Scarlet Letter1 essays

Scarlet Letter1 essays Hester and the Scarlet Letter: Unobtainable Simplicity The achievement of simplicity in life never occurs because things are not simple, but manifold, being viewed differently, and speaking more than one purpose. Nathaniel Hawthorne journeys to seventeenth century Boston and introduces Hester Prynne as he makes his awareness of this idea evident. Through The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne presents the complexity of lifes components whether they appear as simple as an embroidered letter or as intricate as a life changing circumstance. The focus on sin and the consequences and atonement that follow exemplify Hawthornes tragic moral vision. A moral vision dealing directly with human nature through Hawthorne's own creation of Hester Prynne provokes this idea, this problematic truth. A woman publicly acknowledged for what her society held as a grave sin stands before them. She begins her journey, a journey that will forever change the views of not only her fellow characters, but also those to whom Hawthorne tries to reach through his writin g. In this journey, meet a woman whos weakness became her strength, who was looked upon in ways as changing as the seasons. Hester Prynne and the scarlet letter, standing not only as character and prop, but also as universal defendants of the idea of multiple views, are tools for the exploration of this truth. Through just three different perspectives, Hester and her scarlet letter can sustain the ideology presented by Hawthorne and contribute to its acceptance. They do so as regarded by the townspeople, Hawthorne, and Hester herself. The citizens of Boston deem two manifest opinions of Hester and the letter: that notion from the opening scene, which differs greatly that by mid-novel. As Hester walks out into the marketplace for the satisfaction of the townspeople, they immediately evince their cold and unsparing attitude toward this woman. The letter A was to be worn as...