Yes, everyone knows that the "A" stands for adultery, but what do you feel the true sin/cause of all the problems Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth and Pearl face is? What letter should they each wear? Explain. Additional bonus: Be the first person to notify me on this question: Where does Hawthorne first use the word "adultery" in the novel? Give me the chapter and the line. First person to post the answer gets a major test drop grade. (The post and the bonus end at midnight Saturday, March 20, 2010.)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The Real Sin
Yes, everyone knows that the "A" stands for adultery, but what do you feel the true sin/cause of all the problems Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth and Pearl face is? What letter should they each wear? Explain. Additional bonus: Be the first person to notify me on this question: Where does Hawthorne first use the word "adultery" in the novel? Give me the chapter and the line. First person to post the answer gets a major test drop grade. (The post and the bonus end at midnight Saturday, March 20, 2010.)
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Bonus:
Hawthorne never uses the word 'adultery'. He uses symbolism and other words to infer that Hester has committed the sin of adultery with Dimmesdale. He insinuates that Hester has committed a sin through the town gossips. They do not call her an adulterer; instead, they call her a 'hussy'. Adultery is also implied as Hester emerges from the prison onto the scaffold, "... wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm... On the breast of her gown...appeared the letter A." (Chapter 2). Hawthorne introduces us to Hester's sin of adultery through numerous events of the chapters. He also allows us to interpret that the letter 'A' symbolizes adultery.
GG-0
I believe that the real problem between Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and Pearl is that the townspeople gossip and judge. According to the Bible, we are not supposed to judge each other; we will be judged on Judgment day. Since the Puritans’ are quick to judge and punish Hester, they cause conflicts between the four major characters. First, Hester is mocked by the townspeople as she stands on the scaffold for everyone to see her. Dimmesdale is crushed by guilt because the mother of his child must suffer alone. He would feel better if he could inform the community of his sin. Chillingworth returns to find his wife upon the scaffold for public punishment. He never has the chance to embrace his wife when he returns from captivity. Pearl is an innocent child, but she will always be seen as the ‘scarlet letter’ child. Hester should continue to wear the letter ‘A’. Instead of it symbolizing adultery, it will symbolize able, as in the novel. Dimmesdale should wear the letter ‘G’ for guilt. Dimmesdale is full of guilt, which is the cause of his death. Chillingworth should wear the letter ‘R’ for revenge. Since he learned that his wife was unfaithful to him, he is determined to discover the other adulterer. He states that Pearl’s father may not confess, but Chillingworth says, “… shall read it on his heart.” Pearl should wear the letter “I” for innocent. Pearl has had the entire town already label her. She will never be seen as innocent in the Puritans’ eyes, but she truly is innocent. She had no control over her parents’ actions.
GG-0
The true cause of the main characters' problems in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is their harsh environment. Hester is continuously punished for her mistake through the harsh law of the Puritan society; similarly, Dimmesdale is compelled by his fear of the harsh law's punishment to conceal his mistakes. Chillingworth creates a harsh environment with his thirst for revenge. Pearl is raised surrounded by a harsh environment and can never truly thrive because of the town's harsh perception of her. If Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and Pearl had all been forced to wear letters, their breasts would bear an "M," a "W," an "O," and an "S," respectively. Hester would have an "M" for misunderstood, because the town judged her entire life based upon a single mistake and never again truly tried to understand her. Dimmesdale would wear a "W" for weak, for he could not bear his fears and troubles without borrowing Hester's strength. Chillingworth would be nearly unrecognizable behind his "O" for obsession, because his lust for revenge becomes his entire life's purpose. Pearl, as a blatant speaker of uncanny truths, would wear an "S" for straightforward.
JJ-0
Though adultery seems to be the central cause of the conflicts in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, secrecy also appears to be the source of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth’s numerous problems. Secrecy is a common element in Hawthorne’s novel. For example, Hester hides the identities of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth, thereby allowing Chillingworth’s torture to intensify Dimmesdale’s suffering. Additionally, Dimmesdale focuses on protecting his secret of involvement in the crime of adultery with Hester, allowing it to become the sense of guilt that slowly tears him apart throughout the novel. Furthermore, Chillingworth thrives on his secret oath to torture Dimmesdale, ultimately allowing it to consume his life with darkness and revenge. The only character that does not struggle with the problems of Puritan society and sin is Pearl, who actually stresses the idea of being both bold and true as she stands on the scaffold of shame with Hester and Dimmesdale on night. In addition, Hawthorne suggests the underlying moral of the novel as he writes, “Among many morals which press upon us from the poor minister’s miserable experience, we put only this into a sentence:-- ‘Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!’” Hawthorne includes this theme to suggest that, through acceptance of their sins, people can look and move beyond the sins that seem to keep them from living their lives. The scarlet letter (and Pearl) forces Hester to accept her sin, thus allowing her to live her life in truth rather than focus on maintaining her secret of crime and sin. Perhaps other characters should have worn a letter in order to make the face the truth as Hester did. Hester, though the “A” was quite effective, could have worn an “S” because she is the SOURCE of many conflicts in the novel. Dimmesdale should have worn a “C” for being a COWARD as he made excuses to keep his secret while inspiring a sense of pity for his self-caused suffering. Chillingworth should have worn a “P” because he is a PARASITE that only wants to harm others in order to alleviate the pain of betrayal and quench his thirst for revenge, both of which were coincidentally caused by Hester (the source). Though she did not struggle with secrets, Pearl should have worn a letter as well. However, her “T” would mean TRUTH because she represents the innocence and freedom of someone who live in truth rather than secrecy.
BS-0
Sorry for all the grammatical errors. I was in a hurry to get finished before 12.
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