Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Personal Reflection on Classic Novel Study
The classic novel study has helped me to evolve academically and intellectually in many ways. It has taught me to look at outside sources when evaluating a piece of literature. I have also learned to be critical when reading and not just accepting someone else’s opinions but forming my own based on my thoughts. The wider audience helped me to really analyse my writing before I let it be seen by others, it had to pass my test before it passed anyone else’s. I also found it very interesting to discuss The Scarlet Letter with others who had read it. They had different ideas than me on some points; particularly the virtues of the characters but it forced me to be able to justify my ideas instead of just stating them. I feel this assignment is more beneficial to my education than if the novels had been assigned to us, I for one get much more enjoyment out of a novel when I get to choose it myself. It is also more exciting to analyse a novel that you have interest in. I do not feel like I have improved as a reader, but I do think that my writing skills have grown as they simply do with practice and every writing assignment helps that. Simply because of my novel choice I think I have obtained insight into the flawed nature of all humans, no body can possibly be perfect or completely innocent. Humans are sinners and there is nothing that can be done about it. I am glad I was assigned this project because before I had no intention of reading the Scarlet Letter and I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I feel like it has improved my mind in some way, shape or form. As a bi-product of this novel study I have discovered that I learn at my own pace and that pace is very unpredictable and sometimes, no matter how much I enjoy the subject matter, I just cannot focus. The classic novel study has been a powerful tool for my self development, academically and intellectually.
Works Cited Page for Apologia
Works Cited
"Classic | Define Classic at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 10 May 2011.
"Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography - Life, Family, Childhood, Children, Name, History, Wife, Mother, Son." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 10 May 2011.
Seabrook, Andrea. "Hester Prynne: Sinner, Victim, Object, Winner : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. 2 Mar. 2008. Web. 6 May 2011.
Wilson, John F. "Puritan, Religious and Social Movement." Laughter and Lawter Genealogy Research Center. Web. 6 May 2011.
"Classic | Define Classic at Dictionary.com." Dictionary.com | Find the Meanings and Definitions of Words at Dictionary.com. Web. 10 May 2011.
"Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography - Life, Family, Childhood, Children, Name, History, Wife, Mother, Son." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Web. 10 May 2011.
Seabrook, Andrea. "Hester Prynne: Sinner, Victim, Object, Winner : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. 2 Mar. 2008. Web. 6 May 2011.
Wilson, John F. "Puritan, Religious and Social Movement." Laughter and Lawter Genealogy Research Center. Web. 6 May 2011.
Apologia, The Scarlet Letter
Apologia: the Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter by: Nathaniel Hawthorne is, without a doubt, a classic novel. It is a classic novel in many senses; for one it features the character of Hester Prynne, who is one of literature’s first and greatest heroines. It also exemplifies puritan society in the seventeenth century. It has stood the test of time and is still referenced and studied in modern society. The Scarlet Letter is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s masterpiece.
The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850; it was around this time that the idea of feminism began to surface (Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography). As a result of this new idea and the strength found in women Hawthorne’s protagonist, Hester Prynne, is a much stronger woman than had been seen in earlier literature. She never backs down, not even when society pushed her to reveal the father of Pearl, or when they tried to take Pearl away from her; she’s irrepressible. Not only is she strong, she is also relatable; she is not the usual innocent female, nor is she the femme fatale found in gothic literature. She is practically real, she is an “… embodiment of deep contradictions: bad and beautiful, holy and sinful, conventional and radical” (Seabrook). Hester is defiant, but only to help others. She accepts her punishment but will not reveal the identity of her lover for his sake (Seabrook). She has to co-operate with some truly awful characters; even Arthur Dimmesdale, her partner in sin, is a coward; “Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!” (Hawthorne 213) He plays up his suffering instead of acknowledging what she has gone through. Hester is enduring because she is complex and flawed. Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne was one of the first of her kind and a standard was set that other powerful female characters have had to meet making Hester the classic example of a powerhouse female.
In The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne truly captures the essence of Puritan society in the Massachusetts of the seventeenth century. The Puritans at this time believed the Bible as the “true law of God that provided guidelines for church government” (Wilson). This is shown clearly in this novel, people who are not devoted Christians are chased out of town and witchcraft is constantly feared. The most obvious sign of the Puritan society is the reaction of the people when they learn of Hester’s punishment for the crime of adultery. “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book” (Hawthorne 55) and “At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead” (Hawthorne 56) are two of the reactions of the women waiting outside the prison for Hester. In modern society the very idea of executing someone for the simple crime of adultery is appalling, but in the Puritan society, as is well captured by Hawthorne adultery was one of the worst crimes a woman could commit and they were much harsher when it came to punishments (Wilson). In a way Puritan society is much weaker than modern society but there are similarities; the weak and innocent are still preyed upon as they were back then, just not as publicly. Hawthorne’s timeless classic lasts because the theme of man, or woman, versus society is one that can be applied to every time period of “civilized” society.
The Scarlet Letter is a timeless classic novel about a young woman who must suffer for the rest of her life as a result of one mistake made. She never caves to society’s demands making her a sort of idol for any woman of any age who feels pressured or exiled. The word “classic” is defined as: “Serving as a standard, model or guide” (Dictionary.com), Nathaniel Hawthorne’s most popular novel was one of the first to use a flawed female as the protagonist. Hester Prynne is an amazing realistic and relatable character making her the standard for all future powerful female champions. She is a classic heroine. Classic can also be defined as: “of the first or highest quality, class, or rank” (Dictionary.com). Hawthorne’s reflection of the Puritan society and his endearing writing style is definitely of the highest quality, making this book an absolute classic. If any more proof is necessary there is always the simple fact that there have been at least two film adaptations of The Scarlet Letter and multiple references in pop culture including the T.V show Gilmore Girls and the recent film Easy A. The Scarlet Letter is an undisputed classic.
The Scarlet Letter by: Nathaniel Hawthorne is, without a doubt, a classic novel. It is a classic novel in many senses; for one it features the character of Hester Prynne, who is one of literature’s first and greatest heroines. It also exemplifies puritan society in the seventeenth century. It has stood the test of time and is still referenced and studied in modern society. The Scarlet Letter is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s masterpiece.
The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850; it was around this time that the idea of feminism began to surface (Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography). As a result of this new idea and the strength found in women Hawthorne’s protagonist, Hester Prynne, is a much stronger woman than had been seen in earlier literature. She never backs down, not even when society pushed her to reveal the father of Pearl, or when they tried to take Pearl away from her; she’s irrepressible. Not only is she strong, she is also relatable; she is not the usual innocent female, nor is she the femme fatale found in gothic literature. She is practically real, she is an “… embodiment of deep contradictions: bad and beautiful, holy and sinful, conventional and radical” (Seabrook). Hester is defiant, but only to help others. She accepts her punishment but will not reveal the identity of her lover for his sake (Seabrook). She has to co-operate with some truly awful characters; even Arthur Dimmesdale, her partner in sin, is a coward; “Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!” (Hawthorne 213) He plays up his suffering instead of acknowledging what she has gone through. Hester is enduring because she is complex and flawed. Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne was one of the first of her kind and a standard was set that other powerful female characters have had to meet making Hester the classic example of a powerhouse female.
In The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne truly captures the essence of Puritan society in the Massachusetts of the seventeenth century. The Puritans at this time believed the Bible as the “true law of God that provided guidelines for church government” (Wilson). This is shown clearly in this novel, people who are not devoted Christians are chased out of town and witchcraft is constantly feared. The most obvious sign of the Puritan society is the reaction of the people when they learn of Hester’s punishment for the crime of adultery. “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book” (Hawthorne 55) and “At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead” (Hawthorne 56) are two of the reactions of the women waiting outside the prison for Hester. In modern society the very idea of executing someone for the simple crime of adultery is appalling, but in the Puritan society, as is well captured by Hawthorne adultery was one of the worst crimes a woman could commit and they were much harsher when it came to punishments (Wilson). In a way Puritan society is much weaker than modern society but there are similarities; the weak and innocent are still preyed upon as they were back then, just not as publicly. Hawthorne’s timeless classic lasts because the theme of man, or woman, versus society is one that can be applied to every time period of “civilized” society.
The Scarlet Letter is a timeless classic novel about a young woman who must suffer for the rest of her life as a result of one mistake made. She never caves to society’s demands making her a sort of idol for any woman of any age who feels pressured or exiled. The word “classic” is defined as: “Serving as a standard, model or guide” (Dictionary.com), Nathaniel Hawthorne’s most popular novel was one of the first to use a flawed female as the protagonist. Hester Prynne is an amazing realistic and relatable character making her the standard for all future powerful female champions. She is a classic heroine. Classic can also be defined as: “of the first or highest quality, class, or rank” (Dictionary.com). Hawthorne’s reflection of the Puritan society and his endearing writing style is definitely of the highest quality, making this book an absolute classic. If any more proof is necessary there is always the simple fact that there have been at least two film adaptations of The Scarlet Letter and multiple references in pop culture including the T.V show Gilmore Girls and the recent film Easy A. The Scarlet Letter is an undisputed classic.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Little Pearl
Pearl is the single most confusing thing in this novel. My first question is: is she a child or a demon? Hester refers to her as both, but she truly does seem to love her... at times. Question number two: Does Hester love her daughter or does she view her as some sort of never ending punishment sent by god? Once again Hester gives proof for both of these theories. This leads me to believe that it is a mix of the two. Pearl is a symbol, she vexes her mother more than most children did at the time, but her mother loves her and never leaves her cabin without Pearl at her side. In a way Pearl is the scarlet letter; a constant reminder of the sin she committed. But she is also more than that, she is Hester's reason for living, she gives Hester her strength without her she would be lost; "God gave me the child! He gave her in requital of all things else which ye had taken from me. She is my happiness! - She is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a millionfold the power of retribution for my sin? Ye shall not take her! I will die first!" When Hester claims that Pearl is the scarlet letter the only real difference being that she can be loved she is truly explaining what the girl is to her. She is not only a constant reminder of the sin committed, she is also a reminder of the reason for the sin. The love between Hester and Dimmesdale is constantly there, in the form of a little girl. Hester Prynne may be the main character in this novel, but Pearl is the most important component.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
The Power of the Truth
Another really crucial component of The Scarlet Letter is the idea of truth being one of the most powerful forces. Many secrets are kept, mostly by Hester; the identity of Pearl's father and The identity of Roger Chillingsworth being the most important. The idea of the truth first crops up when the Magistrates ask Hester to reveal who her partner in sin is, then again when Chillingsworth asks the same question. Chillingsworth it is then revealed is Hester's husband who had just arrived in Boston, he keeps his identity a secret rather than have to face the crowd as the shamed husband of an adulterer and it becomes his obsession to uncover the truth of Hester's shame. When he does uncover his identity his constant malicious presence makes the man suffer immensely; "Better had he died at once! Never did mortal suffer what this man has suffered. And all, all, in the sight of his worst enemy!" At this point Hester believes that had she been completely honest, told Dimmesdale who Chillingsworth was and told the town who the father was it all would have been better. She believes, as Dimmesdale does that the suffering that he is going through is punishment because he never had to wear the scarlet letter on his chest and wasn't publicly shamed. In the end Dimmesdale does die, but he confesses everything in front of his entire congregation before he does. He dies peacefully, and Chillingsworth feels the pain of having all the power he held over the reverend taken away by the truth. I know it sounds corny, but the fact is, the truth set the reverend free. He was suffering because of the sins he never confessed to, Hester however was not suffering because every secret she kept wasn't her own. Hester was honest about her guilt, not that she had a choice. The morality behind the idea of truth in this novel is simple; tell the truth and you're fine, you may be punished but there is nothing anyone can really do to you. Lie and you will be punished severely in ways that you didn't think guilt could affect you.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Hester Prynne: "The First Real Heroine of American Fiction"
The main word I would use to describe Hester Prynne would be strength. Through her strength we see so many different things; it helps to illustrate the weakness of the Puritan society along with the power that can be brought out of a common woman. Her punishment was regarded as severe, mostly because of the shame it caused, but when she is presented with the option of possibly getting rid of the scarlet letter by naming the father of her child she refuses protecting the man; "I will not speak! ... And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one!" We later discover that the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is the father of little Pearl but long before this fact is known to the reader he says: "She will not speak!... Wondrous strength and generosity of a woman's heart. She will not speak!" Here he illustrates how grateful and amazed he is by Hester's strength which is the only thing keeping him from being hanged. This isn't said outright but I think it's a safe assumption based on the Puritan society. She was strong to begin with but this woman is basically forced into exile and is the subject of mockery, but her spirit never breaks; "She had wandered, without rule or guidance, in a moral wilderness... The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers,—stern and wild ones,—and they had made her strong." Hester never backs down from her punishment, in fact at one point she clings to it as if it is her sense of identity. By the end of the novel Hester is known for her kindness instead of the scarlet letter. Her strength ends up making the punishment of the scarlet letter obsolete. Hester Prynne was by no means innocent, and she never tried to play the victim, she stood up and faced her punishment and for that reason she is the strongest female character I have ever heard of and, adultery aside, she would be a wonderful role model to any young girl.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Religion
One of the most important components of The Scarlet Letter is the Puritan religion. As this novel is set in a time period with very little scientific discoveries people relied on religion to guide their lives. Hester Prynne is imprisoned and punished based on religious reasons, the people of the town despise her because she has shamed them by going against the bible and the people adore the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale because he speaks so powerfully about god.
At the beginning of the novel as Hester is about to walk out of the prison with the scarlet letter embroidered on her dress one of the women waiting to witness her appearance utters the words "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book." The people did not want her around them, for many reasons one of the strongest being that they feared God and what punishment he might have for them if they should allow this sinner back into their society. At the same time the law-enforcers feared what God's wrath might be if they should take away this woman's life. So for the rest of her life she must wear the letter A embroidered in scarlet on her dress as a sign of shame. Now to us this may not seem that bad, but keep in mind the religious beliefs at the time; death wasn't as feared as it is now, there was no doubt in the afterlife and as long as you were good on earth you were guaranteed into heaven. This punishment forever displayed on this poor woman a sign basically saying that she is never getting into heaven, for a religious society this is truly awful. The Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is a young, but beautifully worded priest in Boston at this time. He is greatly admired by the citizens but is pitied by them as well, as he Hester is a member of his congregation and therefore, in their eyes, he is responsible for her soul and must feel a small portion of the blame. Ironically enough he is much more to blame for Hester's situation than they realize, but that's going off topic. Religion continues to come up throughout the entire novel through signs, suffering, and multiple other things that I'm sure our generation could explain through science should they happen now.
Ridiculous though it is, religion is the main concept this civilization and therefore this novel is built. I'm not going to turn this into any sort of discussion of my beliefs or lack there of, but i do think that it can be agreed that any person in our society as radically religious as these puritans were would be regarded as insane and brutal. The Scripture is the law, and everyone, criminals included believed this.
At the beginning of the novel as Hester is about to walk out of the prison with the scarlet letter embroidered on her dress one of the women waiting to witness her appearance utters the words "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book." The people did not want her around them, for many reasons one of the strongest being that they feared God and what punishment he might have for them if they should allow this sinner back into their society. At the same time the law-enforcers feared what God's wrath might be if they should take away this woman's life. So for the rest of her life she must wear the letter A embroidered in scarlet on her dress as a sign of shame. Now to us this may not seem that bad, but keep in mind the religious beliefs at the time; death wasn't as feared as it is now, there was no doubt in the afterlife and as long as you were good on earth you were guaranteed into heaven. This punishment forever displayed on this poor woman a sign basically saying that she is never getting into heaven, for a religious society this is truly awful. The Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is a young, but beautifully worded priest in Boston at this time. He is greatly admired by the citizens but is pitied by them as well, as he Hester is a member of his congregation and therefore, in their eyes, he is responsible for her soul and must feel a small portion of the blame. Ironically enough he is much more to blame for Hester's situation than they realize, but that's going off topic. Religion continues to come up throughout the entire novel through signs, suffering, and multiple other things that I'm sure our generation could explain through science should they happen now.
Ridiculous though it is, religion is the main concept this civilization and therefore this novel is built. I'm not going to turn this into any sort of discussion of my beliefs or lack there of, but i do think that it can be agreed that any person in our society as radically religious as these puritans were would be regarded as insane and brutal. The Scripture is the law, and everyone, criminals included believed this.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Welcome!!
Hey, so this blog is for my classic novel unit in my grade 11 English class. For my classic novel I decided to read the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The links at the top of this page are some sources that can be used for references as to the time period the novel was set in, the author's life, other works by the author, plot analysis' and video clips about movies based on or inspired by the novel.
The main purpose of this blog is to be a place for me to write my own personal analysis and ideas of the novel where others can see and comment on my, for lack of a better word, theories. It is also a great place for me to get feed back on my critical understanding of a work of long fiction.
Anyway, i hope this blog is insightful and intelligent, or at the very least entertaining.
I look forward to feedback!!
The main purpose of this blog is to be a place for me to write my own personal analysis and ideas of the novel where others can see and comment on my, for lack of a better word, theories. It is also a great place for me to get feed back on my critical understanding of a work of long fiction.
Anyway, i hope this blog is insightful and intelligent, or at the very least entertaining.
I look forward to feedback!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)