Analysis Of The Scarlet Letter - 1840 Words

We are all sinners. Although one may try hard not to sin, all humans eventually succumb at some time or another to sin. While people may not able to avoid the fate which awaits them, the power of free will allows people to decide how they will respond to sin. While some may respond with guilt and regret, others may react with a sense of redemption and a renewed sense of responsibility. Nathanial Hawthorne, an American author during the 19th century witnessed the power of sin to wreak havoc not only to an individual but a whole community. His novel The Scarlet Letter expresses this very idea by exposing the follies of mankind and the potentially detrimental effects of sin trough Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth who all affected by sin in different ways. Utilizing powerful symbols and light/dark imagery, Hawthorne conveys to the readers, through these characters, the power of how one’s response to sin can positively change an individual or gradually destroy one by spreading like a contagious disease and ultimately consuming the victim. Through Hester and the symbol of the scarlet letter, Hawthorne reveals how sin can be utilized to change a person for the better, in allowing for responsibility, forgiveness, and a renewed sense of pride. In a Puritan society that strongly condemns adultery one would expect Hester to leave society and never to return again, but that does not happen. Instead, Hester says, â€Å"Here†¦had been the scene of herShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Scarlet Letter 972 Words   |  4 PagesAnalysis of The Black Man In The Scarlet Letter Symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols, or of investing things with a symbolic meaning or character. In the novel â€Å"The Scarlet Letter†, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, symbolism is the main feature of the story. Symbolism is used throughout the novel to describe every object in the story from the characters to the rosebush to the scarlet letter itself. One of the major symbols in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† is the black man, who can not only beRead MoreScarlet Letter Character Analysis1081 Words   |  5 Pagesliterary works, which is expressed throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Pearl being an outcast from the rigid Puritan morals, and Hesters being independent and strong-willed challenges traditional society. These aspects all mirror the authors emotions and hardships of his early life through the literary element of characterization. Through the analysis of the main characters Hester and Pearl, we see how The Scarlet Letter is a reflection of Hawthornes life, and how the struggles and feelingsRead MorePsychoanalytic Analysis : The Scarlet Letter 1354 Words   |  6 PagesPsychoanalytical Analysis Throughout The Scarlet Letter there are many Freudian symbolisms that can be found scattered throughout this American classic. In nearly every chapter there is at least one reference to a phallic or yonic symbols to demonstrate the longing for a male figure in both Pearl and Hester’s life, and the symbolism to depict the shift from id to ego. One of the earlier metaphors to symbolize Hester’s suppression is the scaffold that she stands upon in the first chapter of theRead MoreAnalysis Of The From The Scarlet Letter 959 Words   |  4 PagesComposition: Analysis – Chapter Nine, â€Å"The Leech† from the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the most iconic books in history; its storyline, theme and literal characters have made an impact on the world of literature for hundreds of years. What stands out the most in the book is the use of archaic diction and figurative language, which serve to paint vivid, descriptive pictures of each character, specifically, Roger Chillingworth. In chapter nine of The Scarlet Letter, ‘TheRead MoreAnalysis Of The Scarlet Letter 1310 Words   |  6 Pages The characters in the Scarlet Letter are judged greatly through how and who they are able and unable to forgive. Such as the main female lead, Hester Prynne, and her struggle for the town to forgive her, finding the will to forgive herself and having God forgive her. Although, this was hard because every day she had to live with the scarlet letter upon her chest as a reminder of her sin. Another character that had one of the roughest times in the novel was Arthur Dimmesdale. This man kept a sinRead MoreAnalysis Of The Scarlet Letter 1645 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Scarlet Letter a young woman named Hester is criticized and mocked for having a young girl from an adulterous act with a sneaky pastor. The young girl will be named Pearl (named Pearl for having cost a great price). Throughout the novel as the characters develop and change the plot of the story develops into a riveting climax and an end no one could have imagined. Within the novel there are five major scenes that build up to the dramatic ending of The Scarlet Letter. The scenes in order areRead MoreAnalysis Of The Scarlet Letter 963 Words   |  4 Pagesare the source of them is the way to redemption. In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a Puritan woman named Hester Prynne commits the crime of adultery with the reverend of the town and bears a child from this unlawful union. Hester faces punishment in the form of a large scarlet letter â€Å"A† that she must wear upon her bosom so that all may know the sin of infidelity she has committed. In The Scarlet Letter, the evolvement and fate of the character of Hester Prynne demonstratesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Scarlet Letter 1234 Words   |  5 PagesNadia Innab Mrs. Mogilefsky English 3 AP 31 August 2015 The Scarlet Letter Questions 1. One of the author’s purposes in delivering this literary piece to the public is to expose the hypocrisy of society. For example, when Hester chooses to accept her Scarlet Letter instead of wear it with shame, society looks at her as if there was something wrong with her conscience. Hawthorne states, â€Å"This morbid meddling of conscience with an immaterial matter betokened, is to be feared, no genuine and steadfastRead MoreAnalysis Of The Scarlet Letter 1610 Words   |  7 Pagesthat the mysterious ailment afflicting the minister is connected to her mother’s sin. -The townspeople do not see the obvious connection between Dimmesdale and Hester have even though they both are affected by the same place on the body (The scarlet letter on the heart and Dimmesdale hand over his heart). -Pearl connect Dimmesdale to the â€Å"Black Man† who is the devil, to show he has sinned -The townspeople ignore the obvious connection between Dimmesdale s declining health and Hester’s sin becauseRead MoreAnalysis Of The Scarlet Letter 1233 Words   |  5 PagesKyle Cho Mr. Ertman AP Lit Per.4 2 November 2015 In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s time-honored novel, The Scarlet Letter, the relationship between Pearl and her biological father, Arthur Dimmesdale, changes from that of unfamiliarity and fear to one of love and acceptance. Throughout most of the novel, Dimmesdale is unable to face Pearl without being reminded of his sin and he becomes estranged to his own child. As a result, Pearl lacks a true connection with her father which becomes a detriment to her