General
1.
The Scarlet Letter is the symbol of adultery in
the 17th century Boston. In the story Hester, whom has the “Scarlet
Letter” imprinted on her dress is paraded through the city. Her husband returns
to town whom was thought to be lost, asks Hester not to alert the people of his
return and takes the name of Roger Chillingworth. Chillingworth however soon
comes to believe that the minister, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is the person
who had an affair with his wife. So as an act of revenge he haunts Dimmesdale
for seven years while the guilt eats away at him. Hester and Dimmesdale decide
to leave Boston and make a new life in England but the minister cannot go
through with the plan because he confesses his sin to the public and reveals a
scarlet A carved into his chest. Chillingworth dies and leaves all his money to
Hester and Pearl who leaves Boston. But years later they return to the
community and she wears the scarlet letter. Later in life, Hester dies and
shares a gravestone with the minister and on the gravestone is engraved: “On a
field, sable, the letter A, gules.”
2.
One of the more prominent themes in The
Scarlet Letter is sin. Sin and sinning is a big part of the story. First of
the “scarlet letter” is a visual representation of sin in itself. Sin is pretty
vague so I’m going to say is how sinning affects the lives of people into
believing something is wrong even if it is not.
3.
The tone in The Scarlet Letter is one
that is satiric yet saddening. Hawthorne impedes on the thought and beliefs of
the Puritans because of their actions and ideas. While also telling the sad
story of a woman who was outcasted from her community because of adultery.
4.
Setting, tone, metaphor, simile, mood, irony,
characterization, and symbolism all play a key role in the writing of the novel
because of how easily these literary elements help to connect with the reader.
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