... her own accord. Her choice to remain silent about matters concerning her hidden lover was strictly her own. Also, society in no way pressured her to commit adultery; she did so out of her own weakness. However, there were instances when the Boston community simply alienated Hester out of hatred and fear of the scarlet letter that she was forced to wear. Actions taken to ... to find example of such treatment in a modern society. Disgust with those who commit such acts is a prevalent attitude. The alienation of individuals has transcended time and is evident in any community. From a natio...

• Word Count: 968
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... authors let their readers make their own decisions about the events or characters in the story. The ambiguousness of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne leaves many of the actions, events, and issues involving the characters up to the reader's own assumption. One of the issues posed by Hawthorne during the story is that of responsibility. Hawthorne illustrates that the lack of responsibility is harmful and should be ... an adulterer eventually kills him. Hawthorne's story begins in seventeenth-century Boston, then a Puritan settlement. A young woman, Hester Prynne, is led from the...

• Word Count: 1146
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate