someone plz help save my hiney

[wisco12]

i could really use some help with an essay i have to do. umm the theme is burdens. Question or topic: What does it mean to carry a burden? Is carrying a burden the same now as it was during puritan times? Who carried the burden within the novel? What role did Puritan society play in this burden? What could have been done, or was done, to eliminate or alleviate some of the pressures of these burdens?... so yea i didnt get a whole lot out of the book cuz i couldnt stay focused on it enough to retain any info. so if someone could plz help me that'd be greatly appreciated. and if someone could tell me where to find another source for info cuz i need two one being the book and another one. thx

[hopefulcynic]

Um, what book is it that you read?

[wisco12]

sry its the scarlet letter by nathaniel hawthorne

[Schokokeks]

1st: here you could bifurcate the question into two branches, one being the aspect of a burden being imposed on oneself by the environment (e.g. the rules and rules of this time enjoin the carriage of the scarlet letter on Hester), the other being the self-imposition of a burden (e.g. (a casual one :)): I won't eat any chocolate until I've lost three pounds..). Hereto you could also add the aspect of acceptance of a burden and evalute the question whether Hester did so in her final resolution to come back to the old town.

2nd: Here you could compare the importance that society attaches to values and a moral codex for living. Puritan times were strongly marked by religious rules and interpretation, whereas today public shame rather exists for entertainment (compare Hollywood's darlings and their latest uncoverings...) and is not taken so seriously as it was then, as I can hardly imagine anyone having an illegitimate child being put up on Times Square for that. Who would care today, it happens every day, although this attitude might diversify whether you live in a big town or a small village.

3rd: Most obviously, Hester did. She did so in a way for everyone to see (i.e. the letter attached to her clothing) but also was mentally and internally affected by it (as I can remember, there are certain passages where she describes the affects the carriage had on her, that she could thus identify other girls in the same situation and so on...). Secondly, her lover Arthur was also carrying the burden, but only he himself knew of it, as his involvement in the affair was not to be revealed until the very end. Hester's child Pearl was also affected by the burden because she was in a way seperated from the other children and was also treated in a way that clearly secluded her from the town's society. Furthermore, I could also imagine that the other townspeople suffered from Hester and her burden because at her sight they were always reminded of the severe punishment one is due to be given as soon as one's "sins" are layed open.

4th: Here you could include the Puritans' origin that they were driven from Europe because they weren't allowed to practise their religion freely and wanted to establish a new society based upon their ideas in America. They wanted an improved society and rigidly clung to the principles their religion taught them (e.g. the decalogue, reading the Bible literally, etc.). Although some of the inhabitants might have had pity for Hester, she is to be judged according to these laws they built for themselves.

5th: I think there's a passage in the book describing that Hester did a lot of charity work for the poor of the town such as tailoring them clothing and such. This could be interpreted as her way of repentance. If I remember correctly, the town's administration even wanted to relieve her from the duty of carrying the scarlett letter after 7 years. Concerning what could have been done, I'm not sure if it was mentioned anywhere that they actually did so, but Hester could have talked somehow secretly to Arthur about their deed and the consequences. Maybe it would have been easier to bear if she knew he was suffering likewise.

Hope this help and I didn't give any false information because it's been a while that I read the book.
Good luck to you!

[wisco12]

thx for that ur a savior wow that was thorough and quite umm idk how to say it but yea ur good thx a bunch

[Schokokeks]

you're welcome, glad to help :)

[wisco12]

i wanted to use some of what u said as a source, would that be ok?

[Schokokeks]

hehe, sure, I'm not going to publish it anyway! :D

[Schokokeks]

oh, but maybe you would like to quote a more professional source..? Have a look here: http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/litlibrary/pdf/scarlet_letter.pdf