... more but the history of writing contains male heroes. The "damsel in distress" who is saved by her "knight in shining armor" seems to have been a theme in most stories. Nathaniel Hawthorne strayed from this redundant theme in his story The Scarlet Letter. There are many different opinions as to what the main story, motive, or point of The Scarlet Letter is ... Emerson and Whitman. London: Oxford University Press, 1941. "hero." Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. 2002. http://www.merriam-webster.com. November 20, 2003. James, Henry. Hawthorne. London: Cornell University Press, 1879. Murfi...

• Word Count: 3565
• Approx Pages: 14
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale: Not A Hero As a main character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale of "The Scarlet Letter", the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is confronted with circumstances both in and out of his control, ... course of the novel. However, this is also the same gesture that Hester Prynne makes when remembering the scarlet letter upon her own bosom. Hawthorne brilliantly connects Hester Prynne's openly displayed shame with Reverend Dimmesdale's secret shame by having both characters touch the same spot where the scarlet letter is ... be themselves. The forest provides an umbrella of secur...

• Word Count: 2932
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School