“So powerful seemed the minister's appeal, that the people could not believe but that Hester Prynne would speak out the guilty name; or else that the guilty one himself, in whatever high or lowly place he stood, would be drawn forth by an inward and inevitable necessity, and compelled to ascend the scaffold. Hester shook her head.”
This quote gives the importance of the scaffold as it pertains to the truth found in their society. Hester was placed here for her punishment, but also with the intent of discovering who the baby’s father was. It was here that Hester first refused to reveal the knowledge, even to the minister and magistrate.
Since it was on the scaffold that both knowledge and mystery appeared from here, as well as the night that Dimmsdale visited the scene and became confused about Chillingworth and saw the cosmic A, the platform seems to provide both answers and more questions. The town discovered the sin here, but not the whole story.
Going past this, the platform also makes everything clear at the end, as Dimmsdale chooses this site to confess his sin. However it raises more questions, proving the towns inability to change with new knowledge given, creating more mystery. Hawthorne uses the symbol as a representation of the constriction of society as it forces individuals to hide their true selves. The end of the novel changes the idea of society in this matter minimally, and if it changes it at all it only fuels the idea by adding more mystery with the true fate and action of the minister.
If the symbol has a counter part, it would probably be the forest that keeps everything either completely hidden or leaves everything out in the open, leaving either everything to question or nothing to ponder.
The author is attempting to use the scaffold as a symbol of the desire of society, their desire of not what is best, but what they want. At the beginning of the book, they want the father’s name, and the scaffold refuses to give it up; however at the end they receive this but refuse to accept it, leaving the knowledge present, but clouded in mystery.
"There were many people present, from the country roundabout, who had often heard of the scarlet letter, and to whom it had been made terrific by a hundred false or exaggerated rumors, but who had never beheld it with their own bodily eyes. These, after exhausting other modes of amusement, now thronged about Hester Prynne with rude and boorish intrusiveness. Unscrupulous as it was, however, it could not bring them nearer than a circuit of several yards. At that distance they accordingly stood, fixed there by the centrifugal force of the repugnance which the mystic symbol inspired." p.213
The scarlet letter in this text represents the pressure of society. The scarlet letter's purpose was for society to see the sin Hester had commited. Hester knew of the sin she had done but the townspeople all wanted her to pay for the sin. The scarlet letter was only a letter on the front of Hester's shirt. People that did not understand the meaning of the letter looked at Hester as if she was an important person of the town. The society needed someone to look down upon so they did not have to see the sin inside themselves.
The symbol truly showed the problem of society which claimed to be Puritan. It was known through the town that all people were created sinful, but that God would forgive. The townspeople took the forgivness out of God's hands when they placed the scarlet letter on Hester. Each of the townspeople could have worn a letter as well but they rather put the guilt on Hester. This ultimately shows that the scarlet letter is the idenity of sin. It is used so that the townspeople can see the sin infront of them and not have to search for it.
I think the forest is the opposite symbol of the scarlet letter. In the forest Hester was able to remove her scarlet letter and it did not change her idenity.
The prison is a similar symbol because it as well puts sin out in the open. The townspeople sent people to prison because they wanted to show sin that existed apart form themselves.
The society was afraid of the mystery of sin. The town needed to see sin so that they knew what to run from.
"Good Master Dimmesdale," said he, "the responsibility of this woman's soul lies greatly with you. It behoves you; therefore, to exhort her to repentance and to confession, as a proof and consequence thereof. "
Pearl is the symbol in this theme. She represents the mystery of who her father is.
Through out the book, the town wonders who Pearl's father is. About mid way through the book, Chillingsworth solves the mystery of who Pearls father is; Dimmesdale. When he finds out this imformation he makes it a goal in his life to make Dimmesdales like a living hell. At the end of the book Dimmesdale reveals the mystery to the town then later dies. He kept this secret in for 7 years because he did not want to ruin his reputation; but in the end holding it in killed him.
I think Hawthorne is trying to say that being honest about the situation is the best way to go because holding the secret in is going to have worse consequences.
“So powerful seemed the minister's appeal, that the people could not believe but that Hester Prynne would speak out the guilty name; or else that the guilty one himself, in whatever high or lowly place he stood, would be drawn forth by an inward and inevitable necessity, and compelled to ascend the scaffold. Hester shook her head.”
ReplyDeleteThis quote gives the importance of the scaffold as it pertains to the truth found in their society. Hester was placed here for her punishment, but also with the intent of discovering who the baby’s father was. It was here that Hester first refused to reveal the knowledge, even to the minister and magistrate.
Since it was on the scaffold that both knowledge and mystery appeared from here, as well as the night that Dimmsdale visited the scene and became confused about Chillingworth and saw the cosmic A, the platform seems to provide both answers and more questions. The town discovered the sin here, but not the whole story.
Going past this, the platform also makes everything clear at the end, as Dimmsdale chooses this site to confess his sin. However it raises more questions, proving the towns inability to change with new knowledge given, creating more mystery. Hawthorne uses the symbol as a representation of the constriction of society as it forces individuals to hide their true selves. The end of the novel changes the idea of society in this matter minimally, and if it changes it at all it only fuels the idea by adding more mystery with the true fate and action of the minister.
If the symbol has a counter part, it would probably be the forest that keeps everything either completely hidden or leaves everything out in the open, leaving either everything to question or nothing to ponder.
The author is attempting to use the scaffold as a symbol of the desire of society, their desire of not what is best, but what they want. At the beginning of the book, they want the father’s name, and the scaffold refuses to give it up; however at the end they receive this but refuse to accept it, leaving the knowledge present, but clouded in mystery.
"There were many people present, from the country roundabout, who had often heard of the scarlet letter, and to whom it had been made terrific by a hundred false or exaggerated rumors, but who had never beheld it with their own bodily eyes. These, after exhausting other modes of amusement, now thronged about Hester Prynne with rude and boorish intrusiveness. Unscrupulous as it was, however, it could not bring them nearer than a circuit of several yards. At that distance they accordingly stood, fixed there by the centrifugal force of the repugnance which the mystic symbol inspired." p.213
ReplyDeleteThe scarlet letter in this text represents the pressure of society. The scarlet letter's purpose was for society to see the sin Hester had commited. Hester knew of the sin she had done but the townspeople all wanted her to pay for the sin. The scarlet letter was only a letter on the front of Hester's shirt. People that did not understand the meaning of the letter looked at Hester as if she was an important person of the town. The society needed someone to look down upon so they did not have to see the sin inside themselves.
The symbol truly showed the problem of society which claimed to be Puritan. It was known through the town that all people were created sinful, but that God would forgive. The townspeople took the forgivness out of God's hands when they placed the scarlet letter on Hester. Each of the townspeople could have worn a letter as well but they rather put the guilt on Hester. This ultimately shows that the scarlet letter is the idenity of sin. It is used so that the townspeople can see the sin infront of them and not have to search for it.
I think the forest is the opposite symbol of the scarlet letter. In the forest Hester was able to remove her scarlet letter and it did not change her idenity.
The prison is a similar symbol because it as well puts sin out in the open. The townspeople sent people to prison because they wanted to show sin that existed apart form themselves.
The society was afraid of the mystery of sin. The town needed to see sin so that they knew what to run from.
"Good Master Dimmesdale," said he, "the responsibility of this woman's soul lies greatly with you. It behoves you; therefore, to exhort her to repentance and to confession, as a proof and consequence thereof. "
ReplyDeletePearl is the symbol in this theme. She represents the mystery of who her father is.
Through out the book, the town wonders who Pearl's father is. About mid way through the book, Chillingsworth solves the mystery of who Pearls father is; Dimmesdale. When he finds out this imformation he makes it a goal in his life to make Dimmesdales like a living hell. At the end of the book Dimmesdale reveals the mystery to the town then later dies. He kept this secret in for 7 years because he did not want to ruin his reputation; but in the end holding it in killed him.
I think Hawthorne is trying to say that being honest about the situation is the best way to go because holding the secret in is going to have worse consequences.