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 characters to show that no matter what type of person one may be, human nature is absorbed with revenge. Human beings are not perfect and the feeling to "get even" or "get back" at someone who has wronged you is very normal, almost expected. Roger Chillingworth is clearly the most obviously revengeful character. However, Aurther Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne are more significantly involved in the extraction of their revenge. Hawthorne's ultimate theme in The Scarlet Letter is vengeance amongst all of mankind. .
Since the moment Roger Chillingworth was introduced into the novel, revenge filled his mind. He first began gaining information from a stranger in the crowd of the puritan community about the familiar woman standing upon the scaffold. As soon as Chillingworth learns why Hester was on the scaffold he begins plotting his revenge for not only her, but also for the unknown father of the baby. He made it known that he would find the mystery man and bring him to justice. "It irks me, nevertheless, that the partner of her iniquity should not, at least, stand on the scaffold by her side. But he will be known! -he will be known! -he will be known!"(44) His first significant scene is begins when he is giving medicine to Hester in her cell. Hester was scared to take the medicine from him in fear of him trying to poison her for revenge. Chillingworth went on to explain that he wouldn't want to get revenge on his wife by killing her or by revealing his true identity as her husband, allowing her to be put to death.
Punishment has always revolved around the same ideas, to discipline an individual, and to set an example for the rest of society, discouraging them from following in a convict's footprints. Either way, the end result is to set a criminal apart from the rest of society. Today we publicize the effe...
Morales 8 Alex Morales Melinda Shingler Honor English 20 October 2014 A Tremendous Sinner "Never support two weaknesses at the same time. It's your combination sinners - your lecherous liars and your miserly drunkards - who dishonor the vices and bring them into bad repute." ― Thornton Wilder...
Both are in the area now known as Massachusetts, The Crucible being in Salem, and the Scarlet Letter in Boston. ... The Scarlett letter, set approximately fifty years earlier is the story of Hester Prynn and her sin of adultery. ...
Symbolism in the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne contains abundant symbolism, which is used to unify the novel and add deeper meaning. ... This in turn causes the Puritan view of her letter "A" to change from adultery to ability. ... In the center of the novel's action, a meteor passes across the sky in the shape of the letter "A". ... (Bloom 91-92) Pearl is also greatly affected by the scarlet letter, but in another way. ... (Novelguide) Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbols very well in his novel The Scarlet Letter. ...
She goes on to say that if her sentence to wear the scarlet letter was over, the letter would disappear naturally. ... Although the scarlet letter may not be the sentence of God, it does help Pearl redeem her soul. ... Dimmesdale says, "Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! ... I agree with the statements that Wagenknecht made about The Scarlet Letter. He says that the scarlet letter was not the punishment of God, but of the Puritan citizens; that Chillingworth and the Puritans that punished Hester stole one of the duties of God; and that by wearing t...
The Scarlet Letter can be considered a satire of Puritan beliefs because the book is full of angry people who mock and ridicule the unfortunate one who bears the letter "A" on her chest. ... The Scarlet Letter could have been written to show others of Puritan ways and beliefs but one who reads this would go on believing the people led their lives in a completely different way. ... Such people were punished in such ways as the scarlet letter, or in The Crucible, the Salem Witch Trials. ... In conclusion, The Scarlet Letter is a satire because, although it does prove the characteristic...
In Nathanial Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne uses the theme sin and concealment. ... They sentenced her to wear the scarlet letter and to stand on the scaffold in front of everyone. ... As Hester has the scarlet letter on her bosom, Dimmesdale's holds his heart like a scarlet letter burns in secret there. ... Dimmesdale sees the "A" in the sky and he interprets it as standing for adultery (the scarlet letter.) ... This is how Nathanial Hawthorne connected the theme of The Scarlet Letter. ...
In the novel, The scarlet letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne arrives at colony where she is accused of adultery due to a love affair with minister Dimmesdale. ... She is sentenced to wear a scarlet letter, which symbolizes her sin. ... Hester proves her courage when the chance to flee her sentence and remove the scarlet letter, is presented to her . If she would reveal her daughter's father, all shame would be removed, but decides to see the letter as a moment of the past. ... Unlike Dimmesdale, Hester is able to accept her sin by wearing the Scarlet Letter....
The Metamorphosis of Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are many characters that transform; one of them is Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. ... He also clutches his chest a lot in away that reminds Pearl of her mother, Hester's scarlet letter "A" By this point in time Hester Prynne's husband has found out about Dimmesdale's secret and has been tormenting Dimmesdale with it. ... In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Dimmesdale makes many changes - especially at the scaffold scenes. ...