... truth, as well as of the traits of the human character, lead to this and decisive victory in the battle against himself. In the novel, Arthur Dimmesdale was an effective 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 ... its meaning to evolve as the novel progresses, thus "the scarlet letter had not done its office" (Hawthorne 1...

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

... caused her to tread down a path that perhaps in another place or another time she never would have considered. Hester's emerging sense of identity begins with the imposition placed upon her to fashion her own punishment, the scarlet letter "A". She does not sew a piece of cloth that is dreary, colorless, plain or somber. This would have been fitting for a Puritan society concerned with propriety ... was making a bold statement of who she was and what she believed in the way she carried herself in front of the townspeople, in the way she created the Scarlet Letter with such striking colo...

• Word Count: 1295
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... the public's humiliation, Hester also receives the punishment of wearing a red scarlet letter A on her chest, which stands for adultery. As beautiful as this symbol is, it "was red-hot with infernal fire" (Hawthorne 82). The letter not only symbolizes the humiliation of the public, but also the deep burn that guilt evokes. The children in the village are taught to look at the woman who bears the scarlet letter "as the figure, the ... body, the reality of sin" (Hawthorne 74). Pearl, a very smart and curious, girl is described as elfish ... ...

• Word Count: 1253
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... itself as a character who sinned. What happens to Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth results from the ethics, morals, sterness and the rigidity of the individual Puritans the characters interact with. These individuals collectively are the Puritan society of Boston in1642 which in fact are sinners but not the most severe of the novel. During The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne, "a young women who has born herself an illegitimate child and believes herself ... . Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale Group. December 2000. Http://www.galenet.com/servlet/SRC/ Gerber, John. "Form and Content in The S...

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

The Scarlet Letter To the naked eye, the story of The Scarlet Letter appears to just be a well-written love story within a puritan society 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 ... everyone to see. "It was whispered, by those who peered after her, that the scarlet letter threw a ...

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

... of one's shadow-self lead to self-reliance? The nature of sin exists internally and externally and affects one's state of mind. Set in the mid 17th century, the three scaffold scenes developed by Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter depict the moral, emotional and psychological effects of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. Also, the Scarlet letter "A" that Hester is obligated to wear affects her persona and shadow ... self along with the community in which she lives. Each scene exemplifies ... ...

• Word Count: 1995
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

The Scarlet Letter To the naked eye, the story of The Scarlet Letter appears to just be a well-written love story within a puritan society 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 ... everyone to see. "It was whispered, by those who peered after her, that the scarlet letter threw a...

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

... century Boston, during a Puritan settlement. It takes place in Salem and Concord, Massachusetts; late 1840. A young woman, Hester Pryne, is led from the town prison with her infant daughter, Pearl, in her arms and the scarlet letter "A" on her breast. A man in the crowd tells an elderly onlooker that Hester is being punished for adultery. Hester's husband, a scholar much older than she is, sent her ... , as she has given birth to a child. She will not reveal her lover's identity, however, and the scarlet letter, along with her public shaming, is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy....

• Word Count: 1337
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... Chillingworth is Hester's husband and his worst enemy. All of this torture and guilt leads Dimmesdale to create the novel's second scaffold scene. In this scene Dimmesdale mounts the scaffold, clutching his naked breast which held the scarlet letter, permanently etched there. On the scaffold he screamed aloud, without power to restrain himself. He then exclaimed, "It is done ... her. The final scaffold scene is a powerful conclusion to the end of the novel. Hawthorne perfectly structures The Scarlet Letter around the three scaffold scenes. In each scene Dimmesdale is closer and closer to...

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

... 's novel, The Scarlet Letter, is a classic tale of human frailty and sin and the hardships that are caused by a single mistake. The novel, first published in 1850, reveals the strict and severe ways of Puritan life that ruled New England two hundred years prior. At the same time, The Scarlet Letter, tells the story of one woman's struggle to find meaning in living after disobeying the highly regarded ... word of God. When dialogue is used in the novel, which is quite frequently, Hawthorne conveys formal and proper language which assists the reader in understanding the Puritan culture and...

• Word Count: 1296
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... his kingdom- (124). Dimmesdale's mark turns suspicion into fact, and the physician is now at the maturity of his revenge. As he feels the impact of this malice, Dimmesdale looks for comfort in the form of a midnight confession. According to The Scarlet Letter: A Student Casebook , however, " The Minister's Vigil' (Chapter 12) takes place at night when the purpose of the scaffold is controverted, becoming a place of concealment rather than exposure ... first scaffold scene: "Hester partly raised him, and supported his head against her bosom- (233). By the literal connection of Dimmesdale...

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

... to represent true evil. Roger Chillingworth's outlook throughout the story and his actions were very dependant upon his need for revenge. His vow to seek revenge had a negative affect on his life and the lives of others around him. Lastly, his fatal flaw led him to suffer dire consequences at the end of the novel. In the Scarlet Letter Roger Chillingworth's major flaw is revenge. He first ... vows to seek revenge on the father of Pearl during chapter 4 saying, "Thou wilt not reveal his name? Not ... the less he is mine. He bears no letter of infamy wrought into his garment, as thou dos...

• Word Count: 1529
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... . Both can be true; if she was devout, God is her father but in the earthly world He could not be Pearl's actual father. "Individuals in private life, meanwhile, had quite forgiven Hester Prynne for her frailty; nay, more, they had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, not of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and ... dreary a penance, but of her many good deeds since " (147). The truth of Hester's scarlet letter changed; it no longer represented her weakness and evil, instead, she was now seen as ... a hardworking woman who is kind and humble. Larger part of th...

• Word Count: 1931
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... . Evil Within The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays the contrast of good and evil through the Reverend Dimmesdale and through his physician, Roger Chillingworth.   He also emphasized the necessity to "Be true" through Hester's vow to keep the secrets of both men.   Throughout the novel, Hawthorne ... he proved that in even the most evil being, there is some good, as Dimmesdale proved that even in the purest of beings, there is often corruption within. Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth represented two completely opposite poles in The Scarlet Letter, and yet, they did ...

• Word Count: 1430
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... The Scarlet Letter goes through several stages of spiritual growth; preparation, communication, transformation and finally revelation. To further understand why Dimmesdale is so hard on himself we must first Learn a little back ground on Puritanism. Puritanism was a move influenced by the Reformation, but whose main objective was to purify the Church of England. The most out going of the ... in many other ways. Dimmesdale now had a little stronger confidence and was able to talk to the people of the town (Gross 70). Dimmesdale already knew how the people felt about the whole situation, so...

• Word Count: 1813
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... Dimmesdale and Pearl Prynne come full circle with the birth and death of the figures. The actions of the sinners put a shadow on the lives of those around them. All view their effrontery in different ways, some thought they had the right to sin and shame other. Sin was the major topic of Nathaniel Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter. Hester sin of adultery was the focus of this novel. With out her ... husband, whom she the thought died, she committed adultery. Refusing to give up his name as Pearl's father, wanting her to ... , it more and internal rather than external. His own weakness and la...

• Word Count: 1594
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School