Overview of the Scarlet Letter…So Far
I am supposed to have already finished the Scarlet Letter. I haven’t yet…I am behind on my reading. I am sorry.
The following Blog is essentially an overview of what I have observed about The Scarlet Letter, so far, in terms of the themes, characters, and general ideas that are expressed in the book.
THEMES
imagination vs. reality
what is real vs. what appears to be real
tangible vs. celestial
Hester and Dimmesdale have visions about the things that are going on in their lives. They see things or have visions about things that seem to be real, but are really just part of their imaginations. However, the fact that the reader is able to understand what they are having visions about makes it a very interesting way to explore their characters, essentially through their head.
Hester: flashbacks on the scaffold of her past (pg. 51-53)
Dimmesdale: sees visions during his “midnight vigils” (when he looks at his face through the looking glass) (pg. 131)
The letter A in the sky when Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Hester stand together on the scaffold: is it real? Does it exist? What does it represent? Is it conveying a message?
Very open to interpretation, other people in the town saw it but it was unclear why it happened or whether it was meant to be a message to Dimmesdale. Has to do with reality vs. what is not real
The Individual vs. the Community
The book is written in response to Emerson’s “Self-Reliance” which encourages non-conformity, but The Scarlet Letter explores what happens when someone does not conform to society, how the community reacts and what the individual does in response.
How the community treats Hester, how the community feels about Pearl (a product of sin), how Hester is forced to deal with the way she is being treated: Hester grows as a person and learns from what she has done. She becomes a very kind and gentle individual, even though she is really a symbol of sin and non conformity…makes the community and the reader question whether non conformity is bad after all, does it have a positive affect on Hester??
Good vs. Evil and Religion
The book really explores the fact that people are not just good and evil, and it compares the different characters in the book.
The book is based in a Puritan society with very strict rules. The rules are implemented because of the Puritan idea of original sin, the idea that all people are predestined to be sinful, and therefore they need to have strict rules in order to maintain order in society and prevent people from straying from purity and what is right. The book poses questions like: what is sin? Did Hester deserve the punishment that she got? Did she commit a sin?
The book talks a lot about Satan and messages from heaven. It also relates these themes to the characters in the story.
(CHARACTERS: in terms of GOOD or EVIL)
Chillingworth:
evil
satan-like
wants to punish Dimmesdale
premeditated cruelty
deformed: suggests that he may be deformed on the inside and out
scholarly: looked down upon in society
EVIL
Dimmesdale:
committed a sin in a moment of passion and love…was it really a sin?
minister: the embodiment of what is pure and what is right
helps people to get in contact with God
beloved by all
upheld as an idyllic man in society
young and passionate
very guilty about his sin
wants to confess, but can’t bring himself to
gives passionate speeches, people really understand and identify with him
respected
GOOD
Hester:
committed a sin in a moment of passion and love…was it really a sin?
non-conformist: is different
helps poor people, sews them clothing
accepts and learns from her mistake
becomes a respected person in society because of her kindness and gentleness and willingness to help others, even though she committed a sin
is very passionate
tries to teach Pearl what is right
becomes more and more respected and accepted in society as a member of the community, even though she committed a sin and was ostracized (metaphorically) from society
GOOD
Pearl:
A product or consequence of sin
is unbelievably knowledgeable (which is looked down upon in society)
has an inner sense of what is going on around her and what people feel
non-conformist: is very different from everyone else
is a symbol of sin
touches the scarlet letter, is affected and enthralled by it
very scary laugh, finds joy in things that are not joyful in the least
scary
described as an imp or an elf, almost not considered human
society thinks she is not good
shows some signs of goodness
very mature and knowledgeable
Hester thinks she sees a demon in Pearl’s eye
Pearl plays games with inanimate object, but they are all her enemies
Pearl doesn’t have any friends; she has not been exposed to children her age
throws stones at the Puritan children when they call he names or make fun of her
passionate
Hester is afraid of Pearl
Pearl is such a white, pure name and it represents beauty, but Pearl does not really turn out that way
PROBABLY EVIL, BUT I REALLY JUST WANT DIMMESDALE, HESTER, AND PEARL TO BE A HAPPY FAMILY, SO IT IS HARD FOR ME TO SAY THAT, AND SHE DOES SHOW SOME SIGNS OF GOODNESS AND UNDERSTANDING
The Scarlet Letter
Represents the consequences of sin
is a symbol of sin and embarrassment
burdens Hester for life
is very beautiful, physically: red and gold and beautifully embroidered
Hester eventually accepts the Scarlet Letter and the consequences of her sin and she decides to learn from them
I don’t actually know whether it is good or evil. Obviously, it is a symbol of Hester’s sin and the consequences of sin, and it will burden Hester for the rest of her life, but Hester seems to accept her sin and its consequences, and she really does learn and become a better person as a result of learning new things from them. The Scarlet Letter represents Hester’s sin, which is a very negative thing, but Hester does learn from the Scarlet Letter and it had a positive affect on her character.
