince Hester that he’s on her side. Chillingworth even promises that when he finds out, he doesn’t mean to kill him or turn him in, saying that he won’t “interfere with Heaven’s own method of retribution.” A morbidly fascinating character, he’s a brilliant person, both being a scholar and knowing a lot about medical treatment, and he’s willing to weaponize his intelligence and do quite a lot in order to get his way.
“The scarlet letter had not done its office.” (Hawthorne 114)
ReplyDeleteThis passage immediately attracted my attention, along with the entire chapter; this section was one of change in Hester and her relationship with the scarlet letter. In plain words, this quote means that the scarlet letter had not done its job—it had not done what it was intended to do. Prior to this stand-alone sentence, the chapter details Hester’s growing popularity in the town, as she carries the letter with such grace and serves the people of the village with endless sympathy. At one point, the author details how the people declared the A to mean able, as Hester behaved in such a deeply helpful way. In this sense, the scarlet letter failed to retain its shaming purpose, as the villagers now looked at the letter with new meaning. However, I think that this quote primarily speaks to the effect (or lack thereof) of the letter on Hester’s resolve and character. Hester was meant to serve as a symbol of sin, a dangerous end to scare children with; she was meant to break down, and accept a similar fate to that of Mr. Dimmesdale’s self-inflicted one—that is to say, a life overburdened with intense guilt. Instead, she has the strength to conform to the ideal and nearly unattainable woman that her Puritan society promotes, while still retaining sanity and love; albeit a forcibly hidden love, only freed in her reunification with Mr. Dimmesdale in the forest. Ultimately, I think that the scarlet letter did not do its job of sending Hester back to the harsh Puritanical way of thought, but rather freed her to direct her own thoughts.
I agree with what you said here. I would also add own that the A allowed others to redirect their thoughts towards her. Like you said, others had begun to warm up to her again, and this would allow them to not see her as someone that they should be disgusted with, but rather very as someone nearer their equal. It is interesting how Pearl would refuse to come to her without her letter, though. Although she is unaware of what it means and how this is supposed to represent her mother to society, she does not want to go to her mother when she isn't wearing it. The A has become so engrained in her identity, that it doesn't hold all of it's negative value that it once did before.
Delete“Overhead was a gray expanse of cloud, slightly stirred, however, by a breeze; so that a gleam of flickering sunshine might now and then be seen at its solitary play along the path. This flitting cheerfulness was always at the further extremity of some long vista through the forest. The sportive sunlight--feebly sportive, at best, in the predominant pensiveness of the day and scene--withdrew itself as they came nigh, and left the spots where it had danced the drearier, because they had hoped to find them bright.
ReplyDelete”Mother,” said little Pearl, “the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now, see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me; for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!”” (Hawthorne 125-126)
This passage takes place as Hester and Pearl are walking through the forest to meet Mr. Dimmesdale. The sunlight disappears as they come near, and is covered by clouds overhead. The sunlight represents innocence here. It touches Pearl because she is an innocent child and has done nothing wrong or sinful, but won’t reach Hester for she has lost her innocence through sin. Pearl notices this and connects it to the Scarlet Letter on her mother’s bosom, stating that it is because of the letter that the light won’t touch Hester. Although Pearl doesn’t know of her mother’s sin, through the sunlight she is able to see how it affects her. As Hester walks through, the clouds cover her, taking away the sunshine and happiness in her life, and Pearl recognizes this. The clouds over Hester represent this constant unhappiness, and possible guilt hanging over Hester because of her sin. Along with this, the clouds hanging overhead could represent the fact that Pearl does not know of her mother’s sin, the idea that it has been kept secret from her hangs over Hester’s head, similarly to the clouds. The sunlight in this quote represents guilt-free happiness, while the lack of sunlight or presence of clouds represent the opposite. The light touches Pearl for she is innocent, and the opposite occurs for her mother because of her sin.
“This effervescence made her flit with a bird-like movement, rather than walk by her mother's side. She broke continually into shouts of a wild, inarticulate, and sometimes piercing music.” (Hawthorne 156)
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book, Pearl is often compared to a bird. This symbolizes her personality, as she is very free-spirited and outgoing. Birds are free animals, able to travel wherever, whenever. This can connect to Pearl’s actions, as she is often running about and speaking-out. In this quote, Pearl is flitting “with a bird-like movement” instead of walking by her mother’s side. She has an imagination, causing her to be very curious about things. Because of this, she doesn’t like to be contained, similar to birds. The bird motif connects to the free-spirit, childish nature and independent personality that is seen within Pearl, and lets readers understand and visualize her more easily. These characteristics help to separate Pearl from the rest of the Puritan children as well. She is very wild and carefree, while most puritan children are calm and obedient. They play along with each other, while Pearl plays alone, using her imagination. They wear simple, dull colored clothing, while Pearl is dressed in bright red to match the letter. Pearl and Hester are outcasts in this society, because of Hester’s sin. While many are calm and orderly, Pearl is wild, curious and free-spirited, displaying characteristics that defy the norms of most in the Puritan society. Comparing Pearl to a bird helps the readers to understand her characteristics while also highlighting the fact that she is different from the others in her society.
“Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!” (Hawthorne 177)
ReplyDeleteThroughout the majority of this book, Arthur Dimmesdale keeps his sin a secret while Hester lives with her sin known to the public. Although they both suffer with consequences, it seems as though Reverend Dimmesdale suffers more. Because Dimmesdale keeps it a secret, it damages him, detrimentally affecting his life. The secret haunts him in his thoughts, causing him to suffer greatly through his conscience with nothing to ease it. He punishes himself both physically and emotionally, feeling as though he has nothing to live for, no one that needs him. Because he is untrue to himself, Dimmesdale doesn’t find truth in anything else. It is hard to say how his life would have turned out if he had told his secret earlier, but it seems as though Hester does not suffer as much as him, and her secret is known. At the end of the book, after Dimmesdale has revealed the secret of his sin, the narrator connects the quote above to Dimmesdale’s experience. The narrator is stating that one should be true to themselves. This connects to Dimmesdale in the idea that if he had been true to himself and others from the beginning, he most likely wouldn't have suffered like he did. Although it would have been difficult to reveal his secret, it would have benefited him in the long run. This quote references the motif that people should be true to who they are and shouldn’t be afraid to be themselves, even if it means confessing sins and wrongdoings.
It would be interesting to see how Dimmesdale’s life would have gone down if he had confessed earlier. Throughout the book, he also speaks of many people looking up to him and thinking he is pretty much sinless such he is a part of the clergy. I don’t know if Hawthorne intended for it to seem like people should be themselves, because when they do, they are pretty badly punished, like Hester was. Dimmesdale would have probably been punished even worse, if I remember correctly Hawthorne even wrote about a death penalty at the beginning. Maybe a slightly different message that stands out to me is that not everybody is exactly who they are portraying themselves to be, or that you don’t know everything about someone.
Delete"But it is not recorded that, in a single instance, her skill was called in aid to embroider the white veil which was to cover the pure blushes of a bride" (p57)
ReplyDeleteAfter being cast from the settlement, living on the outskirts as an outcast, Hester devotes her time to embroidery, crafting garments for military men, governors, ministers, babies, and even, as we se in this passage, brides. I find that within this short sentence hides a good deal of irony as Hester, shunned for the sin of adultery embroiders the veil of a bride—a symbol of purity. Despite claiming to hate Hester's sin to boost their popularity amongst the other devout religious members of the settlement, the colonists, supposedly free of sin themselves, still wear the garments crafted by Hester. —maisy
"It is to the credit of human nature, that, except where its selfishness is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates. Hatred, by a gradual and quiet process, will even be transformed to love, unless the change be impeded by a continually new irritation of the original feeling of hostility."
ReplyDeleteThis quote is very interesting, because it implies that Hester was only forgiven by the male elders because she was almost invisible. She was described as "frail," and she only helped others, not bothering to follow her own desires and passions. She was only forgiven because she quietly backed down. Hawthorne is saying that hate will always change to love, and while this sounds like a true statement, it has many flaws. The society in which Hester lives in is very sexist. The men judge the women for committing a sin, yet when the man does the same thing, it's almost as if he's martyred. When Dimmsdale dies, even though he committed the same crime that Hester did, he was made out to be a hero, whereas Hester will only be forgiven if she takes full blame and responsibility for the affair. Does Hawthorne actually believes this statement, or is he mocking society?
"Among many morals which press upon us from the poor minister's miserable experience, we put only this into a sentence: --- "Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!"
ReplyDeleteWhen Dimmesdale dies at the end of the book, he had kept the secret of his affair with Hester for so long, that it completely destroyed him. He was a shell of himself, and he eventually told people the truth. This quote represents Dimmesdale's final plea. He tells people to "Be true!" meaning to be honest with the mistakes you have made, and show the world your true self, flaws in all. He is saying that nobody is perfect, and to let the world think that of you is to commit a bigger sin than all of your sins combined. By showing people the worst of you, you don't have to be guilt ridden. Your failures do not determine your character!
“Be it accepted as a proof that all was not corrupt in this poor victim of her own frailty, and man’s hard law, that Hester Prynne yet struggled to believe that no fellow-mortal was guilty like herself.” (pg 60)
ReplyDeleteThis quote was interesting to me because it showed such a strong attitude of the past. Although Hester did commit adultery, which is obviously not a good thing, she is so overcome with this type of guilt that overtakes her whole life, especially since she has the wear the scarlet letter for the rest of her days. She “struggled to believe that no fellow-mortal was guilty like herself,” even though there was another person involved with her. She does not talk about Dimmesdale here, even though he is just as guilty as she. Since Hester is being portrayed as such a bed person here, that could definitely impact how the reader sees her too. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to see her as a flawed character, or simply a selfish cheater. I think that in this day and age it is more likely to see her as flawed, rather than someone who needs to be punished for life.
“The mother herself- as if the red ignominy were so deeply scorched into her brain, that all her conceptions assumed its form- had carefully wrought out the similitude; lavishing many hours of morbid ingenuity, to create an analogy between the object of her affection, and the emblem of her guilt and torture.” (pg 70)
ReplyDeleteThis passage is slightly confusing to me. My interpretation of it varies. The last part about the analogy makes me think the most. Is the object of affection Pearl? And the emblem of her guilt and torture is obviously the letter. If I did interpret this correctly than I like the contrast that Hawthorne writes about here. Pearl is so dear to Hester, but has come along in a sinful way that has her punished for life. It is the contrast of what brings Hester joy, and what tears her to shreds. Interestingly enough, it is pretty much that same thing. Pearl is the upside to her life, but the letter weighs her down. This contrast is present throughout the entire book, like how Pearl will be frolicking and happy with her mother or among nature, but others will want to throw mud or give strange looks. Hester really lives in her own type of isolated world.
“Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years’ cheat, to look into the eye that recognizes me for what I am!” (pg 131)
ReplyDeleteHere, Dimmesdale is telling Hester how internally tortured he is. I don’t think that he was correct in saying that she was happy, though. I think what he explains here is something that Hawthorne is describing throughout the entirety of the novel, which is just two different forms of torture. One is self-induced, and one is from the public. Dimmesdale seeing Hester as happy brings up an interesting conversation into what the author is trying to say about honesty and mistakes. The reverend finds it reliving to be seen as the sinner that he is, though Hester has to do that for the rest of her life. There is contrast between what would seemingly be the benefits of confessing, and the consequences. I don’t believe there is one right answer, but I would say that Hawthorne tends to lean towards writing about having honesty be the best policy.
“It is remarkable that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most perfect quietude to the external regulations of society. The thought suffices them, without investing itself in the flesh and blood of action. So it seemed to be with Hester. Yet, had little Pearl never come to her from the spiritual world, it might have been far otherwise. Then, she might have come down to us in history, hand in hand with Ann Hutchinson, as the foundress of a religious sect.” (pg113)
ReplyDeleteIn this passage, Hawthorne comments on social norms, he says that people who speculate on the traditional ways of the society often conform to the same norms of the society without questioning, meaning that the people against wrong traditions often do not fight back because of the social pressure, forced to accept those very traditions. The narrator speculates that had Hester not sinned, had she not had Pearl, that she would've submitted to the same wrong norms of Puritan society. Instead of speaking out against it, she would've been another ordinary colonist, but because of her ordeal and the subsequent character development, Hester found her own independence.
^^maisy
ReplyDelete"It was near that old and sunken grave, yet with a space between, as if the dust of two sleepers had no right to mingle." (pg180)
ReplyDeleteI thought this line was very depressing, as the story had no truly happy ending for Hester because even in death, the strife of her story continues. Even in death, the Puritan customs were kept: their graves, reflecting their lives, in which Hester and Arthur had "no right to mingle". I wonder what would've happened to Hester and Dimmesdale they were members of a church for a different faction of christianity, or a different religion all together, if the punishment would've been more, or less, severe. —maisy
"The letter was a symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, -so much power to do, and power to sympathize, -that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by it's original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength." (Hawthorne 111)
ReplyDeleteThis quote illuminates an ongoing theme of a woman's strength. Hester has been so strong through the whole situation, she faces the hate of the people all by herself. She wears her red A with strength and doesn't shy away from the people. She faces every ounce of hate people have with a grain of salt and moves on. She lives her life and raises her daughter with strength, never shying away from problems. I think the actual meaning behind the scarlet letter shows her personality even more. She is "able" to live her life and be strong just like the original meaning of the letter said.
"To the untrue man, the whole universe is false,- it is impalpable,- it shrinks to nothing within his grasp....The only truth that continued to give Mr. Dimmesdale a real existence on this earth was the anguish in his inmost soul" (Hawthorne 100)
ReplyDeleteThis quote demonstrates how important truth is to the story. The story is based on a women who is living in what the town perceives as a lie as to who the father of her child is. The book is based on the lies of the people in the town, centering in on Hester Prynne and Mr. Dimmesdale, two people who had an affair and ended up getting pregnant. The quote talks about how the only truth in Mr. Dimmesdale's life is his pain and everything else in his life is a lie. His entire world is made up and he is lying about everything except his own personal pain. His pain shows how truth needs to be spoken, or else your entire life is a lie, which is not fair to yourself or the people around you. The quote relates back to a common theme within the book, a person should always speak the truth.
Passage: The founder of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison. (31)
ReplyDeleteWhen reading through the first time, these lines acted as a prediction for the The Scarlet Letter’s plot. The words “cemetery” and “prison” stood out to me as rather odd locations to have inside of a colony referred to as Utopian. After completing The Scarlet Letter, the words “happiness” and “virgin” also stand out. The idea of a cemetery foreshadowed illness and death. which was later revealed to be Reverend Dimmesdale’s storyline, as he was ill with grief and tourture for nearly 7 years, then died once having confessed his adultery sin and making peace with Hester and Pearl. The word “prison” quickly gained significance once readers realized that Hester was locked away for adultery, a most heinous sin in her small, Protestant New England town. A recurring idea in The Scarlet Letter was trying to solve what made Reverend Dimmesdale so ill and miserable, and the word “happiness” alludes to how he is a broken man, but has broken himself through sadness and guilt. Looking back, the term “virgin” was the largest plot hint, referring to the crime that alienated Hester and Pearl, destroyed Reverend Dimmesdale's conscience, and drove ‘Roger Chillingworth’ (or whatever he may really be named) to become filled so immensely with hatred that he became the antagonist.
Passage: By degrees, nor very slowly, her handiwork became what would now be termed the fashion. (57)
ReplyDeleteThis sentence was interesting to me. I found the contrast between someone so alienated, so hated, and her craft becoming fashionable and popular, to be very stark. When Hester stepped out of the prison with the scarlet A embroidered onto her chest and everyone stared, her skill set her apart from her crime for a moment, I wondered about the significance of pausing to describe Hester’s skill. I found it interesting that her needlework was a recurring plot point throughout The Scarlet Letter, and I found the relation between the townsfolk and Hester’s needlework to be especially intriguing. As Hester is hated by the townsfolk for sinning, it seemed odd that they employ her. Puritans, by nature of their religion, are supposed to be simply clothed and earthly; is it not a lesser form of sin for them to have bedazzled clothes and accessories? Though adultery is far more heinous to a Protestant than wearing fancily embroidered clothes, the willingness of many high class Puritans to sin in order to stroke their own ego’s in fancy clothes seemed to undo the point the town was trying to make: why ask a sinner to create clothes for you to adorn as another form of sin? Lastly, as later described, the one item of clothing that no person asked for Hester’s hand in was wedding attire. Puritan weddings are supposed to be so pure and so holy that fear of Hester’s sin rubbing off on that special day kept wives away. This was interesting to me because have fancy clothing is a sin in the first place, so if a wedding vale is going to be embroidered and made to be elaborate, which is already a sin, why was that one item of clothing that was supposedly too pure for Hester to touch?
Passage: “Do I feel joy again?” cried he, wondering at himself. “Methought the germ of it was dead in me! O Hester, thou art my better angel! I seem to have flung myself --- sick, sin-stained, and sorrow-blackened --- down upon these forest-leaves, and to have risen up all made anew, and with new powers to glorify Him that hath been merciful! This is already the better life! Why did we not find it sooner?” (127)
ReplyDeleteThis passage initially confused me, but then became interesting once I recognized the religious connotations. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Dimmesdale was always so sickly and miserable that this outburst was startling. Hearing him talk of joy and a better life seemed very out of character. After rereading the passage, his intentions and actions were more clear --- Hester had given him a way to healing and happiness, neither of which he had had in over 7 years. The Reverend isn’t having a random outburst, he feels as though the guilt of adultery and the chance of freedom from lies and personal tputure has been lifted from his shoulders. He calls his former self as “sin-stained,” referring to his and Hester’s adultery, but then says he has “risen up all made anew” (risen again in a different, positive way). As a reverend, I thought his choice of the word “risen” was interesting, because it could be connected to the way Jesus rose after being killed: stronger than his enemies, powerful, and filled with religious zeal. Reverend Dimmesdale then says he has been given new abilities to “glorify Him that hath been merciful,” which I took to mean believe in, preach for, pray for, and throw himself into his job as a Reverend with new life so as to thank God, who he thinks has been generous to him. Also, I will note, for an evangelical like himself to refer to Hester as an angel, hints at the overwhelming relief Reverend Dimmesdale must have felt.
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ReplyDeleteI happened to place it on my breast....It seemed to me then, that I experienced a sensation not altogether physical, yet almost so, as of a burning heat; and as if the letter were not of red cloth, but red-hot iron. I shuddered, and involuntarily let it fall upon the floor." pg. 31
ReplyDeleteShe lets the letter fall in the introductory, which is seems to be Hester letting loose of her sins and flaws, but in reality, it is her for brief moment experiencing freedom. A break from the life the letter has casted herself in as a separate entity. Later in the book however, Hester is planning on running away with Dimmesdale and Hawthorne takes a turn in his writing by letting the letter fall once more, but this time reattaching it to herself. She does this because the object that once caused her imprisonment is now her only escape from the eyes of the puritans. She didn't know the power of the letter until it was taken from her. Even Pearl regards that she wouldn't join the two unless the A was restored back on Hester's chest. The weight of the letter was Hester's true pivoting moment of redefinement.
"After putting her finger in her mouth, with many ungracious refusals to answer good Mr. Wilson's questions, the child finally announced that she had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison-door." Pg 103
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated Hawthorne's break from the rhythmic writing style he'd portrayed in such a current throughout the novel. His use of imagery is reflected in such tenderness as Pearl is describing her mother, the one who brought her into the world, as someone who had held her imprisoned in a cage. Pearl only knows the world of the letter her mother was bestowed, therefore she will grow never truly understanding the likeness of any other Puritan children. Pearl's life is based on sin, adultery, she's proof of evil in her mother's woes. It makes sense she is the least bit cynical, yet she still stands by Hester's behavior and even commands that others should follow. Hawthorne's use of metaphorical prison roses, presumably red, is Pearl's realization of her mother's sin, and the acceptance that comes thereafter. Rose bushes grow upwards with a sense of purpose, much like the bushes Pearl is bright but has just as many thorns towards the colony as her mother.
"a new grave was delved, near an old and sunken one, in that burial-ground beside which King's Chapel has since been built. It was near that old and sunken grave, yet with a space between, as if the dust of the two sleepers had no right to mingle. Yet one tombstone served for both." Pg 239
ReplyDeleteI loved this passage because of the way that it truly defined the relationship of love Hester has towards Dimmesdale. The sunkeness reflects his character so perfectly as Hawthorne describes the guilt that had initially rotted Dimmesdale from the inside out. The Scarlet letter was what reflected on what placed Hester in her predicament to begin with. The letter reads Adultery, but the color stands for love. Red is the color of fire, passion, desire, romance. Why choose such a hue if not to draw attention to the public? Hester later in the novel describes her feelings towards her husband, Chillingsworth, who is so disgusted with her crime that he completely changes his identify. The slight separation of the graves could represent distrust in Hester's fatal attempts at never truly achieving love, and having mistrust in God for not granting her the satisfaction of a normal puritan lifestyle, yet the future doesn't seem like it would sustain the furnace that is Hester Prynne. In the end she wasn't buried alone, she realizes her feelings for Dimmesdale early on in the book, however she is moved over ever so slightly, to mark her independence as a free woman, who in the end, had no letter define her.
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