25 - September - 2020
Hello Readers....
Welcome on my new blog. Today I'm presenting and giving information about "The Scarlet letter".
About the Author
The Scarlet Letter was written by American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. He was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne, Sr., and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. He was a descendant of a long line of Puritan ancestors. In order to distance himself from his family's shameful involvement in Salem Witch Trials, Hawthorne added the "w" to his last name.
After his father, a ship captain, died of yellow fever at sea when Nathaniel was only four, his mother became overly protective and pushed him toward relatively isolated pursuits. Hawthorne's childhood left him overly shy and bookish, which molded his life as a writer.
Hawthorne turned to writing after his graduation from Bowdoin College. His first novel, Fanshawe, was unsuccessful and Hawthorne himself disavowed the work as amateurish. However, Hawthorne returned to Salem where he struggled as a short story writer for 12 years. He published Twice-Told Tales in 1837. His insufficient earnings as a writer forced Hawthorne to enter a career as a Boston Custom House measurer in 1839. In 1842, he married Sophia Peabody and moved t The Manse in Concord. Hawthorne returned to Salem in 1845. Hawthorne then devoted himself to his most famous novel, The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter was an immediate success that allowed him to devote himself to his writing. He published The House of the Seven Gables in 1851. Hawthorne passed away on May 19, 1864, in Plymouth, New Hampshire, after a long period of illness during which he suffered severe bouts of Grave of Nathaniel Hawthorne dementia.
The Time Period
The story of the Scarlet letter is set in 17th-century Puritan Boston during the years 1642 to 1649. The Puritans had settled in New England to practice their religious beliefs after leaving the Old World, where they had been persecuted. The Puritans were a legalistic sect of Protestant Christians influenced by Calvinism. Their beliefs emphasized God's omnipotence and the concept of election, the idea that salvation is predestined. Religious behavior was seen as both a result of salvation and evidence of it. Thus, Puritan communities were centered on the idea of purity in thought and deed, and sins were rooted out and punished harshly.
However, over time, people begin to misinterpret the letter as meaning that she is an important part of high society, due to the color and design of the letter.
It is later revealed that the minister of the town was the father of the child, but they kept it a secret for various reasons. Roger Chillingworth, Hester's wayward husband eventually finds out about their plans to run away together, and is about to have his revenge when the minister confesses what he has done, and dies.
The physical setting of The Scarlet Letter reflects the beliefs and habits of the Puritans. Throughout the book, we are taken on a mini tour of the most important town buildings and structures. Law and religion form the heart of the town.
Two main characters in The Scarlet Letter are Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale.
Hester is the mother of Pearl, and is later revealed to be the lover of Dimmesdale. She is the main character in the novel, and bears the letter A on her dress.
Dimmesdale is a minister in Boston. Throughout almost all of the story, the general public doesn't know about his role in the birth of Pearl. However, fairly early on in the story, Hester's uncaring husband returns and finds out about it, and plots his revenge. Dimmesdale dies at the end of the story, and it is discovered that he bears the letter A on his skin.
There were some paradoxes...
Although Puritans embraced a strict life, it wasn't always somber and simple. They encouraged tradesmen and craftsmen to live among them They prized simplicity yet loved fine clothing. Their furniture makers developed great artistry and their leaders (like the governor Hester goes to visit) lived in fine houses.
Hester refuses to tell Pearl what the scarlet letter signifies, and Pearl becomes obsessed with the letter. Meanwhile, Chillingworth is working in Boston as a physician, though he has no formal medical training. One of his patients is Dimmesdale, who has fallen ill with heart trouble. Chillingworth moves in with Dimmesdale to care for him full-time and begins to suspect a connection between Dimmesdale's heart ailment and Hester's crime. When he discovers that Dimmesdale has carved a mark over his heart that resembles Hester's scarlet letter, Chillingworth realizes that Dimmesdale is Hester's lover. Chillingworth decides to torment and expose Dimmesdale.
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