In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses an admirable character, Reverend Dimmesdale, in order to portray that being a hypocrite is one of the worst sins that one can commit. Hawthorne uses hypocrisy as a major theme of the novel. Consequently, Hawthorne is able to express his hatred of the Puritanical society, by proving to the readers that the majority of Puritans were hypocritical. Throughout the novel, poor Hester Prynne had to face the evil Puritans by herself, and bravely
In the Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a scandal occurs in the sacred Puritan community. Hester Prynne, whose husband has not been home for two years, is impregnated by the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, who will not come forth and admit he was also involved. Dimmesdale is a young, godly man who is admired and liked by almost all of the community’s members. In the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne reveals the theme that sin can destroy a person through his characterization of Reverend Arthur
Arthur Starts With “A” In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne there are four main characters that go through many obstacles. One of the characters who suffers greatly and undergoes major transformation is Arthur Dimmesdale. Arthur Dimmesdale is a Reverend in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1600’s. At the onset of the novel the Reverend is a well respected, admired man who delivers powerful speeches. As the story unfolds, Arthur’s character weakens as he commits a deathful sin that
Alex Almer Mrs. Voshell Honors English 10 8 January 2016 Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Use of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne uses a large amount of symbolism in his book, The Scarlet Letter. “The characters and the action are soaked in symbolism” (Wagenknecht 61). Symbolism is the use of an object, character, or event to represent something else. Hawthorne uses the symbols in the book to convey the meanings of the story in a creative, interesting way. Hawthorne uses all of the main
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804. He was raised in a Puritan family and his family members were very impactful in Puritan society. His great-grandfather was one of the judges who was part of the Salem Witch Trials. Hawthorne was disgusted by having the same name as his ancestors so he added the ‘w’ to Hathorne, which he went by in his writings. In 1850, Hawthorne wrote what is considered to be his greatest novel, The Scarlet Letter. The novel is set in a Puritan community
suffering. Nathaniel Hawthorne's renowned novel, The Scarlet Letter, is a story about a girl named Hester Prynne who makes the terrible sin of adultery with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, who is Salem’s town minister. Once Hester becomes pregnant it becomes clear to the whole town what she has done. Typically, when a Puritan committed the sin of adultery they would be killed, but because some of the townspeople believe her husband is dead Hester is able to live. This novel shows how Dimmesdale and Hester
of Man in the Scarlet Letter For as long as can be remembered, toddlers are made familiar with biblical stories, and are made to believe there is a heaven and a hell. Famous novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne continues this tradition in his famous novel The Scarlet Letter, where he tells the story of a woman who has committed a heinous sin in her community and is forced to spend the rest of her life in complete isolation from society. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s famed novel The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne creates
Symbolism in The Scarlett Letter The Scarlett Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is unique based on a plethora of symbols and motifs. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne applies these symbols to represent the central themes in the novel. As one of the most creative symbolists in American Literature, understanding Hawthorne requires an in depth analysis of his symbols in order to grasp them accurately. Generally speaking, a symbol is a literary device that contains several layers of meaning, often concealed
The Scarlet Letter is a well-known book that has been praised for its historical context and romantic literature. Some of the literary techniques that Hawthorne uses in Chapter 9, are metaphor, setting, irony, and tone. During this moment in The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many of these literary techniques to describe Chillingworth's personality and motives to the reader as evil and disgusting. Now metaphor may be the first noticeable use of literary technique to describe Chillingworth's
man to the brink of insanity, and perhaps even to death’s door. Such tortuous feelings, especially when contained, possess an unfathomably immense danger. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, Arthur Dimmesdale’s deteriorating physical appearance is caused by