What are you noticing about Hathorne's writing, his characters, and the themes in this work? Find an interesting piece of evidence to make an analytical claim. Don't let this prompt limit you. Be sure to make one entry and blog in a meaningful way about another's comment. As always, be respectful. Disagreements are welcome!
Brian Carens
ReplyDelete"Heaven hath granted thee an open ignominy, that thereby though mayest work out an open triumph over the evil within thee, and the sorrow without. Take heed how thou deniest to him who perchance hath not the courage to grasp it for himself the bitter, but wholesome, cup that is now presented to thy lips!"
I thought this quote was important because it show how Hester cant hide her sin of adultery. When a woman gets pregnant within the first 3 months you can see major changes to them. And it makes Hester feel like an outsider cause even though hiding and lying about yourself is bad it is still hard to be pregnant with another man. This is very different for the man though he can say what ever he wants. He can lie to everyone saying I didn't have sex with that whore. It makes Hester seem like she was the only one that sinned. This allows her lover to be free of guilt while she has the visual and obvious effects. I really like the character of Hester because she doesn't reveal the identity of her lover which makes her a strong woman who doesn't point the finger at someone she loves. This situation in the 1st place is retarded though she moved on good for her screw her old husband. Another thing i don't understand is why everyone treats her so bad. She is a pregnant woman not a murderer or some crazy person. Hopefully this is enough but I am going to keep on writing to make it seem like I wrote so much more. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Volleyball and homework suck. So I want to see what Hester does and what her life is like as a knocked up whore even though she isn't.
Brian Carens
Not only did this make me laugh, but it provided insight in a unique way ... I like how it can totally be connected to modern day, how a man can lie and say that he didn't have sex with a woman, even though she's knocked up with his child.
Delete~Shayna
BRIAN! SPREAD THE WORD TO END THE WORD!!!!!!
Deleteheheheh -Marisssssssssa
haha this was funny and i agree with brian and shayna about a man lying about having sex with a woman and how he can get away with it while a woman is in a completely different situation with the child herself.
DeleteIan Stetkiewicz
Hhaha this post actually made me laugh out loud. But, I think you hit on a bunch of key points such as Hester feeling like an outsider, because no one will even hear her out. This was well written and funny good job.
DeleteTroy T
Mrs. Stein no one else has published anything do i really need to wait till someone does
ReplyDeleteBrian C
One major theme that has become apparent to me after reading chapters one through eight is the element of sin. While the colonists deem themselves to be people who fully practice Puritanic beliefs, they still believe in sin and guilt, which completely contradicts itself. Right at the beginning of the novel, it is stated that "The founders 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 alot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison" (93). By writing this, Hawthorne certainly makes it known that while the Puritans still believe in death and a proper burial, they have become more coherent of their surroundings, and have realized that sin is inevitable with any person, even though it may not necessarily be openly regarded in society, unlike Hester Prynne's public humiliation.
ReplyDelete~Shayna S.
Shayna,
DeleteI agree with you on the theme of sin in Hawthorne's novel "The Scarlet Letter". I also think it is interesting how the Puritans believed they were going to build a utopia in America, yet the utopia seemed to become quite the opposite with the racism and intolerance which developed later on. I also believe you brought up a great point with the inevitability of sin when humanity is involved!
-Paige C
I really like your analysis, Shayna! Very thought provoking... Your last sentence made me wonder if, since they "have realized that sin is inevitable in any person," this has made them afraid because this realization means that their supposed utopia is not a utopia at all. This kind of fear often leads people to blame others for society's problems because they themselves do not want to be labeled as the cause of failure. This would explain the use of Hester as a scapegoat. Society is blaming people like her whose sins are known publicly for the destruction of their "utopia."
Delete~Katie C
One theme I have noticed in Hawthorne's writing is that he alludes to the supernatural, but it tends to be in a character's mind rather than an actual manifestation. In the opening chapter, he gives a long description of a rose bush, which appears to have supernatural ability, but is actually just a rose bush. When Hester goes back into the prison after her three-hour stay on the scaffold, "It was whispered by those who peered after her that the scarlet letter threw a lurid gleam along the dark passage-way of the interior"(loc 884). In Hawthorne's passage, it appears that there is something supernatural about her scarlet letter, but it is in fact imaginings of evil within the minds of those waiting outside, enjoying Hester's shame. He is more interested in the sinful mind of human beings than a "supernatural" occurrence.
ReplyDelete-Josh T.
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Deletegood job brian c this is great
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteA major theme I have seen in the first eight chapters of Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" is sin in correlation with knowledge. An example of sin existing in tandem with knowledge is Hawthorne's description of Hester's daughter, Pearl. Hawthorne describes Pearl as ,"(born) from demon origin"(199) as well as "for such was Pearl's wonderful intelligence, that her mother half doubted whether she were not acquainted with secret spell of her existence"(195). Pearl is often described as "devious" and "malicious" but these descriptions always correlate with praise for Pearl's great intelligence. Hawthorne's writing style is very descriptive and emotionally charged.
ReplyDelete-Paige C
Paige I agree with saying that Hawthorne;s writing style is very descriptive and emotionally charged because of the intense descriptions of everything. The way he writes is very intriguing in the way that he clearly describes everything but sometimes you have to thing out side of the box to connect points he makes.
DeleteAmy B
Paige I loved your analysis of Pearl, I thought she was an intriguing character and one that brings deth to the novel. I agree that she represents sin and the correlation to her intelligance is intersting. Your analysis brings about many questions in my mind about Pearl and is intriguing me to read the rest of the novel to get more insite of Pearl. Good job!
DeleteBacking this up: how R. Chillingsworth has knowledge that Prynne has sinned (and is strangely understanding about it), yet still chooses to exact revenge. Chillingsworth seems to be at once the most intelligent, and most evil character in The Scarlet Letter.
DeleteA major theme that I noticed in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter" is enmity and resentment. Throughout the first eight chapters all characters have some hatred to another. Most of the characters hate Hester because of what she did, but Hester hates herself for doing what she did and how it is affecting her daughter. The resentment is shown through Pearl,"She could recognize her wild, desperate, defiant mood, flightiness of her temper, and even some of the very cloud-shapes of gloom and despondency that had brooded in her heart."(181) This quote shows that Pearl's temper is very wild and she often lashes out because of all the hatred there is towards herself and her mother. Just walking down the street is difficult for them because of all the enmity the citizens of Boston have for the two. It is very difficult for a single mother and a toddler to go through all of that and it does make them have hatred to things in their lives. In all enmity and resentment is throughout the novel. Also Hester's real husband has a tremendous amount of resentment towards her because of what she did and how she ruined their relationship. All the hatred is just boiling up because it is still the beginning of the novel and u believe that as the story unfolds the hatred inside people will cause trouble all around the town.
ReplyDelete~Amy B
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DeleteHI AMY
DeleteI agree with you!! There's a lot of hatred and alienation going around with Hester and Pearl. I don't blame the other Puritans for hating Hester, though, because during Puritan times, adultery was the worst sin to commit. You have to be PURE if you are a PURE-itan! (: (: (: I'm just joking. But yeah, I feel like Hester's husband wants revenge.
XOXOXOXOOXO MARISSA HOM!!!!!!!
Yes, it is some utopia, isn't it?
Delete"Mindful, however, of her own errors and misfortunes, she early sought to impose a tender but strict control over the infant immortality that was committed to her charge. But the task was beyond her skill...Hester was ultimately compelled to stand aside, and permit the child to be swayed by her own impulses." (182/3)
ReplyDeleteHester is a mother to Pearl and she loves her a lot, but every time that she plays with her daughter, she always sees her worst shame as well as her best gift. Pearl is a constant reminder that Hester made a huge mistake that led her to the life that she lives now. Also, the mistreatment that Pearl gets from the other kids reminds Hester of her current feelings of being exiled. Yet, Pearl is also one of Hester's greatest treasures because she got a daughter! Hester thinks that out of sin and mistakes, good things can come from it.
OOPSIE I FORGOT! this post was from marissa (: (:
DeleteI like how you incorporated both of Hester's points of view about Pearl, and how they contradict each other! Pearl being both a treasure and a shame all related back to the major theme of the novel, sins (:
Delete-Gayatri
I can't help but think about what this means for Pearl- imagine, you are just a wee thing, and you can feel and experience wrath directed at your mother and yourself for something you didn't do and can't really comprehend. She is now permitted to be directed by her own impulses- she's a child! It makes me wonder what kind of a parent she is for her child- she is paralyzed by her sin in some ways....
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. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore; and which was of a splendor in accordance with the taste of the age, but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony" (105).
ReplyDeleteThe passage above extensively describes Hester as she walks out of prison onto the edifice. Hawthorne describes that the fabric of the letter A on the front of her dress had “elaborate embroidery” and “fantastic flourishes.” He also explains how it was so “artistically done” and that is had the “effect of a last and fitting decoration” as a means of exemplifying that the letter A seemed like the best finishing touch for her dress. The perfection of her dress correlates to her sin, she would be receiving a punishment that perfectly goes with her act of wrong doing according to Puritans. Her dress was a “splendor in accordance with the taste of age,” but was too fancy for the Puritan era thus making her an outcast. This symbolizes the Puritan belief that because Hester had committed a crime, adultery, she had to publicly humiliate herself in order to compensate for her crime.
-Gayatri Kasi
I agree, Gayatri, but why does she want to embellish her big A? Why doesn't she want to downplay it?
DeleteAlthough it was the intent of the founders of the colony to create a "utopia of human virtue and happiness" (93). However, among the first things built is a prison; the founders, despite wanting to create a utopia, subconsciously recognize crime as an inevitable circumstance of life.
ReplyDeleteWe also notice that despite appearing to be learnt people, the government magistrates feel the need to elevate themselves above everyone else, as described in the scene during which Prynne is publicly humiliated. Although they are described to be fair people, it is only Dimmesdale who seems able to empathize with, and show humanity to Prynne. There also appears to be corruption in the government, as shown by how Governor Bellingham's sister, a self-proclaimed witch, is allowed to live (for the time being) without being convicted. With this Hawthorne's work takes on a feel similiar to that of a dystopian novel: under the pretense of being a utopia, this Puritan society has a gap between the people and the authorities (the latter who have the say in what is regarded as a crime, who is convicted when, what the punishment will be, and the like, effectively shaping what is right and what is wrong).
Nice job pointing out the contradictions that are made between what people plan and what people actually do. I think maybe part of why the founders of the town had to make a prison was because they carried with them ideas of what was wrong from whatever government they had been used to before. The authorities do seem to hold a lot more power than should be necessary in a utopia.
DeleteUltimately, I think this is part of the reason why the early Puritan settlements break apart...
DeleteAgreeing with most of the previous statements, it is apparant that a theme in this book is the element of sin. Hawthorne makes sure that Hester is permanently embarassed for her sin of adultery and has made the interactions of other characters and Hester extremely harsh. Everyone gives Hester an extremely hard time and it shows how bad of an act it was viewed as in that time. It still translates today that cheating on your husband or wife is viewed as a terrible act, but it doesn't go to the extremes of having to wear an A across your chest for the rest of your life. I also think that Hawthorne develops Hester to be sort of desperate. Ever since her act of adultery was found out it seems like she has just been contiunally struggling. She had to stand in front of everyone and get mocked, she has to wear the scarlet letter for the rest of her life, spend time in prison, and after a while she gets out of prison and gets her daughter potentially taken away from her. She is not having an enjoyable life and it is all because of the sin of adultery that she commmitted.
ReplyDeleteIan Stetkiewicz
"Next rose before her, in memory's picture-gallery, the intricate and narrow throughfares, the tall, gray houses, the huge cathedrals, and the public edifices, ancient in date and quaint in architecture, of her Continental city; where a new life had awaited her, still in connection with the misshapen scholar, like a tuft of green moss on a crumbling wall" (117).
ReplyDeleteIn this scene, Hester Prynne is entering the town for the first time since was forced to wear the letter. This "new life" is filled with familiar things, from "memory's picture-gallery" However, these things are now daunting and large to her. This new life does not have the brightest of outlooks: it is described as feeding off "time-worn materials" Although she may prosper for a while (as a "tuft of green moss") she things are not set up to last. I really like the imagery in this scene. It suggests that she has had many experiences that others her age may not have, through the use of the "crumbling wall" She is forced to live with what she has now: a scarlet letter and an infant. She must not get caught up in what life used to be like.
One thing I that stood out to me (I don't know if anyone else mentioned this, I was too lazy to read through all of the responses) was Hawethores use of Pearl as a somewhat of a symbol of her mothers sins. Hester herself states: "It appalled her, nevertheless, to discern here, again, a shadowy reflection of the evil that had existed in herself. All the emnity and passion had Pearl inherited, by inalienable right, out of Hester's heart"(189). In this sense Pearl is a physical manifestation of all the sinful actions of Hester and this is seen reflected in Pearl's attitude. But, it is not enough for Hawthorne to point it out, he has to furher characterize Pearl through the way Hester dresses her. Pearls cloths are repeatidly described in a way analogous to that of the scarlet letter Hester wears. This blatant use of symbolism is similar to that of Poe's in "The Fall of House Usher". Another thing I noticed is that there seems to be something going on with Mr. Dimmesdale he seems to be the only one defending Hester and is always acting kind of sketchy/suspicious and Pearl seems to have some strange affection for him...I wonder what that could mean? Oh and I found his style of writing to be excessively verbose.
ReplyDeleteMitchell K
Mitchell, I agree there are times when I wish he could get to the point a little faster, but some parts are quite beautiful. It is interesting that Pearl be dressed in the reds and associated with her mother- the question then becomes does she represent the sin (which is incredibly sad since it's not her fault), or the blessing. Do blessing ever come in red? Why would a mom do this to a child?
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.
ReplyDeleteThis quote comes from the beginning of the "Scarlet Letter" it gives the reader background information about Hester, and her the problems she will come by. The Puritan common values are shown during this quote also. In Hawthorne's stories a re-occurring theme appears to be the faults of people and how they are too critical. In the "Birthmark" the husband was not accepting his wife for who she was, because she had the birthmark. The people who are criticizing Hester do not even give her a chance to explain herself they automatically assume she is guilty. This shows how Hawthorne characterizes the American people.
Troy T
And it all stems from the Puritan idea of original sin.
ReplyDeleteSin is a common theme in The Scarlet Letter and seems to take a large role within the plot of the story. The Puritan society within the book preaches a certain lifestyle and when it is challenged in any way precautions must be taken. Being found guilty of adultery Hester, publically beseeching her is the Puritan way of warning others of sin and the horrible consequence of being left with the guilt and impurity. The people said “let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will always be in her heart” (101). The people have left her to endure the consequences and approve of it no more than the magistrates. Innocent as he may seem Hester’s husband is planning revenge, which within itself would be an incredible sin. Roger does not poison Hester in order to seek revenge on her in the future qualifying him as a sinner even though he was victimized by the sins of Hester. Hester associates Roger with the devil tying in her Puritan beliefs. Pearl was associated with evil as well having been an illegitimate child and was said to be left with Hester is evil to punish her. The Puritans are extremely against sin and the devil and their believes have driven the novel as a whole and created the theme of sin.
ReplyDelete"The vulgar, who, in those deary old times, were always contributing a grotesque horror to what interested their imaginations, had a story about the scarlet letter which we might have readily work up into a terrific legend. They averred, , 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 that the symbol was not a mere scarlet cloth, tinged in an earthy dye-spot, but was red-hot with internal fire, and could be seen glowing all alightinclined to admit(175)
ReplyDeleteI chose this quote because of the irony that Hawthorne openly uses. While this is supposed to be a legend about the scarlet letter, most of what is said is true. The legend says, "that the symbol was not a mere scarlet cloth, tinged in an earthy dye-spot, but was red-hot with internal fire, and could be seen glowing all alight". This is very interesting because this is supposed to be given in the perspective of a towns person, yet Hester often similarly describes scarlet letter. She calls ita scar or burning sensation that goes through her clothing into her soul. This letter is more than a piece of fabric, but a constant reminder of what she has done, and how no one will forgiver her for such an act.
Sam Needels
The more I read of Hawthorne, the more connections I find between his style and themes and those of Edgar Allan Poe. In particular, I notice similarities in their use of precise language and melancholy settings. For example in the quote "It could have betokened nothing short of the anticipated execution of some noted culprit, on whom the sentence of a legal tribunal had but confirmed the verdict of public sentiment" (97). Upon reading this quote, Hawthorne's word choice immediately stands out as being exceptional (and not just because of the 3 bold SAT words). He uses highly descriptive words like "betokened", "anticipated execution", and "verdict of public sentiment" that convey the exact meaning he is trying to get across as opposed to more common words like "it meant", "death", or "opinions" which are very general and do not contribute effectively to the communication of his story. Instead of visualizing an ordinary event of an ordinary day, the reader is able to clearly see that this is a very dismal and unusual scene. This is very similar to Poe who is known for his precise choice of language in his various works. We saw this, for example, when we read "The Fall of the House of Usher" in which Poe uses carefully chosen descriptions to give his readers a clear picture of the house. Throughout the eight chapters of "The Scarlet Letter" that we have read so far, this precise language is often used to describe very gloomy and melancholy scenes. This quote, for example, depicts the image of the dark atmosphere before the appearance of Hester Prynne. Poe, of course, is famous for his dark and depressing descriptions which are quite similar to these one used by Hawthorne.
ReplyDelete~Katie C
I find it ironic that although the foudners being optimistic, they still feel it necessary to provide a cemetary and a gloomy, dark prison designed for criminals. I also found the theme to be grotesque as I continued on to read about Hester Prynne’s adulterery and how she was to be publicly condemned despite the fact she had a baby; the people did not care. This emphasizes a Puritan belief, that if you sin you must be condemned despite your circumstances.
ReplyDelete-Crystal M
In reply to the second half, I think you have a good idea but I feel as though the Puritans in the situation truly do feel sincerity and pity for the baby - not Hester. As Hawthorne describes the events taking place, many describe the baby in a light that shows the innocence and the poor situation the baby was put in. I think he also shows the although the baby doesn't have a voice, being brought into a world with no father and mother living in sin - the voice of the baby is heard in a different manor, one that acknowledges the remorse they have for putting the baby in a spot of shame such as being publicly humiliated and ostracized at such a young age but also reconciles with the fact that the mother and baby combination as a sin resulted in the overall result of the humiliation and wearing of the scarlet letter.
DeleteBoth the baby and Hester are representations of the Scarlet Letter, but I don't feel as though the baby is seen in such a harsh light.
“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. . . . 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?” asked Pearl, stopping short. . . . “Will it not come of its own accord, when I am a woman grown?”
In this quote, we see the role pearl plays in the text. She relates sin to humanity. Here we see Pearl assuming her mother represents all adults, yet the other adults do not wear A's. Pearls thoughts could be implying that sin, which the letter represents, is an inevitable part of human nature.
-Adam B
After reading the opening chapters to the Scarlet Letter what seems to intrigue me about Hawthorne's writing is his sense of explaining the plot of the story through the words of others, rather than his own - through the narration. Rather than stating what others think about Hester and her situation, he lets the reader see into the eyes of all the characters in the book - big and small. Whether it be a townsperson passing by in crossing or a main character of the story, Hawthorne gives the reader a chance to analyze and make assumptions and judgment on the characters rather than input his own view on the situation. When a townsperson, explaining Hester's situation talks about the issue at hand he says "She hath raised a great scandal, I promise you, in godly Master Dimmesdale's church." Gives a view on not only the average persons horrible opinion on a woman he has no relation to as well as connecting it to a higher power's opinion on her - Dimmesdale and the Church.
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying the book more than I thought I would due to Hawthorne's explanation of the event in a different light than one is used to hearing a story - letting the reader piece together the situation rather than hearing it straight from the narrator.