... In an interesting word choice, Priscilla is described as a "gentle parasite,"" (114) in reference to her relationship with Hollingsworth. Priscilla's character throughout the book is defined through her relationships with other characters. Is she, on the one extreme, as Carol Weshoven says, a "prostitute, willing to trade what little ... Priscilla was her sister would be one possibility, but if we are meant to believe, as I believe we are, Zenobia's assertion in the chapter "The Three Together- on the night that Zenobia kills herself that "It is only three days since I knew the strange ...

• Word Count: 4739
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• Has Bibliography

In many stories there is always that one character that changes throughout the course of the book. In The Scarlet Letter the main character that changes is Hester. Throughout the book Hester changes from being an arrogant, unremorseful woman to a nicer and helpful woman. Even though Hester seems to have learned ... oftentimes, she could scarcely refrain, yet always did refrain, from covering the symbol with her hand." (Pg 57) Hester admits Pearl is her torture in chapter 6, Hawthorne writes, "So infinite was the torture inflected by the intelligent touch of Pearl's baby-hand." (Pg 64) Not lon...

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

... accuses of hypocrisy as regards the scarlet letter are, "a venerable minister or magistrate," people who are viewed as models of "piety and justice." Chapter Six: Pearl Summary Hawthorne discusses the choice of the name Pearl. He indicates that Hester chose the name to represent something of great value- ... widely diffused opinion that the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale,...was haunted either by Satan himself, or Satan's emissary, in the guise of old Roger Chillingworth. Chapter Ten: The Leech and His Patient Summary Chillingworth realizes that Dimmesdale is hiding some dark secret. He there...

• Word Count: 5572
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• Grade Level: High School

... An important concept of romanticism includes a close connection to the earth and natural scenes. A large occurrence of this comes in the first chapter of the book. The chapter mentions a rose bush outside of the prison. The novel then goes on to outline the rosebush as a beautiful thing that rises out ... dead. Hester demonstrates human naturalness by obeying her instinctual urges and having a relationship with Reverend Dimmesdale. Also through much of her actions throughout the book she shows her naturalism. Three months after having a child she was incarcerated for adultery. Her punish...

• Word Count: 1687
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• Grade Level: High School

... ideas in each of the characters is the readers passageway into the lives of characters that are withdrawn from the society in the book. In chapter two while Hester is standing on the scaffold, she tries to hid from her grim reality by reminiscing of the better days of ... . Soon finding however, that either she or the image was unreal, she turned elsewhere for better pastime." Pearl's reflection is very real, and chapter sixteen smoothly continues this concept through another body of water--the brook in the forest. "Pearl resembled the brook, inasmuch as the current of her ... the brook,...

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... events. However, it is Dimmesdale who changes the most. The reason for his change is the sin he commits with Hester. At the beginning of the book, we meet a young and self-confident minister who is trusted by the townspeople, as their moral and religious leader, "So powerful seemed the minister's ... "friendly care". Chillingworth, Hester's wronged husband pretends to be his friend, but he actually plays an evil game with Dimmesdale throughout the whole story. In Chapter 17 Hester tells Dimmesdale about his so-called friend "Thou hast long had such an enemy, and dwellest with him, under t...

• Word Count: 1627
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... research: How does Nathaniel Hawthorne's use of symbols reflect romanticism and his life? Our research paper is composed of two chapters. In the first chapter, we have adopted a textual approach, by analyzing symbols in the text, and a contextual approach, by relating these symbols to the Romantic movement ... does not suggest an absence of differences in the two texts. In fact, there is a change in the nature of the tempter. In the holy book it is a serpent, an animal, which tempts Eve. Nevertheless, in the short story, the temptress is Old Lisabetta, a human. Thus, we ... Conclusion B...

• Word Count: 9442
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• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... this way of life, contributed to his writing. Hawthorne's beliefs contradicted the beliefs of what most other Puritans believed. Early on in the book, he described the people "being of the most intolerant brood" (Hawthorne 86). When the people found that Hester had Pearl, ... set people free. Dimmesdale struggles with wanting to live a religious life and dealing with the hypocrisy of his own sinful nature. In chapter twelve, Pearl calls to Dimmesdale asking him to reveal his own connection to herself and Hester. Dimmesdale refused to join Pearl and Hester ... their experiences were ba...

• Word Count: 1291
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• Has Bibliography

... emotional plot and its rich symbolism, this masterpiece has become a highly prized classic in American literature. The book opens with a chapter called "The Custom House," in which the narrator of the book writes a long description recalling his days as the chief executive officer of the Customs House in Salem, Massachusetts ... the scarlet letter stands for "adulteress." Hester has been accused of adultery and the small child in her arms is illegitimate.   In the third chapter, a small, deformed man accompanied by an Indian is identified in the crowd. As Hester's eyes search the gather...

• Word Count: 3653
• Approx Pages: 15
• Grade Level: High School

Every author looks for a way to connect the theme of his book. In Nathanial Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne uses the theme sin and concealment. The three scaffold scenes throughout the book are used to connect this theme. The first scaffold scene takes place right at the beginning of the novel in chapters 2 and 3. ... One of the characters that are involved in this scene is Hester. The book starts out with Hester in a prison and then they took her out to go and sentence her. They sentenced her to wear the scarlet letter and to ... scene occurs on a Sunday morning so everyone in town ...

• Word Count: 1336
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Kiran Thomas 10/27/02 English 10 Honors The Scarlet Letter: Chap. 1-2 Chapter One In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne sets a gloomy and dark mood. The descriptions of the peoples clothing " in sad colored garments and ... reader's mind of the tone and mood of the novel. The term juxtapose can be best defined as to place one on top of another. In the opening chapter of The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne juxtaposes the image of a prison against the image of a rosebush. The weathered prison described with its "gloomy front," which "seemed never ... prison with the beauty and fragili...

• Word Count: 808
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• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , the novel opens after the sin has been committed and Pearl, the offspring of the sinful, but natural, union is three months old. As Hawthorne himself states in the opening chapter, the novel is about human weakness and its resulting sorrow. Hawthorne's focus of attention is the effect the sin has on Hester and Dimmesdale. They constantly suffer from shame and ... novel lies in the fact that the most respected member of this Puritanical society, the Reverend Dimmesdale, is Hester's partner in sin. THE TITLE OF THE BOOK The title is significant to every chapter of the book, as the scarle...

• Word Count: 1285
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• Grade Level: High School

... " by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The first scaffold scene occurred in the beginning of the story which was about Hester and the second scaffold scene happened in chapter 12 which was about Dimmsdale. In a "utopia" like the puritan's society, one can never get away after committing crime, in the end ... . It occurred really early in the morning when the sun wasn't up and only few people awake. Nobody was aware of Dimmsdale's crime in this chapter. He had the scarlet letter on his chest. It's giving him pain and making him sick and weak inside. It made him scream loud but ... Hawthorne's message...

• Word Count: 560
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• Grade Level: High School

... creation as the result of a terrible incident, so pearl was created. This terrible incident is the sin committed between Hester and Dimmesdale. In chapter two, the reader sees Hester refusing to hold Pearl next to her breast with the scarlet "A." Hester dose this because she feels that one ... By acknowledging the letter on her mother's chest, Pearl plays an extremely active role in Hester's penance rather than a passive one. In Chapter 15, the reader sees Pearl try to emulate her mother by placing seaweed in the shape of an "A" on her own chest, once ... the town's people, but when h...

• Word Count: 1158
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... a plant, then the namesake of the book, then continues on to uses two people as symbols to get his message across. Although seemingly simple, all of these symbols are extremely complex, and used in a multitude of ways. First, the rosebush outside the prison; in the first chapter, it is used as a symbol of ... hope, or maybe a symbol of redemption. It represents a glimmer of happiness outside the grim, ugly walls and heavy oaken door of the prison. Later in the book, when asked of where she came by the governor, Pearl ... resembles Hester's openly defiant stature when asked who the fath...

• Word Count: 777
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• Grade Level: High School

... insulting comments in their direction. Life in the era of purity would have been extremely difficult; people who sinned where treated very badly, like Hester for her behaviour in the chapter is waiting on "scaffolding" waiting to be hanged along with Pearl. Hester's act is seen so evil that even pearl of the offspring of the offence is seen as "elvish ... does is on display and where transgressions are quickly punished, Hester is an example if this, and had the "scarlet letter on her bosom". A climax is reached in this chapter of the book. Here, the characters' secrets are publicly expo...

• Word Count: 755
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• Grade Level: High School

Three Symbols What is a symbol? A symbol is sign or representation of something i.e. a dove represents peace. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is full of symbolism throughout. Every chapter and page has symbolism. The three most important symbols in the novel are the scarlet letter, the rose bush and pearl. The most important symbol is the scarlet letter. The ... said it meant Able." The scarlet letter could be interpreted differently in many ways. The Rose Bush is also an important symbol. The symbol is first mentioned in the first chapter as a "wild rose-bush, cove...

• Word Count: 420
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... on life do as well. To truly understand Pearl, one must first understand how Pearl views her own existence. The view Pearl has on her own birth appears in the book when Reverend John Wilson asks Pearl who created her. Pearl, wise beyond her years, replies by saying "... she had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her ... anguish, much like the scarlet letter. Everyday, Hester is reminded of her sin, not just by looking at her daughter, but by observing her daughter's alienation and rebellious nature. In chapter 16 the reader observes Pearl and her mother taking a walk in the w...

• Word Count: 790
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• Grade Level: High School

... her own experiences and character. Her past sin is a part of who she is, to pretend that it never happened would mean denying a part of herself. This is reinforced in chapter twelve in a conversation with pearl: Hester character represents the very few people in the society who are brave and strong enough to step out of the cave and refuse the ... individuality and strength are gained by quiet self-assertion and by a reconfiguration, not a rejection, of one's assigned identity. The theme of society and identity is summed up in the finally chapter of the novel, when the narrator tells us...

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The Scarlet Letter is a classic novel in American history. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes a short book that conveys his point. However The Scarlet Letter also has many problems. It lacks details, is too complicated, and has an unclear language. Throughout the ... just to relax. However, in the Scarlet Letter it does not climax until the very end. You are left with reading the rising action until almost the last chapter. This is not good for the reader to keep them on edge for this long. The Scarlet Letter is too complicated, nearly everything is allegorical symbolic, and ironic. ... The book is ...

• Word Count: 424
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... "Adultery", as a way of labeling Hester. The letter ends up becoming a symbol, and it affects the characters in different ways throughout the book. When characters show a certain feeling towards the letter or behave in a certain way about it, it is clear for the reader that that is how ... Hester's identity. It is rather ironic that the town's minister is the one to have committed adultery. Even though in the beginning of the book Dimmesdale comes up as the hypocrite and the coward, throughout the story the author describes his suffering and shows why he did what he did. Dimmesdale ... ...

• Word Count: 958
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• Grade Level: High School

... predicted, judgment day, the day he would die. Finally, we get to the deformed scholar, whose intellect gives him the title of the most evil and sinful person in the book, Roger Chillingworth. At first Chillingworth seems to be more of a recipient of the actions of sinners than an actual sinner himself. After all, he was held captive by the Indians ... something ugly and evil in his face, which they had not previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to sight, the oftener they looked upon him" (44). By chapter 14, Chillingworth's transformation seems to be complete, and Ch...

• Word Count: 1211
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• Grade Level: High School

... mother and this adds to the idea that the letter is bigger then life. The meaning of the Scarlet Letter is also something that gets distorted throughout the book. In the beginning of the book the "A- stands for adultery which is not something to be proud of. People view this lady with the "A- as being evil and just not a good Puritan person ... as almost a living saint to the people she helped. The "A- now became a badge of honor for her to wear and she inspired others to help others. This is evident in chapter 24 when Hester voluntarily wears the letter when she returns from England. T...

• Word Count: 1455
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• Grade Level: High School

... work because in so many ways, Dimmesdale rejects the Scarlet Letter, in both human and supernatural forms, it now rejects him, evidenced by the reactions of Pearl in the last chapter, when she runs to the brook to was her head after she Dimmesdale kisses her. The relationship will not work, and seeing the Reverend with this hope pains me. Laced ... between the lines of Hawthorne, among the paths and the scarlet letter, the town and the brook, lay many of the themes in this book, which, during close reading can appear quite easily. In this passage, Hawthorne disguises one of his major th...

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... anonymously. Finally, in 1837, Hawthorne decided to use his own name and published Twice-Told Tales, a collection of his short stories, many of which had previously been published anonymously. The book was a great success and received exceptionally positive feedback ("Nathaniel Hawthorne - Biography"). In 1838, Hawthorne met Sophia Peabody, a young woman who shared his shy and quiet nature. In 1841, in an ... the morbid style present through his work. Hawthorne was highly ashamed of his Puritan family background, which played an especially large role in both his views and his writing (R...

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