My
initial reaction to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing in The Scarlet Letter was a bit uneasy. It took me a little while to get used to his
writing style, but I actually really like it.
He uses very beautiful language and develops extremely detailed images. Reverend Dimmesdale’s plea and Hester
Prynne’s reaction was very interesting.
Dimmesdale told Hester that she needed to reveal the name of the man who
fathered her child. He even said that if
she confessed the name, her punishment would be lessened and she could take the
scarlet letter off her chest. Everyone
in the crowd felt certain that she would reveal the name but she responds by
shouting, “’Never! […] It is too deeply branded. Ye cannot take it off. And would that I might endure his agony, as
well as mine!’” (Hawthorne 64). Her
reaction serves as character development.
She disobeys the reverend in a time where “religion and law were almost
identical” (Hawthorne 47), showing her independence. At this time in history, women really had no
rights so her disobedience was very unexpected, revealing the strong
independent character she really is.
Another interesting part was when Robert Chillingworth was treating
Hester Prynne and her daughter. He based
his medicines off his study of Alchemy, a science we now know does not
exist. His remedies seem a little less
than trustworthy. It reminded me of a
scene in Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets. Harry is injured during a
quidditch match and Gilderoy Lockeheart, the arrogant man that he is, believes
he can fix it. When he does a spell to
mend the broken bone, he really makes all the bones in Harry’s arm
disappear. I thought Roger Chillingworth
was a little like Lockheart, since they both think they are very knowledgeable
and can help fix their situation.
Except, Chillingworth actually did help unlike Lockheart.
I personally found these first four chapters surprising. I thought that the details of the scaffold were very interesting. The fact that the spectators were described as “stern-browed” and “unkind” sets a very unsettling tone to the event (Hawthorne 52). It must have been very uncomfortable for Hester to be standing in such a public area, holding her child, Pearl. The baby could be a symbol of sin, for it is the product of Hester’s committed adultery. She could also be a symbol of hope, seeing as Hester wishes to not be under a societal spotlight anymore. She may possibly wish to move on from this situation and raise her child like any mother would. It is too early in the novel to fully develop the meaning behind these symbols. I also think that it is contradictory for the Puritan citizens to be so harsh to someone who has sinned. It can be assumed that they do so, because they want to remain in the light of God, and to appear innocent and incapable of such sins, but I feel that their behavior must go against some passage in the Bible. 1 John 1:9- “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” By appearing on the scaffold and at the interview with her child, I believe that Hester is most certainly “confessing her sins.” The child is living proof that she has sinned by committing adultery, and she appears to be yearning for forgiveness and restoration of her old life.
ReplyDelete9) In the interview, Chillingworth comes across as single-minded and vengeful. He wants revenge on whoever Hester had an affair with. He also displays a sense of being secretive. He says, “Breathe not, to any human soul, that thou didst ever call me husband!” (Hawthorne 71). He wishes to maintain a stranger in this town. He does not want to be associated with someone who has displayed such acts of infidelity. Though he does not want people to know that he is Hester’s husband, he still wishes to be together with her. Further down on the same page he says, “Thou and thine, Hester Prynne, belong to me. My home is where thou art...But betray me not!” Although Chillingworth is aware of Hester’s affair with another man, he still wishes to be with her. This is sad because Chillingworth knows that he is far older than Hester and feels he is insufficient in her life. He says, “I, -a man of thought, -the bookworm of great libraries, -a man already in decay, having given my best years to feed the hungry dream of knowledge, -what had I to do with youth and beauty like thine own!” (Hawthorne 69).
The situation between Hester and Chillingworth reminded me of the plot of the novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin. Hester is like Edna who commits adultery or cheats on her husband Chillingworth (Leonce) with another man (Robert, Alcee).