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Feb 20, 2024 · In wrapping up our discussion of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, it’s clear that this novel transcends the boundaries of its Puritanical setting to address universal themes of sin, guilt, redemption, and the human capacity for empathy and forgiveness. Hawthorne writes a narrative that critiques the moral rigidity of the 17th ...
Nathaniel Hawthorne. Questions & Answers. Did Hester ever love Chillingworth? Hester and Chillingworth are both aware that Hester never loved him. When they meet again in New England, she says “thou knowest that I was frank with thee. I felt no love, nor feigned any.”
- Primary Themes
- Morality Lessons
- Symbolism
- Biblical References
Sin, Evil, Guilt and ShamePurity and CorruptionFighting for Repentence and DignityDarkness of Puritan Institutions - confusing the cause and nature of evil, denial of love, reinforcing alienation.Realism and Imagination (dreaminess) don't alway meet (Romance?)Fall from Grace to Eternal Damnation - Come forward to confess your guilt, or you'll get sick and die (Dimmesdale)The shaming by peers can be worse than the sentence for committing the crimeMaintain quiet dignity and respect yourself, no matter what people think (Hester)The letter "A" which stands for "adulteress" is the symbol worn by Hester to represent her crime and ensuing public shaming; she refers to it as "some sweet moral blossom"Red is the color of the letter Hester wears, representing passion, blood and sinRose Bush (also red) represents beauty, in sharp contrast to the red letter "A""Black Man" is associated with Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and little Pearl, the embodiment of evil.Hester is is the Latin form of Esther, a young Hebrew woman in The Bible, Book of Estherwho married the Persian ruler Xerxes and risked her life to save her people. Puritans favored using Old Testa...In Persian, Hester/Esther means "Star"Madonna and child (there is no acknowledged father, like for Pearl)Adam and Eve - They were both naked and "not ashamed" but their sin resulted in discovery of shame, explusion and extreme suffering by God after eating from the forbidden tree of knowledgeHawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter more than a century after the events in the novel would have occurred, but it is not difficult to discern his contempt for Boston's Puritans and their rigid religious views. Thinking through some key passages and the questions below will help deepen your understanding of the book.
Mar 19, 2021 · The Scarlet Letter book club meeting led to an interesting and deep conversation surrounding the plot and topics brought up in this book by Nathaniel Hawthorn. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Company in the mid-1600’s, the theme allowed for the exposure to a different era and the question of, “What would you have done?”
Our Reading Guide for The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne includes Book Club Discussion Questions, Book Reviews, Plot Summary-Synopsis and Author Bio. - Page #1.
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The Scarlet Letter Discussion Questions: -Do you think Hester’s punishment was fair and just? If not, what do you think might have been a better punishment? -Do you think Hester felt guilty only because she had been caught and was being punished? -Why does Roger Chillingworth want his true identity to remain hidden?
