“The Scarlet Letter”, Nathaniel Hawthorne. (Language & Culture III)

Set in New England, America, in the 1690’s. The society had very strong puritanical beliefs –many people had been persecuted in England for them- and their laws and customs reflected them.
Scarlet was the colour of sin and the letter “A” stood for “Adultery”… Hester Prynne was fortunate that she was not executed for having had a child born outside marriage. Her sin was felt to reflect on her daughter, Pearl, and indeed on the whole community. The fact that her husband was presumed dead saved her life. It would have been all the more shocking to the people in town to discover that Hester’s partner in sin was their own priest, Mr Dimmesdale.
What is your opinion of the novel? What about the characters, symbols, or motifs? Can we share views in our blog??? Hope so…

Emma


I am reading a novel called "The Scarlet Letter" written by Nathiel Hawthorne which shows an interesting mixture among sin, knowledge and human conditions. This story represents the nature of evil and the identity of the society in those times. It also illustrates intricate pieces of the Puritan lifestyle. I really enjoy all the mistery that the characters have and all the situations that happen with passion and devotion. What is your opinion about it?

Miss Squirrel

'The Scarlet Letter?, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
The novel takes place in a Puritan village. It is full of symbols. The novel depicts Hester Pryne's life who has been condemned publicly for adultery. She is forced to use a letter 'A' stitched in gold and scarlet on her clothes. This letter 'A' stands for 'adulterer'. Hester has borne an illegitimate child, however she refuses to reveal the name of the child's father. Hester can choose to leave the village and settle down in a place where nobody knows about her past, but she prefers staying there since she feels that the baby is the result of true love. Sin is one of the main symbols of the novel. Hester is a sinner, but also the priest who is the father of the little child. The novel shows how both characters Hester and the priest live and accept their 'sin' in a different way. This novel is a 'Romantic' novel since it is full of symbols and contains many descriptions about nature, such the forest, the town, night, etc. I think reading this novel helps us to picture how difficult it was for women to live in a prejudiced and chauvinist Puritan society.
Angels.