Go over the AP Argument rubric
Show example of argumentative essay
Give students time to work on their essay
Take out writer's notebook
Show WG's essay
Period 7:
Already went over the AP Argument rubric
Show example of argumentative essay
Give students time to work on their essay
Wesley
AP English - prd 5
15 Sept. 2016
Modern Day Lessons
in a Puritan Society
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne has been
taught every year in AP classrooms for decades and decades. Nearly 150 years
after the book was written, high schools still find it relevant in today’s
society and applicable to teenage lives. One could argue that the book is too
outdated and too far removed from modern day to have lessons that could relate
to today’s high schoolers. However, the universal lessons of guilt, good versus
evil, and gender roles preached in The
Scarlet Letter have had influence on readers for centuries, and continue to
be influential today.
Hester Prynne, a
young woman in the New England Puritan town, is publicly shamed after becoming
pregnant with the child of a man who is not her husband. Since the town knows Hester’s
sin, she is forced to deal with the guilt that comes with her sin, because
there is no hiding a pregnancy. Since Hester refuses to admit who the father
is, she must hold all the guilt herself, while the father, Reverend Dimmsdale,
must suffer in silence. After enduring an agonizing three hours of shame on the
town scaffold, Hester accepts that she will forever be shamed for what she has done,
“In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of
her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm,
and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not
be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbours. On the breast of
her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and
fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A” (Hawthorne 37). Hester
deals with the public humiliation of wearing an A for “adultress” and standing
on a scaffold in front of the town by later, staying strong, continuing to love
her daughter, Pearl, and returning love to the community, despite their
treatment of her. Hester’s way of productively handling her guilt and turning
it to love instead of anger could help high schoolers today lean how to
effectively overcome guilt, and not wallow in it.
Hester’s heroic approach to repenting her sin, is just one of the many ways
a person can deal with guilt. Reverend Dimmsdale, the father to Pearl, is under
different cirumstances in regard to admitting his sin. Dimmsdale is the beloved
reverend, apotheosized by the whole town. He knows that if he were to reveal
his secret, the town would lose hope in religion and God. He begins to struggle
with the immense guilt that he carries, “Poor, miserable man! what right had
infirmity like his to burden itself with crime? Crime is for the iron-nerved,
who have their choice either to endure it, or, if it press too hard, to exert
their fierce and savage strength for a good purpose, and fling it off at once!
(Hawthorne 195)” His immense suffering demonstrates what kind of stress can be
put on a person who does not admit their sins, and are forced to deal with the
guilt in silent suffering. Dimmsdale demonstrates how even holy, pious men like
himself are capable of committing a sin as unholy as Hester’s. The juxtaposition
between Hester’s and Dimmsdale’s experience in having guilt from the same sin emphasises
the two different ways people tend to face guilt:
admit it or hide from it. There is no right or wrong answer, but the The Scarlet Letter plays out the
consequences of each; be publicly shamed or die of guilt, like the Reverend at
the end of the book.
According to The Scarlet Letter, good will always
triumph over evil eventually. For the entirety of the book, Dimmsdale feels ill
because his guilt is destroying him. Chillingworth, the “physician” and
Hester’s estranged husband, takes Dimmsdale’s health into his own hands and
studies him day after day. Chillingworth becomes devil-like in his obsession
with finding out the truth, “In a word, old Roger Chillingworth
was a striking evidence of man’s faculty of transforming himself into a Devil,
if he will only, for a reasonable space of time, undertake the Devil’s office.
This unhappy person had effected such a transformation by devoting himself, for
seven years, to the constant analysis of a heart a full of torture, and
deriving his enjoyment thence, and adding fuel to those fiery tortures which he
analyzed and gloated over.” (Hawthorne 134). However, Chillingworth’s real purpose
is to expose the truth from Dimmsdale that he is the father is Pearl, the child
born out of sin. After the death of Dimmsdale, immediately after he admits his
sin to the town, Chillingworth experiences a change in self. “Nothing was more
remarkable than the change which took place, almost immediately after Mr.
Dimmsdale’s death, in the appearance and demeanor of the old man we know as
Roger Chillingworth. All his strength and and energy- all his vital and
intellectual force seemed at once to desert him; in so much that he positively
withered up, shriveled away, and almost vanished from mortal sight, like an
uprooted week that lies wilting in the sun” (Hawthorne 154). Chillingworth’s
change demonstrates how good and evil deal with sin. The good, Dimmsdale,
confesses their sins before he passes. Once Dimmsdale passes, Chillingworth
loses all the power that he held over him while he was still alive. Ultimately,
good triumphed evil, which is a lesson important to learn in high school,
college, and life in general.
The Scarlet Letter brings up another important issue
that, unfortunately, continues to be relevant today. Puritan women, especially in
the 1600s, were oppressed and not given nearly as many rights as men. In the
Puritan town, Hester becomes a symbol of all sin and all things evil, “Throughout them all, giving up her individuality, she would become the
general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point, and in which
they might vivify and embody their images of woman's frailty and sinful
passion. Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the
scarlet letter flaming on her breast,—at her, the child of honorable
parents,—at her, the mother of a babe, that would hereafter be a woman, —at
her, who had once been innocent, —as the figure, the body, the reality of sin.
And over her grave, the infamy that she must carry thither would be her only
monument” (Hawthorne 67) . Some call The Scarlet Letter a feminist novel
ahead of it’s time because during the time period in which it was written and
when the story takes place, it was extremely common for women to be
discriminated against and considered less important than men in society, yet
Hawthorne’s feminist views allows Hester to be seen as a strong woman
protagonist, while Dimmsdale suffers. A strong woman protagonist is inspiring
to young women everywhere.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne has
valuable lessons applicable to not only high schoolers, but all people in
general. Guilt has the power to destroy us if not dealt with, good always
conquers evil, and women have been oppressed for ages.
English – prd 6
Mr. Wesley
9/27/16
Hawthorne’s Feminism
The Oxford Dictionary defines Feminism as "the advocacy of
women's rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to
men." According to this definition, The Scarlet Letter, by
Nathaniel Hawthorne, does not appear to be a traditional feminist book due
to its lack of direct avocation of women's rights. However, it indirectly
exemplifies feminism through its assertions that the character of women is
equal to that of men. One quality in the
novel that depicts feminism is Hester's strength. Hester’s ability to handle the ignominy of
the scarlet letter for years and still care for a child highlights a strength
that surpasses even that of the men in The
Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne's novel also displays Hester's independence
and ability to thrive on her own without the support of a man. Despite
Hester’s lack of a husband and the difficulties she faced in work due to her
sin, she managed to survive and care for herself and Pearl through her skill as
a seamstress. Finally, The
Scarlet Letter epitomizes feminism through Hester’s courage and
determination in the face of overwhelming odds.
Hester could have run from the shame and struggles that faced her in New
England, but she chooses to not only stay, but also to continue helping others
through charity. Ultimately, Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s book The Scarlet Letter is
feminist due to its implication that Hester has strength, the ability to
survive and bravery equal to any male.
The first indication of The Scarlet Letter’s feminist nature is in its display of Hester’s
strength. When Hawthorne wrote this
book, women were almost always displayed as weaker than men, but Hester appears
to possess strength greater than anyone else in the town. The first indication of Hester’s incredible
toughness is at the very start of the book, when after leaving the prison,
Hester looked at the townspeople with a “haughty smile, and a glance that would
not be abashed” (37). In Puritan New
England, religion was everything, and committing adultery was one of the worst
sins one could commit. Yet Hester has
the mental fortitude to stand up straight and look unabashedly at the
townspeople. Moreover, she decides to
beautifully embroider the Scarlet Letter onto her dress, suggesting that she is
making “a pride out of what they, worthy gentleman, meant for a punishment”
(38). This defiant attitude displays the
enormous strength of character Hester Prynne possesses. The
Scarlet Letter also utilizes Dimmesdale to highlight Hester’s vigor. Throughout the book, Dimmesdale struggles to
reveal his sin to the town. He cannot
bring himself to confess until he is about to die, and does not need to worry
about the shame and the consequences.
Dimmesdale is one of the most holy and revered men in the town, but his inability to
deal with the dishonor that Hester dealt with for years indicates that the strength
in women can often surpass that of men, establishing The Scarlet Letter as a feminist novel.
Hester Prynne’s independence and self-preservation is another aspect
of Hawthorne’s book that exemplifies feminism.
In New England, Hester Prynne has no man to support her and after receiving the scarlet
letter, she is utterly alone in raising her child. Despite this fact, she manages to thrive in the
colony due to her prowess at producing “the finer productions”(56) of clothes
that were needed for ceremonies and religious leaders. Her skill allows her to survive and support
herself without the help of a man, further proving her equality to men. Hester’s independence also illustrates
feministic qualities. Hester refuses to
abide by the laws of her time when “the very laws that condemned her… had held
her up”(54). Through refusing to allow
these laws to bring her down, she illustrates her independence from the men
that seek to shame her. Her independence
insinuates that all women have the capability to be independent from men,
further reinforcing a feminist tone in The
Scarlet Letter.
The courage and determination displayed by Hester
establishes this book as feminist. The
first instance of courage depicted in The
Scarlet Letter is when Hester refuses to leave New England. She knew that the scarlet letter would cause
making a living and caring for her daughter to be incredibly difficult. Nonetheless, instead of running from her
difficulties, she displays the bravery and willpower to stay and face the
hardships head on. Moreover, she helps
out others through charity even though it is trying enough to fend for
herself. Another instance of Hester’s
courage is highlighted when Dimmesdale says to her “advise me what to do” and
she responds that they could venture to “our native land, whether in some
remote rural village or in vast London, -- or, surely, in Germany, in France”(135). Their discussion illustrates the courage
Hester has to leave the town she has lived in for years and also highlights the
dedication she has to saving Dimmesdale’s life from Roger Chillingworth. Hester’s immense valor is further illustrated
when Dimmesdale says that he does not have “the strength or courage left [in]
me to venture into the wide, strange, difficult world, alone”(136). The fact that Dimmesdale cannot bring himself
to flee the town and brave the rest of the world only amplifies the bravery
that Hester has because she is willing to flee.
When Hawthorne wrote his narrative in 1850, the “first wave” of
feminism had just begun. In this period,
women began seeking rights and attempting to abolish gender double standards,
but its ideals were still scoffed at by a majority of men and even women in
society. Despite this fact, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel
Hawthorne subtly advocates feminism due to its declaration that women are equal
to men. Hawthorne illustrates this equality
by depicting Hester’s mental toughness in the face of her ignominy. He also displays it through the bravery and
resolve of Hester to overcome the immense challenges that face her and her
newborn daughter. Finally, he utilizes
Hester’s independent spirit and survival instinct to depict that women are
equal to men. Ultimately, Hawthorne’s
book The Scarlet Letter is a feminist
novel because it depicts men and women as equals and implies that women have
every right to the freedoms that men enjoy.
Wesley
III AP - 5
4 October
2016
Spreading Her Wings of Liveliness
According to Ann Woodlief of
Virginia Commonwealth University, the Puritans came to America to create “a
‘city on the hill’ that would show the rest of Europe…just what a religious
community could be” (Woodlief 1). They believed that England’s religion was
“corrupted” (Woodlief 1) and took on the responsibility of purifying the
Anglican Church. In The Scarlet Letter by
Nathaniel Hawthorne, a woman living in Puritan New England, Hester Prynne, must
wear a scarlet letter on her bosom to identify her as an adulteress. Her
daughter Pearl is singled out by the Puritans as well because she is the living
representation of her mother’s sin. Pearl appears to be imp-like rather than
human because of her abnormal tendencies, causing additional ridicule from the Puritans.
In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne emphasizes
the harsh practices of seventeenth century Puritanism by juxtaposing the
religion’s beliefs with the free spirit of the character Pearl. Furthermore,
the author’s portrayal of Pearl in conjunction with nature expresses Romantic
thinking, a progressive idea for the time period of the novel.
In the novel, Hawthorne includes
images that highlight the contrast between Puritanism and Pearl. Boston has a
procession for a newly elected governor, and Pearl wanders away from her mother,
“playing at her own will about the market-place [and]… ma[king] the sombre
crowd cheerful by her erratic and glistening ray” (Hawthorne 167). Hawthorne’s
description of the child depicts the image of Pearl shining light on the crowd
of Puritans, as if she is the sun, shedding happiness onto this gloomy bunch.
The author reveals the sternness that defines Puritans by comparing them to
Pearl’s youthful and exuberant personality. As Pearl gallops throughout the
town, she runs through a group of sailors, “as if a flake of the sea-foam had taken
the shape of a little maid, and were gifted with a soul of sea-fire” (Hawthorne
168). The vivid simile crafted by Hawthorne describes the indefatigable energy
that flows through the young girl by comparing her to the intensity of the
ocean. In addition, Hawthorne’s reference to nature while illustrating Pearl’s
character refers to Romantic thinking, in which the natural world is very significant.
The author’s suggestion of Romanticism
expresses his personal beliefs about philosophy because of the repetition of
comparisons between Pearl and nature. For example, Hawthorne indicates that
“Pearl resembled the brook, inasmuch as the current of her life gushed from a
well-spring as mysterious” (Hawthorne 128). In the detailed metaphor, Pearl’s
relation to the stream reinforces Romanticism because it pertains to nature, an
inspiration to Romantics. Hawthorne’s use of natural imagery to describe Pearl
reveals the author’s admiration for Romanticism.
Although
Hawthorne often compares the strange little girl to nonliving parts of nature,
he later develops a meaningful symbol involving a living creature: the bird. Throughout
The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is compared
to this winged creature, as she never stays by her mother’s side and would
rather flutter around. Her restlessness is evident during an exciting holiday
in the New England town. Pearl, with a bubbly spirit, “flit[s] with a bird-like
movement” (Hawthorne 156) unlike well-behaved children who stay at their
mothers’ sides. A bird can represent freedom, as it has the ability to fly away
and choose its own path, similar to how Pearl has an open-mind despite the influence
of the Puritans. Additionally, the restless child expressing her curiosity
represents the author’s dislike for Puritanism and his exploration of Romantic
ideas. Moreover, at the procession for the town’s new governor, Pearl spreads
her cheerfulness like “a bird of bright plumage illuminates a whole tree of
dusky foliage” (Hawthorne 167). Similar to a bird visiting a tree, Pearl
spreads her wings of liveliness although her surroundings are drab. Beyond the
symbolic meaning of a bird, Hawthorne develops comparisons pertaining to nature
and further implies Romantic thinking. In addition, Pearl is equated to a hummingbird,
an unstoppable creature because of its rapidly moving wings. The seamen who
Pearl runs into during the ceremony find “it as impossible to touch her as to
catch a humming-bird” (Hawthorne 168), reinforcing the girl’s free spirit because
Hawthorne compares her to a bird that cannot be captured and therefore follows
its own desires. Likewise, Pearl’s free thinking cannot be dampened despite any
criticism from the Puritans. The simile also implies Romanticism because it
suggests freedom of thought and nature, two values of the eighteenth century movement.
Pearl
clearly does not conform to the people around her, and it is common for people
to judge those who are different. Even when the citizens in the market-place
smile at her, they are “none the less inclined to pronounce the child a demon
offspring” (Hawthorne 167). Hawthorne highlights that the Puritans are
hypercritical by demonstrating the cruel judgment of Pearl practiced by the
group. Each instance of the child crossing paths with the Puritans creates a
reaction from the parishioners that sheds light onto the intensity at which
they followed the idea of purity. Pearl serves as an example of someone who was
deemed an outcast by the seventeenth century New Englanders, helping Hawthorne
illustrate the Puritan culture as adverse. Furthermore, Pearl’s mother, Hester,
is constantly in a state of ignominy because of her act of adultery, isolating
the two of them from the rest of their community. In fact, the Puritan youth
“had got a vague idea of something outlandish, unearthly…in the mother and child”
(Hawthorne 64). The Puritans therefore judged the two outcasts, and verbally
denounced them. Hawthorne’s inclusion of the Puritans’ judgments portrays the
religious group as unreasonably harsh, contributing to the author’s disapproval
of Puritanism. Moreover, attacks on outcasts can affect the way someone views
oneself. Hester internalizes the mockery and dresses in simple gray, which
differs vastly from the attire of her daughter. “It would have been impossible
to guess that this bright and sunny apparition [Pearl] owed its existence to
the shape of gloomy gray [Hester]” (Hawthorne 156). The difference in
appearance of the two emphasizes how Puritanism can make one have a poor
self-image; however, it also enforces Pearl’s irrepressible free thinking. Hawthorne’s
endorsement of Romanticism is evident because of his selection of vocabulary. He
uses the word “gloomy” to describe Hester because the Puritans’ harshness has
made the woman feel ashamed for committing adultery. The author criticizes the religion
by displaying how upset Puritanism has made Hester, and his description of
Pearl as “sunny” expresses his approval of Romantic ideas because of the
natural reference to the sun. Pearl is a key character for the depiction of
Hawthorne’s message because of how she contrasts with Puritanism and the guilt
of Hester.
Clearly,
a Romantic thinker, like Hawthorne, has a very deep connection with nature. Marcel
Isnard writes, the “awareness in the presence of an active principle in nature…best
characterizes the Romantic conception [of the natural world]” (Isnard 187). As
Hawthorne compares Pearl with nature and contrasts Pearl with the Puritans, he
hints at the Romantic era of free thinking. Even early on in the novel, Pearl
sees some rosebushes and begins “to cry for a red rose and would not be
pacified” (Hawthorne 73), showing Pearl’s connectedness with nature and alluding
to the author’s questioning of Puritanism. In The Scarlet Letter, Pearl tends to do things that are unlike the
other Puritan children, and vastly different from the older devout parishioners.
Her ways serve to question the beliefs of these individuals, although she
embodies a sin in the eyes of the townspeople. Overall, Hawthorne’s creation of
Pearl allows him to express his Romantic ideas and contrast them with the
harshness of Puritanism.
No comments:
Post a Comment