... was defeated. These two examples are true tests of a courageous person and how he beared defeats without losing heart. Another work of literature which supports this quote is the novel, The Scarlet Letter. In this story, the main character, Hester Prynne, is being punished for adultery. Although the townspeople ignore her and cast mean glares upon her, she finds her own way of living a tough ... . These two examples show how, "The test of a courageous person is the ability to bear defeat without losing heart". In conclusion, the quote, "The test of a courageous person is the ability to b...

• Word Count: 830
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... sins committed by Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Reverend Dimmesdale are shown in many lights. The paths on route to redemption vary from character to character. Hawthorne ultimately believes that man's redemption consists not in external plans, programs, and projections, but in an internal conversion of the heart. Wearing the letter "A" on her bosom after committing adultery, Hester Prynne seeks redemption within herself and ... from the austere and unrelenting people of her community. Hester is left with no friends and her only comfort is her daughter, Pearl. She ... receives...

• Word Count: 614
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... of which these morals are nurtured. It is never Hawthorne's intention to lose the theme of the book by straying the reader's attention towards the love of Hester Prynne and the reverend Dimmesdale. Hester's love is simply fabricated in order to cope with the suffering she is obligated to endure, and Dimmesdale's heart is never meant for such mortal love with Hester. *Hester, so "youthful and fair ... arrival. Time passes and Chillingsworth never returns for his bride. Assuming he's been lost at sea, Hester jumps at the chance to love another. And who better than the person Hester descri...

• Word Count: 586
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... that is based on the laws and morals of the Puritan society. Although adultery, in the eyes of Puritans, is seen as a horrendous crime, if it is out of love it contradicts the actual crime, which is to go against one's spouse as an act of spite. Hester follows her heart and so is therefore ... person. Her strength would never have been achieved had she felt that she was in the wrong. The book persistently repeats how Pearl is the embodiment of the scarlet letter. In the same way that she feels no shame in showing off the scarlet letter, she exhibits great pride in showing off Pearl. Whe...

• Word Count: 694
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... an earthly one!" (64) Hester's words elicit an immediate response as Mr. Dimmesdale leans over the balcony with his hand over his heart. The response that Dimmesdale has to Hester's words seems normal; however, as the novel progresses it is apparent as Dimmesdale places his hand over his heart often to indicate a personal sentiment towards something. In this specific case, Hester's words strike Dimmesdale ... as he now thinks that Hester will keep their daughter from knowing the true identity of her father. The statement Dimmesdale makes in support of Hester's decision not to speak rein...

• Word Count: 582
• Approx Pages: 2

... in later years. Living exactly to his own words, Dimmesdale had to hide his "guilty heart through life." No one knew the true reason he clutched his heart in pain so often. If Dimmesdale were to step down from his high place as the town's minister, as the town's angel, there would be repercussions for his actions. Dimmesdale could go forth and step ... onto the scaffold and profess his sins, but he does not. The social implications of confessing his sins to the townspeople would be devastating to the reverend. He and the community ... , indeed, he was blind and foolish, as he ever and a...

• Word Count: 1021
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This quote talks about one sinner and it emphasis Roger Chillingworth. Even though Chillingworth is the most reasonable sinner, he has stolen Hester Prynne youth, another sin Chillingworth did was tricking the heart of a fellow mate and sacrificing a friendship to satisfy his own selfishness, and he also has lied to a society of Puritans which is a huge sin because ... in the Puritans' eyes committing a terrible sin is failing to admit to it. Roger Chillingworth is twisted and in the puritans society he was consider a dark soul. He ... Roger Chil...

• Word Count: 794
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... on a grave, which bore no tombstone," and also added that "they grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess during his lifetime." In this Roger Chillingworth is testing the Reverend. Dimmesdale doesn't respond well to this and Chillingworth begins to suspect Dimmesdale of hiding ... . In one of his visions he sees Hester and Pearl. Pearl first points to the scarlet letter on Hester's chest then she points to the reverend's chest. Although he knew that the visions were not real, he still had to deal wi...

• Word Count: 735
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... will expose themselves in the novel. During the seven year span of the book, Chillingworth's kind fazade slowly becomes an evil obsession, the obsession being destroying his "closest friend,"" for Chillingworth suspects that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl. Chillingworth becomes a type of parasite, and one night Chillingworth finds Dimmesdale and touches his heart, feeling the burden on his heart, the scarlet letter. From that ... point in the story on, Chillingworth becomes obsessed with ruining Dimmesdale's life, slowly breaking him down emotionally. He admits ... a few supernatural...

• Word Count: 995
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... Letter, when Rev. Dimmesdale is reflecting on what he has done, Hawthorne writes, "He thus typified the constant introspection wherewith he tortured, but could not purify himself." Rev. Dimmesdale is overwhelmed with the weight of the sin on his heart. Also on page 179, when Hester and Rev. Dimmesdale are talking about how Chillinworth (Hester's husband) has been getting his revenge, Hawthorne writes, "We ... are not, Hester, the worst sinners in the world. There is one worse than even the polluted priest! That old man's revenge has blacker than ... my sin. He has violated, in cold blo...

• Word Count: 647
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... of adultery? Well he goes a little further into the same sin. First of all, he commits adultery with the abandoned Hester. Then instead of admitting his sin to the public, he keeps his dark secret in his heart, knowing it will eat at him for the rest of his life until he reveals it. The only thing worse in the Puritans" eyes than committing a terrible sin is ... is against Hester. He committed it when he married her and took away her youth; he admits: "Mine was the first wrong, when I betrayed thy budding youth into a false and unnatural relation with my decay" (15). Chillingworth's sec...

• Word Count: 1211
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... Dimmesdale as evidently overwhelmed with feelings of guilt and remorse, saying, "Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart." The scaffold serves as a symbol of Dimmesdale's uneased burden of inner torture that has resulted from his hidden sin. Although Dimmesdale is attempting to ... a meteor illuminates a letter "A" in the sky. Pearl, consistently distinguishing connections in the novel, brings attention to the "A" as a sign of their sin being broadcasted to the town. Simultaneous...

• Word Count: 587
• Approx Pages: 2

... boldly" than anyone else in New England. As for Dimmesdale, the burden of his sin gives him "sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind, so that his heart vibrates in unison with theirs." Figuring out the nature of evil in this novel is an in-depth thought. For example, the experiences between the characters rise up questions like; Did Chillingworth's selfishness in marrying ... adultery with another man? The person who is taking the punishment directly is Hester herself, but is she really the nature of evil for the sin she has committed? The book argues that true evi...

• Word Count: 471
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... heart. Any number of outside conflicts may force this balance towards evil, yet anger and revenge are the most powerful. In the gothic novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorn carefully interlaces the theme of good and evil throughout the complex characters of Chillingworth, Hester, and Pearl. Both the ... Pearl cannot abandon her evil behavior until recognized by Dimmesdale as his daughter. Pearl, from birth has a keen sense of the pain that the scarlet letter brings Hester. After Hester asks Pearl who her heavenly father is, Pearl, "whether moved by her normal freakishness, ... e...

• Word Count: 1073
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... her total removal from public eye by living in the cottage, and here it is explained to the reader. One reason Hester was alienated was her objection to revealing the other adulterer. When Hester is released from prison and put on the scaffold, she was asked to reveal the name of whom she committed the sin with. Having a heart blinded by love Hester choose to stay in ... the town and wear the scarlet letter "A" instead of revealing the other adulterer. She faced society only to protect and ... be close to the man she still loved. The "impulsive and passionate nature" (10), which to ......

• Word Count: 833
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... considered to be powerless, was held in high esteem by the public. It isn't a coincidence that Hester was given a task as great as overcoming the burden of the scarlet letter and that she emerged triumphant. Overcoming the scarlet letter was Hawthorne's way of displaying that women may have not been physically stronger, but women's heart, spirit, courage, and character could be victorious in ... battles where physical strength could never triumph. The shame Hester first felt when she wore the scarlet letter was almost unbearable. ... Instead of lying down to die, Hester took the scarlet...

• Word Count: 1087
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... for revenge. He longs for revenge because of the affair between his wife and Dimmesdale, the protagonist of the novel. Even though the relationship between Chillingworth and Hester isn't very passionate, Chillingworth is still deeply offended by Hester's affair. "And so, Hester, I drew thee into my heart, into its innermost chamber, and sought to warm thee by the warmth which thy presence made there!" (p72). ... Hester betrayed Chillingworth and in return he wants revenge on Dimmesdale. He does this by draining the soul of the Reverend and afflicting guilt upon him. Chillingworth's villa...

• Word Count: 670
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... her Hester is always being reminded of her punishment. Dimmesdale, Hester's lover, is the only one apart from Hester who knows about the relationship between the two. Therefore, because of the incident, Dimmesdale also blames the act of adultery on himself and so he makes his own letter over his heart. Serving as a symbol that he shares the same pain as Hester and that Hester shouldn't be ... the only one who suffers. Dimmesdale suffers incredibly because of the letter A, due to the fact that he is afraid, primarily from Roger Chillingsworth, Hester's husband who came from Europe lookin...

• Word Count: 1035
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... done. Role models are what I would call these two women who stand up for what's true and what they believe is right. Now since we've used the word Adultery lets explore another event which caused mayhem among certain important people in our country. In my personal experience I have learned that it's better to show people ... . Last year, when I was with my boyfriend of 3 years, he admitted to me that he had cheated on me with another girl for 2 months. Of course the usual feelings of being mad and sad were there. But, I didn't feel quite bad because at least he showed me his trait of bei...

• Word Count: 599
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... and constant sermons directed towards her. Although this is not that bad compared to the pain and torture Dimmesdale goes through. He holds this huge secret inside of him, which does nothing but tear away at his heart and mind. This causes him to inflict pain upon himself constantly and to age and become feeble very quickly. "But there is a fatality, a feeling ... so irresistible and inevitable that it has the force of doom, which almost invariably compels human beings to linger around and haunt ... , ghost-like, the spot where some great and marked event has given the colour to their l...

• Word Count: 358
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... lead to other wrong actions that reflect their guilt. Lack of insight leads people to make bad choices, and there are several examples in the book, The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne and Roger Chillingworth get married even though they knew it was not going to be a truthful love relationship. ... Hester's sin of adultery, he decides to take revenge against Arthur Dimmesdale. Torturing Dimmesdale was not a good idea because his decision about the revenge comes completely from anger. He was very upset so he decided to stay close to Dimmesdale by becoming his personal doctor, and he ... say...

• Word Count: 1002
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... , Hester remains a hermit for most of her natural life, unable to escape the self-torment of her sin. The Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is physically affected by the sin which Hester and he committed. This can be seen in the curious, seemingly psycho-somatic heart condition that ails him. (Hawthorne 120) The pastor turns his sorrow inward, due to his inability to ever confess his sin. As ... a result, the young minister's life is cut short when he falls dead on the scaffold at the novel's climax. Roger Chillingworth is ... most noticeably affected. For example, the man's personality is cha...

• Word Count: 361
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... of Puritanism. Hester Prynne is committed of adultery. This story is about how she copes with her sin and how her it affects the people around her. The relationship that Roger Chillingworth and Dimmesdale have with each other is somewhat unusual. Chillingworth is Dimmesdale's physician. He decides to move in ... with Dimmesdale to take better care of him since his health is declining. The townspeople approve of the idea that the two live with each other and think only good of it. You'd think that Chillingworth is a harmless guy since he's a physician ... deep dark secret. So he spends a ...

• Word Count: 571
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... seemed very snobby. See seemed to turn her nose to every rule and rule maker. For example when she was on the scaffold for the first time and the ministers try to get her to say the name of her partner she replies, "I will not speak!" [pg. 47] Later, her red badge gives her pride ... that she was in fact beautiful letting her hair go wild and her dresses represent her personality; colorful and fluent. However toward the ending of the book, she starts to dress a lot more casual. The Puritan influence on Hester resulted either in her keeping hair in a cap or cut short. Her dresses wouldn't...

• Word Count: 601
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... , but submitted uncomplainingly to its worst usage- (127). At first, Hester only has penance because she has yet to be sorry for what she has done. She illustrates this in the making of her scarlet letter, " fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom!" (45). She is very proud and dignified. This pride illustrates that she is not sorry, and not ... remorseful; he is never able to obtain compunction. Dimmesdale explains the darkness of Chillingworth's sins to Hester: "' We are not, Hester, the worst sinners in the world. There is one worse than even the polluted priest! Tha...

• Word Count: 695
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School