The Effects of Sin in The Scarlet Letter Essay - 2845 Words

The Scarlet Letter is a study of the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of Hester, Dimmesdale and Chillingworth! Examine The Scarlet Letter in light of this statement. In your assignment you should consider: 1 The historical, political and cultural significance of Puritanism in America 2 Hawthorne’s links with the Puritans 3 Methods through which Hawthorne presents the theme of sin and its effects of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter 4 The views of other readers and critics of The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne’s unforgettable tale of ‘The Scarlet Letter’ takes place in the Puritan village of Boston, Massachusetts during the first half of the 17th century. Hawthorne himself is a man of†¦show more content†¦Throughout Hawthorne’s anecdote we witness how sin changes the sinners. It darkens their vision and weakens their moral defenses against further temptation. The powerful theme of sin is echoed continually throughout the whole of the novel, in actual fact it plays the main theme throughout. Sin in my words would be the intentional or even the unintentional breaking of divine or moral law and indeed in this novel this meaning is shared with the grim Puritans in their ‘iron-period’. The ‘iron-visaged’ Puritans were obsessed with their faith and religion and their laws covered just about every aspect of life and if rebelled against punishment was their only answer as during this time any secrets amongst its people was forbidden thus explaining the transaction of punishment of the scarlet letter for Hester. Not only does Hawthorne present many powerful themes throughout his novel but he uses a lot of powerful symbolism throughout as well. The main symbol, of course, being that of the scarlet letter. Hawthorne uses fantastic language to describe the scarlet letter: â€Å"An elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread appeared the letter ‘A’.† It is funny to note that note once does Hawthorne himself describe the scarlet letter himself as something we would perceiveShow MoreRelatedEffects of Sin in the Scarlet Letter1656 Words   |  7 PagesUnfortunately sin can often lead to isolation. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne, a beautiful young woman who is chastised for adultery, and Arthur Dimmesdale, Boston’s beloved minister who is the father of Hester’s baby, both begin doleful lives of isolation after Hester’s sin is revealed. After Hester is sent to Boston by her husband, who says he will shortly join her, she has an affair with the town’s preacher, Arthur Dimmesdale, which results in a daughter, Pearl.Read MoreEffects Of Sin And Guilt In The Scarlet Letter1119 Words   |  5 PagesMs. Pierce AP Eng Per 1 24 October 2017 The Scarlet Letter Research Essay Dark Romanticists such as Nathaniel Hawthorne mainly focused on the imperfectness of humans and how they are surrounded by sin. One of Hawthorne’s purposes in The Scarlet Letter is the lasting effects of sin and guilt. Through his novel, he shows keeping your sin and guilt inside you will make it fester and change you for the worse. However, the novel also shows that facing your sin and guilt and revealing it will help you learnRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter : Lasting Effect Of Sin Essay1798 Words   |  8 Pagesyou by 123HelpMe.com Lasting Effect of Sin The Scarlet Letter Puritan society placed great importance upon a person s reputation. Without an honorable reputation a person is not worthy of respect from others in their society. Characters in this novel go through their lives struggling with themselves trying to cope with the guilt and shame associated with their actions. In Nathaniel Hawthorne s novel, The Scarlet Letter, he shows the lasting effect that sin has on Hester and Dimmesdale. Read MoreWhat Is the Moral of the Scarlet Letter? Essay952 Words   |  4 Pages Nathaniel Hawthorne is famous for his long fictional work the scarlet letter in 1850, which is still considered as the most important work of him. The scarlet letter involves the presence of facts and figures to support the text and also includes the fictional work in the text. Hawthorne was actually inspired from the manuscripts he got in the custom house in Salem while he was working as an executive officer or the surveyor in custom house where the taxes are paid, their he foundRead MoreWhat Is The Theme Of Adultery In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne980 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter Essay Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter is about a Puritan woman named Hester Prynne. She lives in a 17th   century colonial Puritan town and is forced to wear a scarlet letter â€Å"A† on her dress for the rest of her life due to her sin of adultery. She gives birth to a little girl who she names Pearl in prison. Hester is known as the adulterer because her husband has not been seen with her because he went to learn medicine from the Indians. Hester becoming pregnant whichRead MoreThe Theme Of Guilt In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1668 Words   |  7 PagesHawthorne is the author of The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne is a anti-transcendentalist which means he writes a lot about Puritans in the 1600’s. John Hathorne ( Nathaniel H. great uncle ) is also an anti-transcendentalist . The book that John wrote that goes with The Scarlet Letter is The Ministers Black Veil. It as well as this novel talks about Secret sin and how the world is good and pe ople are dark and mysterious. Nathaniels book The Scarlet Letter talks about Secret Sin , Revenge , and Guilt. InRead MoreSin, Guilt, And The Consequences Of Silence902 Words   |  4 PagesSin, Guilt, and the Consequences of Silence Throughout the history of literature, both American and foreign, a common theme that authors incorporate into their work is the nature and consequences of sin and the weighty, lingering feeling of guilt. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is an example of this type of work. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbol of the scarlet letter ‘A’ as a representation of her sin to show the novel’s theme that sin carries heavy consequencesRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1145 Words   |  5 PagesWhy is sin important? It is believed that sin is important to people because their deity places guilt on their wrongdoings to show that those actions are not to be repeated. In contrary to this belief, there are people with religious views that hold no importance with sin. Depending on the individual’s religious views, sin can be a conflict between oneself and a â€Å"higher† being or it can not affect the individual at al l. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Dimmesdale is an ordainedRead More Exposed Sin vs. Hidden Sin in the Scarlet Letter Essay633 Words   |  3 Pages Exposed Sin vs. Hidden Sin Since the beginning of time we have shown our imperfections as human beings. As detailed by the Bible in the Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge committing the original sin. This infraction against God resulted in Adam and EveÂ’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden, and set the foundation for the judgment of mankind. The word sin derives from Old English synn and is defined as something shameful, deplorableRead MoreTheme Of Sin In The Scarlet Letter759 Words   |  4 PagesEssay About Secret Sin In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, made in the 1800s and takes place in the 1700s. The novel, the Scarlet Letter is about a woman, Hester Prynne, who committed adultery in a Puritan society. She is punished for committing her sin by have the letter â€Å"A† in scarlet sewn onto her bosom, The â€Å"A† standing for adultery and is scarlet, representing sex, sin and, evil. Hesters husband has mysteriously never arrived to the colony, assumed to be at the bottom of the sea

Examples Of Vanity In The Kite Lear - 1424 Words

Liberty from Vain Vanity is a feeling; according to Merriam-Webster, it’s that feeling of being proud. Yet, vanity doesn’t translate to pride, though the words are often used synonymously. Vanity relates more to what we would have others think of us, whereas pride relates to how we feel about ourselves. It is possible for a person to be proud without being vain, for a person to feel pride without their cultures ethics. In the Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini tells the story of a young Afghan boy, Amir, whose childhood interactions with his father and Pashtun culture shape his moral compass. Vanity especially influences his desires to achieve through the fulfillment of his father s expectations as well as Pashtunwali, the set of social norms†¦show more content†¦[or] Honor and pride†(Hosseini 121). When Baba says â€Å"nang and namoos,† he refers directly to Pashtunwali, the Pashtun’s code of conduct. In order for â€Å"the man† to have a sense of satisfaction from namoos, or pride, they must have tora and nang: courage and honor. The expectations of â€Å"Amir† pile up as Baba begins wanting his heir to become more and more like he himself was. However, throughout Amir’s life, he has always known that Baba believed â€Å"there is something missing in [him]† (Hosseini 17). Amir has always known he has never been able to match the expectations of his father and has never been able to feel the sense of â€Å"namoos†, or Pashtun pride, that he has always dreamt of. This creates a life path filled with feelings of worthlessness and shame. The largest strike towards his namoos happens in his childhood; with Amir stating in the beginning of the book, â€Å" I became what I am today at the age of twelve, on a frigid overcast day in the winter of 1975†(Hosseini 1). That very day, Amir scars the honor and pride of his best friend Hassan by letting him be raped, for â€Å"Hassan was the price [he] had to pay, the lamb [he] had to slay, to win Baba†(Hosseini 65). As Amir ran away from this in cident, â€Å"[he] actually aspired to cowardice.† By stating that â€Å"I became what I am today at the age of twelve,† Amir is is emphasizing the fact that he never let go of what happened in his past; letting his childhood shape a path that takes him all the way to where he is now. As

All you need is love. Essay Example For Students

All you need is love. Essay The Beatles wrote this in the 1960s but they certainly were not the first to think it. Shakespeares tragedy Romeo and Juliet was based around this sentiment. It is a story of love, passion, romance, betrayal, life and of course, death. In the late 1990s Baz Luhrmann produced one of the most controversial interpretations of a Shakespeare play. He shot it in modern costume with modern settings, though he kept the original text. Using Verona Beach, Los Angles as his setting and Leonardo DiCaprio as his leading man, Luhrmann made it into a Hollywood movie and one of the biggest blockbuster hits of the 90s. However 20 years earlier Franco Zephirelli had shot his classic interpretation of the film-using period costume. This film follows the script fairly closely and is close to how Shakespeare would have had it performed. Even stage productions of the classic tragedy have been updated. Not long ago the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford put on a modern interpretation, which was apparently much like the 1970s cult film Grease centring around fast cars and leather jackets. The RSC production that our class saw was much closer to an original Shakespeare production: however it was of poor quality, many of our girls feeling that they could have acted the parts more convincingly themselves. The characters of the play are complex: they blossom and unveil themselves throughout the play; first impressions are not always right. Juliet Capulet, the only child of Lord and Lady Capulet, whose rivalry with the Montague family has been alive as long as the families have been, begins the play as an innocent young girl. She is very child like, obeying her parents. Her loyalties lie with her family. In the first scene we meet her, she is with the nurse. The nurse and Juliet are firm friends, the nurse having had more input into Juliets upbringing than her mother Lady Capulet. The nurse is very crude and talks about an amusing incident that happened when Juliet was just two years old. Yea, quoth my husband, fallst upon thy face Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest of age, Wilt thou not Jule? it stinted, and said Aye. She talks far too much repeating the story three times until Lady Capulet tells her to be quiet. Juliet is not yet fourteen but is called by her mother to talk about marriage. When asked for her view on it she replies in an obedient way. It is an honour that I dream not of. She regards marriage as sacred, something that she is not worthy of, suggesting that she might not be ready for it. The nurse wants the best for Juliet, as does Lady Capulet, they seem to decide Juliets fate with Paris for her. She is barely consulted in the conversation. In Zeffirrellis film Juliet sits quietly and patiently at the nurses side, laughing at some comments but generally being dutiful and sweet. The RSC production was much the same. Lady Capulet asks Juliet if she thinks well of Pariss like of her. The reply follows, Ill look to like if looking liking move. But no more deep will I edart that eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly. Juliet wants to do things with her parents consent, certainly not before consulting them, she wants to please. Mercutio is introduced to us as the flamboyant friend of Romeo and the other Montagues. Our biggest clue into his personality is his name, which is derived from the word mercurial meaning changeable. In Luhrmanns film Mercutio is black. He first appears in Drag and high on ecstasy or some such drug. The Queen Mab speech is delivered in an almost paranoid style, Mercutio becoming increasingly angered it becomes obvious that he has been hurt by love. He begins by talking about the intricate detail on Queen Mabs coach Her wagon spokes like long spinners legs, The cover of the wings of grasshoppers, Her traces of the smallest spiders web. He then goes on to describe the dreams that Mab creates in the minds of all kinds of sleepers. Oer lawyers fingers, who strait dream of fees, Oer ladys lips, who straight on kisses dream. At this stage ideas are innocent and the dreams fairly acceptable. Mercutio then goes on to describe the more sinister, uncouth dreams that this mystical fairy queen creature creates. Sometimes she driveth oer a soldiers neck, And then he dreams of cutting foreign throats. This is the hag when maids lie on their backs Making them women of good carriage. Mercutio does not believe in love and regards dreams of this kind as nothing but idle fantasies. We dont know if this is because he has been hurt in the past or if he has never believed in love. He is angered at Romeos selfish behaviour and his moaning about Rosalind; Mercutio feels that Romeo is wasting his time on women. He seems almost jealous. Romeo and Mercutio are very close and not long before Mercutio dies, Tybalt says Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo. This suggests to us that Romeo and Mercutio were mocked for being such close friends and that their relationship may have been something more. In the Luhrmann film when the Montagues arrive at the party, Mercutio gets the party started, standing in the limelight, singing, dancing, being wild and generally playing the fool. I think these two extremes portray Mercutios very flippant character, however the fact that he is on drugs does detract slightly from the point. I think that Lurhmann used the drug taking to mirror the effects that love can have; a raised temperature, fast heartbeat and loss of control. Love can drive people mad. It is well documented that Love is the greatest drug of all. At the party Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. They are both quite clearly infatuated, besotted with each other. In Luhrmanns film he shows the long lingering feelings with smouldering looks through a dream-like fish tank. Glorious music plays in the background and the immediate passion is clear. As the two have their first kiss Juliet makes religious references glorifying and elevating her new found emotion love. Ay, pilgrims lips that they must use in prayer. These moments mean a lot to Juliet: this is her first kiss, she is only thirteen and her hormones and emotions would be raging. Some of the things that she says after discovering that Romeo is a Montague lead me to believe that she is almost naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve to the complexity of emotions. She refers to him as her love after just a few moments in his company. Dramatic and Important To the Play EssayBut fettle your fine joints gainst Thursday next, To go with Paris to Saint Peters Church, Or I will drag the on a hurdle thither. Out, you Green-sickness carrion! Out you baggage! You Tallow-face! The nurse flew to Juliets defence when he tried to hit her, only to outrage him further and be knocked back herself. Capulet threatens to disown Juliet if she did not obey him. In the Franco Zeffirrelli film, Lady Capulet leaves early on in the argument, I think that maybe she was pressured into marrying Lord Capulet herself and feels that although she cannot defy her husband and defend Juliet, she also cannot aid Capulets rage. After the fight Juliet seeks comfort in the nurse who tells her that she should forget Romeo and marry Paris. O, hes a lovely gentleman! Romeos a dishclout to him. An eagle Madam, Hath not so green, so quick so fair an eye As Paris hath. In Luhrmanns film Juliet looks completely shocked by this comment and swears that she will never trust the nurse again, she is alone now and has no one to console her, in sheer desperation she flees to friar Lawrences cell seeking his aid. Zeffirrelli shows her completely distraught by this time she throws herself on the ground before his altar. She collects a poison from him that will send her into an un-wakeable sleep, before she takes it Juliet visits her farther and begs for his forgiveness, promising never to defy him in future. He decides that she shall be married the next day. In both the films the next scenes are pictured in Juliets bedroom, she is now truly alone, fighting her own mind over the poison, facing all of her fears, showing her real, honest love for Romeo. She states that if the potion does not work and she awakes the following morning, she would rather kill herself with a dagger than go ahead with the wedding plans. Shall I be married then tomorrow morning? No, no, this shall forbid it; lie thou there. This is completely defying her fathers wishes. Would the obedient Juliet that we meet in the first scenes be this scheming? These minutes are the most difficult of Juliets life, her mind filling with fearful thoughts; questions start to stifle her rational thought. What if it be a poison which the Friar Subtly hath ministered to have me dead Shall I not be then stifled in the vault, To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, O, if I wake shall I not be distraught, Environà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d with all these hideous fears, Her bravery prevails through all these dismal thoughts and she drinks the potion in Romeos name. The next morning the nurse finds the dead Juliet, she is very dramatic, wailing and shouting, rousing the whole house. Capulet rushes in to see Juliet for himself, he sees her as a precious life, a beautiful, delicate little girl. He describes her: Death lies on her like an untimely frost Upon the sweetest flower in the field. Lady Capulet is very distressed and shows the most emotion for Juliet that she has in all of the play. It seems to take Juliet dying for her to display her true feelings for Juliet. O me, O me, my child, my only life! Revive, look up, or I will die with thee. Zeffirrelli showed the tomb of the Capulets as an underground vault, the other bodies from the family are laid out on plinths around the room the room is stone, stark and cold. Romeo fights and kills Paris outside, in order to gain entry into the tomb upon finding Juliet he falls to the floor beside her, talking of how death wanted her as lover. To prevent that and to join her in death, he drinks the poison. The friar enters at this moment, just as Juliet begins to wake; he cannot console her when she sees Romeo and Paris both dead next to her Juliet is hysterical. She will not leave with him out of the vault. Instead she continues to cry loudly (and unconvincingly) throwing herself on Romeo, sobbing and sniffing as she goes. Juliet finds a cup in Romeos hand and complains that he has not left her any poison to die with. She finds his dagger in its sheath and stabs herself with it; she dies over Romeos Body. Yea, noise? Then Ill be brief. O happy dagger, This is thy sheath; there rust and let me die. In the modern Luhrmann film Juliet is in a church, the church is very lavishly decorated, to show the money of the Capulets. It is very over-the-top, at the end of each pew shines a neon cross, thousands of tiny candles surround Juliet, she looks peaceful where she lays. The moments that Romeo spends with Juliet are beautiful. Outside helicopters fly overhead and police surround the church with their guns, but inside it is tranquil and the fact that the lovers are in a church elevates their love. DiCaprio acts the part well; more convincingly so than the Zeffirrelli actor, he is emotional, tears streaming down his face. He becomes more and more choked up with every word he says. As he takes the poison Juliet begins to wake and they share a moment of sheer disbelief before he dies. Juliet then realises what has happened and takes the gun out of its holder. She does not say much as she does this, few words are needed to explain her actions. She shoots herself, falling over Romeo in a l ast display of affection. The families decide on finding the lovers dead that the feud has gone on long enough, Capulet and Montague shake hands and the families find themselves at peace. The two die with each other, for each other. It is the ultimate gift or sacrifice that can be made for the one you love. I dont know how relevant the story would be today even though the lovers are immortalised in words and film. The age of Romeo and Juliet does give me doubts about the strength of the bonds and the love between the two in the early scenes of the play. However as the feelings deepen and the actions become more irrational, I realise that they are definitely in love. Their relationship is honest, equal and true. I dont know how many people would say nowadays that they would die for their partner, but we must remember this tragedy is fictional; it was written in a much simpler world. Whichever way I look at it though, Romeo and Juliet are the original lovers and will be so until love itself dies.