The Scarlet Letter, I think, was a book to remeber. I think the book was very hard to read, but I think it was my favorite book so far. It had the drama, the twists, and an unexpected ending. I think Dimmesdale was a good example of all three of these things. He was Pearl's father and Hester's true love. He too, had a scarlet letter, but hid his out of shame. Also, he died at the end of the book after revealing all of his secrets. This was the first book to keep me entertained from the first page to the last.
In The Scarlet Letter, the character that stuck out most, to me, was Hester Prynne. She wore her scarlet letter openly. I think the "A" on Hester's chest made her a better person, because it caused her to be stronger. She would care for the poor by giving them food and clothes. Since the "mark" made her an outcast, she was able to gain independence and think freely. I think Hester was not an extraordinary woman, but it was the circumstances that made her seem extraoradinary. In a way the scarler letter may have been a blessing in disguise.
I think the novel's major theme was the power of evil. Throughout the novel there was numerous discussions of the "Black Man." The "Black Man" was often paired with Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. Also Pearl was thought of as the Devil's child. Hester's affair was probably caused by her hatred for Chillingworth. Chillingworth's wanting of revenge was stemmed from the affair. Ultimately all of the evilness created karma. Dimmesdale's refusal to acknowledge his own daughter in public, and all of the gultiness he obtained from his scarlet letter caused his death. Finally, Chillingworth's want of revenge led to his death.
All in all, The Scarlet Letter was a great novel.
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I like how you referred to the scarlet letter as "a blessing in disguise." I also agree with you because Hester gained independence, experience, and wisdom from a bad situation. She learned to look at the bright side.
ReplyDeleteI agree with MeghanMarie. The Scarlet Letter changed her for the better. She also I believe tried to pass on her wisdom gained from the scarlet letter to Pearl so she doesn't make the same mistakes she did.
ReplyDeleteThe Scarlet was also the only book, so far, that has kept my attention throughout the entire novel. I like the examples you used to show that the theme of the Scarlet Letter was evil, because I had a hard time figuring out the theme for this book, but the examples made it easier to understand.
ReplyDeleteI like how you brought up Chillingworth's want for revenge leading to his death. This reminded me of last year Baxter's class having the quote "Heat not the furnace so hot that you burn yourself" -Shakesphere. Its like this when you let your want for revenge take over your life. He is pretending to be someone else entirely just so he can get his revenge. How fare will we go, just to get revenge?
ReplyDeleteYour comment about the scarlet letter being a blessing in disguise is interesting. Why do you think so? I would like to hear what you think and why you think this in more detail.
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