... character in illustrating the theme of conscience and redemption through truth. The Scarlet Letter is overflowing with symbolism. Understanding Hawthorne's symbols by themselves is key to understanding The Scarlet Letter as a novel. The Scarlet Letter "A" is the central symbol of the novel. It is intended to serve as a form of punishment for Hester Prynne's forbidden act of passion. It stands for "Adultery," and is ... a constant source of torment. The vagueness of the symbol, however, allows its meaning to evolve as the novel progresses, thus "the scarlet letter had not done its office" ...

• Word Count: 2338
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Dimmesdale's heart, and Hawthorne writes that he acted, "how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven and won into his kingdom." Chapter Eleven: The Interior of a Heart Summary Chillingworth, having figured out that Mr. Dimmesdale is the true father of Pearl, goes on a subtle campaign to hurt the minister as much as possible. Revenge consumes him to the ... sick and needy has given her access into almost every home, and people now interpret the "A" as meaning "Able" rather than "Adultery." Hawthorne goes so far as to state that, "the scarlet letter had the eff...

• Word Count: 5572
• Approx Pages: 22
• Grade Level: High School

... full of unexpected flips and turns. Upon closer examination, The Scarlet Letter is really filled with obsession, guilt, and morals. The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses a twisted physician, a minister, and a very independent character to express the theme of revenge among his three main characters. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses his very different characters to show that no matter what ... Chillingworth is clearly the most obviously revengeful character. However, Aurther Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne are more significantly involved in the extraction of their revenge. Hawthorne's ...

• Word Count: 1589
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... full of unexpected flips and turns. Upon closer examination, The Scarlet Letter is really filled with obsession, guilt, and morals. The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses a twisted physician, a minister, and a very independent character to express the theme of revenge among his three main characters. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses his very different characters to show that no matter what ... Chillingworth is clearly the most obviously revengeful character. However, Aurther Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne are more significantly involved in the extraction of their revenge. Hawthorne's ...

• Word Count: 1480
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... The Scarlet letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne explores sin and its consequences. The focus of attention is Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. Each of these characters sin in a unique way. Hester sins by committing adultery. Dimmesdale sins by breaking his vow of chastity, and then hiding his deed. Chillingworth sins by acting upon his desire for revenge, and by torturing Dimmesdale. Hester and Dimmesdale ... , he doesn't obtain any; he appears more devoid of attraction than any other character in the tale. (Hawthorne 12). His revenge isn't directed towards Hester, " ...

• Word Count: 1373
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... but by malice in the deliberate choice of evil. Chillingworth becomes consumed with his actions of anger, hatred, envy, and malice towards Dimmesdale and Hester while they strive to better their lives through repentance. Since Chillingworth's revenge has consumed him and made him inhuman he is unable to cleanse himself of his sins hence he is considered to be the greatest sinner ... novel. During The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne, "a young women who has born herself an illegitimate child and believes herself to be a widow"(Darrel 1) moves to Boston, New England from Europe in 1642 to sta...

• Word Count: 2203
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... she really changed from her sinful ways? If so, is she going to leave for Europe with Dimmesdale? Towards the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, we see Hester being punished publicly for the sin she has committed with Dimmesdale. In chapter 2, Hawthorne writes, "He laid his right hand upon the shoulder of a young woman, whom he thus drew forward; until on the threshold ... of chapter 2, Hawthorne writes, "Could it be true? She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast that it sent fourth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to ...

• Word Count: 944
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... to endanger life or limb. Failing to attend church 10 shilling fine Working (laboring) on  Sunday 10 shilling fine Traveling on Sunday 20 shilling fine (www.csustan.edu) In Hawthorne's book The Scarlet Letter, sin is unequivocal palpable. Some early readers of this book believe not only that the subject was sin but also that the author condoned sin, at least the sin ... the moral and psychological result of sin- the isolation and morbidity, innocence and guilt, and the distortion and thwarting of the emotional life. In Hawthorne's remembered novel, The Scarlet Letter, The community alo...

• Word Count: 1751
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... another way, and she was able to be rebellious to their way of life but still not be evil. Hester Prynne and Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale both symbolize sinners. On page 41 of The Scarlet Letter, when Rev. Dimmesdale is reflecting on what he has done, Hawthorne writes, "He thus typified the constant introspection wherewith he tortured, but could not purify himself." Rev. Dimmesdale is ... overwhelmed with the weight of the sin on his heart. Also on page 179, when Hester and Rev. Dimmesdale are talking about how Chillinworth (Hester's husband) has been getting his revenge, Hawthorne writes, "We...

• Word Count: 647
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... The people reading his literature at the time still had very strict and traditional beliefs. Avoiding the grim tone Hawthorne usually involved removing undesirable Elements and modifying others. It is interesting to note often contained such intense emotions as jealousy, lust, and revenge, Hawthorne never allows these to appear. Indeed, he often trivializes the negative drives of characters by referring to them as ... "naughty." The adult passions are also removed by making many of the characters much younger In this way Hawthorne was able to avoid discussing the sexual themes often foun...

• Word Count: 3188
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... overrating morality" to the point in which they completely "suppressed art" (Hoffman 53). But art is something that even the firmest controls cannot always contain. Hester Prynne, heroine of the Nathaniel Hawthorne romance The Scarlet Letter, perpetuated her art in ways that went unnoticed, but also in ways that shouted out loud to everyone around her that her artistic creativity would not be ... Hester Prynne, having been sent to New England ahead of her husband, was condemned by her society because of her attempts to break free of the rigid Puritanical law-system by finding sexual plea...

• Word Count: 1145
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... , in an earlier era, the Puritan era, women were even more subdued. They wore the plainest, drabbest clothes and sat meekly at their husbands" sides. Passion and happiness were considered a sin to the Puritan faith. Hawthorne was a rare man who believed that women should be allowed to rise above this stereotype. He believed that in many ways women were stronger and had ... woman, part of the sex considered to be powerless, was held in high esteem by the public. It isn't a coincidence that Hester was given a task as great as overcoming the burden of the scarlet letter and that she emerged...

• Word Count: 1087
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... two different settings in the novel. The conclusion restates the thesis of the paper. Outline An Analysis of the Marketplace and the Forest Wilderness of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter I. Introduction. 1. The background of Nathaniel Hawthorne. 2. The brief introduction of Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter. 3. The view on the two settings that leads to the topic under discussion. 4. Thesis: The two settings are created to exploit the ... society and the hypocrisy of their relations to Hester Prynne. II. The symbolic meanings of the marketplace. III. The symbolic meanings of the forest wildern...

• Word Count: 2453
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... characterization between the two lovers emphasizes the importance of cleansing oneself of sin. The writing structure in The Scarlet Letter also emphasizes this moral. In the novel, Hawthorne writes in long and descriptive sentences that imitates the thought patterns of both personas. The main character is Hester, and when she views the city, everything seems somewhat sad and peaceful. This feeling is portrayed by ... the feelings of each character as their personalities diverge. The many sub-themes in The Scarlet Letter also add to the main discussion by clarifying the crippling effects...

• Word Count: 890
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography

... Edition, the definition of moral is "principles, standards, or habits with respect to right or wrong in conduct," ("moral"). Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes characterization techniques of morality throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter. The qualities that Hester Prynne possesses shape her as a character. Hawthorne represents Hester Prynne as having moral flaws, but in the end she is a good person. (Bloom 22). As Orson Scott Card remarks in ... it. Unfortunately, Pearl's tantrum shatters this fantasy into pieces. Hester could not have foreseen Pearl's behavior. Pearl has never seen Hester ...

• Word Count: 1429
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... people who go to church weekly repenting their sins. Hawthorne uses many symbols throughout The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne uses the colors red, black, and white to represent Hester's emotions and the emotions of those around her. The most frequently used color symbol by Hawthorne is red. Red most obviously represents Hester's sin, as shown by her scarlet letter. Her scarlet letter, like her sin, is something she must always ... . Pearl is also called the names "Ruby", "Coral", or "red Rose," and "a little bird of scarlet plumage," further extending Pearl as a red representation of Hester'...

• Word Count: 1044
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

An Analysis of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel of conflict between a woman in love and the stern Puritan community in which she resides. Hawthorne illustrates that a woman who follows her heartbreaks the laws of the community. Hester Prynne leaves that community to reside in isolation with her illegitimate child. Hester always maintains her love, not for her husband, but the ... novel are the undefined characters. An understanding of these symbols is vital to a complete comprehension of the complexity of the story; Hawthorne technique of ...

• Word Count: 1915
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... the protagonist of the story, who is his antagonist and who is his helper? Dimmesdale has to fight against two antagonists. On one hand, there is Chillingworth; Hester's wronged husband who wants to take revenge against him, on the other hand there is the Puritan society that is represented by the townspeople. Chillingworth becomes a very important character in the story after he ... gets to know who wrongs him. He decides to take revenge on Dimmesdale. Chillingworth had suspected Dimmesdale of being Pearl's father for a long time but he knows it for sure at the end of chapter 10, when ...

• Word Count: 1627
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... -absent husband who becomes the greatest sinner by coldly seeking revenge.) Hester Prynne Arthur Dimmesdale (Publicly confessed adulteress (Secretly confessed adulterer who wears a scarlet letter as who punishes himself in her punishment.) private for his sin.) Pearl (The human embodiment of the scarlet letter, and her parents' sin.) The author of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, had a very unique style to his writing. He had a very eloquent style. ... would have written, which was: "Into my keeping, God gave her." His unique way of switching them around gave his writing style s...

• Word Count: 914
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Anne Hutchinson, Roger Williams, and countless others. The major dissent was towards religion, because this was the most forced element of Puritan fellowship. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Puritan New England, Hester Prynne was the main offender. The Scarlet Letter is an isolated drama of one woman's shame and guilt for her solitary sin. She is ridiculed and cast off from her community and the Puritans ... Arthur Chillingworth and Reverend Dimmesdale. It had turned out that Chillingworth was Hester's former husband. He was a prominent figure in the society and had told Hester, in essence, to...

• Word Count: 1115
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... the identity of her partner so that he can have his revenge. In his rage and confusion, Chillingworth asks a townsman, "And who, by your favor, Sir, may be the father of yonder babe- it is some three or four months old, I should judge-, which Mistress Prynne is holding in her arms?" (Hawthorne, 44) While Chillingworth is in the crowd growing angrier at ... is trying to get revenge by tormenting the minister, adds to the deterioration of Dimmesdale's health. He does not realize that Chillingworth is Hester's husband and his worst enemy. All of this torture and guilt leads Dimmesdale to c...

• Word Count: 1498
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... prevents the darkness from touching Pearl, who is an embodiment of joy, life, and warmth. Hester, however, is allowed to rise above the gloominess on occasion, as when she throws away the scarlet letter and let's loose her hair. Thus, Hawthorne suggests how sin (symbolized in the scarlet letter) is responsible for the gloom that fills the lives of the protagonists. When the sin is ... is a secret no more; Chillingworth will have his revenge. Outcome The novel openly ends in tragedy, for the secret of Hester and Dimmesdale becomes public knowledge when the minister reveals his adultery a...

• Word Count: 1929
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

Judge Me Not, Love Me, Seek No Revenge Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, a dark tale of sin and redemption, centers on the small Puritan community of Boston during the seventeenth century. A young woman (Hester Prynne) comes to this town to find a place to live for her and her husband, but falls victim to the desires of the human nature. Hester falls in love with Reverend Dimmesdale, and ... ". She is forced to were a scarlet "A" on her breast for the duration of her natural life. Hester's husband Roger Chillingworth arrives to find his wife unfaithful and commits the rest of his life ...

• Word Count: 759
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... meaning from adultery to ability, in the eyes of the people around her. Through the scarlet letter, Hester become a sympathetic heroine, and the Puritan society becomes not only bigoted and joyless, but essentially evil. (Bloom 13-14, 97, 100) The person that is affected most by the scarlet letter is Hester Prynne, for many very obvious reasons. It is a large part of her daily life, and ... comes into the city is to sell her very well-crafted clothing. This in turn causes the Puritan view of her letter "A" to change from adultery to ability. (Hawthorne; Schneider) Arthur Dimmesdale is a...

• Word Count: 1366
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... thee into my heart, into its innermost chamber, and sought to warm thee by the warmth which thy presence made there!" (p72). Hester betrayed Chillingworth and in return he wants revenge on Dimmesdale. He does this by draining the soul of the Reverend and afflicting guilt upon him. Chillingworth's villainy also develops from his quest to discover his wife's lover. He ... enhances this by showing that he is willing to make Dimmesdale suffer and help Dimmesdale's guilt eat away at his soul in order to get the revenge he wants. One of Hawthorne's purposes in writing The Scarlet Letter is t...

• Word Count: 670
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School