... view Hester by incorporating times when the true symbolization of the "A" is positive. Hawthorne also allows the reader to analyze how Hester is able to further develop the meaning of the "A" by allowing us to compare her to Mr. Dimmesdale who, unlike Hester, only experiences the negative effects of the "A". In The Scarlet Letter, the "A" is intended to be a symbol of shame, but instead it gradually shifts ... to represent the fact that Hester is an asset to society because she exemplifies the only way how society can better itself: by accepting and learning from its mistakes. The reaso...

• Word Count: 1123
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the mountain, and they've changed my gun, and every thing's changed, and I'm changed, and I can't tell what's my name, or who I am!-. In the end, Rip Van Winkle becomes a story-teller, in order to construct his identity through story-telling. He might as well stand as a pregnant symbol for America before and after independence, therefore before and after gaining its own national identity. Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the ... fathers of American fiction, goes beyond the picturesque evocations of Washington Irving, opening the way for the dark explorations of Edgar Allan Poe. His ... ...

• Word Count: 2241
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , but he still displays his immorality and negligence. Hawthorne creates the last scene in the town during the gathering for Election Day. Dimmesdale is chosen to give a sermon for the congregation and finally decides to end his struggles with guilt. After one of his most brilliant sermons he mounts the scaffold with Hester and Pearl. His confession to the public is taken with shock as he rips his ministerial ... sinfulness. Again Dimmesdale is a highly respected clergy official who is looked up to as a symbol of integrity and faithfulness. What Hawthorne is trying to show his readers th...

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

... the Puritan philosophy of total depravity through the characterization of Aylmer and Georgiana in "The Birthmark." Aylmer is significant in "The Birthmark" for symbolizing the Puritans' obsession with the depravity and wickedness in nature, not the beauty in nature. Critic Aurélie Guillain, Professor of American Literature at University of Toulouse, refers to Aylmer as "becom[ing] gradually convinced that the red mark on his wife's skin is the symbol of the innate depravity of ... the end of the story. This spiritual isolation occurs after the most important scene in this story: Brown'...

• Word Count: 1568
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... income was still extremely low and in 1845, the family moved in with Hawthorne's mother in Salem where he worked as a surveyor at the Salem Custom House. He was not fond of the job and was relieved in 1848 when he was fired, giving him time to write his most famous work The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850 (Turner, 137). After The Scarlet Letter was published, Hawthorne who ... had never truly felt comfortable in Salem moved the family to Lenox. He was extremely productive during this year, publishing some of his most noted works such as: The House of the Seven Gables, Blithedale Roman...

• Word Count: 1129
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... have to bear the burden of isolation for the rest of her life. She is reminded of her sin every day with her child, Pearl, and the scarlet letter. Hester's perseverance, self-reliance, and strength helped her survive the alienation from the town, but the long period of time without another human's affection besides Pearl's made her callous. Hester made the decision to stay in Boston even after being disgraced by the community because ... yet to be her penitence. She had returned, therefore, and resumed - of her own free will, for not the sternest magistrate of that iron period would hav...

• Word Count: 1733
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... the course of events. At the end of this vigil, a red "A" appears in the sky, which the community interprets as a symbol that their governor who has passed away is an angel; they fail to recognize the connection between Dimmesdale and this symbol even after his glove was found on the scaffold. The community's confidence in their minister's righteousness confirms for Dimmesdale the responsibility he holds toward his congregation and the importance of self-sacrifice for the sake of the community. The ... next scene of interaction ... ...

• Word Count: 1174
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... sin "a bodily disease which we look upon as whole and entire within itself, may, after all, be but an ailment in the spiritual part". the fragility and susceptibility of Dimmesdale states clearly his weakness, moreover. Dimmesdale's love and agony towards Hester was shown in his physical and mental degeneration, furthermore, his love to Pearl, his daughter, was shown when he was trying to kiss her, ... town to find his wife, Hester, involved in an adultery crime with the character Dimmesdale. His character is strengthened further more through his journey, and this is evident through the...

• Word Count: 746
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , gloomy outlook on life. Hawthorne, a descendant of a puritan family, was born in Salem, Massachusetts. Some of his ancestors included a judge known for the harsh persecution of Quakers, and another judge who played an important role in the Salem witchcraft trials. Hawthorne's attitude was molded by a sense of guilt, which he traced to his ancestor's actions. After college, Hawthorne lived, secluded, for 12 years in his mother's house. He then published ... human trait. The Minister's Black Veil is the first of Hawthorne's stories in which the confrontation of a central symbol generates...

• Word Count: 855
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate