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Feminist Critique on Scarlet Letter

    According to author Karen Todd, "Your true character is revealed by the clarity of your convictions, the choices you make, and the promises you keep. Hold strongly to your principles and refuse to follow currents of convenience. What you do defines who you are, and who you are...you are forever." All of us encounter adversity at some point in our lives.  Whether it is the death of a loved one, disagreements with friends or paying the price for bad decisions.  How we deal with tribulations helps build our character. In the book The Scarlet Letter, the main character Hester Prynne’s sin forces her to be strong, independent and brave. Hester is an adulteress whose actions have lead her to become a symbol for sin in the Puritan community that she lives in. In 17th Century Puritan Boston, there were not many sins that would rival adultery. Hester Prynne’s sin of adultery made her a complete outcast. Her punishment included jail and public shaming. The public shaming included Hester wearing a scarlet letter "A" on her chest.  The "A" stood for adultery and the entire community would know of her sin.  Because of this sin, Hester had a difficult decision to make: either to leave Boston and run away from her mistake or remain and look adversity straight in the eye. Hester chose to stay. 

    Everyone has either already read The Scarlet Letter or is bound to read it at some point in their high school careers. One may ask, "Why are we reading a book whose setting is in the late 1840's? What does this book have to do with modern times?" The Scarlet Letter is completely relevant to modern times. The book is over 160 years old but yet it still sends a powerful message to readers today. The book shows the after effects of sinning. People now-a-days have to face their sins and mistakes, just as Hester had to. Everything you do is judged by others. People will judge you on how you dress, whether or not you're successful, and if you're considered 'popular'. Many people become jealous and obsessed and will try to do everything in their power to take someone down. 

    In my opinion, Hester’s decision to stay exemplifies courage, strength and independence.  Hester’s sin caused her hardship. How she handled that hardship inspired strength and a newfound self-respect. Hester had to stay in the wilderness for seven years. In those seven years, Hester learned to be strong, independent, courageous, and how to be a free thinker.  She did not rely on others and had to fend for herself. All the women in Hester's town are tied to a man, whether it is a father or a husband or a brother, who makes decisions for them, and supports them financially. Hester has no ties to a male figure, and can therefore make all her own decisions.

    Hester is still stuck in the "separate sphere" because even though she doesn't have a husband, she still needs to take care of her house and child. Obviously, she does not do a very good job of keeping religion alive at home, but she does her best at becoming a role model for her daughter, Pearl. Hester breaks all the stereotypes of women. Hester defies the stereotype of the wife/mother. She is not virginal or pure, she does not take care of her husband, and she does not stay in her place. 

    I find it ironic that Dimmesdale's secrecy was not reviled to the community during the corse of the novel. The affair was just as much Dimmesdale's fault as it is Hester's fault, yet Hester takes all of the blame for their shared sin. If the town knew that Dimmesdale was the father of Pearl, the community would have turned into chaos. Dimmesdale is supposed to be the town minister, who preaches these sermons, yet it is all one big lie. He does not live by the word of his sermons.  He is a phony for not admitting he is the father and he is putting Hester in a terrible situation by not speaking up. 

    The Scarlet Letter both reflects and criticizes the patriarchal structure of society. A patriarchal society is where men are the decision-makers and hold positions of power. Hester takes control of her life and in her adulteress situation, but fails to let the truth prevail to the community because of the two men in her life. She may be an independent woman, but she still is overpowered by men. Hester Prynne is objectified in this novel. At the beginning of the novel, she is turned into a walking symbol of sin. But by the end of the novel, she is a role model for women. Hester did have agency in this novel. Even though she was forced to go to jail, after she came out she had the ability to make her own actions and decisions. No one else had power over her actions. This work is without a doubt a feminist work. Hester rejected the role of femininity twice throughout the novel. She committed original sin and she completely twisted the punishment of her actions. She turned the scarlet "A" from a weakness to a strength, which is not what the community wanted. Hester's bold disobedience suggests that women should have equal rights.

    The Scarlet Letter is without a doubt a feminist work. The three main characters work off of one another. Hester is strong and Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are weak and corrupt. Hester clearly overcomes her sin and moves on with her life, while Dimmesdale can't even admit his sins and Chillingworth is trying to seek revenge on Dimmesdale. Hester has enough strength to over come what needs to be ended, while the men are still so tied up in the past. 

"Before the A" – A Prequel?

The Scarlet Letter begins at the prison door.  We see Hester emerging with a baby in her arms and an "A" on her heart.  The book then proceeds to follow her through her life and part of her daughter's life.  My question is what her life was before her emergence at the prison door.  I think the lead up to the story could be just as interesting as the famous novel.

It is never explained how Hester and Dimmesdale fall in love.  I'm not asking for a dramatic, Romantic romance  novel, but the two characters don't seem like the most obvious couple.  I would just love to understand how they got together.

I would also love to find out how people found out Hester cheated on her overseas husband.  Was it just because she got pregnant or did someone figure it out?  It doesn't come to mind immediately, but if Pearl never came to exist, there is a large possibility that The Scarlet Letter would be a very different story.

My final curiosity is about Hester's experience while she was pregnant.  Obviously everyone  knew about her sin while she was pregnant.  I wonder if she sat in jail for those nine months or if she went out in public at all.  It would also be interesting to know what her trial was like.  Not only Hester's physical experience, but her mental and emotional journey would be fascinating to read about too.  The realization that she was going to face disgrace for the rest of her life must have been difficult.  And the physical process of sewing the physical representation of her sin must have been traumatic as well.

I strongly suggest that some writer examine The Scarlet Letter thoroughly and write a great modern novel about Hester before the "A" (and answer all my questions!).

Hester, Dimmesdale and The Community

Throughout the novel there has been the question on what is true purity and how one regains it once they have lost it. The Puritan belief is that true purity is conformity to the community, and to sacrifice ones individuality for the community. Dimmsdale believed in the Puritanistic way of purity, therefore even though his punishment was private, he did this with the intention of benefiting the community over himself. Hester on the other hand experienced an extreme public punishment, and then decided that to punish herself was not necessary and she embraced her sin.

In the end of the novel Hester was then able to re-invent herself and regain her purity in her community, and even become someone people go to for help. Dimmsdale on the other hand died a regretful and unforgiving man. This shows that even though Hester went against her community in the sense of their beliefs, her individuals benefited her in the end giving her a sense of purity to herself, unlike Dimmsdale who will never have that peace with himself. 

Was Justice Served in The Scarlet Letter?

I found The Scarlet Letter's ending to be extremely satisfying- especially when I read about the deaths of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. I was not a fan of either of them, so it seemed right for them to die in the end while Hester and Pearl went on to live. After thinking about it a little, though, I began to wonder: Was it 'fair' or 'right' for them both to die? 

Chillingworth: Chillingworth showed very few redeeming qualities throughout the novel. In the beginning, we heard a little bit of his former self: the quiet scholar. Other than that, though, Chillingworth has been nothing but mean, vengeful, and cold-hearted. He lived in a lie and allowed his anger to consume him. That being said, his wife did cheat on him. So, did Chillingworth deserve to die while Hester lived? My verdict: yes. While Hester shouldn't have cheated on him, Chillingworth did not need to let his rage take over his life. In the end, it was his own hatred that killed him.

Dimmesdale: I disliked Dimmesdale for most of the book; he seemed cowardly and weak. He let Hester and Pearl suffer by themselves for so long. However, he did end up confessing in the end-- but was that enough? Did he deserve to die? My verdict: yes. Again, I think he killed himself. Instead of confessing earlier, he allowed his guilt to eat him up to point where he was physically affected by it. If he had just done the right thing to begin with, maybe he could have lived a nice(ish) life with Hester and Pearl.

Chillingsworth's Revenge

In the Scarlett Letter you know that Chillingsworth is getting revenge for what has happened, but who is he getting revenge on? At first you get the feeling that he is getting revenge on Dimmsdale for having an affair with his wife, but as the novel goes on you see that he may be doing this to Hester for cheating on him.

Chillingsworth first talks to Hester about not wanting her to tell anyone anything about who he is because he wants to find out who committed adultry with his wife. He makes Dimmsdale trust him and he ends up giving Dimmsdale "medicine" and is trying to help him with his illness by finding out if he is Pearl's father.

Then towards the end of the book, you see that he is maybe making Dimmsdale suffer to hurt Hester in some way. Also, he does everything he can to make sure Hester always knows he is around and that he is not leaving. So my question is that who is Chillingsworth more upset with? Hester, Dimmdale, or both?

Punishments For Sin

Sinning in the Scarlet Letter is frowned upon tremendously. The question is what is the most affective punishment to rid individuals of their uncivilized behavior. After reading the Scarlet Letter, punishing someone without physically harming them is the most efficient way because Hester was looked at as an outsider because of the letter A that had to be pinned on all her clothing to let the community know she was an adultress.

Puritans complained about how the magistrate let Hester off easy because she was not physically harmed by punishment. Some people wanted the A branded on her forhead. This method of inflicting physical pain to get rid of sin is absurd because if pain is inflicted, the punishment will only last until the wound is healed.

Punishing  a sinner with mental tactics is more of an efficient way to get rid of corruption than physical tactics because if you punish someone by making them look bad to society, then they will not be accepted. They will be alone and peace will elude them until they repent and god has forgiven them. When the magistration orders Hester to wear the A, she tries to hide the fact that she does feel like an outsider. This is later revealed when she wants get away from town. If she didnt feel like an outsider she wouldnt have left. Therefore the punishment was affective.

 

 

How Ariel Faces Society

 

So I really think that this song in the Little Mermaid adresses individual vs.community. Segbastian is trying to convinvce Ariel not to got the land whose customs are different from the under water life. He tries to show her the good things about the sea. This also reminds me of some transcendentalist values such as an appreciation for common everyday life and it (indirectly) emphasized breakling from traditional society. This is because Ariel is trying to leave the ocean and experience life first hand(individual experience) on solid land ( ryhme not intended). This conflict of individual vs. community is further highlighted in the song, Part of your World

 

This illustrates how Ariel is the individual that is different from the rest of the mermaid society. She doesn't see things the way that the rest of the merpeople do. There is also a part of the movie where Ariel's sisters, Sebastian, and even  KingTriton comment on how she is different and doesn't follow the rules.

Most of the movie is about how Ariel resolves to follow her own instincts and how this path changes her life and the people around her.

 

Chillingworth as the Enlightenment

The romantic period was a reaction the enlightenment preceding it; within the scarlet letter Nathanial Hawthorne uses Roger Chillingworth in order to show his views on the enlightenment in relation to romanticism.

Roger Chillingworth is a man of knowledge and reason who does not have intense passion like Hester or Dimmesdale. He serves within the novel to represent the enlightenment as a cold and calculating character who is juxtaposed (extra credit on vocab?) to the emotion of Hester and Dimmesdale.

 In the end Hawthorne makes a point to say that the crime Hester and Dimmesdale commited did not serve to harm anyone whereas Chillingworth’s actions in tormenting Dimmesdale for seven years were the real crime committed. This may serve as a criticism of the enlightenment in that when cold intellectualism pervades and passions are not taken into account there may be harm to those who are passionate.

After Dimmesdale dies Chillingworth dies soon after showing that he only existed in order to torment dimmesdale. If taken in the view that Chillingworth represents the enlightenment, this would mean that the enlightenment only exists to thwart passion within societies.

The Effect of Sin

When I finished The Scarlet Letter, I wondered why Dimmsdale died when he was on the scaffold. I think that part of the reason was that he had been holding on to his sin for so long that he had begun to need it even though it was tormenting him. When he finally confessed to his sin, the feeling that he had gotten it off of his chest and that he no longer had any dark secret still kept to himself finally left him feeling at peace. I think that he died peacefully because he had finally gotten confessed his sin.

Hester, on the other hand, had come to terms with her sin early on which is why it tormented her less once the effect of the scarlet letter wore off. Once the letter became more a part of her and less of a punishment she settled in to her new way of life. The fact that she had already succumbed to the fact that she had sinned let her get on with her life instead of being tortured by the thought that she had a sin sitting in the back of her mind. That was the difference between Hester and Dimmsdale. She accepted her sin early whereas Dimmsdale let it torment him for years before telling anyone about it.

Society's Misunderstanding of Belle and the Beast

 

The Scarlet Letter portrays the conflict of Individualism vs. Community.   The same conflict can be seen in the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast.  

When the audience sees Belle for the first time she is off to the bookstore to get a new book.  A song then begins with the villagers singing about how strange Belle is.  The villagers talk about how she is "never part of any crowd."  Then later on they comment on how she has "her noise stuck in a book."  All of these judgements about Belle made by the townspeople lead to her being an outcast to society and not quite fitting in.  

The Beast also shows Individual vs. Community when the villagers come after him thinking he has taken Belle.  Society assumes that the Beast bad because of his appearance and does not stop to understand that Bella could have left on her own.  

Society misunderstanding of the Beast and Belle leads to the conflict of Individual vs Community being expressed throughout the whole movie.  

Was Pearl a Child of the Devil?

In The Scarlet Letter, a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorn, Hester's daughter, Pearl, is questioned to be a child of the devil. The people of the town that see Hester as a bad person tend to see Pearl as the devil, but the real question is whether she's a child of the devil or if she's the image of purity. These two ideas seem to come from opposite ends of the spectrum, but are at the same time very vaild points. In some cases, we see Pearl as the image of childhood innocence and purity. She plays like any other young child, has a wild imagination, and approaches others with a childlike curiosity. In other cases, we see Pearl demonstrate actions that can be compared to the devil. The cruelty towards animals, unsocial ways she approaches children, and tendencies to lash out at other people shows the reasons the people of the town question her purity. 

Being a child born out of sin, the people of the town automatically have a tendency to see her as impure and demonic. However, Pearl is in actuality, the image of youth and childhood that many other children display. Her cruelties towards animals come from her childlike curiosity that she can't control. When she injures an animal, she instantly feels regret and stops her actions. This showcases the idea that people are naturally weak and sinful. It is not her fault that her curiosity brought her to the level she was at. Most children are also very shy around other children or people, which would give her a reason to lash out at people other than Hester. 

Pearl is just like any other child of her age. She may be a little more socially awkward, but that would only come from her being raised with her mother as her only real form of social interaction. Pearl grows to be a normal woman with a family (or so we are told). She is not a spawn of the devil. 

Why Not Hester?

As I began to near the end of "The Scarlet Letter" (Spoiler Alert!) I began to wonder, if Hester and Dimsedale committed the same sin why was their individual outcome so different?In simpler terms why did Dimsedale die and Hester Live?

The Answer is, Hester was able to forgive her self and be pure while Dimsedale emersed himself in the Puritan community and tormented his own soul until he died. At a point near the end of the story Hester finlay forgave herself and the sun shone on her. While Dimsedale still tormented himself and was convinced that he had committed a terrible sin.

There is a reason for Dimsedale's torment though. First off he was a clergyman, a supposed pure spirit. knowing he wasn't pure and lying to his community constantly tore himapart. Another reason is that Hester was punished for her sin and everyone knew what she had done, while Dimsedale was forced to hide his shame. Hiding his sin caused the guilt within to build and build until he finally died. Even if Dimsedale tried to confess his sin, which he did, no one seemed to understand and did not believe he had done anything wrong.

Dimsedale died as a result of his sin. He tore himself apart until he could no longer stand the guilt of lieing to his community. While Hester came to terms with her sin and lived the rest of her life purely. Dimsedale and Hester may have sinned together but their live played out completely differently.

The Scarlet Letter -- Affective or Not?

As I thought about The Scarlet Letter (first the book and then the pin), I couldn't help but ponder our unfinished discussion about whether Hester received an effective punishment.  I have concluded that the answer resides entirely on what you determine the objective of the punishment to be.

The magistrates could have wanted to get the point across to Hester and make sure she can never to it again (which tends to be the purpose of modern day punishment).  However, the more likely reason is that they wanted to provide an example to the women of the town so there won't be more adulterers.

If the first option is right, then the punishment is definitely effective.  That letter is a deep red spotlight on her that tells everyone that Hester is not accepted as a normal member of the community--and what self respecting man would ever risk getting caught sleeping with the adulteress or outcast of the town?!

Besides her inability to commit the sin again, the scarlet A also prevents her from wanting to commit the sin again.  Hester feels so much shame and loneliness that she can never feel passion or want to act on it again.

On the other hand, if the second option is accurate (which is more likely because the other part of Hester's punishment was to stand in the center of the town square for three hours [as an example]), the punishment doesn't seem effective.  All of the townswomen don't seem fearful of the punishment's enforcement on themselves.

Instead of fearful they seem to be disappointed.   The women of Salem don't appear intimidated by having to live the rest of their lives with A's on their chests.

Personally I would have guessed that Hester Prynne's punishment would be affective in both situations because I assume that the townspeople would imagine how they would feel if they were in her shoes.  I know that one of the first things that would run through my mind is "Thank God I'm not her!" Contrary to my anticipation though, the gossips only talk about how Hester's punishment is not harsh enough.  They don't connect her situation to their womanhood at all!

Secrets Behind the Letter

I find it interesting that evey character in the scarlet letter has their own secret. I know that most stories consist of the all the characters having secrets but I think that each character represents a different aspect of human nature based off of what they have.I think that Hester represents human desires. She desires love, freedom and respect. She longs for the dignity and anonymity that she lost with the revelation of the affair. She longs to start a new life with Pearl Pearl is, quite literally in Hester's case, the consequence that you end up with when you indulge in your own desires. Pearl is the curse and the blessing in the book. She is called a demon child by both Hester and the townspeople. But at the same time hester wants to keep her daughter because she treasure her. It is an interesting to see Hester grappling with  the idea that her daughter is both the joy of being a mother as well as the fruit of her sins and the reason why she is alienated from society.

I believe that Mr. Dimmesdale represents the cowardice of human because he is scared to take responsibility for being the father of Pearl and admitted that he had the affair with Hester. I believe that Roger Chillingsworth is the human expression of vengeance and deceit because he doesn't tell anybody who he really is when he comes back to the town. He also is using this to his advantage so he can observe and try to find out who is the father of Pearl.I also think that the Governor is the embodiment of vanity because he has a lot of elaborate and gaudy items throughout his house. These goods are all kind of hidden behind the doors of his home because the expensive goods do not coincide with the rules of Puritanism.

I think that it will be intersting to see how these characters will evolve in th book and how they will continue to interact with each other.

Was Hester's Punishment Enough?

This past week in class we have been debating and questioning whether Hester Prynne's, In the Scarlet Letters punishment was effective. Though some argue that because Hester has free will to control her emotions and attitude towards the scarlet letter her punishment was not effective; the scarlet letter will forever condemn Hester life and she will eternally live in the shame and guilt of her sins.

Hester's punishment is effective because through out the book she has clearly become effected by her embarrassment. When she was released form prison there is no where for her to go but an abandoned house on the outskirts of town. Hester can no longer be apart of the community. She and her daughter are a showcase to the town of the consequences of adultery. Hester is also affected by the scarlet letter by making clothes for the poor. She thought that it was below her standards to be making items like such. It truly upsets Hester when even the poor make rude and hurtful comments to her about her sins. 

Another way her punishment is effective is through her daughter Pearl.  Hester admits this when she goes to the governors house. "See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin?" (pg. 221). Through Pearls existence, Hester is tortured because Pearl is a constant reminder of her sin. Hester can never escape her punishment because though Pearl represents the scarlet letter, she needs Pearl to survive her loneliness.

 

Pearl a Demon Child

While one is reading the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne one cannot but wonder why Hester Pryne's child Pearl is so different. Hester almost seemed as if she was afraid of the child. The text says that Hester's, "only comfort was when the child lay in the placidity of sleep."(181). Why is this the case.

I believe that Pearl was possessed by some type of demonic spirit to punish Hester for what she did. The child's defiance to the norms of society is like Hester. Hester committed adultery and became an outcast of society. Now she lived in a old cottage outside of town alone. Hester was puzzled when Pearl always stared at the scarlet letter on her chest. On page 179 it says, "It was a look so intelligent, yet inexplicable, so perverse, sometimes so malicious, but generally accompanied by a wild flow of spirits, that Hester could not help questioning.".This quote shows that Hester saw something in Pearls eyes that she feared.

When this book takes place in the period in which the Puritans ruled. The town is disgusted by Pearls behavior and fears her. They even have the other children stay away from her after she throws rocks at them. This proves that Pearl was possessed by the devil and is a Demon Child.

Symbolic Names in The Scarlet Letter

While reading The Scarlet Letter, I have been consistently surprised (and a little confused) by the names of the characters. At first, I thought that the names must have been common for the time period. Upon further reflection, however, I think that the names could be representative of the natures of their owners...

Hester Prynne: I couldn't get anything from Hester, but "Prynne" does rhyme with sin, and Hester's role in the book is definitely sinful by Puritan standards.

Roger Chillingworth: Does the "chilling" in Chillingworth have anything to do with his character? So far he doesn't seem too bad, but there definitely aren't a lot of good vibes coming from him. I predict some more cold/inhuman behavior to come...

Reverend Dimmesdale: Hmmm... dim? dismal? Maybe the book is implying that Dimmesdale is weak or undetermined. This definitely describes Dimmesdale; he (so far) hasn't taken any responsibility for his affair and seems to be the least authoritative of the town leaders.

Pearl: Hester specifically speaks of Pearl's meaning... she is the pearl of great priced, "purchased with all she had- her mother's only treasure" (173). Pearl might have another symbolic meaning, too. Pearls come from oysters, which aren't the prettiest things around, yet pearls are prized for their beauty. Pearl (the character) comes from sin, but could still prove to be a valuable gift.

Punishment

In class we are reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  The novel is about a woman named Hester that committed adultery and so has been punished by the community by being forced to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her clothes.  The punishment may not seem like such a big deal now but it set her apart from the rest of the community and everyone in the community knew who she was and what she did.  

Despite the fact that some people in the community believe that her punishment is effective, I think that in some ways, Hester has some control over her punishment.  First, the fact that she made her letter fancy and showy shows that she is not as ashamed as the community wants her to be.  She also has some power over Reverend Dimmsdale which she uses to her advantage.  When the Governor was deciding whether or not to take Pearl from Hester, Hester used Dimmsdale to convince the rest of the men that they should let Pearl stay with her.  So even though she is supposed to be punished, she uses the punishments to her advantage and does not let them get to her.

The fact that Hester does not let her punishments bother her and how much control she seems to have over how strict her punishments are shows that the punishment is not particularly effective.  It would seem that in order for it to work, it would have to have a more significant effect that would not be shaken off as easily as Hester's punishment was. 

 

 

What Does The Color Red Mean Anyway?

    In the Scarlet Letter, there are several  motifs that symbolizes light and darkness. As an author Nathaniel Hawthorne uses imagery and detail to create settings, in which images appear to represent a  specific theme.  The color red is introduced first, at the beginning of the novel. The rosebush and the letter "A" are the first two items that have a meaning and they happen to share the same color, red. What does the color red symbolize anyway? 

    While the rosebush stands for innocence, purity and prosperity; the letter "A" is a negative patent that embodies hate, lust, shame and sin. The bush offers solace to the prisoners and it shows them that life will continue and nature always stays beautiful, even when life's difficult. But the Scarlet Letter is the sole embodiment of shame and sin and by wearing this emblem, it picks away at the soul of Hester, causing her  to feel burdened.  Does Hawthorne intend to match these two items together based on color? Or does it appear that both red's  symbolize good and evil because of a mere coincidence?

The Protruding Nail Gets Hammered- A Reflection on Individuality

Throughout this semesters reading, I (and, evidently, my peers) have noticed a strong theme of individuality in each of the texts.

However, I feel like you can interpret this individuality in two ways, strange as that may seem. Each of the strong characters of our readings, prime examples being MacNolia, Hester, Douglass, and Holden, all seem to both benefit from, and be absolutely destroyed by, their individuality.

Hester, who is able to grow stronger under the weight of the blazing "A" and the scathing eyes of the village, is also worn down by the very existence of Pearl, and by Dimmesdale's untimely end. She retreats back into the edge of the forest, the most distant possible place while still being "inside" the town. Hester is able to assert her individuality, but it leaves her old, weary, and alone.

MacNolia was able to express her originality by being a highly intelligent black child, and an intelligent, strong, and capable black woman. However, by standing out, she draws the fear, disregard, and hate of her racist world. 

Douglass is much like MacNolia, a brilliant black individual with an insatiable thirst to gain a higher education, and to be free. But though he had proven himself to some Northern abolitionists, he still causes fear and anger to strike deep into the hearts of Southern slave owners. No one really knows what to do with a slave, former or otherwise, who can think for himself. He becomes an oddity.

Holden, whose brash and oftentimes irritating personality isolates him from his peers, is certainly a unique individual. His life views are so different from those of everyone around him, and he seems to simply slip through life without a set destination. But this also means that he has virtually no one and nothing he loves, and almost no one or anything to love him in return.

So I wonder- is being an individual such a good thing after all, when it often times seems to be tainted with loneliness and isolation? Should we follow the American ideal that individuality is the thing to strive for?

What about the Asian idea that interdependence is the way to go? That individuals are to be contained is the common way of thinking, and there are two sayings which translate this sentiment well: "The Protruding nail gets hammered", and "The Crying bird gets Shot".

So, which is truly better? A unique lifestyle, no matter how lonely or isolated you are? Or is it best to keep your head down and work with the group to a goal which benefits everyone?

Criticism... will it ever end?

All of the books weve read this semester have been criticisms of America at some point in history: The Scarlet Letter brought light upon fallacies in Puritan society, The Crucible showed us the flaws in Puritan society and during the Red Scare,  Frederick Douglass exposed us to the reality of slavery and racism before the Civil War, Huckleberry Finn poked fun at the ignorance of uneducated racists, The Catcher in the Rye emphasized the "cheesy-ness" of the 1900s, and MacNolia slapped us in the face with a real look at racism in America through the eyes of a black girl growing older. That's quite a list there, and I'd say weve been taken through a pretty good chunk of American cultural history just through reading all of these novels.

Reading all of this cultural criticism and satire got me thinking about the flaws of today's society. I know we're not perfect - America is full of capitalists, elitists, and racists, just to name a few. We might not be as religiously oppressive as the Puritans, but there are still religious battles fought today, sometimes violent ones. We abolished slavery and experienced the Civil Rights movement, but that doesn't mean that race isn't an issue, and it certainly doesn't mean that other types of oppression don't exist today. While we've been reading about imperfections in American culture of the past, we should also stop to realize all of the imperfections in today's world.

This is why I truly hope that future writers will write about us, that in a hundred years English classes will be reading about the flaws in our culture, just as we are doing right now. Our world is not perfect, and it most likely never will be. Criticism in the form of literature should last as long as this world does to open humanity's eyes to the mistakes of their ancestors and make future generations analyze the flaws in their own lives.

It Will Only Make Me Stronger

Throughout all the novels we have read this year, most of the main characters have similarities involving problems in their life that isolate themselves from society. However, in many of the novels, the characters are able to deal with their problems, not necessarily solve it, and eventually become an even stronger character because of their experiences.

John Proctor, from The Crucible, is one example of expanding as a character. In the beginning of the play, he is the guy that secretly cheats on his wife but is also loved by everyone in town. He has everything going for him, until later in the story, when the children accuse him of witchcraft. Instead of admitting to the deed and staying alive (also considered the coward-way out of his trouble), he decides to die with dignity and stay to the truth. The fact that he would die for the truth counters his previous actions in the story when he was cheating and lying to his wife. Therefore, he grew positively as a person when he chose to die with honor.

In addition, in The Scarlet Letter’s main character, Hester, developed into a character that the audiences sympathizes with by the end of the novel. Despite the fact that Hester had an affair with Dimmesdale and was punished by being forced to wear an “A” on her clothing, she improved as a character by helping the needy. Even the townspeople began to discuss if she should be allowed to remove the “A.” Furthermore, it is implied at the end of the novel that she left in order to give Pearl a better life. Throughout Hester’s life, she built up an improved image of herself and ended her life with others’ perceptions of her at their very highest.

During the semester, the lessons and themes of the book taught me that the easy way out may not be the right way. In order to make a difference, such as Douglass (went against slavery) and Proctor (chose death), the unappealing option is the path to take in life.

The Last of the Rugged Individuals

In the finalmoments of The Last of the Mohicans, Chinochngook made the prediction that soon the west would not be somewhere for rugged individuals in the same way that it was no longer a place for the Native Americas.  He was correct.  The American frontier did mostly grow out of its rugged individualism. Almost everywhere in the US has been urbanized and most people live in either cities or suburbs.  No longer is it possible to move out west, grab your family some cheap land and start over.  By losing the opportunities the frontier offered the poor, did America lose a bit of the optimism of the American Dream?

Pale Skin

To Hawthorne, pale skin is more than just a genetic trait. Pale skin appears numerous times throughout The Scarlet Letter, and it's no coincidence. In the book, this image represents secrecy.

Biologically, pale skin can mean several things, from illness to Scandinavian descent. But pale skin can also signify that somene has not been in the sun, but in the dark or indoors. In The Scarlet Letter, the sun or daytime represents public life, while the nighttime and darkness represent privacy and secrecy. So if a person is pale, this means that they have spent most of their time in the dark - that is, in secrecy. This is what pale skin represents in the book: the concealment of sin or emotion.

Reverend Dimmesdale is a perfect example of Hawthorne's connection between pale skin and secrecy. While Hester was described as pale at the beginning of the book, as soon as her secrets are exposed as she carries out her punishment on the scaffold, she is rarely depicted as pale again, except when she is hiding hera from Pearl. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, is constantly pale in the story. This is because, unlike Hester, his sins has not revealed, and he has not stepped into the "sun," or the public eye, as Hester has. Dimmesdale is especially pale around Chillingworth because he has to work hard to conceal his sins around the prying, intrusive Chillingworth who intends to extract a confession from Dimmesdale to torture him.

Interestingly, though, I don't think that Hawthorne condemns Dimmesdale or his actions. Throughout the book, Hawthorne seemingly despises the Puritans' insistence that sins should be made public and the severity of their punishments. He certainly didn't think that Hester and Dimmesdale committed a serious crime, if even a crime at all. This is evidenced by the characters themselves - Dimmesdale and Hester are the only two admirable characters in the book, and they are also "sinners" in the eyes of the town. It seems to me that Hawthorne advocates privacy and doesn't believe that sins need to be made public.

Dimmesdale's Scarlet Letter

Throughout the Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale is described as always having his hand over his heart. Before he dies, he shows his chest. Some say that there was a Scarlet Letter on it like Hester, while others say that there was nothing there at all.

This brings up the question of what really caused Dimmesdale's death. Was he destroyed by guilt from the inside or by pressure and scrutiny from the outside? He constantly is hiding what he did from the community and the guilt eventually overcomes him, like when he gets up on the Scaffold in the middle of the night. He is also faced with scrutiny from the outside with Chillingworth and the way the townspeople treat Hester. It is unclear what lead to his death, but it was due to society in a direct or, possibly, indirect way. Was the Scarlet Letter that caused his death real or in the minds of the town. 

Dimmesdale's regrets

    One of the many motifs in the Scarlet Letter is the motif of pale skin Throughout the book, Hester and Dimmesdale are described as having pale skin when their crime is brought up. However, Hester is rarely described as being pale after she starts wearing the Scarlet Letter. Dimmesdale is frequently described as being pale as he hides what he did from the community and Chillingworth. 

As the story progresses, Dimmesdale grows ill and eventually dies because of his illness, while Hester outlives her punishment and is free to question her society's values. The point I think the author is trying to make here is that concealing something you regret or something that society makes you regret will eventually ruin your life. The only real way to deal with it is to reveal it to those around you.  This makes the Scarlet Letter so memorable because this is still true today. We are constantly choosing wether to follow Dimmesdale's, or Hester's, example.

Are the Deaths Tragic, or Peaceful?

Endings are often controversial or open to discussion. In The Scarlet Letter, the ending results in Dimmesdale, one of the main characters, and Chillingworth, another character of significant presence, both die. Because Dimmesdale is partly a protagonist due to his good nature and intentions despite his past sins, it is a tragic and dramatic scene when he dies. Also, even though Chillingworth was a frustrating and sinful character, his death was still mourned. The author added to the sympathetic feeling towards Chillingworth by stating that he left his fortunes to Pearl, which softens his harsh treatment of Dimmesdale in order for the deaths of the two enemies to seem almost equally tragic.

Although there seems to be many disheartening aspects of the ending, there are also positive parts to the ending. For example, Hester leaves the town to create a life for her and her beloved daughter, Pearl. Many years alter, she returns and is respected by the town even though she still wears her "A". It is also implied that Pearl lives a happy life away from the judgmental town. In addition, Hester dies after a long life fairly peacefully, and Dimmesdale's death almost relieved him from his sufferings.

Therefore, is the ending of The Scarlet Letter a filled with tragedy? Or is it aimed towards a peaceful, happy ending? 

The Eyes of Society Burn Red

My group's motif in The Scarlett Letter was red/crimson, and while I actually did not look for it hardly at all throughout my reading of the book, I did find a passge that really summed up what the motif meant in my eyes. The passge describes a red light being shone upon the scarlett A, but to me the red light is really describing society's view of not only the letter itself, but also the person wearing it.

Society is looking at the letter with scorn and hate, which is supposed to make Hester become filled with embarassment and guilt. Hester soon becomes accustomed to this ridicule and begins to see the letter as almost a sign of her uniqueness. I think that the motif itself is meant to say that while society may try to shun individualism, the truly unique people of the world will ignore those ideologies and be who they really are, as Hester did.

Town/Forest a complex motif.

In Scarlet Letter a reoccurring motif is the Town/Forest. I believe that the "Town" represents a civilization where everything is brought forth and judged and when transgressions do occur, they are quickly to be punished. The "Town"  represents authority given by humans. 

The Forest is more complex in a sense that societies rules do not apply. Therefore, we see Dimmisdale and Hester rekindle their true love for each other. It allows their to be more honesty in it. The forest represents authority by nature.

Their are many examples of this motif throughout the book but one is more deep than the rest. Hester's cottage is located on the edge of town and on the edge of the forest. I know this was done purposely to establish something. I am still not sure of it but maybe it is a place of peace for her. Yes she has to live in the Puritan town and follow the puritan rules, but the forest brings her comfort and a place for her to reestablish herself and her identity.

Very intelligent of Mr. Nathaniel  Hawthorne. 

a Romantic romance

The romance between Hester Prynne and Author Dimmesdale is a lonely source of Romance in a strictly Puritan society. But despite its singularity, it creates a great deal of Romance.

The love that Hester and Dimmesdale feel for each other promotes very strong emotions between the two characters. Their love also helps them appreciate little things such as the melancholy passion they shared while just sitting together in the peace of the forest. The appreciation of the solitude they were given by the forest also makes them more Romantic because they understand the importance of nature. Finally, they develop a freedom from society because they plan to run away from the chains of tradition. Hester in particular embraces this idea because she comments on the backward-ness of the a male-dominated world.

Although it is Hester and Dimmesdale who initiated the relationship, Pearl may be the greatest Romantic consequence. She is incredibly in tune with nature and easily amused by simple pleasures. She also seems prone to strong, unpredictable emotions and has an intense imagination. All these factors coupled with the lack of a "normal" upbringing made Pearl even more alienated and wild than the Indians and sailors who visited the small New England town.