Scarlet Letter The Rejection Of Puritan Values - 1466 Words

Benjamin Stoops Mr. Goldhammer Honors American Studies 2 November 2015 Scarlet Salvation: The Rejection of Puritan Values in The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter, each of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s characters undergo internal challenges. When Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter concludes, many characters’ personal struggles have ended, either in their favor or resulting in their downfall. Hawthorne most notably fixates upon Pearl, Hester, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth and the challenges they face throughout his story. Although their challenges may differ explicitly, as a whole they reflect Hawthorne’s argument that happiness in life, and eventually salvation, stem from the rejection of false ideals in society. Pearl, Hester’s daughter and Hawthorne’s human representation of adultery, effectively embodies the rejection of societal ideals. She maintains an innocent bliss throughout The Scarlet Letter as an outcast of society. Pearl undergoes little to no internal struggle. Hawthorne introduces Pearl as an infant in her chapter, â€Å"Pearl†. He describes Pearl’s nature, which â€Å"lacked reference and adaptation for the world into which she was born. The child could not be made amenable to rules† (83). Hawthorne goes on to describe Pearl’s origin: â€Å"In giving her existence, elements were perhaps beautiful and brilliant, but all in disorder† (83). Hawthorne wastes no time in portraying Pearl as an outcast. Pearl is meant to contrast the other characters in The ScarletShow MoreRelatedLiterature Has Functioned Throughout History As A Means1266 Words   |  6 Pagesa means of social criticism that is accessible to the lay public. Classics like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe leverage their plots to reveal alarming realities and comment on social issues. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the earliest examples of literary social criticism. Hawthorne uses the plight of the main character, Hester Prynne, a convicted adulterer in a society that severely punishes sinners, to take a stand against PuritanismRead MoreNathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlett Letter Essay1269 Words   |  6 Pagesseven-year-old children. Puritans, as it turns out, are skilled in the nomenclature of rejection, up to and including the child of an adulteress. Pearl Prynne, named for her wort h to a mother who sacrificed everything for her daughter, is one such receiver of unjust criticism in her society. At first glance an unruly or even wicked girl, Hester’s daughter reveals herself to be the personification of excellence in the eyes of her literary creator. Through the portrayal of The Scarlet Letter’s Pearl, NathanielRead MoreReview Of The Scarlet Letter 1524 Words   |  7 Pagesthe novel The Scarlet Letter, the author knows the importance of â€Å"lasts† in the novel and uses the last moments of characters to explore common themes of human nature and to further develop a character. The author Nathaniel Hawthorne of The Scarlet Letter uses literary artistry, the final decisive acts of Reverend Dimmesdale, and the last exposition and the responses of the Puritan community to further explore the character of Dimmesdale to ultimately convey a message about value of virtues, perserveranceRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter864 Word s   |  4 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, he thoroughly exposes the social depths of the Puritan society. As a Romanticist, his values and ideals go in line with nature and individualism, which is lucidly seen by the way he writes of the so called pious who contradict this and rather emphasize conformity. To further depict the hypocrisy within the Puritan community, the use of rhetorical devices is evident as Hawthorne utilized the character of Pearl to epitomize the beauty of yielding societalRead MoreIsolation Within The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1682 Words   |  7 PagesIsolation in The Scarlet Letter In a community, people understand and know each other. In most cases, individuals grow up together and share the same ideals and customs. When a new person shows up, people tend to flock and try to form a persona of the person. Many people expect him or her to fit into the community very fast and follow their laws and customs without complaint. Unfortunately, not everyone can act as a perfect person, and mistakes or problems can occur, which leads to the isolationRead MoreThe Puritan Guilt in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Society Essay1993 Words   |  8 Pages a time of great prudishness in America but born a man Nathaniel Hawthorne that would put the Puritan society and their way to the test. A Puritan is one who follows the English Protestant lifestyle and someone who adheres to strict religious principle; also one who has a strong regard for pleasure sex and nudity. (Webster’s Dictionary, 2003) Born on July 4th 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts and of Puritan decent himself, N athaniel Hawthorne and his family experienced intense harassment during theirRead MorePuritianism and Literary Techniques in The Scarlet Letter Essay2812 Words   |  12 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne has made a beautiful, admirable, extraordinary approach in this novel said Henry James regarding The Scarlet Letter. It has the beauty and harmony of all original and complete conceptions and its weaker spots are not of its essence, but mere light flaws and inequalities of surface. The novel has the inexhaustible charm and mystery of great works of art. It has a high style of polish as well as a charming freshness. Hawthorne has cultivated with great industry his natural senseRead More Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester’s Quest for Identity in Hawthornes Scarlet Letter2490 Words   |  10 PagesDimmesdale and Hester’s Quest for Identity in The Scarlet Letter  Ã‚     Ã‚   While allegory is an explicit and tempting reading of Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, I see in this novel also the potential of a psychological reading, interpreting it as a search for one’s own self. Both Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne goes through this process and finally succeeded in finding the duality of ones personality, and the impossibility of complementing the split between individual and community identityRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter Research Paper1586 Words   |  7 PagesAlex Soltanian Mrs. Muller Period 2 December 4, 2014 The Scarlet Letter Research Paper Fitting into todays modern world has become of a great deal to us. Keeping up with trends, music, games and pop culture have taken the interests of kids and adolescents in the 21st century. Kids into the â€Å"main stream† interests are considered more popular than other kids. This causes conformity in our culture which is a growing problem on how kids are able to express themselves. Its is as if they are scared toRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne1560 Words   |  7 Pagesessence every creature has at birth. The two are sharp contrasts that may seem incapable of holding together a single complex being, yet are found in all humans and generally constitute the basis of morals and human nature. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter beautifully weaves a tale of blind revenge, unintentional hypocrisy, and mortal transgressions, presenting the characters’ penitence from said transgressions in the form of a constantly changing Hester Prynne who mu st face the retribution of her