Annotated Bibliography

Claudia Durst Johnson.  “The Scarlet Letter: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents.” Greenwood Press (1995) Print.

 Johnson suggests that part of the powerful intensity of The Scarlet Letter comes from Hawthorne's portrayal of the strength and waste of Hester's deep love for a man and for her child. This portrayal is most likely drawn from his relationship with two women-his mother and Margaret Fuller. Johnson explains that Hawthorne’s mother’s first child, Ebe, had been conceived when she was unmarried, several months before her marriage to Hawthorne's father. Like Hester, she had observed society, Salem, from the outside;  she was unable to participate in the social life around her, withdrawing to Maine where she had more control over her daily life in a house built for her and her children. It was there that Hawthorne had played as a boy by a brook, Dingley Brook, and sadly observed to his sister in a letter that his mother had begun to wear a "cap" just as Hester hides her beauty until the Brook scene. 

Rough draft

Jorden Castanon

5/4/11

English 1B

Professor Stacy Knapp

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter may have been published over 160 years ago but certain themes still stay true today. In a Reader response criticism such as this paper, the views of good and evil will be evaluated as well as the theme of identity & society. The novel focus around the protagonist Hester Prynne and Minister Arthur Dimmesdale who establish a relationship,  kept in secret and not seen by their external factors, the Puritan’s society. Both characters stray from strict Puritan beliefs by committing adultery and having a love child, Pearl. Hester is immediately thrown in jail when the puritan society learns of this as well as for not confessing the name of the man whom helped her commit this sin. Her refusal then makes the town put her through public humiliation by wearing the letter A, for her adultery.

            Good and evil is a dilemma in which mankind uses their own individual moral compass to establish between whether their actions can be justified or not.  As a reader, I never found the actions of Arthur or Hester to be evil. In their society Hester was seen as a harlot that deserved to publicly humiliated for such a great sin. Over several years did the town finally see Hester in a different light rather than being ungodly.  Hester’s view in society had changed, “ It was perceived, too, that while Hester never put forward even the humblest title to share in the world’s privileges…she was quick to acknowledge her sisterhood with the race of man, whenever benefits were to be conferred. None so ready as she to give of her little substance to every demand of poverty; even though the bitter-hearted pauper threw back a gibe in requital of the food brought regularly to his door, or garments wrought for him by the fingers that could have embroidered a monarch’s robe”(252.) These actions are of someone who generally cares about their society yet the society from whom she tries to help still disrespects her because of her past action that was seen as evil. Her actions are of someone without a past history of sin would be seen probably as saintly.

 If any character should be marked as an evil figure in puritan society, it should have been Hester’s husband, Chillingworth. He comes into town only to seek revenge against the man who disgraced him and Hester’s character among Puritan society. Chillingworth’s character is seen as “ an aspect of mystery, which was easily heightened to the miraculous... that heaven had wrought an absolute miracle, by transporting an eminent Doctor of physic, from a German university, bodily through the air, and setting him down at the door of Mr. Dimmesdale’s study”(188.) The Hippocratic oath is one of the most widely known medical texts. It requires physicians to swear to practice medicine ethically to best professional ethical standards. Yet as a doctor Chillingsworth knows the fragile state of Dimmesdale who is on the verge of death, and still decides to torture him and Hester.   Only till the end of the novel does he actually

The ideas of good and evil are very subjective amongst the puritan society in The Scarlet Letter.  Yet from such partial analysis of Hester’s and Pearl’s character’s seen by the townspeople, they portrayed as outcasts.  Social values are important to maintain a high standing in society. There will always be social values in which society must live by but they shouldn’t establish a person’s character. Hester and Pearl continuously have to endure people tormenting them because of the symbol Hester must burden. This is why I tend to admire Hester the most out of all the characters. She’s constantly has to fight for herself and Pearl’s well being. “She is not physically imprisoned, and leaving the Massachusetts Bay Colony would allow her to remove the scarlet letter and resume a normal life.”  Instead she decides to acknowledge the town’s lack of compassion by embroidering the letter into something quite stunning and accepting the sin she has committed rather than being what the town wants her feel which is shame.  Hester’s character realizes “that individuality and strength are gained by quiet self-assertion and by a reconfiguration, not a rejection, of one’s assigned identity.”

Yet Dimmesdale never quite got this concept until he died. This makes Dimmesdale my least favorite character because instead of physically and emotionally punishing himself he could have done what Hester had the strength to do which was live her life by her own standards. Admittingly Dimmesdalse’s stature in society did help Hester when the idea came up of Pearl being taken away. His words might have not been taken into account if the townspeople knew of his sins but he should have just ran off with his family before hand when he had the chance. Hester’s character takes the burden of carrying a symbol of disgrace publicly.  I understand that Dimmesdale’s character cannot openly take this burden on, so in a sense of self-condemnation he takes it upon himself to physically and mentally punish himself. “…While standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart.  On that spot, in very truth, there was, and there had long been, the gnawing and poisonous tooth of bodily pain”(233). Dimmesdale dilemma is trying to fight the torment of not telling the truth. Since he can’t bring himself to do so his is soon withering and dimming away in body and spirit.

I mostly relate to the character Pearl, throughout the book her character is misconstrued as a demon, widely unexpected. Growing up when my grandmother found my sisters and I difficult to deal with, she would repeatedly shout out that we were “demons” as well. “”Mistress Hibbins says my father is the prince of the air!” Cried Pearl, with her naughty smile. “If thou callest me that ill name, I shall tell him of thee; and he will chase thy ship with a tempest!”” (388). Sailors come into town telling the “witch baby”, Pearl, to give a certain message to her mother but when Pearl receives it is with a negative connation from the sailors forcing her to be in a constant state of emotional reaction so that she won’t feel ashamed.   I view Pearl as a universal character that many people can relate to because even though she is degraded by her social stature which people in her life view as a handicap she preservers.  Pearl resembles her mother in the way she’s always viewed as having an evil aspect. The irony is that it also happens amongst the sailors who aren’t apart of the town and are scandalous characters themselves. “Thence, with native audacity, but still with a reserve as characteristic, she flew into the midst of a group of mariners, the swarthy-checked wild men of the ocean, as the Indians were of the land; and they gazed wonderingly and admiringly at pearl, as if a flake of the sea-fire, that flashes beneath the prow in the night-time”(388.) Pearl’s character is best described by these sailors as having the soul of the fire that sailors see in the deep water at night.  Her spirit can be noticeably seen and only appreciated amongst other individuals who don’t conform well to society.

Hawthorne's novel looks at the question, what is necessary for redemption of sin? Is Hester's initial crime a sin? Hester marries Chillingworth without quite understanding the commitment she made. With Chillingworth goes abroad with his wear -abouts unknown, like anyone might, she fell in love. For this kind of sin, does the punishment really fit the crime? Because of this sin committed Hester goes through battles to keep Pearl and her dignity. Hester’s actions are later seen as redeeming in the eyes of society but after years of ridicule. Hawthorne's novel therefore should encourage the reader to be wary of judging others and showing empathy for one another. 

Dimmesdale quote sandwich

Hester’s character takes the burden of carrying a symbol of disgrace publicly. Dimmesdale’s character cannot openly take this burden on, so in a sense of self-condemnation he takes it upon himself to physically and mentally punish himself. “…while standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart.  On that spot, in very truth, there was, and there had long been, the gnawing and poisonous tooth of bodily pain”(233). Dimmesdale dilemma is trying to fight the torment of not telling the truth. Since he can’t bring himself to do so his is soon withering and dimming away in body and spirit.

The Relationship between Hester and Dimmesdale is rarely seen. The characters are only seen together in secret without the knowledge of the external factors such as the townspeople. “The Minister felt for the child’s other hand, and took it. The moment that he did so, there came what seemed a tumultuous rush of new life, other life than his own, pouring like a torrent into his heart, and hurrying through all his veins, as if the mother and the child were communicating their vital warmth to his half-torpid system. The three formed an electric chain”(238). Dimmesdale is a broken man but when connected to Hester and Pearl his external and internal conflict don’t impair him.

Difficulty paper Scarlet Letter

I found it difficult to understand Hester’s husbands Chillingworth’s character throughout the book. I especially found it difficult to understand him when Hester finds that he has come to the town early on in the book and agrees to keep him a secret from the town and the Dimmesdale. Hester later tells Dimmesdale about the truth about Chillingworth character but only when Dimmesdale is most fragile.  I found it odd that the townspeople never really questioned his presence but thought he had fallen from the sky or risen from the earth. From that people thought his presence was a miracle, which seems a little bit ridiculous. I found it strange that Hester wouldn’t warn Dimmesdale about living with the man who had sworn to find out who Pearl’s father was destroy him.  The townspeople later say a physical change since Dimmesdale and Chillingworth moved in, they saw Chillingworth face become more deformed. They saw something ugly and evil in his face.  The townspeople throughout this especially got me angry. They judge every person in the town so easily and every time their judgment is very superficial. I also found it odd the relationship between Pearl and Hester because it seems that see loves Pearl devoutly but also finds peace when she sleeps. The whole town she’s her as a odd child but so does Hester. Which I find weird because that’s her daughter and yet she occasionally seems baffled by her too. 

difficulty paper YGB

When I started reading Young Goodman Brown, it didn’t seem hat difficult to read gradually was hard to follow. I understand that YGB was testing himself and his faith by entering the forest but I feel a little lost why he feels so distressful in church. In class we talked about how he saw the people surrounding him as evil. He started out by being a very proud untainted religious man but as the story progresses he definitely changes. I personally think he should have listened to his wife about not going on that path though he decided to do so anyways because he thought he would test himself. I really don’t understand why he would even talk to the fellow traveler he saw who clearly represented the devil. I find it interesting that even with the devil telling him that he has been acquainted with his grandfather and grandfather who helped bring helped lash a Quaker woman in the streets of Salem and father who set fire to an Indian village. If that was personally me, I feel like I would start running the other way. Those deeds seem evil.  Its interesting that in both the Crucible and Young Goodman Brown, Nathaniel Hawthorne still feels responsible and guilty of what his ancestors did in the past by writing about those evils. 

Girl/ 4 literary terms revision

Looking at Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”, I noticed that a particular literary term used was a Rhythm. Through out the story the mother and daughter relationship was particularity made up of the mother being very socially aware of their socioeconomic status. The mother wants her daughter to know certain women’s roles in order to live everyday life. The mother uses command verbs like wash, cook, and soak but also explains in the text “This how you sweep a corner; this is how you sweep a whole house; this is how you sweep a yard.” Not only does the mother talk to her daughter about cleaning and cooking but also how to react in social situations like how to react if someone smiles at you that you do and don’t like. That particular passage on how to sweep and smile goes into a rhythm that the mother knows first hand how to react to. She must have gone through the experience of getting rid a baby, bullying men as well as being bullied by.  The mother seems to have acceptance of her socioeconomic status and wants her daughter to be just as aware. Another Literary term used is verbal irony shown in the last phrase in the story, “always squeeze bread to make sure it’s fresh; but what if the baker wont let me feel the bread?; you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker wont let near the bread?” The mother finally achieves her goal for the daughter to be socially aware of her position in society yet wonders why her daughter feels a like the baker wont let her squeeze the bread, shaking her confidence she once had. The mother throughout the story tells her that she’s bent on becoming a slut and the daughter defends herself in the beginning knowing in some sense who she is. I found it ironic that the mother states that she should be confident to know that she will wont let the baker push her around yet the mother does that as well as teaching her women’s roles and a women’s status. The mother degrades her daughter by telling her that hanging out with wharf-rat boys will make her slut and that see is bent on becoming one. Teaching these warnings becomes the girl’s identity. The mother tells her daughter how to sweep, clean, a get rid of unwanted babies making them all part of everyday life. The mother in a way suggests that becoming a slut is part of everyday life if she includes abortions just as easily as she includes how to clean and wash. The mother is aware of gender roles telling her daughter “don’t swat down to play marbles-you are not a boy.” Her tone through out is very critical of her daughter. Through out the story the mother is the one narrating what she expects from her daughter, then what her daughter does talk she it in italics.

imitation

go to school;
stay in school;
Keep up your grades;
dont fight with your sisters;
take care of your sisters;
stay in touch with your family;
always be there for your family;
help out around the house;
always listen to your parents;
dont get into fights;
make a lot of money;
go to church;
listen to your elders;
learn to sew;
learn to cook;
clean up the house;
set the table;