One sentence post (be sure to sign your name)
Post your thesis statement for your The Scarlet Letter character analysis essay. Be sure that this statement is an argument.
Yes, it is a draft, so I will be giving you feedback if needed or will simply say it looks great!
Pearl actions are angelic in the forest, yet devilish in the town, illustrating that society's isolation and judgement of her is the cause of her divergence from the accepted Puritan behavior.
ReplyDeleteGilly Moore
Overall great!
Deletechange "judgement of her is the cause" to "judgment are the causes"
perhaps also consider adding "and not her mother's sin" in there somewhere (because her behavior is often attributed to Hester)
Pearl is presented as an emissary of God with contrasting traits of good and evil, and the development of her character figuratively conveys the definition and consequences of sin.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Lagasse
Interesting idea!
DeleteI'm curious about the "emissary of God" part...emissary of God's what? Or an emissary to do what? Are you implying that God contains contrasting traits of good and evil or that by being his emissary to convey a lesson (or something) she teaches/illumiates something about good and evil?
Secrets surround Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathanial Hawthorne's *italics* The Scarlet Letter and they inevitably lead him through his descent into madness.
ReplyDeleteJames Junker
Good. I'd consider a word that is stronger than "surround" that better expresses the destructive power of the secrets.
DeleteWhat does his resultant descent into madness illuminate / reveal about the danger of secrecy?
Hester Prynne shows two personalities; one being dull and mellow with the scarlet letter and a passionate and care free self without the "A".
ReplyDeleteGabby Adams
Good observation, Gabby.
DeleteYou need to add argument following the observation. For example, what point is Hawthorne making through Hester's two distinct personalities in correlation with the letter? Is he saying something about punishment? Identity? Society's restrictions?
I would also change the semicolon to a colon & reconsider the word "mellow". Is she ever truly "carefree"? Maybe free? Consider making sure that the adjectives you choose to describe the two sides of her personailty are antonyms for each other to reinforce the opposition of her emotional states.
Hester's behaviors and mannerisms throughout the story change society's view of her from an adulteress outcast to a helpful member of the community, thus showing that sin, however bad, does not define one's character and the past can be overwritten.
ReplyDeleteCharles Gallagher
Good idea.
ReplyDeleteI'd remove "throughout the story"
Perhaps add something to the very end ("can be overwritten through...")
Also, do you mean adulterous?
Hester creates a force among society that reestablish the thoughts of the Puritans in the idea of sin and helps the society recognize that a person should not be based off of their past gaffes
ReplyDeleteDakota Picard
Good idea! A few aspects to clarify...
DeleteHow does she create that force?
Awkward phrasing: "that reestablish the thoughts of the Puritans in the idea of sin"
What do you mean by "that a person should not be based off of"? That a person's reputation? How a person is treated? "based off of" is a little awkward.
Also, change "their past gaffes" to "her past gaffes"
In The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale's transition from a seemingly religious and pure man to an ill and guilty sinner address the belief that acts of love can lead to evilness and corruption.
ReplyDeleteShannon Furgal
Good observation.
ReplyDelete"address" should be "addresses" (because it refers to his transition).
Is it truly his act of love that leads to his illness/guilt/evil/corruption? If so, what is implied about love or what is Hawthorne saying about the Puritans' beliefs about love?
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ReplyDeleteIn Nathanial Hawthorne's, "The Scarlet Letter", Hester Prynne is developed around the physical aspects of her character while she is among society and is constantly being redefined by the scarlet letter on her bosom that strips her of her true internal identity that is embraced by the forrest.
ReplyDeleteRachel White
Good observations....so what's the resultant implication about society in contrast with the forest?
Delete"developed around" is a bit odd...perhaps "defined by"?
It seems you're saying somthing about internal versus external attributes and how society fixates on the external while nature (and perhaps whatever you think nature represents?) embraces the internal truth? Was Puritan society fixated on the external as embodied by the public nature of punishment?
Pearls actions reflect her upbringing in such an isolated environment and therefore shows why she is one with nature yet odd around other puritans.
ReplyDelete-Tim Lellman
Fine topic, but work to develop a stronger argument.
Delete"Pearl's actions" is pretty broad...what type of actions?
What message / idea / assertion is Hawthorne imparting about the power of isolation? Why/how does isolation directly connect with nature? What did nature represent in The Scarlet Letter?
Why/how is Pearl's oddity relevant to the text's meaning?
Roger Chillingsworth's devilish deformation and Satanic behavior reveals how Puritan society is hindered by dealing with those who sin and not those who are naturally evil.
ReplyDeleteTrent Jones
Interesting. So does Hawthorne use Chillingworth's character as a mode to critique narrow-minded Puritan society? What is the difference between "sin" and "evil"?
Delete(Should be "reveal" not "reveals")
Dimmesdale teaches his fellow Puritan followers to condemn those who commit wrongdoings against their faithful religion, yet ironically he is the most sinful of them all due to his adulterous affair with Hester Pryne. The hypocrisy of his actions ultimately leads to his deterioration when he can no longer assume the role as a venerable figure who leads by moral example.
ReplyDeleteDana Lidsky
Good focus / topic!
DeleteIs it his affair that makes him the most sinful? Or is it something else about how he keeps his sin secret while Hester is publicly punished for it?
What is Hawthorne saying about hypocrisy and its destructive power? And/or is Dimmesdale's hypocrisy some sort of commentary on Puritanism?
I'd consider sutting down / removing the first sentence as part of your thesis...perhaps just begin the thesis with "Reverand Dimmesdale is ironically..."
In “The Scarlet Letter” Pearl is depicted as a dynamic purveyor of morals and truth because of her ability to provoke the adult characters in the book by asking them pointed questions that draw their attention, and the reader’s, to the denied or overlooked truths of the adult world.
ReplyDeleteIan Kosovsky
Interesting!
DeleteGet rid of "in the book"
Is her youth / innocence somehow linked to her ability to ask these pointed questions & reveal truths about the adult world?
Through various images and content, Hawthorne portrays Arthur Dimmesdale as a tortured soul who seeks redemption for his sin through his sermons and congregation.
ReplyDeleteCaroline Coghlin
"Various images and content" is too vague / broad.
DeleteWhat is the result of his quest for redemption?
So far all of what you have is observation- you need to develop an argument / assertion. Ex. What is Hawthorne saying/asserting/critiquing through Dimmesdale's torture & desire for redemption?
Due to Pearl's isolation from Puritan society, it allowed her to develop free from the restraints of religion that hold back others. When she is reintroduced to the restrictions in the town, she becomes mischievous, pushing the barriers that attempt to keep her in line.
ReplyDeleteRachel English
Fine observation.
DeleteSo what is Hawthorne saying/revealing/asserting through Pearl's character & barrier pushing? For example, Is he saying something about Puritan society? Isolation? Nature in contrast with society? Religion?
Consider rephrasing to "Pearl's isolation from Puritan society allowed..."
In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne focuses on the guilt that Dimmesdale harbors to the point where Dimmesdale must tell the truth to the judgmental Puritan public, thus conveying to the reader that guilt can only be ignored or fought for so long before the truth must come to light.
ReplyDeleteEvan Nelson
Good!
DeleteConsider rephrasing "focuses on the guilt" to something stronger...For example, is Dimmesdale consumed by guilt?
Get rid of "to the reader"
Is the truth freeing, in a way?
Roger Chillingworth's actions and intentions towards Dimmesdale, after finding out he is Pearl's father, show his evil and harmful nature, representing the physical and mental consequences of sinning in a Puritan society.
ReplyDeleteJennifer Warren
It's unclear to me through your thesis which of them (Dimmesdale or Chillingworth) you're asserting represents the consequences of sinning? Do you mean that Chillingworth os the true sinner? Or is he the embodiment of the "devil" who punishes Dimmesdale for his secret sin?
DeleteWhich is the true sinner? Both? Why / how are these consequences relevant to readers hundreds of years later...meaning is Hawthorne makign a commentary about Puritan society and its fixation on sinning & punishment / consequences? Are the consequences a warning?
Throughout The Scarlet Letter Dimmesdale hides his committed sin from the townspeople, making his entire being a representation of both heaven and hell. (It needs some work, but it’s the gist of what I’m trying to say)
ReplyDelete-Bits :)
Interesting idea of being a representation of both heaven & hell.
DeleteWhat are the implications of a person (reverend, at that) embodying both heaven & hell? Does this imply something about humans in general?
Also, I'm unclear how his hiding his sin = representation of both heaven & hell. Do you mean that there's a difference between his surface & interior?
The contrasting sides of Hester's view of Pearl in The Scarlet Letter, one with innocent and childlike qualities, and another with demonic features, illustrate her representing the product of Hester's sin.
ReplyDeleteSophie Parente
The way you phrased the thesis, it's not clear to me if you are focusing hon Hester or on Pearl for your character analysis. If Pearl (which I think it probably is?) I'd get right of "Hester's view of" at the beginning.
DeleteDoes this imply that Hester's sin was both demonic AND innocent? How so? Maybe demonic in the eyes of Puritan society but innocent in a difference perspective? Hmmm...
"illustrate her representing the product of Hester's sin" is awkwardly phrased.
In "The Scarlet Letter", Pearl is a figure of good and evil, and ultimately symbolizes Hester the struggles and positive moments of her life.
ReplyDeleteMichael T.
I don't fully understand the last half of your thesis...I think you might have left out a word or two?
DeleteIs your focus on Pearl or Hester?
How is Pearl a representation of both good and evil?
I'd consider choosing either that Pearl is good & evil OR that she symbolized struggles & positives in Hester's life and then make an assertion about that observation. Ex. what is implied by booth good & evil being in Pearl? or As the product of an affair deemed sinful bu Puritan law, what is the significance of Pearl representing both struggles & positives?
The health and spirit of Dimmeadale is made to change dynamically throughout The Scarlet Letter in response to the status of his relationships with God, Hester, Pearl, and Chillingworth.
ReplyDeleteHenry Liu
You've made a good observation, but you need to work in more argument. What is asserted / implied / reinforces through the resultant changes? What is revealed through these changes (not just about Dimmesdale, but about humans / human experiences in general)?
DeleteIn "The Scarlet Letter" Arthur Dimmesdale preaches the importance of punishing evildoers to the Puritans but ironically is a sinner himself for committing adultery. His hipocrisy and inability to cope with the conflict of being both a passionate human being and a Puritan is what ultimately leads to his collapse.
ReplyDeleteShelby Leland
My other one I accidentally deleted
Consider beginning with "Arthur Dimmesdale's hypocrisy and inability..."
ReplyDeleteDoes his inability to cope / collapse imply something about Puritan standards and/or the (maybe unreasonable?) pressure to be infallible?
In Nathanial Hawthorn's /The Scarlet Letter,/ Chillingworth's obsession with revenge and attachment to the sins of Dimmesdale ultimately led to his own damnation and subsequent death.
ReplyDelete