The word I chose to focus on is sin. Already it is obvious that sin is a huge theme here. After all, the entire premise of the book is Hester being severely and publicly punished for the sin of adultery. When the Reverend Dimmsdale addresses Hester at the pillory, he says, "If thou feelest it to be for thy soul's peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer!" (Hawthorne 62). Later, as Hester continues to serve her punishment, it becomes clear that she has become a symbol of evil not just for her peers, but for the entire Puritan community. Her reputation is so bad that "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 woman, —at her, who had once been innocent, —as the figure, the body, the reality of sin" (Hawthorne 73). Sin is clearly a big deal. However, what's interesting is that although the Puritan community views Hester as unforgivable, the narrator portrays her in a sympathetic light. Which raises the question, what makes a sin a sin, and should Hester be judged so harshly?
This wordle is so detailed that there are many possible words to comment on. I chose to comment on the word "guilty" in the lower left corner. I think this is a huge theme throughout the novel so far because it is what the townspeople want Hester to feel. There are places where we see that Hester wants to repent, which insists that she is guilty for her actions. The whole reason why Hester didn't leave New England is because "here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment; and so, perchance, the torture of 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 martydom" (Hawthorne 72). She thinks that through her suffering in New England she might be forgiven for her sin. Again the reader sees that Hester is guilty and is trying to repent when the narrator tells us that "Hester bestowed all her superfluous means in charity, on wretches less miserable than herself, and who not unfrequently insulted the hand that fed them" (Hawthorne 75). The narrator goes on to say that "It is probable that there was an idea of penance in this mode of occupation, and that she offered up a real sacrifice of enjoyment, in devoting so many hours to such rude handiwork" (Hawthorne 75). She tries to make up for her sin by doing charity work and suffering in New England with the hope that it might get rid of her guilt.Mackenzie asked a similar question above but the question I have is: Does Hester truly feel guilty or is it the townspeople making her feel this way?
I think justice is a large focus for Hawthorne. Justice for Heseter Pryne, what happened and what she actually deserves. She has been punished more than enough for her petty crime, that is not real justice. Chillingworth is looking for justice for Heseter and himself. He wants justice for the coward husband who abandoned his wife. He is willing to go undercover for over three years to make sure justice is served. Also what Pearl deserves is a big theme, does she deserve to be marked from birth as evil. Hester says, "Child, what art thou?" (Hawthorne 88). Because she is labeled from birth, she deserves justice. She deserves a real father, she deserves to be her own self. Justice for Pearl is having her own identity. She has always been grouped with her mother, "Mother and daughter stood together in the same circle of seclusion from human society;" (85). Justice is yet to be dished out, but when it is served hopefully Pearl will be cleared from labels, Hesther will be forgiven, and Dimmesdale will pay for his cowardly actions.
I chose the words "Love," "Sin," "Cry", and "Devil" because these words most describe Hester's relationship with her daughter. Hester's LOVE for her daughter, Pearl, is what saves her sanity when she is accused of adultery and cast out by society. She is obsessed with her daughters beauty, and dresses her in the most beautiful clothing. "How strange it seemed to the sad woman as she watched the growth, and the beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child!" (Hawthorne 84). Her child distracted her from her own sins, until she becomes paranoid that Pearl could become an imp or devilish creature. This is a kind of paradox because Pearl is a blessing and a curse because Hester becomes afraid of Pearl being anything but a perfect pearl. She says that, "if, in any changes, she had grown fainter or paler, she would have ceased to be herself-it would have been no longer Pearl!" (Hawthorne 85). She would not call her daughter Pearl if she no longer resembled a beautiful pearl. She thinks that Pearl could be cursed to be evil because of her own SINS. Hester CRIES as she convinces herself that it is her own fault that her daughter is something of the DEVIL, "...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," (Hawthorne 85).
Hester blames herself for the evil that is taking over her Pearl, which reminds me of the introduction to "The Scarlet Letter" we read in class called "The Custom House." Hawthorne told us that his ancestors were associated with the Salem Witch Trials, and in this intro. he apologizes for his ancestors sins because he knows that what they did was wrong, and does not want to be cursed for what they did hundreds of years ago.
So as i was looking through the Scarlet Letter, i noticed a strange pattern forming, involving gender. Thus the word i will be focusing on is "man." In this novel, we see multiple representations of each gender, most drastically different from traditional representations. For women, i chose two: Hester Prynne, and the towns women as a whole. Hester, while serving her punishment was described as the epitome of the Virgin Mary: beautiful, radiant, etc. However, contrary to traditional beliefs, Hester serves her crime with pride, resolve and strength. She holds back her shame and guilt and emotion, keeping her calm in front of the entire town. The women of the town also portray such strength, but instead physical strength. The women are described as burly, broad shouldered, ruddy, healthy, strong, manly women. Usually men are portrayed with this self-control, resolve, and strength. Speaking of which, the man i chose to represent his gender is Reverend Dimmesdale. Reverend Dimmesdale first appears when interrogating Hester Prynne in front of the town. He appears fidgety, scared, tremulous, and cowardly. I hate to say this, but fear and cowardice are generally associated with the XX homozygous chromosomes. This is not the only time he is portrayed this way either. He cowardly keeps his sin a secret, and unlike Hester, his sin is portrayed as an actual sin by the writer. Hester is still considered pious and holy, but her partner in crime is considered a dammed man (sin is generally associated with women because of Eve). When he stands on the pillory at night alone, he cannot control himself. He breaks down and screams. He barely has any strength at this point. Some might go as far (and offensive) as to say that he is more womanly than Hester Prynne. Thus, Nathaniel Hawthorne brings us to question what exactly does the word "man" mean
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ReplyDeleteThe word I chose to focus on is sin. Already it is obvious that sin is a huge theme here. After all, the entire premise of the book is Hester being severely and publicly punished for the sin of adultery. When the Reverend Dimmsdale addresses Hester at the pillory, he says, "If thou feelest it to be for thy soul's peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer!" (Hawthorne 62). Later, as Hester continues to serve her punishment, it becomes clear that she has become a symbol of evil not just for her peers, but for the entire Puritan community. Her reputation is so bad that "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 woman, —at her, who had once been innocent, —as the figure, the body, the reality of sin" (Hawthorne 73). Sin is clearly a big deal. However, what's interesting is that although the Puritan community views Hester as unforgivable, the narrator portrays her in a sympathetic light. Which raises the question, what makes a sin a sin, and should Hester be judged so harshly?
ReplyDeleteThis wordle is so detailed that there are many possible words to comment on. I chose to comment on the word "guilty" in the lower left corner. I think this is a huge theme throughout the novel so far because it is what the townspeople want Hester to feel. There are places where we see that Hester wants to repent, which insists that she is guilty for her actions. The whole reason why Hester didn't leave New England is because "here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment; and so, perchance, the torture of 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 martydom" (Hawthorne 72). She thinks that through her suffering in New England she might be forgiven for her sin. Again the reader sees that Hester is guilty and is trying to repent when the narrator tells us that "Hester bestowed all her superfluous means in charity, on wretches less miserable than herself, and who not unfrequently insulted the hand that fed them" (Hawthorne 75). The narrator goes on to say that "It is probable that there was an idea of penance in this mode of occupation, and that she offered up a real sacrifice of enjoyment, in devoting so many hours to such rude handiwork" (Hawthorne 75). She tries to make up for her sin by doing charity work and suffering in New England with the hope that it might get rid of her guilt.Mackenzie asked a similar question above but the question I have is: Does Hester truly feel guilty or is it the townspeople making her feel this way?
ReplyDeleteI think justice is a large focus for Hawthorne. Justice for Heseter Pryne, what happened and what she actually deserves. She has been punished more than enough for her petty crime, that is not real justice. Chillingworth is looking for justice for Heseter and himself. He wants justice for the coward husband who abandoned his wife. He is willing to go undercover for over three years to make sure justice is served. Also what Pearl deserves is a big theme, does she deserve to be marked from birth as evil. Hester says, "Child, what art thou?" (Hawthorne 88). Because she is labeled from birth, she deserves justice. She deserves a real father, she deserves to be her own self. Justice for Pearl is having her own identity. She has always been grouped with her mother, "Mother and daughter stood together in the same circle of seclusion from human society;" (85). Justice is yet to be dished out, but when it is served hopefully Pearl will be cleared from labels, Hesther will be forgiven, and Dimmesdale will pay for his cowardly actions.
ReplyDeleteI chose the words "Love," "Sin," "Cry", and "Devil" because these words most describe Hester's relationship with her daughter. Hester's LOVE for her daughter, Pearl, is what saves her sanity when she is accused of adultery and cast out by society. She is obsessed with her daughters beauty, and dresses her in the most beautiful clothing. "How strange it seemed to the sad woman as she watched the growth, and the beauty that became every day more brilliant, and the intelligence that threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child!" (Hawthorne 84). Her child distracted her from her own sins, until she becomes paranoid that Pearl could become an imp or devilish creature. This is a kind of paradox because Pearl is a blessing and a curse because Hester becomes afraid of Pearl being anything but a perfect pearl. She says that, "if, in any changes, she had grown fainter or paler, she would have ceased to be herself-it would have been no longer Pearl!" (Hawthorne 85). She would not call her daughter Pearl if she no longer resembled a beautiful pearl. She thinks that Pearl could be cursed to be evil because of her own SINS. Hester CRIES as she convinces herself that it is her own fault that her daughter is something of the DEVIL, "...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," (Hawthorne 85).
ReplyDeleteHester blames herself for the evil that is taking over her Pearl, which reminds me of the introduction to "The Scarlet Letter" we read in class called "The Custom House." Hawthorne told us that his ancestors were associated with the Salem Witch Trials, and in this intro. he apologizes for his ancestors sins because he knows that what they did was wrong, and does not want to be cursed for what they did hundreds of years ago.
So as i was looking through the Scarlet Letter, i noticed a strange pattern forming, involving gender. Thus the word i will be focusing on is "man."
ReplyDeleteIn this novel, we see multiple representations of each gender, most drastically different from traditional representations. For women, i chose two: Hester Prynne, and the towns women as a whole. Hester, while serving her punishment was described as the epitome of the Virgin Mary: beautiful, radiant, etc. However, contrary to traditional beliefs, Hester serves her crime with pride, resolve and strength. She holds back her shame and guilt and emotion, keeping her calm in front of the entire town. The women of the town also portray such strength, but instead physical strength. The women are described as burly, broad shouldered, ruddy, healthy, strong, manly women. Usually men are portrayed with this self-control, resolve, and strength.
Speaking of which, the man i chose to represent his gender is Reverend Dimmesdale. Reverend Dimmesdale first appears when interrogating Hester Prynne in front of the town. He appears fidgety, scared, tremulous, and cowardly. I hate to say this, but fear and cowardice are generally associated with the XX homozygous chromosomes. This is not the only time he is portrayed this way either. He cowardly keeps his sin a secret, and unlike Hester, his sin is portrayed as an actual sin by the writer. Hester is still considered pious and holy, but her partner in crime is considered a dammed man (sin is generally associated with women because of Eve). When he stands on the pillory at night alone, he cannot control himself. He breaks down and screams. He barely has any strength at this point. Some might go as far (and offensive) as to say that he is more womanly than Hester Prynne. Thus, Nathaniel Hawthorne brings us to question what exactly does the word "man" mean