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Hawthorne's theme of secret sin and the fault of all humans is once again present in this novel. Hester's husband is believed to be dead, but he comes back as a doctor for the priest with the name of Roger Chillingworth. She is made to wear this shame, by having a scarlet letter sewn on to her clothing. The townspeople however, do not know the sin was committed with their new minister, Arthur Dimmesdale.
The ending is unexpected and sudden but also appropriate. A chilling feeling is just what he inflicts upon people. The priest suffers from heart troubles, a burden of the hidden sin, and is on the verge of death. The burden of secret sin, and the purging that comes from exposing this sin reigns throughout the novel. He goes and sees his and Hester's daughter Pearl, a sprite like girl, and promises to sail away with her and Hester. A woman, Hester Prynne, has committed adultery, with a priest nonetheless.
He has a knowledge of natural medicines, and becomes the doctor for the priest, only so he can seek his revenge. Beautifully written and wonderfully conceived, this novel is a timeless classic that will remain for years to come. She is shunned by all of her townspeople as they see the scarlet letter on her breast. Dimmesdale allows her to bear this burden alone.
Recommend for anyone interested in religiosity of colonial times. The language is a little unfamiliar but very descriptive and eloquent. Haven't finished the book, but love it. Little Pearl is my favorite character.
This is a classic. The struggle of good and evil within the human soul, the concept of right and wrong, love and hate are all addressed as Hawthorne delves into the darkest recesses of the human soul. Through Hawthorne's dynamic characters, he portrays the harsh Puritan society of the 18th century. This story is more than a social commentary though.
Many consider The Scarlet Letter to be Nathaniel Hawthorne's crowning achievement. The language of the narrative is very fitting, and the dialogue is delightfully written in the correct form of the day. We watch as her child (Pearl) resultant of the act grows into a wild daughter, unrestrained by her mother (who feels guilt from her sin, and who also questions the established morals of the society she lives in). It has certainly stood the test of time, being a classic that is now over 150 years old, and still very well known. Hawthorne describes all this with unique detail. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells a story of the results of sin.
We follow her decisions to keep her lover secret, and how this bears down on her over time. With small supporting details woven in (such as the few brief but important appearances of a witch named Mistress Hibbins) and the deep symbolism, The Scarlet Letter has an almost supernatural tone, while it still remains a perfectly realistic novel. Set in Seventeenth Century Massachusetts, it is a tale of the life of Hester Prynne, who has been convicted of adultery. Nearly every object -- whether it be a rose at a prison door, or a river in the woods -- contributes some symbolism to the plot. For anyone who enjoys this style of literature, this book is one to read.Ryan RobledoAuthor of the Aelnathan: She is sentenced to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her chest, as a badge of dishonor.
All the while, her aged, learned husband comes closer and closer to discovering the identity of the man who took part in the adultery.
As time progresses, scenery changes, climates change, countries split up or join together, governments change, laws change, etiquette changes, etc. Development of characters involves portraying the changes in a person's personality as a result of conflict.In my opinion, the most impressive aspect of the Scarlet Letter is the ingenious connection between the novel's message and character development. The Scarlet Letter's characters' personalities are thoroughly developed and distinctive, so they exist throughout today's world, as well as tomorrow's world. Novels must address societies' immorality without sacrificing decency.
Nearly all classic novels get praised for character "development." However, the Scarlet Letter is the only novel I have read so far that, in my opinion, truly demonstrates development of characters. It is for this reason that I constantly emphasize the importance of characters. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, takes place in the 1600s in Boston, which was a Puritan community at that time. The Puritans had extremely strict moral codes, and adultery, a subject matter in this novel, was deemed by the Puritans in the same way that felonies today are regarded. In the Scarlet Letter, a single incident of adultery has unforeseen consequences that affect four people. I personally think that varying the subject matter and conflict would have made the message even more convincing; however, the novel is written with a confident call to action, which is the MOST important aspect of any work of fiction.We live in a world in which immorality is everywhere, so a novel in which nothing inappropriate happens would be a pointless novel.
However, the elements of human personalities do not change with time. Therefore, I commend The Scarlet Letter for referencing sexually immoral subject matter, without being a "sexual" book. To some extent, I agree. Therefore, there is no justification for criticizing writers simply because their masterpieces will someday seem irrelevant. How each character responds to the situation determines his or her physical and mental outcome in the story. However, the greatest novels written today will be irrelevant to society two hundred years into the future. The novel's plot is directed by the Puritans' reactions to such behavior.
This represents brilliance and should be observed by all writers of fiction.Many readers have complained that The Scarlet Letter is irrelevant to today's society. The subject of adultery was a creative element to develop characters, but I wish that the author had introduced a different conflict toward the end of the novel to show how the 3D characters would have reacted to the change in subject matter. All other novels I have read have "exploration" of characters, but not actual development. The core message of the novel is that hiding one's sins causes more anguish than revealing one's sins.The character development is superb, but the novel does not seem to use the developed characters to influence the plot.
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