scarlet letter argumentative essay

The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

The Scarlet Letter Material

• Study Guide
• Lesson Plan

Join Now to View Premium Content

GradeSaver provides access to 2374 study guide PDFs and quizzes, 11025 literature essays, 2794 sample college application essays, 926 lesson plans, and ad-free surfing in this premium content, “Members Only” section of the site! Membership includes a 10% discount on all editing orders.

The Scarlet Letter Essays

The little human a incarnate anonymous, the scarlet letter.

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, many of the characters suffer from the tolls of sin, but none as horribly as Hester's daughter Pearl. She alone suffers from sin that is not her own, but rather that of her mother. From the day she is...

Perception Blanketed by Passion William Kyunghyun

In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester and Dimmesdale are entangled in self-delusion because they are both caught up in a false interpretation of their respective sins and in an opaque vision of a better life. Hester is confused by...

Original Sin Helen Huggins

In Hawthorne's intricately woven tale The Scarlet Letter, his characters create a parallel theme with the Biblical story of Original Sin. By examining the characters and their interactions and insights about each other, one can examine the...

Hawthorne's "Witch-Baby" in The Scarlet Letter Frances G. Tilney

A few moments before Reverend Dimmsdale professes his sin to the crowd of onlookers, Hester's hopes of escape are dashed by the knowledge that Roger Chillingworth also booked a passage on the departing shipa ship that she prayed would give her and...

Hester's Role as Both the Sinner and Saint Marielle Macher

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us," stated Oliver Wendell Holmes. This eventually proves to be especially true for Hester Prynne, the main character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet...

The Immense Effect of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter Megan Leach

Hawthorne wrote his great, psychological novel, The Scarlet Letter, not only in the literal sense, but also symbolically to thoroughly instill his strong ideas into the minds of readers. He uses sunshine, the forest, roses, the scarlet letter,...

Sin: Hawthorne's Biblical Truth Joshua Prophett

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne writes the consequences of one sinful act in a Puritan community. This sinful act involves three main characters, Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingsworth. As The Scarlet Letter progresses, each...

Sin's Evolution in The Scarlet Letter Zachary Anderson

Evolution is defined as "a process of change"(Webster's Dictionary), and it has been proved many times in the past that sin is a direct process that leads to change in one's spiritual as well as fleshly life. The three main characters, Hester,...

A Natural Mirror of Impurity Meagan Bass

The entity of Nature acts as a double-edged sword in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. In the novel, Nature shows its ability to both harm and heal through its effects on the characters. The novel highlights Nature's complexity by showing...

Religious Oppression in The Scarlet Letter Daniel Tvert

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne has committed adultery, and her subsequent bearing of an illegitimate child has cast her beyond the pale of polite society. It is difficult for us, in the late twentieth century, to...

Pearl Prynne - A Blessing And A Curse Sugato De

"This child hath come from the hand of the almighty, to work in many ways upon her heart. It was meant for a blessing, for the one blessing of her life! It was meant, doubtless, for a retribution too, a torture to be felt at many an unthought of...

The Garden of Eden in America: Dichotomies in The Scarlet Letter Adam Weissman

The story of Adam and Eve illustrates the sinful nature of man. A common theory about the story of Adam and Eve is that God intended Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge. The argument is, if God had not intended Adam to eat the...

Criticism of Puritan Society: Nature in Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" Anonymous

Throughout the late 18th century and 19th century, Romanticism was a highly popular literary style adopted by many novelists. Nature, a prominent element of Romanticism, is used in these authors' writings not just for descriptions and images, but...

Threads Anonymous

Threads are rather insignificant by themselves. It is when a weaver connects them together that they form a beautiful tapestry. Each thread now contributes to the quality of the tapestry and are bound together by the common picture that form. In a...

Law of Nature Versus Man in The Scarlet Letter Anonymous

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates the need for humans to abide by the laws of nature and conscience, rather than the laws of man, to achieve happiness.

The laws of nature, enforced only by the human conscience, govern every...

A Scarlet I: The Use of Irony Within The Scarlet Letter Robin Bates

"Irony is the gaiety of reflection and the joy of wisdom." Through this statement, Anatole France, a 1921 Nobel Prize recipient, states his belief that irony is only lighthearted reflection. However, Nathaniel Hawthorne employs irony to reveal...

The Fear of Miscegenation in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter Cole DeLaune

By the middle of the nineteenth century, the young American establishment appeared to have surmounted the instability of its formative stages. The citizens of what had originated as a disorganized and inefficient alliance of thirteen diverse...

The Destruction of an Unconfessed Soul Travis Hodges

In the first chapter of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, a solitary rosebush stands in front of a gloomy prison to symbolize "some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human...

More Than Meets The Eye Igor Petrovich Reznik

"Don't judge a book by its cover." Everyone knows this hackneyed quote, but people still judge others based on outer appearance. By doing so, these people ignore the possible inner greatness of those they so quickly set aside. The character Hester...

Rosebush and Black Weeds: Botanical Metaphors in The Scarlet Letter Anonymous

Nature. It is a word that seems so expansive and all-inclusive. Within a novel, elements of nature and setting often become so expected and mundane that they are easily glossed over in order to get to the "more important" elements of a story-the...

The Influence of British Literature on the Birth of American Artistry Colter Ross Brown

The idea that our American literary culture has been influenced since its inception by Britain's is not a new one; after all, the two countries are rather like two branches of the same tree. Even though the mindsets are of distinctly different...

Puritan Influence in Contemporary American Society J. Andres Gannon

Puritans are often mischaracterized as overly strict and moral persons whose lives revolve around killjoy attitudes and laws against all innocent social pleasures. Qualities of sympathy, charity, and compassion are rarely tied to Puritanism or...

Sinners at the Hands of an Oppressive Society Livia Antonina Romano

In The Scarlet Letter , author Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne, an unhappily married seamstress, and Arthur Dimmesdale, the local Puritan clergyman, to prove that a community that forcefully suppresses the natural desires of an individual...

Significance of Names in The Scarlet Letter Anonymous

Why does Hawthorne give Hester Prynne the name Hester? Hawthorne himself, as is well known, changed his family name from Hathorne, to distance himself from those Puritan ancestors whose achievements and excesses haunted his fiction. The Scarlet...

They must suffer to be strong: The resilience of human spirit

Works cited.

• High School
• You don't have any recent items yet.
• You don't have any courses yet.
• You don't have any books yet.
• You don't have any Studylists yet.
• Information

Essay On Scarlet Letter

Topics in risk management and insurance (rmi-401), gallaudet university, students also viewed.

• Essay On Democracy In America
• Writing Essays Services
• Business Essay Sample
• House On Mango Street Essay Topics
• Essays On The Gita
• Education Goals Essay

Related documents

• Problem Solution Essay Examples
• Essay Database Essay Database
• How To Write A Graduate School Essay
• Of Mice And Men Literary Analysis Essay
• 1V0n TPLm 7t M2d W - ulkoilmaparvekkeella juoden teetä. 　　Sumu ei ole vielä hälvennyt, ja aamuaurinko
• XMY34n Ei K5u N9i - kuin peiliin katsominen, korkeintaan viisi minuuttia. 　　Kansalainen Choi istui

Preview text

Scarlet letter persuasive essay.

Have you ever been looked down upon? Of course we all have. Is it however right to stay in place when your life is on the line? In the book the Scarlet letter, Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale conspired to run away from New England. But like many a great scheme, this turned out to be just a dream. All people agree that nether Hester nor Dimmesdale were content in New England. Some people think Ms. Prynne and Rev. Dimmesdale should not have escaped. But some people agree Ms. Prynne and Rev. Dimmesdale should have fled. Ms. Prynne and Rev. Dimmesdale should have fled New England. This plan should have been enacted for these three reasons. They could have made a new life, their experience in New England was atrocious, and it would have given.. more content... Prynne and Rev. Dimmesdale should have fled New England is that they could have made a new life. Heaven knows they needed this chance. They could have been safe and they could have been together. Hester Prynne would no longer be looked down upon. It is a well–known fact that Rev. Dimmesdale suffered and died a horrible death as a result of staying. This could have been successfully avoided if he had simply run away with Ms. Prynne. The second reason Ms. Prynne and Rev. Dimmesdale should have fled New England is that New England was atrocious. The people in New England were stern and the children unpleasant. If they would have known about the affair and all who took part they would definitely kill Rev. Dimmesdale. The Rev. and Ms. Prynne hated New England. Old Rodger Chillingworth was torturing Rev. Dimmesdale. Hester Prynne was looked down upon scornfully and New Englanders all round feared pearl. New England needed to be fled from. The third reason Ms. Prynne and Rev. Dimmesdale should have fled New England is that it gave the duo the opportunity for a second chance. A new life was definitely in order, if this chance were taken they could gain a new life. In this new life Rev. Dimmesdale could wed Hester an act which he certainly desired but was unable to do in New England. And finally he could hold Pearl's

Get more content on StudyHub

The scarlet letter essay.

The Scarlet Letter Introduction The Scarlet Letter is a classic tale of sin, punishment, and revenge. It was written in 1850 by the famous American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. It documents the lives of three tragic characters, each of whom suffer greatly because of his or her sins. Shot Plot The story begins with Hester Prynne, a resident of a small Puritan community, being led from the town jailhouse to a public scaffold where she must stand for three hours as punishment for adultery. She must also wear a scarlet A on her dress for the rest of her life as part of her punishment. As she is led to the scaffold, many of the women in the crowd complain that.. more content... When Chillingworth asks Hester the identity of her lover, she refuses to answer. Because of this, Chillingworth makes her promise never to reveal that he is her husband. After Hester is released from prison, she goes to live in a small cottage at the edge of town. After a few years, people begin to notice that her daughter, Pearl, behaves very strangely, and they threaten to take her away from Hester. Hester takes Pearl to Governor Bellingham's mansion planning to plead for the right to keep her daughter. At the mansion she is met by the governor and his three guests, Reverend Wilson, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. Reverend Dimmesdale convinces the governor to allow Hester to keep Pearl. Chillingworth, who has been living with Reverend Dimmesdale since his arrival in town, begins to suspect that Reverend Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl. One evening while Dimmesdale is sleeping, Chillingworth examines Dimmesdale's chest and finds something which confirms his suspicion. From this moment on, Chillingworth devotes himself to seeking revenge. One night, Dimmesdale is so tormented by his conscience that he goes and stands on the scaffold that Hester had stood on seven years earlier. As he is standing there, he sees Hester and Pearl walk by and he calls them onto the scaffold with him. After he acknowledges his guilt to them, a giant red A

Essay On The Y Chromosome

Clearly the choo–choo was chugging faster now – so I scrolled down for backup. My mom? God, no.. would just be confirmation that the Y chromosome should be erased from humanity. My sister? Not much better. Still, it was someone. Mercifully, Hester answered, even though I knew she was at work. "Hester? Got a minute?" "Hey, birthday girl! What's up?" My sister's voice, always on the loud side, boomed out of my phone, and I held it away from my ear. "Hester," I bleated, "he's seeing someone! He gave me a beautiful bracelet and kissed me and then he told me he's seeing someone! For a couple of months and it's fairly serious, but I still love him!" "Jesus, lady, get a grip," muttered the man behind me... more content... The woman in front of me turned around. She had the leathery, lined face and broad shoulders of a dairy farmer. "You a'right, theah, deah?" she asked, her Vermont accent as thick as overboiled maple syrup. "I'm fine," I answered in a shaky and rather unconvincing voice, attempting a brave smile. "I ovahheard you, you poah thing," she said. "Men can be such ahssholes. My husband, Nahman we're talkin' about, he sits down to dinnah one day and says he wants a d'vorce on account a' he's been banging the secretary down at the creamery. And this when we've been married fahty–two yeahs." "Oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry," I said, reaching out to hold her hand. She was right. Men were assholes. Mark was an asshole. I shouldn't be heartbroken over him. Except I loved the rat bastard. Oh, blerk! "Hello? I'm still here, Callie," my sister reminded me sharply. "What do you want me to say?" "I don't know, Hes.. do you think I should do?" I asked. "Step outside?" suggested the man behind me. "Damned if I know, Callie," she sighed. "The longest relationship I've ever had lasted thirty–six hours. Which you know," she said, her voice turning thoughtful, "has worked really well for me." "Hes," I said wetly, "I'll be seeing them together every day." The notion

Scarlet Letter Essay

A common theme throughout literature is religion and how the author feels about his or her faith. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses rhetorical devices to draw comparisons between characters and events in The Scarlet Letter and Biblical figures and accounts. A few of the devices found in this novel that connect it to the Bible are symbolism, paradox, allusions, and characterization. It is important to first look at the characters and how they are described through characterization. The first rhetorical device is characterization. The way the main characters are described by Hawthorne sets up how they will be perceived. It is through this that we see the first inklings of biblical figures. Biblical characters are seen.. more content... However, when you examine them in greater depth it becomes apparent that there is more to them than there originally appeared to be. The first is that of the scarlet letter itself. The "A" was originally intended to show people that the person wearing it was a sinner who had committed adultery. However, as the novel develops it becomes more of a sign of heaven through the meaning of angel. This is first seen when an "A" appears in the sky shortly after the death of Governor Winthrop. It is at this time that the townspeople decide this is a sign that Governor Winthrop was a good Christian who has gone on to a better life. But the townspeople cannot help but realize that this is the same thing which the have made one of their own people, Hester, wear. Another symbol is found in what is one of Hester's greatest skills. Her ability with a needle to sew and embroider better than anyone else has a lot more meaning than there appears to be. Hester uses sewing as her outlet when she is condemned by the townspeople, but it is through her seclusion and the sewing she does during her time alone that strengthens her faith in herself and God, much like Mary did after she first learned of her pregnancy. This faith proves very helpful to her in more trying times. Yet another symbol is made through the rosebush. The rose bush is a symbol of sin, and Pearl continues to claim

• Prisons are necessary in human society because people are sinful.
• He says the rose symbolizes: love, beauty, life, passion, and hope.
• They are literary allusions from passages from the bible. He uses prisons and graveyards as a symbol of the Gods justice..
• The story is told from the point of view of the author. The author is a character and not Hawthorne himself telling the story. It is written in thrid person. From the beginning the tone is bitter and thoughtful.
• According to the last senetence The Scarlet Letter is a story of sin and redemption. Chapter 2
• They thought she was an adulterer and a shame.
• Hester is young, tall, elegant, beautiful, a proud woman, yet serious. She carries a baby.. more content... Prisons are necessary in human society because people are sinful.
• Hester is young, tall, elegant, beautiful, a proud woman, yet serious. She carries a baby named Pearl. She wears an "A" on her chest. The latter sets her apart from the rest of the women physically.
• Hester is strong in public considering the humility she goes through with grace. She doesn't hide her shame by not trying to hide her daughter, Pearl.
• She accepts her humanity and sin rather than trying to deny it.
• In the market place she is forced to go through the crowd to the scaffold of the pillory. She goes up the stairs and stands. The entire crowd can see her as a punishment of shame and punishment. The reader feels bad for her and actually pity's what she is going through. Chapter 1
• He says the rose symbolizes: love, beauty, life, passion, and

Essay on Scarlet Letter Study Guide

English 11 The Scarlett Letter, Nathanial Hawthorne Chapters I and II

• What two necessities, according to Hawthorne, must the founders of a new colony provide immediately?
• Prison and a cemetery
• Under whose footsteps was the rose–bush outside the prison supposed to have sprung up? Sainted Anne Hutchinson
• What kind of spectacle have the townspeople of Boston gathered to witness? The public humiliation of Hester Prynne
• What is the significance of the scarlet letter A which is embroidered on Hester's gown? Show that she was an adulteress
• What conclusion can you draw from the fact that every new colony must provide a prison and cemetery at once? People will commit crimes or die
• How do most of the townspeople.. more content... How would you describe what the young minister is probably feeling at this moment? Because he was nervous because he might say the name (that he is the father) Chapter IV
• Where is Roger Chillingworth, the stranger of Chapter III, to lodge while the authorities work out his ransom with the Indians? Prison
• What two kinds of experience equip Chillingworth to be a physician? His previous studies in alchemy (changing one thing to another) and what he has learned from the natives when he has been captured
• Why does Hester at first resist Chillingworth's attempts to give the baby medicine? That he was going to poison the baby.
• What promise does Chillingworth exact from Hester? That she won't tell the towns people that he is her husband.
• At what point are you certain that Chillingworth is Hester's husband? Cite the passage that confirms your suspicions. They talk about their wedding day. Pages 24 and 25
• Why does Chillingworth say that he seeks no vengeance against Hester?

Because he knows that she is young and pretty and without a husband for years and she is already being punished. 7. What do you think Chillingworth means when he says of the father of her child "I shall read (the letter of infamy) on his heart? The lie will eat away at you. Your disposition changes 8. At the end of the chapter, Chillingworth says, "Not thy soul... No not thine!" Which words would he have emphasized as he said

Scarlet Letter Compare And Contrast Essay

Society is a very tricky thing, if someone does something out of the ordinary society labels them as weird. If someone fixes what they did they are then labeled fake and get bullied or judged. During The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, and Of Mice and Men, the readers can see how society is controlling how people live and how we are as an individual. If people make a mistake they aren't able to fix the problem on their own they have to have society tell them what their punishment is. In The Crucible, society was telling everyone that if they were different in anyway they were punished, tortured, and even had death sentences. During the time "The Crucible" if people acted different or didn't believe in the same things they would be accused of being a witch, or had something to do with the devil. Everyone had to be in full body dressing and they had to go to church (even if you didn't believe in Christ). Society was telling people that kids couldn't dance and have fun like kids these days. Kids were expected to mind like the adults. While reading The Scarlet Letter, the readers could see the way society was making decisions about how people need to live their lives and how they need to act. For example.. more content... The Crucible has taught people that it's okay to be different and believe in different religions and cultures. The Scarlet Letter has taught people that even if people get married to someone and they aren't happy ect with that person, it's okay to end the relationship. And even if something hurts the people around them (emotionally) it's okay if it makes that person happy (to an extent). The book "Of MIce and Men" taught people that even if someone is different from the normal they have to work twice as hard to get what they want. Society needs to understand that even if someone is different they shouldn't be judged for what makes them happy (to an

• Multiple Choice

Course : Topics in Risk Management and Insurance (RMI-401)

University : gallaudet university.

• More from: KA KA Kirk Andrews 1 impact 1 Gallaudet University Discover more