Her husband, however, never reached the town in time, and the town's consensus is that he has been lost at sea. ... The new stranger in town, the deformed man, enters the cell and opts to help Hester and her daughter. Hester refuses, for fear that he might poison her daughter or her, because, as it turns out, the deformed stranger is in fact her old husband. ... Hester's daughter Pearl grows up into a capricious, precocious, and very observant child. ...

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

I have read The Scarlet Letter a few times and every time I am left feeling empowered by the character of Hester Prynne. ... Despite being troublesome and quite a handful, Hester manages to give Pearl what most girls at her time never caught a glimpse of the freedom to be herself. ... She spent her spare time sewing clothes for those who could not afford them. ... Matthiessen talks of Hester clinging "to the hope that her girl has capacity for strong affection, which needs only to be awakened by sympathy" (4) but Hester wants so much more for her daughter. ... Any woman who can provide tha...

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

She clutches her three month old daughter, Pearl. ... Hester looks out over the crowd and realizes for the first time that her life condemns her to be alone. She looks at her daughter and then fingers the scarlet letter which will remain a part of her from now on. At the thought of her future, she squeezes her daughter so hard that the child cries out in pain. ... Pearl later played a game where she threw flowers at her mother and jumped around in glee every time she hit the scarlet letter. ...

• Word Count: 5572
• Approx Pages: 22
• Grade Level: High School

In modern society, one would think that there isn't any place for fantasy and superstitions, but the United States is full of people who are convinced that psychics can predict their future, they have ghosts living in their houses, aliens visit the Earth in flying saucers, and even that they can talk to the dead.7 People believe in the supernatural because they want to believe, because it makes them happy, even if those beliefs exist against logic or opposing evidence.8 In Detroit, "ghost-busting is back big time," with "at least five "ghost hunting" clubs" springing up in the met...

• Word Count: 3126
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Hawthorne's Portrayal of Puritanical Hypocrisy Throughout time, there have been many great American novelists and short story writers. ... He grew up just slightly later than the time period considered the colonial Puritan times. ... The people reading his literature at the time still had very strict and traditional beliefs. ... Her daughter, who was born as a result of the adulterous relationship, is treaded with the same disrespect. ... She was married but has not seen her husband for quite some time because he deserted her. ...

• Word Count: 3188
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School