Suffering In Hester And Dimmesdale
Expressionist artist, Edvard Munch, created a popular painting given the name “The Scream” for its representation of the embodiment of suffering on man and nature. The landscape of the painting is a “dark orange sky” meant to represent the suffering of nature as it is being destroyed by volcanic eruptions and natural disasters. The figure of a man with an “agonized expression” is said to be a result of the great amount of suffering he encounters as both nature and the world around him ceases to exist. Suffering comes in a variety of different ways and at a myriad of different degrees. While suffering appears in many different forms throughout The Scarlet Letter in both Hester and Dimmesdale, the suffering of Dimmesdale is much worse because of the copious amounts of guilt within his conscience.
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne experiences suffering in ways that are both physical and mental after she commits her adulterous act. A symbol of Hester’s adulterous act is “the letter “A” illuminated upon her bosom” throughout most of the novel (Hawthorne 51). It is a symbol of her sin and a public representation of her sin, acting as a constant reminder for her and the townspeople. Hester feels alone when she is placed onto the “scaffold” where everyone judges her sin (Hawthorne 50). The scaffold is a symbol that represents the embodiment of sin, which is the Devil. The scaffold acts as the
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Suffering can also be placed at different degrees making suffering much more difficult for one person than another. Ultimately, the suffering Dimmesdale encountered surpassed the suffering Hester encountered because of the multitude of suffering that was a result from his ever increasing guilt. The guilt Dimmesdale had surrounding his internal and external influences continued to weaken him further until his death that signified his sought out entrance into
Hester Prynne Shame Quotes
1140 Words | 5 PagesHester's divine beauty outshines others corrupt beliefs of her. While Hester walks stumbles out the prison doors and onto the dreaded scaffold, Hawthorne describes Hester as "the young woman [who] was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance, on a large scale" (40). Hester Prynne is being publicly shamed for the act of adultery she committed along with the minister who condemns her. She is forced to stand on the scaffold and beat the sorrow of he sins with the scarlet letter "A" on her bosom to represent her shameful acts. This mark of embarrassment serves a purpose to make her appear unrighteous, but the author chooses to focus on her beauty, which outshines this emblem.
Allusion And Symbolism In Scarlet Letter
771 Words | 4 PagesIn the novel the Scarlet Letter the author Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes setting, allusion, characterization and symbolism to support his theme of independence of a women who was able to keep her dignity even when people were constantly putting her down. The world was not such an accepting place in the 1850’s, and Hawthorne ingeniously used this to his advantage to show how people did not accept Hester for her act of adultery (Hawthorne VVI-XI). The book was set in the puritan era which is known for being one of the most religious time periods of today. Hawthorne wisely chose to make the village an extremely religious and pure place because it would help with the idea that Hester was on her own because she sinned Hawthorne claims that the village is
Dimmesdale's Unburdening
1154 Words | 5 PagesIn life, unhealthy unburdening will lead to an inevitable demise. The only unknown is whether the person or a toxic environment around oneself is the cause. In the Scarlet Letter Hawthorne writes Dimmesdale as a beloved minister who is sinfully in love with Hester Prynne a wife, a mother, and an outsider in the eyes of the townspeople. Dimmesdale and Hester have a daughter Pearl, who’s born out of sin due to Hester’s pre-existing marriage to a man named Chillingworth, a “doctor” who is often referred to as a leech due to his fiend ways. The story takes place in Boston, Massachusetts, a town that contains generations of people who have been groomed to repress and never express.
Archetypes In Scarlet Letter
1099 Words | 5 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne's romantic novel The Scarlet Letter depicts Hester and Dimmesdale, sinners who deserve punishment by the oppressive Puritan society. Dimmesdale, however, avoids punishments through Hester’s silence, and Hester suffers through the punishment alone, broken. Hawthorne presents archetypes of darkness, color red, and star-crossed lover to establish tragedy within the contrasting characters of Hester and Dimmesdale. Hawthorne further informs the readers that consequence depends on the attitude towards punishment.
The Glass Castle And The Raisin In The Sun
769 Words | 4 PagesIn The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is seen as a disgrace for the town. The “A” on Hester’s chest forces her to feel like she has no independence, since she is not seen like a typical person; she does not feel like she
The Role Of Guilt In The Crucible
918 Words | 4 PagesHester, I am most miserable” (Hawthorne 166). It is very noticeable that Dimmesdale is sorrowful for what he had done. Dimmesdale knew that he, a part of church, could not be known for such a horrible sin. He is doing so terrible that he is physically weakening. The shame is ruining his life and actually, he even died after he finally confessed his sin.
Essay About The Mistakes Hester Prynne Ever Made
599 Words | 3 PagesIn the beginning the scarlet letter represented adultery and shame, but then the A represented “able.” Hester Prynne showed people that greatness can come out of huge mistake. One bad chapter does not mean your story is over. Willingly, Hester wanted to pick herself up again and move on with her life and eventually people noticed that. They began to respect her and think of her as strong and commendable
The Scarlet Letter How To Read Literature Like A Professor
863 Words | 4 PagesHe was suffering from chest pain because of the secret he was hiding from the Puritan society. He was dying every day from inside because he could not carry the weight of his sin. He was totally consumed by guilt; his “form grew emaciated; his voice ...... his hand over his heart, with first a flush and then a paleness, indicative of plain” ( Hawthorne 13 ). This quote shows that Dimmesdale’s guilt had an impact on his health.
Scarlet Letter Symbolism
1322 Words | 6 PagesHester doesn´t reflect that when she wears it. At first, for Hester the scarlet letter represents the loneliness that she feels, the sense of guilt and how society is judging her for her sin. Later, however, she comes to terms with her fate and accepts it. This is when the letter “A” becomes something secondary because Hester finds the strength and confidence inside her, to a point where she refuses to take the scarlet letter off, saying that is has grown too deep in her. It has become part of
The Scarlet Letter Rhetorical Analysis
1014 Words | 5 PagesHester has to wear a letter A on her chest for her punishment of adultery. In The Scarlet Letter, the meaning and significance of the letter A is altered as the novel goes on. Hester, the townspeople, and Pearl all have views of the letter that change. Through their views of the letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author, reveals what his view on the letter is. Hester’s view of
Hester Prynne And John Proctor Analysis
705 Words | 3 PagesThe scarlet letter ‘A’ did not stand for “adultery” anymore. It stood for “able.” “The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize, —that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength.”
Analysis Of Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter
896 Words | 4 PagesAlthough publicly admitting to sin can be a challenging task, time will heal the initial pain. Hester Prynne, of the Scarlet Letter, lives this lesson as she commits the sin of adultery. Her punishment for the sin is to wear the letter “A” on her bosom until she is allowed to remove it by the Puritan authorities wishes. Initially, Hester feels guilt and shame as she wears it. As Hester’s character grows in strength, she overcomes the letter’s original purpose of punishment.
What Does The Deep Red Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter
940 Words | 4 PagesHawthorne uses symbolism throughout the Scarlet letter to display the sin and indecency people see Hester as. The detail represents ,the deep beauty Hester has inside although most people do not see her as a beutiful women. The deep red is a representation of adultery which shows her being an oncast from society. The symbol of the letter “A” is repetitive throughout the novel and grows with Hester and overcomes this with time as people start to see her as a person again and not just a adulterer. Hester acknowledges her sin in her puritan faith but swears to secrecy on the father of Pearl.
Essay On Evil In The Scarlet Letter
719 Words | 3 PagesEven though the Puritans may have designated the letter as a representation of sin, Hester’s renewed sense of pride does not want society to define the A for her. Rather Hester wants to define it herself and by doing so she develops responsibility and power over her own actions. Because Hester has the power to change who she is, she also has the power to change what the Scarlet Letter represents. By letting the letter be “embroidered with gold thread” readers are able to see how for Hester sin is not something to be fearful of; furthermore, it allows one to see how Hester has developed into an independent individual who accepts who she is and the situation she is presented with. Hester’s lover unfortunately
The Symbolism Of 'A' In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
959 Words | 4 PagesReceiving the scarlet letter changed every aspect of Hester’s life. Especially at the start of the story, the letter symbolized the solitude and great suffering Hester faced just because of a letter placed on her bosom. The “A” also depicted how no one viewed Hester the same way as before her peccant actions. “…she saw that, owing to the peculiar effect of this convex mirror, the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance” (Hawthorne 109). The pejorative community Hester lived in never saw Hester as the beautiful, young woman she was, but now, as a horrible fiend.
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