Scarlet Letter Book Report

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CN Raynon

The Scarlet Letter - a book report

PASIG CITY SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

Rainforest Park, Maybunga, Pasig City 1600 Telefax No. 628- 2177

A written report on

THE SCARLET LETTER ( a book report ) Submitted to the English Department as a partial Requirement for the Fourth Quarter

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Table of Contents Introduction................................... ................................ .................................. .................................. ................................ .................. 3 I. Introduction................... II. Synopsis.................... Synopsis.................................... .................................. .................................. ................................ ................................ ....................... ....... 3

background................................... ................................ ................................ .................................. .................... 3 III. Author's background................... IV. IV. Overv Overvie iew w ..................................................................... ............................. ...... 4 a. Lite Literar rary y and and Hist Histor oric ical al background background.............................................. b. b. Infl Influe uenc ncee of of the the Auth Author or .............................................. ..................................................................... .............................................. ......................... ..4 4

V. Analy Analysis sis a. Discussion of the elements of the short story ................................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ........................... .... 4  Setting............................................ .................................................................... .............................................. .............................................5 ......................5  Character ............................................. .................................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ............................... ........ 6  Plot............................................. .................................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ......................... ..7 7  Themes............................................. .................................................................. .............................................. .............................................. ....................... 7  Language........................................... ..................................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ............................ ..... 7  Tone .............................................. .................................................................. .............................................. .............................................. .............................. ....... 7  Mood........................................... b. Literary Literary concepts concepts .................................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ............................7 .....7  Genre............................................. .................................................................... .............................................. ...................................... ............... 8  Point of View............................................. .................................................................. .............................................. .............................................. ........................... .... 8  Symbol........................................... .................................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ............................. ......9 9  Irony............................................. c. Puritan Concepts............................ Concepts.................................................... ............................................... .............................................. ...........................9 ....9 VI. Relevance .............................................. ..................................................................... .............................................. .............................................. ........................10 .10 .................................................................... .............................................. .......................................... ................... 10 VII. Bibliography .............................................

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I. Introduct Introduction ion Nathan anie iell Hawt Hawtho horn rne, e, is a powe powerf rful ul nove novell invo invoke ked d with with The Scarlet Scarlet Letter Letter , by Nath symbolism. Centered on Hester Prynne, a woman branded with a scarlet “A” as a mark for committing adultery. The “A” on her chest symbolizes the “walking emblem of shame.” In this book report, you will see the effects of the Puritan belief and so is the influence of the author’s experience on the outcome of the story.

II. II. Synops Synopsis is The story occurred in seventeenth-century Boston, it was then a Puritan settlement in the English country. Hester Prynne, a young and beautiful woman, is led from the town prison with her infant daughter, Pearl; she was sentenced to wear a scarlet “A” on her chest for committing adultery and refusing to name the child’s father. She was verbally abused by the people for they believed that her sin shamed not only herself, but everyone else as well. Her husband who's been presumed be lost at sea shows up and promises to punish the man who did it; he took a new name, Roger Chillingworth, to help him achieve his plan. Pearl, the baby, becomes unruly as she grows up and rumors fly that she's going to be taken away from Hester; Hester goes to speak to Governor Chillingworth and he says that she can stay with Hester; Minister Dimmesdale Dimmesdale ends up being the father of the child; Hester and he planned to get on a ship to Europe to escape Chillingworth's revenge, but then Dimmesdale loses heart in the plan and knows he's dying; as he's giving a sermon at the end he sees Hester and Pearl and climbs upon scaffold and confesses his sin-dies in Hester's arms; Chillingworth dies soon after and leaves Pearl a lot of money so she and her mother can go to Europe and make a wealthy marriage; years later, Hester returns to Boston, resumes wearing the Scarlet letter, and becomes a person to whom other woman turn to for solace; she dies and was buried by Dimmesdale her tombstone stating, stating, "On a field, sable, the letter A gules.” gules.” Making the “A” which initially stands stands for adultery, stand for “A” as in able and later, as angel .

III. III. Author's Author's backgrou background nd Nathaniel Hawthorne, (1804 - 1864), short-story writer and novelist, was one of the foremost nineteenth century writers in America. He was born on July 4, 1804, in Salem Massachusetts as Nathaniel Hathorne. He likely later added a "w" to avoid the association with one of his ancestors, Judge Hathorne. Raised by a widowed mother, Hawthorne tried his hand at writing, producing historical sketches and an anonymous novel. After marrying fellow transcenden transcendentalist talist Sophia Peabody in 1842, 1842, Hawthorne Hawthorne left Brook Farm Farm and and move moved d into into the the Old Old Mans Mansee Amer America ica was was tryi trying ng to esta establ blis ish h a cult cultur ural al independence to complement its political independence, and Hawthorne's collection of stories displayed both a stylistic freshness and an interest in American subject matter. Herman Melville, among others, hailed Hawthorne as the “American Shakespeare.”

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IV. IV. Overv Overvie iew w a. Literary and Historical background The The Scar Scarlet let Lett Letter er is set set in seve sevent nteen eenth th cent centur ury y New New Engl Englan and, d, and and Hawt Hawtho horn rnee successful successfully ly depicts depicts the Puritanism Puritanism that was found there. Puritanism Puritanism actually began in England and was aimed at purging the Church of its ostentation and corruption. In America, Puritanism was spread by the early English settlers. Settling down in New England, they gradually formed colonies and began implementing puritanical rules. The extreme narrow- mindedness, even restricting church membership, led to some reform movements, one of them led by Anne Hutchinson, who was mentioned in the novel. Hawthorne attempts to give a genuine picture of the times by presenting a realistic setting setting and real puritanical puritanical philosophies philosophies.. He also includes actual historical historical figures figures like Governor Bellingham, Governor Winthrop, Mr. John Wilson, and Mistress Hibbins, who are treated as fictional characters. The introduction of these historical figures, along with the presentation of Puritanical society and beliefs, and the reference to witches, witchcraft and superstitious beliefs, lends authenticity to the narrative without making The Scarlet Letter a historical novel. b. Influence of the Author

Hawthorne's rejection of his ancestors influenced the story. John Hathorne, his greatgreat-grandfa great-grandfather, ther, was a judge judge presiding presiding during the Salem witch trials. trials. Hawthorne Hawthorne did not forgive forgive their acts and actually actually spent a great deal of his life rejecting rejecting the Puritans in general. In fact, there were a couple of scenes in the story where the narrow-mindedness of the Puritans is stressed. For example, before Hester emerges from the prison she is being scorned by a group of women who feel that she deserves a larger punishment than she actually receives. Instead of only being made to stand on the scaffold and wear the scarlet letter on her chest, they suggest that she have it branded on her forehead or even be put to death. Perhaps the most important influence on the story is the author's interest in the dark side, making his work dark and gloomy in nature. Unlike Unlike the transce transcende ndenta ntalis lists ts of the era, era, Hawtho Hawthorne rne confro confronte nted d reality reality,, rather rather than than evading it. Likewise, The Scarlet Letter dealt with adultery, a subject that caused much scandal during the said time frame. The majority of Hawthorne' Hawthorne'ss work takes America's America's Puritan past as its subject, subject, but The Scarlet Letter uses the material to greatest effect In The Scarlet Letter , Hawthorne uses the repressive, authoritarian Puritan society as an analogue for humankind in general, portraying the human soul under extreme -pressures.

V. Analy Analysis sis a. Discussion of the elements of the short story  Setting The Scarlet Letter is set in the seventeenth century , puritanical, New England colony of Massachusetts. The complete action is set in the town of Boston with the scenes shifting within it. The crucial scaffold scenes are set in the market

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place, while the decisive meeting of Hester and Dimmesdale is set in the forest. The novel, however, opens with a prison prison setting, setting, foreshadowing foreshadowing ( the later events are Prepared for ) the future seclusion, gloominess and condemnation of the protagonists.  Characters

Major Characters  Hester Prynne Hester is a young and beautiful woman, and is the wearer of the scarlet letter “A” on her chest, her punishment for committing adultery. She gave birth to Pearl, and refuses to name her co-adulterer. She endured years of scorn and shame, proving her strong will and passion.  Arthur Dimmesdale

Dimmesdale is the pastor in Hester’s church described as young, handsome. He is the co-sinner of Hester committing adultery though he cannot confess it publicly. He deals with his guilt by tormenting himself physically and psychologically, developing a heart condition as a result. His commitments to his congregation are in constant conflict with his feelings of sinfulness and need to confess.  Pearl

She was the child of Hester and Dimmesdale. Her contrasting attributes that makes unique unique and having the townspeople townspeople speculate that her father was the Devil. She is also described as a child whose intelligence is quite superior for for her her age. age. She She perce perceiv ives es thin things gs that that othe others rs do not, not, disc discer erni ning ng the the relationship between her mother and Dimmesdale.  Roger Chillingworth

Chillingwo Chillingworth rth was the legitimate husband husband of Hester in disguise. disguise. He fails to join her quickly, for he is captured by Indians, and by the time he set foot on Boston, he saw Hester on the scaffolds accused of adultery. He longed for revenge from this point on, making him the personification of evil n the novel. Minor Characters  Governor Bellingham Bellingham is the wealthy, elderly of the colony. He is based on an actual person who served as the governor in Boston for several terms. He is further described blind of the things around him, failing to recognize that his sister is a witch.  Mistress Hibbins

She is the ill-tempered sister of Governor Bellingham, based upon another actu actual al figu figure re from from hist histor ory, y, who who was was exec execut uted ed for for witc witchc hcra raft ft.. Her Her appearances at public occasions depict the hypocrisy and hidden evil in Puritan society.

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 John Wilson

Wilson is the eldest clergyman in Boston. He is also based on an actual person, an English minister who came to Boston in 1630. He convinces Dimmesdale to appeal to Hester to reveal her lover's identity. Later, he delivers a sermon on the sin of adultery. Like Governor Bellingham, Wilson follows the community's rules strictly but can be swayed by Dimmesdale's eloque eloquence nce.. He repres represent entss the purita puritanic nical al attitu attitude de that that advoca advocates tes harsh harsh punishment of sinners.  The Sexton

A worker in the church who he found Dimmesdale's glove on the scaffold, he returns it to the minister and blames the devil for having dropped it there. He refers to the appearance of the scarlet letter in the sky and takes it to represent Angel.  The Captain

He is the commander of the ship that is to take Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl away. He plays an important role in escalating the tension of the plot by informing Hester on Election Day that Chillingworth has also booked passage on his ship bound for Bristol.  Narrator

The narrator was an anonymous customhouse surveyor telling of the past events. The narrator injects his own opinions and feelings into the story and he is sympathetic to Dimmesdale and Hester in his thoughts.

 Plot  Conflict: Hester Prynne, in America without her husband bears a child by Rev.

Authur Dimmesdale. She wears the public shame of adultery in the form of a letter "A", while Dimmesdale Dimmesdale bears a private private shame in that he caused it and no one one knows knows.. Her husban husband, d, Roger Roger Chilli Chillings ngswor worth th arrive arrivess to find find her public public condemnation, and later longs for revenge. Whilee Hest Hester er cont contin inue uess to live live unde underr the the sin sin of adul adulte tery ry,,  Rising Action: Whil Dimmesdale stands by in silence though his conscience plagues him and affects his health health.. Hester' Hester'ss husban husband, d, Chilli Chillingw ngwort orth, h, hides hides his true true identi identity ty reaping reaping revenge.  Climax: The second scaffold scene, when Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold

with Hester and Pearl, finally divulging his secret, but still in the darkness of night. Ironically, while standing there, Dimmesdale notices a large meteor in the sky that appears in the shape of the letter A. Chillingworth sees it as well, for he has been watching the three of them on the scaffold. Dimmesdale's sin is a secret no more; Chillingworth will have his revenge.  Falling action: The final reports on Hester's and Pearl's lives were set after the deaths of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth.

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 Outcome: The secret of Hester and Dimmesdale becomes public knowledge

when the minister reveals his adultery and openly accepts Hester and Pearl, who have long suffered in silence.

 Themes

The Nature of Evil In the novel, people constantly blame the “evil” committed by Hester, scorning her for the shame she had brought unknowingly that they themselves are spouting “evil” from thei theirr very very mouth mouths. s. The The chara charact cters ers also also try to root root out the caus causes es of evil evil:: did did Chillingworth's selfishness in marrying Hester force her to the “evil” she committed in Dimmesdale's arms? Is Hester and Dimmesdale's deed responsible for Chillingworth's transformation into a malevolent being? This confusion over the nature and causes of evil reveals the problems with the Puritan conception of sin. Revenge Evidently, the concept of avenging one’s self -- or pride as to Chillingworth’s case was shown in the novel. Revenge for the contentment or achievement of one’s happiness will come from the fall of another; which is ever so evident on what Chillingworth plan, and his deeds to Dimmesdale. Isolation from Society The Scarlet Letter tells the story of a society that is as good at excluding people as a middle school clique. Hester Prynne, lived in isolation for years and years, cast out of Puritan society for having a child out of wedlock. Her isolation leads her to see her society in a new light and allows her to think outside of the box.

 Language

The Language used was deep Old English (Classic English), with deep meanings that touch the realm of the Church and the pious Puritan beliefs in a somber and ominous approach.  Tone

The The tone tone was was cont contem empl plat ativ ivee and and some somewh what at bitt bitter er at firs first; t; thou though ghtf tful ul,, fairl fairly y straightforward, yet occasionally tinged with irony in the body of the narrative with a faked unbiased point of view by the narrator.  Mood

The mood of the story is undeniably gloomy and dark, and of tragedy; obviously contemplating to the sins committed by Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth and the rest of the people around them.

b. Literary Literary concepts concepts  Genre The Scarlet Letter has a Gothic-Romance feel for both its dark and deep sinister story with a fruit of a passionate union, Pearl.

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 Point of View

The point of view is obviously a third-person omniscient, with respect to the narrator.  Symbolism  The Scarlet Letter "A"

The chief symbol in the novel is the scarlet letter "A", which plainly symbolizes Hester's adultery . For Dimmesda Dimmesdale le and Hester, Hester, the scarlet scarlet letter letter stands stands for agony, agony, which Hester Hester displa displays ys in her isolat isolated ed life and which which Dimmes Dimmesdal dalee displays in his deteriorating health. By the end of the novel, the townspeople think that Hester's scarlet "A" stands for Ability , for she has become a generous helper for the poor and downtrodden and a wise counselor for their problems. This gesture of Dimmesdale's placing his hand over his heart is also symbolic. It is the the mini minist ster er's 's attem attempt pt to cove coverr his his mark mark of sinf sinful ulne ness ss and and prev preven entt his his exposure.  The Scaffold

The scaffold is a symbol of repentance and God's platform on the Day of Judgment . It is a reflection of appearing before the Almighty in one's weakness. Dimmesdale has great difficulty in standing on the platform and confessing his sins. sins. He first does it under the cover of darkness for no one to see him, as if he were trying to hide from God himself. In the end, however, he bravely stands on the scaffold and confesses his sin in the light of day and before a crowd of people. The confession finally gives him a sense of peace.  The Prison

The prison is a symbol of isolation and alienation , foreshadowing the life that Hester will lead even after she leaves its confines. While Hester lives in the pri priso son n of alie aliena nati tion on,, Dimm Dimmes esda dale le live livess in the the pris prison on of his his guilt , and Chillingworth is imprisoned by his vengeance . Pearl, alone remains free.  The Rose Bush

The rose bush growing across from the prison represents a constant reminder of salvation and hope to all the prisoners. Later in the book Pearl states that she was plucked from the rosebush and was born. This symbolizes that Pearl is the key key to not not only only Hest Hester er's 's salv salvat atio ion, n, but but to Dimm Dimmes esda dale le and and indi indirec rectly tly to Chillingsworth. Pearl was born into a world of sin and for her to be saved, everyo everyone ne must must find find their their salvat salvation ion through through her. her. It repres represent entss a light light in the darkness of Hester's sin.  The Forest

The forest is symbolic of Nature, both in its darker and lighter aspects. When the rays of sunshine fall on Pearl but do not reach Hester, they symbolize her inability to find happiness or warmth. The pervading darkness is suggestive of the dull gloom in her life . That darkness is dispelled when she meets with Dimmesdale and plans to flee from Boston with him. As a symbol of her

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freedom, she throws away the scarlet letter and undoes her hair. Appropriately, a flood of sunshine illuminates the forest, dispelling the darkness.  Colors

Hawthorne also gives symbolic meanings to the colors that he employs in the novel. The dark, sober, sable garments that Hester wears represent her dull and gloomy life filled with grief, guilt, and sorrow. In contrast, she dresses Pearl in bright colors, especially crimson, in defiance of the scarlet letter and as a symbol of the child's free spirit . The letter is red because that is the color associated with the devil , and the Puritans believed that Hester's sin was a mark of Satan . Ironically, the innocent Pearl fashions a letter "A" to wear herself, made it out of bright green seaweed, the color of life itself. Black is also used in the novel. Mistress Hibbins practices black magic throughout the book, and many suspect Chillingworth of doing the same.  Irony

The irony of the novel lies in the fact that the most respected member of this Puritanical society, the Reverend Dimmesdale, is Hester's partner in sin.

c. Puritanism Concepts Sin An obvious concept in which Hester’s condemnation rooted, though the root of all these were questioned questioned heavily. heavily. Evident Evident as it can be, the Puritan community community questioned questioned the publication of the novel since it tackles “adultery”, a heavy topic touching the laws set forth by the Church. Hypocrisy Hypocrisy is seen not only as a sin in The Scarlet Letter , but as a sin that leads to great personal injury. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, a religious figure, comes to embody hypocr hypocrisy isy,, result resulting ing in so much much guilt guilt that that he become becomess ill. ill. His guilty guilty consci conscienc encee produces the mysterious appearance of the scarlet letter on his skin over his heart and ultimately causes his death. Superiority The Puritan Puritan community community believed believed that they were superior superior to those who are sinful. sinful. A good example example was the whole of the novel, novel, while Hester Hester struggle struggle from the insufferable insufferable tongues of distaste, those people believed that she she is lowly and unworthy. And the fact that that they they neve neverr thou though ghtt of the the Reve Reveren rend d and and the the gove govern rnor orss comm commit itti ting ng a sin sin is substantiation.

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VI. Relevanc Relevancee

The practices and beliefs of the Puritan Era influence people today even f the name “Puritan” is not renounced. Perhaps, we are just unaware, naive and blinded by what we believe is right, but is morally wrong. Similar to the attitude shown by the people towards Hester’s sin, we tend to judge people for a sin they have committed, eliminating the possibility possibility that we are wronged, wronged, or that we don’t or won’t do the same. Our Society, even today is unfair, Racism, Discrimination are far off better to do that, but we still do. The people before us, and those people who lived before them have learned what is right and wrong, nonetheless, we continue to be sinful in our own ways. Hence, the legacy of Hester’s deeds doesn’t stop and stand only for the Puritans, but also to us.

VII. VII. Bibliogr Bibliography aphy  The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Penguin Putnam Inc. NY, NY, 1999. The

Americans, Danzer, Gerald A. McDougal Littell Company. Dallas, Texas, 1999.  Nathaniel Hawthorne : Collected Novels: Fanshawe, The Scarlet Letter, The House of

the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, The Marble Faun (Library of America), Nathaniel Hawthorne, Millicent Bell (Editor), Library of America, 1983.  Spark Notes The Scarlet Letter, SparkNotes Editors, Nathaniel Hawthorne,

SparkNotes, 2002.  Baym, Nina. The Shape of Hawthorne’s Career. New York: Cornell University Press,

1976, p.283. Fiedler, Leslie A. Love and Death in the American Novel. New York: Stein and Day Publishers, 1966, pp. 217-58. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, Inc., 1962. Martin, Terence. Nathaniel Hawthorne. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1965.

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Scarlet Letter Book Report

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