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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Scarlet Letter
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The Crucible
The AP-Kateers, 2008-2009
- Belknap, Laura
- Bueno, Aaron
- Cruickshank, Chelsea
- Del Carmen, Julio Cesar
- Disch, Samantha
- Dunbar, Christina
- Florendo, Anna
- Garcia-Angel, Maria Socorro
- Hua, Hayley
- Idika, Nneka
- Kane, Holly
- Kass, Gina
- Mc Cormick, Maddy
- Mejia Aceituno, Jennifer
- Mikkelsen, Stevie
- Minjoe, Mari
- Ocampo, Vianey
- Pham, Benjamin
- Randazzo, Samantha
- Reyes, Alejandra
- Riveros, Felipe
- Rodriguez-Ruiz, Manuel
- Samano, Nayda
- Shafer, Allison
- Stojanov, Tatiana
- Tiffany, Connor
- Winslow, Myles
- Yuasa, Tomomi
Summer Reading Assignments
The Scarlet Letter
If only Hester had majored in English...
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44 comments:
"A writhing horror twisted itself across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them, and making one little pause, with all its wreathed intervolutions in open sight.”
(Hawthorne 70)
Through the negative connotations that came along with the words that were used to describe Chillingworth, the readers could decipher Hawthorne’s portrayal of him as a merciless antagonist. The author constantly emphasized his physical deformity, which represented the abnormal evil in his mind that the readers will witness as the novel progresses. Hawthorne also alluded to Chillingworth’s malignant personality when he compared his features to a snake, as stated in this quote. The dark and the negative connotations that came with it can also be used to describe Chillingworth: cunning and deceitful. The idea of the snake was also suitable to describe him when we remember the serpent in the Garden of Eden and the devilish qualities that it represented. From this chapter forward, revenge and punishment for Dimmesdale will be Chillingworth’s only consuming passion.
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“…She saw that, owing to the peculiar effect of this convex mirror, the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance. In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it.” (Hawthorne, 94)
In her visit to Governor Bellingham’s mansion, Hester sees herself in a reflection which represents the town’s general judgment of the scarlet letter. Even after several years have passed since her sins were first denounced, the townspeople still perceive Hester as nothing more than a sinner. The letter itself does not occupy much of Hester’s appearance, but its reflection in the Governor’s mirror makes her seem practically nonexistent in comparison to emphasize her continuous alienation from the public. Hawthorne uses this passage to demonstrate to the reader that the townspeople have not yet eased Hester’s punishment and also to give a visual example to better explain her status in the community.
"'Be thou strong for me!' answered he. 'Advise me what to do.'"
(Hawthorne, 163).
Dimmesdale and Hester in the forest, and he is begging her to think of a plan. This is an interesting gender reversal, since the man was usually the one who came up with the plan and executed it during this time period. The woman was usually expected to stay at home, do her part in the plan, and swoon at the appropriate moments. Hester is a precursor to Mina Harker from the book Dracula, who types up the diaries and letters and also comes up with some plans to help the men hunt down Dracula. Hester is required to think of a plan that will enable Dimmesdale to live freely. Plus, she has to put the plan into motion, which delegates Dimmesdale to the role of the damsel in distress while she saves him.
This is in response to Anna's quote.
Hawthorne could also be referring to Milton's "Paradise Lost" when he mentions that Chillingworth shows his intentions accidentally. In Book IV, right after Satan's first monologue, Milton states that Satan shows his emotions on his face three times. An angel called Uriel sees this and is able to warn the angels that protect Eden, although that doesn't stop Satan from destroying Adam and Eve. Hawthorne could be saying that Dimmesdale may have a slight chance to defeat his enemy if someone helps him to recognize the foe in time, but he will probably fall in the end, like Adam and Eve.
This is a response to Holly's comment:
I agree with Holly. This gender reversal was very interesting indeed because during that time period, it was very uncommon for women to be able to give their opinions and for them to be heard and taken seriously by others. It was also rare for men of the past centuries to ask for support and advice from women. This probably meant that Hester was a much stronger individual than Dimmesdale.
"On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold-thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore; and which was of a splendor in accordance with the taste of age, but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony (Hawthorne 50)".
At this point in the novel the reader knows very little about the main character Hester Prynne except for the fact that she is being punished for being adulterous by wearing this letter A on her breast. Even without continuing to read past this quote I think the reader is able to learn about Hester Prynne, reason being that the letter is symbolic of her character. Much like the letter she is forced to wear, Prynne is highly complex and beautiful. Also like the letter, she is misunderstood by her peers. On its own the A is simply a letter of the alphabet but when forced upon one's breast it becomes a form a social torture. Before she committed adultery Hester Prynne was probably loved by many members of the community, especially considering her rare gift for sewing but because she gave into temptation and love, she is being punished. Readers can tell from this part of the novel that Hester Prynne will find few allies in her colony but will thrive because of the strength it takes a person to face the world in humiliation.
“‘Dost thou know thy mother now, child?’ asked she, reproachfully, but with a subdued tone. ‘Wilt thou come across the brook, and own thy mother, now that she had her shame upon her, - now that she is sad?’
‘Yes; now I will!’ answered the child, bounding across the brook, and clasping Hester in her arms. ‘Now thou art my mother indeed! And I am thy little Pearl!’
In a mood of tenderness that was not usual with her, she drew down her mother’s head, and kissed her brow and both her cheeks. But then – by a kind of necessity that always impelled this child to alloy whatever comfort she might chance to give with a throb of anguish – Pearl put up her mouth, and kissed the scarlet letter too!” (Hawthorne 165)
At this point in the book, Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale have met in the forest and decided to go to Europe with Pearl to escape the place of their sin and their guilt. Hester, in a brief moment of freedom, took off her scarlet A, but when she called Pearl to come to her, Pearl would not budge. Begrudgingly, Hester puts the letter back on.
This excerpt reveals that Pearl understands more than Hester or the reader may previously have thought. It is possible that Pearl throws this temper tantrum because she has deduced that the scarlet letter represents the very act that created her; it is the reason for her existence. She knows that she and the scarlet letter are deeply connected, and, basically, the A is her connection to her mother. Pearl herself is the manifestation of the scarlet letter, and when Hester casts it off, she has denied the connection between her and her daughter, metaphorically throwing Pearl away. Pearl, being the highly perceptive child that she is, sees all of these things in an act that Hester meant as an innocent unloading of her own emotional burdens.
“ ‘I will not speak!’ answered Hester, turning pale as death, but responding to this voice, which she too surely recognized. ‘And my child must seek a heavenly father, she shall never know an earthly one!’ ” (Hawthorne, 64)
The Scarlet Letter was the most confusing of the three books, because I couldn’t quite understand what Hawthorne was trying to express in some parts of the novel.
During this part of the book, Hester uses her self dignity and does not share the name of her baby’s father with the public. In a way, it shows the pride she has for herself and her daughter, Pearl, because she stays firm with her decision. Hester Prynne understands her punishment and is strangely okay with it. There seems to be some kind of bond shown in this quote, because the mans name is kept safe for she does not want to have him get hurt just as she is now. She feels that her punishment now, the big red A, will not go away from her literally and emotionally, so why put the man in the same grieving punishment as she is in. I feel that Hester’s affirmative state really allows her to be strong while she goes through the horrific embarrassment that she is faced with. This is where we really begin to understand what kind of a person Hester Prynne truly is.
"Most of the spectators testified to having seen, on the breast of the unhappy minister, a SCARLET LETTER-the very semblance of that worn by Hester Prynne-imprinted in the flesh. As regarded its origin, there were various explanations, all of which must necessarily have been conjectural." (Hawthorne 234)
Following Mr. Dimmesdale's apparent confession to his sin of loving Hester Prynne and his subsequent death, most spectators of the event claimed to have seen the letter A imprinted on the chest of the reverend, while others saw no such thing. Among those whose saw the letter, there is controversy about where the mark came from. Some said he inflicted it upon himself, some said it only appeared after Roger Chillingworth coaxed it out of him with magic and drugs, and some said it appeared on its own, out of the dreadful remorse that Mr. Dimmesdale felt over his sin. Nathaniel Hawthorne asks the reader to "choose among these theories." I believe that Mr. Dimmesdale inflicted this torture upon himself because the guilt he felt for his sin was so intense that he could not bear it without punishing himself in some way. He didn't want to lessen the peoples' trust in their minister or set a bad example to anyone else. I think he hurt himself as soon as he committed the act, even before everyone found out Hester was pregnant. He was too ashamed to confess his guilt to anyone else, but also too guilt ridden to allow himself to forget.
This is a response to Sami's comment.
I agree and admire Hester for not telling the name of Pearl's father. It would have been easy to be angry and want Mr. Dimmesdale to share some of the punishment that she will have to endure, but she sees that that won't help her at all and will only cause the town to lose trust in their minister and maybe their church. Hester is a strong and smart lady and accepts the consequences very well.
This is also in response to Sami's comment.
I agree that Hester is trying to preserve Dimmesdale, but she could also be trying to show the community that they can't break her. She's a little like Giles Corey from "The Crucible," who was tortured until he died because he wouldn't confess that he was a wizard. Giles wanted his sons to have his land, and so he died for their right to own property. Hester Prynne underwent public humiliation, which can be more lasting and unbearable than any physical torture, and refused to give up her love's name. She may have done this out of love, but also out of an urge to show that the community is no stronger than she is, because they couldn't break her.
"To Hester Prynn it might have been a mode of expressing, and therefore soothing, the passion of her life. Like all other joys, she rejected it as sin. This morbid meddling of conscience with an immaterial matter betokened, it is to be feared, no genuine and stedfast penitence, but something doubtful, something that might be deeply wrong, beneath." (pg. 70)
I found this comment on Hester Prynn's behavior/lifestyle very interesting. It shows the reader how remorseful Hester is about the sin she has surrounded herself with. She is an adulterer and therefore can never enjoy life the way she should. The Scarlet Letter is a reminder of her sin and a reminder that she will never lead a holy and righteous life in the eyes of the church, and for that she has something "deeply wrong, beneath."
After reading Anna's comment I went back and read that portion of the chapter that she quoted and felt I got so much more out of it a second time through. I thought the connection she made to the serpent in the garden of Eden was very clever and paralleled the situation Chillingworth is creatring by taking over the life of the reverend.
Adding to sam Randazzo's comment, you can see that in this passage, Hester has pretty much given the world to Pearl. She is all that she has. After she takes off the Scarlet Letter and Pearl can't have it, it also proves how innocent and bound to her daughter Hester truly is. At the end of the book, it is thought that Hester Prynne was seen to be wearing that scarlet letter even when it appeared that Pearl had grown and moved on and gotten married. It is just interesting, the commitment that Hester truly makes for her daughter and the pride and honor that she is truly trying to protect, I guess in some ways feeling that it is her only connection to the life that she was given. does that make sense at all? I'm having trouble explaining it right. sorry...
"wilt thou stand here with Mother and me, tomorrow noontide?" inquired Pearl.
"Nay; not so my little Pearl," answered the minister; for, with the new energy of the moment all the dread of public exposure that had so long been the anguish of his life had returned upon him; and he was already trmbling at the conjunction in which- with a strange joy, nevertheless- he now found himself. "Not so, my child. I shall, indeed stand with thy mother and thee one other day, but not tomorrow."
Pearl laughed, and attempted to pull away her hand. but the minister held it fast.
"A moment longer my child!" said he.
"But wilt promise, " asked Pearl "to take my hand and mothers, tomorrow noontide?"
(Hawthorne, pg. 138)
I had trouble truly understanding the meaning of this particular passage. It was a bit confusing, but at this point in our story I believe that it has become somewhat clear that Arthur Dimmesdale is Pearls father. It is hard to tell why Pearl is so earnest to be seen with the Reverend and her mother together. It seems that she can not be old enough to understand, yet she seems to be accurate about things that her mother is still trying to comprehend. With Pearls strange behavior it is hard to truly understand why she really needs this public display to happen. Is she trying to make things better or worse?
In response to Sam's comment:
I agree with you when you say that Pearl is unwilling to stand beside her mother when she has cast aside the Scarlet letter because Pearl understands it is a symbol of her creation and self.
Even more than that I believe Pearl denies her relationship with her mother when the scarlet letter is absent because it has been the mark of her mom for as long as Pearl can remember. When I was younger my mom had shoulder-length hair and one day when I was five she came back from he hair salon with a bob. Her new style was so different I refused to recognize her. I believe this is representative of Pearl's emotions when she sees her mom without the scarlet letter.
In addition, I think Pearl might feel betrayed that her mother feels comfortable enough to take off the letter when around Dimmesdale but not around her own daughter. Before this time, Pearl has never thought her mom had a strong connection with anyone but herself.
“Pearl, that wild and flighty little elf, stole softly towards him, and, taking his hand in the grasp of both her own, laid her cheek against it; a caress so tender, and withal so unobtrusive, that her mother, who was looking on, asked herself, is that my Pearl?” (pg. 107)
During the time in the Governor’s mansion when they are deciding whether or not to leave Pearl with her mother, Pearl shows dislike to Mr. Wilson, who supposedly is very good with children. She also takes kindly to Mr. Dimmesdale who is said to not be too good with children and shows him great affection. I actually didn’t notice it at the time I read this passage, but this seems to be quite a big hint towards Dimmesdale being the father. It also shows her good intuition because Wilson was also leaning towards wanting to take her away from her mother. This can also represent Pearl rejecting her “heavenly father”, and choosing her “earthly father”
This isn’t a dialectical journal or anything but I thought I would add this. I don’t know if I’m just strange, but to me the characters actual names seem to be symbols. The last name Prynne rhymes with sin, Chillingworth represents how he is a cruel person, and Dimmesdale (Dim) represents how he is oblivious to the fact that his soul is being tortured.
"Be that as it might, the scaffold of the pillory was a point of view that revealed to Hester Prynne the entire track along which she had been treading since her happy infancy."
I found this very moving. Despite the melancholy tone that really sets the atmosphere, I also find it beautiful. Why? Because in essence it says that from here she can see all that took place in her life. She sees all her mistakes and all her accomplishments as little blocks that she built her life up on. Should one allude to the quote of "before one dies one sees ones life flash before ones eyes"? If you look at it in that light, one can picture this beautiful young woman looking out at this crowd, each face filled with anger and scorn as they look at her, seeing only her steps taken.
This is a response to Holly's Comment...
I totally agree with you when you say that Hester was trying to show the community that they could not break her. She goes though all this torture and still remains strong and true to the man she loves. I also think that she displays that she is a strong woman by being a seamstress and raising her daughter on her own. Something that was unheard of back then. It seems that no matter what society can do to her she still remains true to herself and keeps on living.
Ahh, "The Scarlet Letter" the book that will not leave me for the rest of my life, i fell asleep af ter the second chapter, but i got to give the author some credit for the story about how people discriminate the strongest people in a group. After all the extereme details about every single object in the story, it left me thinking of details about my life and how i have not really apreciated them.
Hester Prynne was a woman who was filled with problems, anxiety for her dauther, and her one big sin that does not leave her alone. This character is an example of someone who persevered through life after she commited adultery,she never gave up on what would come in the future. Some people would commit suicide after all the humiliatioin and abuse Hester went through, now some may oppose to what i say obout her, but thats my opinion of this character. About the minister, i think he is a coward, putting his reputation in front of his true love and responsability for his dauther, he was not really supportive to Hester. Thats it for me.
I to noticed how many of the names went with the character. I feel that it allowed the readsers to understand the characters more and it made the novel more dramatic.
I feel it was a good part on Hawthorne to do that and I also found it to be very original.
Yeah your right about Pearls name having significance as well. I like the way you interpreted that.
In response to Maddie:
I agree with you on your analysis of Pearl. It almost seems as though this precocious little girl wants both of her parents to be punished for their actions, or at least acknowledged as sinners by society. As Hester is already serving her sentence, Pearl goes after Dimmesdale, and tries to convince him to expose himself.
In response to Maddie and Sam:
That does seem to make sense. Its like Pearl wants Mr. Dimmesdale to be punished. Its strange though since i don't believe the secret was completely out in the open at that point.
"[...] What can thy silence do for him, except to tempt him,- yea compel him, as it were-to add hypocrisy to sin? Heaven hath granted thee an open ignominy, that thereby thou mayest work out an open triumph over the evil within him-who, perchance, hath not the courage to grasp it for himself-the bitter- but wholesome, cup that is now presented to thy lips (Hawthorne 59)" [Reverend Dimmesdale]
Later in the book, as the identity of Hester's partner in sin is revealed, this particular instance was confusing. Perhaps Dimmesdale was saying these things to keep appearances or perhaps Hawthorne wanted to show irony in not only Dimmesdale's profession but in the use of the word "hypocrisy". When the reader first reads that, they don't assume this could be the hypocrisy of a preacher who is an adulterer, they assume "hypocrisy" in the sense of someone come to condemn another but has committed the same crime. The word has a loaded meaning which only reveals itself in chapters to come.
I agree with Nneka, it seems as though everything the revrend says is full of irony as well as hypocrisy, it also seems like he is trieng to confess his sin, only the reader is not fully aware of this until later in the book where things begin to reveal themselves.
"Such helpfulness was found in her 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." (Hawthorne 145)
Even though Hester had the scarlet "A" that meant adulterer, with her helpfulness and caring attitude she taught the people to not judge her by how she looked. To them Hester past was not of great importance because she had showed them that she was a wonderful and helpful person, and that a person should not be judge on their past rather than on their actions in the present.
Laura, I really like the way you used that analogy with her mom's new hairdo in order to describe the connection with Hester and Pearl :]
Before, I did not understand why Pearl would want her mother to wear the letter. Wouldn't she want her mother to be happy and to not be embarrassed? Wouldn't Pearl want happiness for her mother, if it meant to not wear the letter for everyone around to see? But I guess the letter means something more to Pearl than just sorrow for her mom. Like Sam said, that letter is literally the symbol of Pearl and Hester's relationship.
This is related to what Nneka said about the irony with Dimmesdale's situation:
“The people knew not the power that moved them thus. They deemed the young clergyman a miracle of holiness. They fancied him the mouthpiece of Heaven’s messages of wisdom and rebuke and love...when poor Mr. Dimmesdale was thinking of his grave, he questioned with himself whether the grass would ever grow on it, because an accursed thing must there be buried!”
There is plenty of irony which surrounds Mr Dimmesdale’s character. He is seen as the most holiest of all the clergyman in his community, the man that is the”mouthpiece” to communicate to the messages of Heaven to the people. The level of holiness that Dimmesdale possesses is so great that even the idea of him committing a minor sin would be an outrage. Hawthorne aids the reader to see Dimmesdale’s inner dilemma. He wants to come clean about his mistake with Hester Prynne, however once he does, he will no longer be thought of a clergyman, let alone a holy one. As the reader, I feel sympathy for Dimmesdale, even though he has committed a horrible act of sin. I know that Hawthorne does not want the reader to be too sympathetic for Dimmesdale, because he did indeed commit adultery. However, we can’t forget that we are only human, and as humans, we do make dreadful mistakes at times. Because of this imperfect truth, the wisest thing is to have some sympathy and to give a person another chance to make things right.
This is my comment in response to allison's:
I also think that he felt so guilty that he felt that he had to punish himself in some way. Maybe like you said he had punished himself even before everyone found out that Hester was pregnant and he could not forget the past and continue to live his life.
“‘The sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. . . . It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!’
’Nor ever will, my child, I hope,’ said Hester.
’And why not, mother?’ asked Pearl, stopping short. . . . ‘Will it not come of its own accord, when I am a woman grown?’”
In this passage, Pearl is speaking to her mother about the “scarlet letter” on her chest. Pearl thinks that the A is just something one acquires when she becomes an adult. This shows how naïve Pearl is. She does not understand that her mother has done something wrong, and as a result is forced to wear the letter. However, she does make a good point that sin is simply a part of life, and eventually Pearl too will wear a “scarlet letter” of sorts.
"'Hadst thou sought the whole world over,' said he, looking darkly at the clergyman, 'there was no place so secret - no high nor lowly place, where thou couldst have escaped me, - save on this very scaffold!'"
(Chillingworth 230)
When Chillingworth discovers Dimmesdale on the scaffold, he says that there was no place on earth where the reverend could have escaped his vengeance except for on that scaffold. Although on that platform Dimmesdale dies, victory is his for he ultimately escapes his tormentor- death is the one place Chillingworth cannot follow him. Because the reverend confessed his sin, he would go to heaven; Roger, whose sin is far graver than his patient's, would live out eternity in hell. It is also interesting to note that while the entire town witnesses Dimmesdale's confession, they have no need to judge or condemn him for he acts as his own prosecutor.
"Not thy soul,"he answered,with another smile."No,not thine!"
(page 70)
I found this quote in the Scarlet Letter to be gut-wretching for many reasons.I understand that Mr.Chillingworth is upset about Hester giving birth to a child not of her husbands , but you can tell from the quote that Mr.Chillingworth is going to make Hester's life hell,and wants her to live a life of shame.This quote also depicts a foreshadow in events to come from Mr.Chillingworth.This quote simply scared me for fear of Hester's life!
I agree With Sami Disch.I found the Scarlet letter out of the three books the most confusing.I also think it is intresting how Hester can still hold her head up high by wearing the Scarlet letter.
I agree With Sami Disch.I found the Scarlet letter out of the three books the most confusing.I also think it is intresting how Hester can still hold her head up high by wearing the Scarlet letter.
i think of pearl as a symbol of truth as well as the physicalization of Hester's scarlet letter. She can see that something is bothering the reverend so that he holds his hand over his heart constantly, as if she sees his own scarlet letter there.
Ok so here it gose. We just learned that Hester has commeted adultry. The officals the man, she refuses to. As her punishment is to where a scarlet letter on her chest. After a little she notices her husband in the crowd. She has not seen him since she went to america. She is lead in to the prison. Her husband comes in and akss her to tell him who the man is. After she says no he tells her not to tell anyone of his pressence.
“ ’Enough, it is my purpose to live and die unknown. Let, therefore, thy husband be to the world as one already dead, and of whom no tidings shall ever come. Recognise me not, by word, by sign, by look! Breathe not the secret above all, to the man of thou wottest of. Shouldst thou fail me in this, beware! His fame, his position, his life will be in my hands. Beware!’ “ (Hawthorne, 57-58)
This physician, Roger Chillingworth, has turned out to be Hester’s first and real husband, and he has threatened to strip the man, with whom Hester had committed the crime of fornication, of his dignity and his life if Hester does not keep the secret of Roger’s true identity. At this point in the book, we do not know who the “fellow sinner” is; however, I believe that, through Chillingworth’s determination and vigor, the identity of the “fellow sinner” shall not be directly revealed, but shall be torturously chipped away like a scab being peeled off the skin to reveal a wound from past times.
I definitely agree with Kayla in that Pearl represents a great deal of the main characters' actions. Most of all, she will forever stand for the sins that Hester and Arthur committed together, making the physical scarlet letter on Prynne's chest and spiritual scarlet letter on Dimmesdale's heart not pointless, but somewhat less needed.
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