...North American Literature 2014-2015. Individual Freedom restricted by Puritans. Analysis of Hester, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. [Nathaniel Hawthorne; The Scarlet Letter] ABSTRACT: The aim of this paper is to analyze how Nathaniel Hawthorne deals with the theme of freedom focusing on the major characters such as Hester, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. I argue that, there is a sign of individual freedom due to the fact that all the characters have the right to act in the way they do it but they will be always suppressed by the decisions of the Puritans. I also argue that, there is no collective freedom in terms of society because Puritanism restricts, punishes and judges individual actions. Key words: major characters, individual freedom, suppressed, no collective freedom. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, is constructed by the main themes of isolation and suffering. Moreover, sin and the Puritan law are narrowly connected, making the wish of freedom almost an impossible achievement. Over the course of the novel, Hester is the only one who truly manifests her right of individual freedom. However, she has been punished by the Puritan law, which considers her attitude as a threat to the Puritan community and its religion. Hester’s freedom starts since the moment she decides to carry her punishment in New England and not going back to England, where she could have lived a new life without feeling guilty. Furthermore, her self-determination...
Words: 1186 - Pages: 5
...appened in between 1800-1850 in England? 1800: Jan First soup kitchens to relieve hungry poor in London Autumn Robert owen begins philanthropic reform for workers employed in his mills at New Lanark Maria Edgeworth publishes Castle Rackrent, one of the earliest historical novels 1801 Steam carriae of Richard Trevithick carries road passengers at Camborne, Cornwall 1802 June 22 Health and Morals of Apprentices Act, first protective factory legislation, no children under 9 in mills,maximum 12-hour day for children Madame Tussaud mounts the first waxwork exhibition in Lyceum Hall, London Chalotte Dundas, a wooden ship with a single paddle-wheel, covers 20 miles of the Forth and clyde Canal, the world's first steam vessel. 1805 October 21 Battle of Trafalgar, Nelso defeats Franco-Spanish fleet, but is mortally wounded. 1807 Mar 25 Slave Trade abolished in all British possessions June 4 Federick Winsor illuminates part of pall Mall with gas lighting. 1811 Regency Act in favour of Prince of Wales because of George III's insanity. Mar organised machine-breaking (Luddism) in Nottingham Jane Austen publishes Sense and Sensibility Fashionable women reject tight corsets and petticoats 1812 Mar Publication of first 2 cantos of Byron's Childe Harold's Pilgrimage causes sensation: "I woke one morning and found myself famous" autumn Countess Lieven, wife of russian ambasador, introduces waltz to London 1813 Jane Austen publishes Pride and Prejudice Smooth-wheeled...
Words: 4602 - Pages: 19
...Take-Home Essay Nathaniel Hawthorne and Arthur Miller argument in individual conscience over religion is clearly shown through their use of Pathos and Logos in their books The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible respectively. I personally also agree with the argument in which they have presented. First off, Pathos was used by both authors to show their argument by showing how unjust the characters were treated to help make the reader sense the injustice that has occurred in the story. In the Scarlet Letter, author Nathaniel Hawthorne showed Hester as a kind-hearted woman that helps out the less fortunate, but afterwards he would tell the reader that “If they were resolute to accost her, she laid her finger on the scarlet letter, and passed on...
Words: 872 - Pages: 4
...“Twice-Told Tales” written by Hawthorne. In his review, Edgar Allan Poe set the rules of short stories. Also, the authors included Poe’ theory of poetry in “The Poetic Principle" and "The Philosophy of Composition" which contained the unified core and basis of Poe's critical theories and these two essays alone suffice to give one a full understanding of Poe's critical views. Edgar Allan Poe is considered to be America's first significant literary critic or, at least, the first major writer in America to write seriously about criticism, about the theory of composition, and about the principles of creative art. He was also the first to set down consistent set of principles about what he thought was acceptable in art and what should be essentially rejected in art. Poe's major theories can be found in the many reviews he wrote analyzing the writings of other authors; in this genre, his most famous review is entitled "Twice-Told Tales," a review of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories. Among Poe's greatnesses was his ability as an editor to recognize great literature and to dismiss insignificant works. Poe was the first major, or influential, writer to recognize the genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne. In his review of Hawthorne's Twice-Told Tales, Poe says that "Mr. Hawthorne is scarcely recognized by the press or by the public . . . yet . . . he evinces extraordinary genius, having no rival either in America or elsewhere." This critical recognition of Hawthorne, therefore, attests to Poe's keen critical...
Words: 1494 - Pages: 6
...“Twice-Told Tales” written by Hawthorne. In his review, Edgar Allan Poe set the rules of short stories. Also, the authors included Poe’ theory of poetry in “The Poetic Principle" and "The Philosophy of Composition" which contained the unified core and basis of Poe's critical theories and these two essays alone suffice to give one a full understanding of Poe's critical views. Edgar Allan Poe is considered to be America's first significant literary critic or, at least, the first major writer in America to write seriously about criticism, about the theory of composition, and about the principles of creative art. He was also the first to set down consistent set of principles about what he thought was acceptable in art and what should be essentially rejected in art. Poe's major theories can be found in the many reviews he wrote analyzing the writings of other authors; in this genre, his most famous review is entitled "Twice-Told Tales," a review of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories. Among Poe's greatnesses was his ability as an editor to recognize great literature and to dismiss insignificant works. Poe was the first major, or influential, writer to recognize the genius of Nathaniel Hawthorne. In his review of Hawthorne's Twice-Told Tales, Poe says that "Mr. Hawthorne is scarcely recognized by the press or by the public . . . yet . . . he evinces extraordinary genius, having no rival either in America or elsewhere." This critical recognition of Hawthorne, therefore, attests to Poe's keen critical...
Words: 1491 - Pages: 6
...is created by the sin of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale while Roger Chillingworth seeks for revenge of the adulterer. These three main characters will be highlighted in this essay. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne uses the symbols of light and dark to depict good and evil among the characters Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. Hawthorne explains both Hester’s light and dark sides with sunshine. It was stated that, “she made a halo of the misfortune and ignominy in which she was enveloped” (Hawthorne 51). Nathaniel Hawthorne is telling us she made the best out of the punishment she had to go through. Hester brought light to all the darkness that she dealt with. Hawthorne said that Hester coming out of the jail was “like a black shadow emerging into sunshine” (49). Hester looked like a shadow with the sin she had committed. People did not recognize Hester when she had come out of the prison. Hester is described by the author with sunshine for her dark and light sides....
Words: 443 - Pages: 2
...Section #1: The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, starts off by introducing how the book was written. The anonymous narrator stumbled upon some manuscripts labeled with a red “A”, all of which happened some 200 years before his time. He decided to write a fictional story about the facts he found in the manuscripts and thus, The Scarlet Letter was born. The story begins in a Boston Puritan Settlement in the 17th century. Hester Prynne and her young daughter, Pearl, are being led from the town prison, bearing the infamous “scarlet letter”. A man in the crowd said she was being tried for adultery, after her husband left and was supposed to be “lost at sea”, and gave birth to a child. She will not, however, give the identity of her lover, and the red “A”, along with her public shame, is punishment for her sin and secrecy. The man in the crowd turns out to be Hester’s long lost husband, who is now practicing medicine and is going by the name Roger Chillingworth. Several years pass and, being banished by the town, Hester and Pearl live in a small cottage on the outskirts of Boston. The town repeatedly tries to take Pearl away from Hester, but with the help of the young minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, the two manage to stay together. Chillingworth has his suspicions about Dimmesdale’s health and the fact he may be hiding a secret, so he decided to move in with him to give him constant care. One afternoon, while the minister sleeps, Chillingworth discovers a mark on the man’s chest...
Words: 1107 - Pages: 5
...The seminar will give an overview of representative American literary works in their cultural context from the colonial period to the end of the nineteenth century. Requirements • Regular class attendance and participation • Presentation on a chosen theme • Weekly reading log (if you miss more than two weekly entries, your entire work fails) • Essay of 2 500 words due May 9, and its oral presentation. Calendar of meetings and assignments | |Themes, authors, primary texts |Critical reading | |Feb 8 |Introductions | | |Feb 15 |The Puritan Imagination I |IAS: “New Founde Land” | | |From: Mary Rowlandson: The Sovereignty and Goodness of God. |CHLUS: “Jonathan Edwards […] and the Great Awakening | | |From: John Winthrop: A Model of Christian Charity. | | | |From: Jonathan Edwards: Personal Narrative. | | |Feb 22 |The Puritan Imagination II. |IAS: “New Founde Land” | | |Anne Bradstreet: “The Author...
Words: 589 - Pages: 3
...Characterization in Three Selected Works: A Comparative Essay In most pieces of fictional narrative or poetry characters are what drive the story. Characters reveal information, act out scenes and compel readers to keep turning pages with their ability to make an impression on the reader. Whether this impression is positive or negative well written characters connect the reader with the story in a way that is immersive. This essay will offer comment on how individual characters are presented and described by three different authors (Emily Dickenson, Kate Chopin and Nathaniel Hawthorne), briefly offering explanation of important nuances each character may possess. Where possible direct links will be made between characters and their authors to highlight how the authors reveal themselves through their literature to their audience. The first author to be touched on will be Emily Dickenson starting with her poem “712”. In this six stanza verse Dickenson describes an encounter with Death in which he helps her understand and accept her own passing away. What is unique about this poem is how Death is portrayed. Instead of casting death as a frightening reminder that all life ends, Death is personified as a gentlemen that simply wants to give her a ride that will take her from mortality to immortality. In her poem, Dickenson writes: “Because I could not stop for death/ he kindly stopped for me” (Dickenson 1214: 1-2) asserting that death as a phenomenon is not always untimely but...
Words: 1961 - Pages: 8
...Angela Hibbard April 28, 2013 English-231 Analytical Essay #2 Interpretations of Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story of Young Goodman Brown is a story of an impressionable and curious young man who ventured into the forest in Salem, Massachusetts to witness the witches Sabbath. Brown leaves his young bride Faith against her wishes to go on this journey, feeling some guilt as he walked away from her, “Poor little Faith!” thought he, for his heart smote him. “What a wretch am I, to leave her on such an errand!” (Hawthorne 606). Once in the forest Brown meets the Devil. As Brown and the Devil continue their walk through the woods the Devil tells him stories of his own Father and Grandfather walking this same dark path that Young Goodman Brown has taken. “Good goodman Brown! I have been as well acquainted with your family as with ever a one among the Puritans; that’s no trifle to say” (Hawthorne 607). Goodman Brown enters the woods and has many ghostly and confusing experiences that changed his life forever. Brown wasn’t sure when he awoke in the woods if his experience was a dream or if it really happened however; the events that he witnessed changed his life forever. “Be it so if you will. But alas! It was a dream of evil omen for the young goodman Brown. A stern, a sad, a darkly meditative, a distrustful, if not a desperate man, did he become, from the night of that fearful dream”. (Hawthorne 614). Michael Tritt wrote his interpretation of the Hawthorne’s...
Words: 742 - Pages: 3
...Whether you need to write a book review, a piece of literary criticism, or an essay about an author's life and works, you will find writing samples in our Novels section to use for reference and from which to gather ideas. You'll encounter writing that addresses beloved, classic literature as well as modern, controversial novels. Find expository writing that discusses the life of Nathaniel Hawthorne and his chilling novel, "The Scarlet Letter." How is "the scarlet letter" in the story more than just the letter itself? What statement was Hawthorne making about the puritan beliefs of his ancestors? Read about Hemingway's life and how it compares with the lives of his protagonists. What were Hemingway's attitudes towards war as discerned through novels like "All Quiet On the Western Front" and "A Farewell to Arms." Discover essays that examine the symbolism in Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." What did Conrad mean by the phrase "heart of darkness"? What does "The Great Gatsby" have to say about the American Dream? Is its picture of life in the 1920's a favorable one? How does F. Scott Fitzgerald's personal life tie into the plot and tone of this novel? Find essays that discuss Arthur Miller's intent for his "Death of a Salesman." How does the fact that "Death of a Salesman" is a play and not simple prose impact the effectiveness of the tale it tells? Find writing examples here that illuminate Edith Wharton's theme of failed marriages and confining social conventions as evidenced...
Words: 349 - Pages: 2
...Hawthorne essay Hawthorne’s short stories “Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” and “Rappaccini's Daughter” both discuss his personal scientific views. Hawthorn does not agree with the idea of trying to play god during the course of natural events. Nathaniel Hawthorne believes that human life should not be sacrificed for the use of science. Throughout these two short stories Hawthorne illustrates how Dr. Heidegger and Rappaccini have misused science, and how they both lose something valuable. In the short story “Dr.Heidegger’s Experiment”, Dr. Heidegger sacrifices human life in order to obtain more knowledge. As Hawthorne mentioned, “I rejoice that I have so well selected the subjects of my experiment”(506). Just as the experiment is about to begin...
Words: 348 - Pages: 2
...The Scarlet Letter Essay In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne effectively conveys his message through his continual use of powerful symbolism throughout the novel. Hawthorne uses copious symbols throughout the book that represent a broader meaning, such as the scarlet letter and the meteor. For example, Pearl’s name is allegorical of her character and the price her mother paid. An actual pearl is not completely white. This demonstrates how Pearl is not entirely pure and has a tendency to be an “elfish” child. Pearl is also correlated to the rose bush near the prison. Hawthorne states, “The child finally announced that she had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses” (Hawthorne 90). She relates to this because although Pearl is beautiful, she can have her “thorns.” In the novel, Hawthorne states, “But she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price,--purchased with all she had,--her mother’s only treasure” (Hawthorne 73). This...
Words: 638 - Pages: 3
...his essay discusses how The Minister's Black Veil, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is considered a part of American Romanticism. There are certain characteristics, symbols, themes and characters that make it a part of American Romanticism literature. Those characteristics and parts that make up an American Romanticism piece, those items are presented in this essay. So, in this parable, there are only a few examples of specific characteristics which make a story or piece of literature a part of American Romanticism. The typical characteristics of American Romanticism stories, are the value of feeling and intuition over reason, the value of the imagination over reality, civilization is bad Nature is good, educated sophistication is bad, youthful innocence is good, individual freedom is important,nature is the way to find God, the idea that progress is bad, also, most settings are in exotic locales or the supernatural. Some examples from the text are,However, in The Minister's Black Veil, the characteristics of American Romanticism present are, the connection to the supernatural, the belief that individual freedom is important, and the value of feelings and intuition over reason....
Words: 675 - Pages: 3
...The Puritan “A” Essay Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” tells the story of a woman, Hester Prynne, who conceived a child through an adulterous affair. As punishment for her sin she must wear a scarlet letter “A” on her dress. This story took place in the Puritan town of Boston; in the Puritan society “A” is a symbol of adultery or affair. Hester was forced to wear this letter as a constant reminder of her shame and so that everyone would know what she has done. The townspeople automatically began to mistreat her and her daughter so that they would leave and their society could remain pure. Although the original Puritan meaning of the letter “A” is adultery, throughout the story “A” takes on different meanings such as able and angel. Initially the Puritan society sees the “A” as a mark of punishment for sin but over time their outlook changes. In spite of all Hester endured throughout her years of being labeled as an adulterer she still remained strong. “Such helpfulness was found in her,—so much power to do, and power to sympathize,—that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” stated a member of society (13.3). She worked to redeem herself of the wrong she had done; she was a helper to those that were in need, sick, or poor. Her actions caused many members of society to change their viewpoint and no longer view her as an adulterer but as someone...
Words: 474 - Pages: 2
