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Hester's clothing
Can't help wondering: did Hester Prynne have more than one dress?
Posted By kev67 at Mon 8 Jun 2020, 12:54 PM in The Scarlet Letter || 0 Replies
Scarlet Letter
Are the use of herbs in the Scarlet Letter authentic. I was wondering if anyone knew the historical accuracy of some of the herbs prescribed by Chillingsworth. I think many of them were poisenous and those giving them out did not realize they were so harmful. Any thoughts on this are appreciated.
Posted By Bikko57 at Wed 7 Sep 2016, 1:16 AM in The Scarlet Letter || 1 Reply
Scarlet Letter Help
In the ending of the Scarlet Letter I am not exactly sure how Dimmesdale dies. I, at first, thought he stabbed himself but then after thinking about it I don't think that is quite right. Can anyone help me?
Posted By tokool4puppets at Thu 19 May 2011, 3:16 PM in The Scarlet Letter || 3 Replies
Homework Help - Point of View
I have a pretty solid understanding of The Scarlet Letter but I have a very difficult worksheet... Maybe my mind just isn't working after the essay. Question 1: What is meant by "thematic definition"? How do you think point of view helps to discover the theme or themes of a story? Is there a term called "thematic definition" or do you think I am being asked for the definition of theme? As far as the second part of the question goes, would I be crazy to say that in 3rd person, the theme is usually openly stated while it is typically implied through the character arc in 1st person? Question 2: What is meant by "dramatic definition"? How might point of view help you discover the structure of a story? This question has me completely lost... Question 3: What is the point of view of this novel? It's between Privileged or Effaced. Does Hawthorne enter the consciousness of his characters or does he reveal their thoughts and feelings through their actions?
Posted By kaylenfalse at Mon 18 Apr 2011, 11:46 PM in The Scarlet Letter || 0 Replies
Question regarding a theme in Hawthorne's portrayal of Pearl
For a short essay I need to write, I need to find a theme that a reader might infer from Hawthorne's portrayal of Pearl as an atypical child. What can you all make of this?
Posted By MFrank1994 at Fri 15 Oct 2010, 1:13 AM in The Scarlet Letter || 5 Replies
Scarlet Letter- 3 crowds quotes
Can anybody help me on finding qoutes for the 3 crowds in scarlet letter?
Posted By Jose Chavez17 at Wed 6 Oct 2010, 9:40 PM in The Scarlet Letter || 0 Replies
Hey i need help asap
so i started readingthe scarlet letter and i have to answer questions on the custom house. Im not looking for someone to give me the answer..id like to be able to actually understand the book! 1.Why does Hawthorne use the phrase "But, one idle rainy day . . . "? What types of novels and stories often begin with such descriptions? 2.The unopened documents Hawthorne describes are part of the fiction he creates. What details does he include to persuade his reader he is describing actual, historical documents? 3.In the paragraph describing the scarlet letter, Hawthorne combines concrete descriptive details with a concluding sentence focusing on the strange feeling the letter evokes in him. What effect is created by this combination of concrete and mystical language? 4.What does Hawthorne mean to signify by his account of the "burning heat" of the letter? How does this detail affect his pose as a historian presenting an account of actual events? 5.What view of Hester Prynne's character does the old Surveyor's document convey? What does Hawthorne claim are the similarities and differences in The Scarlet Letter and the historical artifacts he discovered? Why do you think Hawthorne made up this story claiming a historical basis for The Scarlet Letter ?
Posted By lilmizz718 at Mon 2 Aug 2010, 5:16 PM in The Scarlet Letter || 0 Replies
Anagrams and Hallucinations
A few years ago, I went without sleep for three days and two nights in a row because I was sitting in front of my computer, hopped up on energy drinks and restlessness, researching and writing 3 massive midterm essays. In my delusional state, I randomly hallucinated just enough to believe that Dimmesdale is an anagram for: misled man. If you work it out, it doesn't fit, but it actually could be: made misled, or probably various others. I think the idea came to me from reflecting helter-skelter, where something an old prof told me resurfaced about reading the character Aminadab's name backwards as "Bad Anima" . Has anyone else come across their own anagrams, similar to what I've mentioned, in this book? Or was that a crazy/beautiful discovery I can write home about?
Posted By PoeticPractice at Fri 16 Jul 2010, 1:03 AM in The Scarlet Letter || 0 Replies
Scarlet Letter Analysis
I am not a professional analyzer, but here is my analysis paper. I hope that it can help others understand the story better. �Nevertheless,� said the mother calmly, though growing more pale, �this badge hath taught me, -- it daily teaches me,-- it is teaching me at this moment,-- lessons whereof my child may be the wiser and better, albeit they can profit nothing to myself (pg. 98).� This part of the story is when Hester and Pearl go to visit Governor Bellingham at his mansion, to bring him a pair of gloves, fit to his order. After Hester�s banishment, she began doing seamstress work for many people of the Puritan colony. Mr. Wilson, Roger Chillingsworth, and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale accompanied Bellingham at his home when Hester came to visit. While I read this passage for the first time, I had to reread it, and the second time it was better. I imagined that I was Hester, explaining to these men that I deserved to keep my daughter, because her �scarlet letter� has taught her better. While she�s basically begging to keep her daughter, can you imagine how she looked? Flushed and pale as the passage reads, her hands were probably clammy, and her voice probably a little shaky too. I can�t even begin to imagine what it would feel like to walk through town, with, pretty much, a sign exclaiming your sin to everyone. I can�t stand it when people stop and stare, I�d probably make faces at them. During this time women were still subservient, I think that�s the right word, and generally, had no say in what happened to them. These magistrates could easily enough take Pearl away from Esther. She explains to them that her red letter teaches her always, and it in turn helps her teach her daughter better. Even though teaching her daughter better will not profit her in any way. Do you recall, back at Hester�s cottage one day, when Pearl was throwing rocks at her Mothers �scarlet letter, how saddened Hester must have felt. She knows what she�s done was wrong, but I think she knew that when she had to stand before everyone holding Pearl. How has Hester�s experience taught Pearl? Walking through town she�s learned to ignore the snickers, well, almost, because she does throw rocks at them. The older she gets the more she�ll be able to learn and understand from her Mothers experiences. Even though, throughout the book, many people seem to believe that Pearl is just as much as a sinner as her mother. Will Pearl get a fighting chance to prove, or disprove, that her mother�s sins, are not hers as well. Everyone person makes their own decisions, and those choices will directly affect the individual. Our choices, although, do affect others, more particularly our family and loved ones. I believe that at this point in the story, this passage is a breakthrough for Hester. She�s been living with her sin, but she hasn�t had to answer for it until then. I don�t think she thought they�d take Pearl from her, unless for obvious reasons, but she�s a better mother than that. If Pearl doesn�t learn from her Mothers mistakes, will she also fall into sin? What would happen to Hester, if Pearl were to fall into this sin? Unfortunately, they�d probably hang her. Too often in this time period were people to quick to judge, in my opinion. I don�t think that she should have had to stand in front of everyone, go to jail, or be banished. If this were to happen today, which adultery does, they wouldn�t face the publicized embarrassment that Hester did. Kimberly
Posted By KimberlyM at Fri 30 Apr 2010, 5:52 PM in The Scarlet Letter || 0 Replies
Essay topic help
My literature extended essay in on The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Posted By kallikearney at Sat 13 Mar 2010, 3:41 AM in The Scarlet Letter || 1 Reply