The Scarlet Letter

In the introductory sketch to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel the “The Scarlet Letter”, the reader is informed that one of the author’s ancestors persecuted the Quakers harshly. The latter’s son was a high judge in the Salem witch trials, put into literary form in Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” (Judge Hathorne appears there). We learn that Hawthorne … Read more

Throughout the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester’s experiences in and out of the Puritan society and the weight of the scarlet letter change her in many ways, including her level of confidence, her appearance and her outlook on the Puritan people, and the way she feels about the letter “A”. Due to … Read more

The Scarlet Letter is a novel packed with religious symbolism, and Hawthorne subtly assigns the role of the devil to Roger Chillingworth. Throughout the novel, there are many references and associations that confirm the fact that Chillingworth is representative of the ultimate evil. First, Hawthorne sets Chillingworth up as the antithesis of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, … Read more

Throughout the book Pearl either says or does things that are not typical of a girl of her age. After Hester talks to Chillingworth, Pearl is asked if she knows why Hester wears the scarlet letter. Pearl replies, It is for the same reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart. I do … Read more

Pearl could, or could not be a believable character in The Scarlet Letter depending on how the reader interprets Pearls actions and speech. I plan to prove that Pearl could be believable, and that she could net be believable. Throughout the book Pearl either says or does things that are not typical of a girl … Read more

The Scarlet Letter defines the relationship between the individual and society through Hester’s alienation from Puritan Boston caused by the sin she committed, and subsequently the scarlet A she wore on her bosom. Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne is a common character among Romantic writers; a rebel who refuses to conform to society’s codes. However, in the … Read more

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s background influenced him to write the bold novel The Scarlet Letter. One important influence on the story is money. Hawthorne had never made much money as an author and the birth of his first daughter added to the financial burden (Biographical Note VII). He received a job at the Salem Custom House only … Read more

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, many of the characters suffer from the tolls of sin, but none as horribly as Hester’s daughter Pearl. She alone suffers from sin that is not her own, but rather that of her mother. From the day she is conceived, Pearl is portrayed as an offspring of evil. … Read more

Authors use character development to show how a person can change. Through a descriptive portrayal of a charter and their development they become real to the reader. A well-developed character stirs up emotions in the reader making for a powerful story. A person can change for better or worse and Nathaniel Hawthorne shows this thru … Read more

Comprehension of anything requires a framework already in place in order to place it in out sphere of reference. Especially those that are “fuzzy” or difficult to nail down. The brain and the atom are not fully understood, but by comparing functions, structures, and similar operations to known items or concepts one can obtain a … Read more

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, life is centered around a rigid, Puritanistic-structured society in which one is unable to divulge his or her innermost thoughts and secrets. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how they truly feel, or the emotion is bottled up until it becomes volatile. Unfortunately, Puritan society did not … Read more

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel about three individuals whose lives are forever changed. The story takes place in a Puritan village in Boston, in the 1600’s. A woman named Hester Prynne has committed adultery and is subject to wear a letter “A” on her dress, representing adulteress. Her secret lover, … Read more

What is guilt? We all have guilt about something. Maybe forgetting something, lied about something, or even did something that shouldn’t of been done. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne we saw guilt fester in the minds and outward appearance of the main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. When you hear … Read more

“Life is hard, but accepting that fact makes it easier. ” this common phrase has been proven true in many people’s lives, but is also a harsh fact that Boston’s Rev. Dimmesdale, a key character in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s the Scarlet Letter, had to face. In this twisted story of deception and adultery set in the … Read more

The Scarlet Letter is a novel that deals with the never-ending theme of sin. Throughout history, people have committed all types of sins, and whether they are major or minor, people have been punished. However, the severity of a punishment is very difficult to agree on. Some people feel that sinners should be deeply punished … Read more

The novel The Scarlet Letter was set in the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 17th century. Hester Prynne, her illegitimate daughter Pearl, her ex-husband Roger, and the town minister, Reverend Dimmesdale are the main characters. Hester Prynne had an affair while her husband was still living in England. Roger then moves to America, and he … Read more

Pearl is one of the most interesting and mysterious characters of the novel The Scarlet Letter. One tends to wonder why Pearl is the way she is. Why does she act so strangely and so differently than all the other characters? She acts this way because of a relationship she has with the force of … Read more

In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn the society of a Puritan town of Salem excludes anyone who is in any way deviant and renders that person sinful. However, the society, the townspeople themselves, is not without fault. However they try to conceal and contain their passions and all their faults because of … Read more

Sin is the transgression of a moral code designated by either society or the transgressor. The Puritans of Boston in the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, establish a rigid moral code by which to purge their society of deviants. As this society is inherently theocratic, the beliefs and restrictions established by religion are … Read more

Adultery, betrayal, promiscuity, subterfuge, and intrigue, all of which would make an excellent coming attraction on the Hollywood scene and probably a pretty good book. Add Puritan ideals and writing styles, making it long, drawn out, tedious, wearisome, sleep inducing, insipidly asinine, and the end result is The Scarlet Letter. Despite all these things it … Read more

Love, affair, disowning! One may think that this is a soap opera, but one is fairly mistaken. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter written by, Nathaniel Hawthorne, love, lies, mistrust are a few of the many situations that confront his characters. In Boston Hester Prynne commits a sin of adultery landing her the punishment of … Read more

The Scarlet Letter involves many characters that go through several changes during the course of the story. In particular, the young minister Dimmesdale, who commits adultery with Hester, greatly changes. He is the moral blossom of the book, the character that makes the most progress for the better. It is true that Dimmesdale, being a … Read more

Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, felt that the Puritans were people who believed that the world was a place where the battle between good and evil was a never-ending one. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses the symbols of light and dark to depict this battle among the characters Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Roger … Read more

A great deal of blood has been shed and many wars have been fought during the history of civilization; however, man’s greatest battle and most formidable enemy is only himself. Humans like to think of themselves as faultless, but sin is inevitable. Mankind is a sinful race; therefore, everyone has sinned. This has been made … Read more

The Scarlet Letter is a novel with much symbolism. Throughout the novel several characters represent other ideas. One of the most complex and misunderstood characters in the novel is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic symbol – one that is always changing. Although Pearl changes, she always … Read more

Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter is considered the best of his writings. It may also be the most strongest statement of his recurrent themes, an excellent example of his craftsmanship. Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter during emancipation of women liberation. Therefore, many of his thoughts and ideas about what was happening around him was very … Read more

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, contains many profound characters. The townspeople intrigue the reader because they gradually evolve throughout the book, as would any solitary character. In the beginning of the novel, they are generally rigid and judgmental towards Hester, because she has committed adultery. Throughout the novel, they slowly allow Hester and … Read more

Throughout the book Pearl either says or does things that are not typical of a girl of her age. After Hester talks to Chillingworth, Pearl is asked if she knows why Hester wears the scarlet letter. Pearl replies, It is for the same reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart. I do … Read more

One of the most significant writers of the romantic period in American literature was Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne wrote stories that opposed the ideas of Transcendentalism. Since he had ancestors of Puritan belief, Hawthorne wrote many stories about Puritan New England. His most famous story is the Scarlet Letter. This novel tells of the punishment of … Read more

All human beings will, at some point carry some amount of guilt with them. Whether they could have prevented what happened or not, humans tend to carry guilt. Hester Prynne will forever carry the guilt of committing adultery. This is shown when Hawthorne writes, Here, there was the taint of deepest sin in the most … Read more

All great stories have thorough reports from several different literary critics, what do they have to say on The Scarlet Letter? The Scarlet Letter in the nineteenth century is comparable to early twentieth century and late twentieth century criticism. Early nineteenth century critics think the story was a tremendous work of art. A Review of … Read more

Nathaniel Hawthorne”s, The Scarlet Letter is a book about a woman, Hester, who moves to Boston from England during the Puritan times. She has a husband, and tells the colonists of Boston he will be arriving to be with her soon. After years go by and he doesn”t arrive, Hester finds another man whom she … Read more

The story takes place in the Puritan village of Boston, Massachusetts, during the first half of the 17th Century. Several years before the novel begins, Hester Prynne came to the New World to await the arrival of her husband who had business to conclude in Europe. However, Hester’s husband was captured by Indians upon his … Read more

“But a lie is never good, even though death threatens on the other side” (The Scarlet Letter). Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, is a story that illustrates intricate pieces of the Puritan lifestyle. Lying of course was considered a tremendous sin in the eyes of the Puritans. Centered first on a sin committed by Hester … Read more