“Behold, verily, there is a woman of the scarlet letter; and, of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along by her side! Come, therefore, and let us throw mud at them!” (90)
While passing a group of young Puritan children, Hester and her daughter Pearl heard this quote being said about them. Even though they are so young, the Puritan children know what the scarlet letter stands for and mock them because of it. The scarlet letter represents Hester’s unfaithfulness to her husband and the Puritan ways, making her an easy target for those who dislike opposition or rebellion. If the scarlet letter was not proof enough of the sin Hester committed, her daughter Pearl is a living reminder of Hester’s adultery. In this example, not only is Hester being targeted but so is Pearl because she is the result of the act of adultery. Pearl is not like the other Puritan children because she was born out of wedlock, so she is considered an outcast as well.
When the children say “Come, therefore, and let us throw mud at them”, the reader gets an insight to how the Puritan society reacts to the act of adultery. Because of her one mistake, Hester is condemned to wear the scarlet letter and has to endure all the speculation that comes with it. She has already been publicly humiliated and punished, but Hester will be tormented in examples like these as long as she lives in this area. Because it is mandatory to wear the scarlet letter and tend to her daughter, there is no escaping this life of being an outcast to society.
This quote is important to the story because it shows in depth the reaction of the Puritan people when they see the scarlet letter. The Puritan society holds this ideal very high that sex should be only practiced in marriage, and anyone who goes against it is wrong and needs to be punished. By being forced to wear the scarlet letter in public, Hester is a warning to people around her to not make the same mistakes as her, or they will receive the same consequences. Even young children have picked this up from parents or other individuals in society and judge Hester for her wrongdoing.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Scarlet Letter Quote 1 (page 74)
“I leave thee alone; alone with thy infant, and the scarlet letter! How is it, Hester? Doth thy sentence bind thee to wear the token in thy sleep? Art thou not afraid of nightmares and hideous dreams?” (74)
While in confinement for her wrongdoing, Roger Chillingworth spoke this quote to Hester, sort of mockingly and without sympathy. It shows how truly alone Hester is with her problems and the result of her sin. She doesn’t have Chillingworth because she was unfaithful and Dimmesdale will not admit that he is the father. Even though the public has their time to scoff and judge, it is ultimately Hester who is the one who has to deal with the repercussions of adultery her whole life. There is no escaping the results of her choices. She is obligated to wear the scarlet letter and she needs to constantly have her child around to care for it.
Chillingworth bluntly mocks Hester when asking if she has to wear the scarlet letter when she sleeps. This represents the fact that even though Hester is asleep, her problem has not disappeared. It will not disappear overnight and people will not forget her transgression that easily. The situation Hester is in may haunt her while sleeping, because of how extreme the sin is considered in the Puritan society and how she will always be considered an “adulteress” the rest of her life.
This is important to the storyline because it shows how alone Hester is with the effects of her fling with the minister. One mistake in her life ruined her reputation in her town and now haunts her in everything she does. The problem is not going away anytime soon and neither is the scarlet letter or Pearl.
While in confinement for her wrongdoing, Roger Chillingworth spoke this quote to Hester, sort of mockingly and without sympathy. It shows how truly alone Hester is with her problems and the result of her sin. She doesn’t have Chillingworth because she was unfaithful and Dimmesdale will not admit that he is the father. Even though the public has their time to scoff and judge, it is ultimately Hester who is the one who has to deal with the repercussions of adultery her whole life. There is no escaping the results of her choices. She is obligated to wear the scarlet letter and she needs to constantly have her child around to care for it.
Chillingworth bluntly mocks Hester when asking if she has to wear the scarlet letter when she sleeps. This represents the fact that even though Hester is asleep, her problem has not disappeared. It will not disappear overnight and people will not forget her transgression that easily. The situation Hester is in may haunt her while sleeping, because of how extreme the sin is considered in the Puritan society and how she will always be considered an “adulteress” the rest of her life.
This is important to the storyline because it shows how alone Hester is with the effects of her fling with the minister. One mistake in her life ruined her reputation in her town and now haunts her in everything she does. The problem is not going away anytime soon and neither is the scarlet letter or Pearl.
Excerpt from pages 246-253
I think it is very interesting how the excerpts from pages 246-253 starts out with a list of things a man should look for in a wife. The list, which has eight characteristics mentioned, starts out with chastity and goes into greater detail about its importance. The excerpt, from Advice to Young Men (1831), states that without chastity and perfect modesty in word, deed, and thought, a female is not fit to be a wife. This goes hand in hand with the main character in the story, Ester Prynn, because she will no longer be fit for a wife since she committed adultery. The same excerpt claims that women should act as if they don’t even comprehend dirty words. This shows how women were expected to think and behave in colonial time and how Ester Prynn went against the norm.
The status and role of women in society has changed greatly since colonial times. In the past, women were usually recognized by the American legal system through their husband. By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in law. However, this means that the legal existence of the women has been suspended or at least incorporated into that of her husband. Everything the wife does is under the protection and influence of her husband. Back in this time, if women went against their husband and committed adultery her legal existence and life is at stake. The husband is bound by law to provide for the wife and pay debts. However, if a woman elopes with another man, the husband is not chargeable to provide for her anymore.
By looking at the expectations and rights of women in the setting of “The Scarlet Letter” I cannot help but realize what a difference that is to what we know today in America. Here, women are raised to equality with the other sex and they are viewed to have the same potential. I agree with the excerpt from Peculiar Responsibilities of American Women , when it says that in America today, females are treated as superior in custom and courtesy. In many ways, women have much more freewill and are allowed to do what they want with their lives. They are not letting themselves be bound to a mindset that women should act inferior or should be controlled by one group’s political or religious beliefs. It is interesting to look at Ester and see how she would be treated if she committed adultery in America today. It would not have been such a big deal at all, considering in previous times they were killed for this transgression. Going back to the beginning of this excerpt, where it lists things a husband needs to look for in a wife, I cannot help but realize that list has drastically changed. Men do not look for all of these traits anymore and women do not feel the need to line themselves up with these expectations.
The status and role of women in society has changed greatly since colonial times. In the past, women were usually recognized by the American legal system through their husband. By marriage, the husband and wife are one person in law. However, this means that the legal existence of the women has been suspended or at least incorporated into that of her husband. Everything the wife does is under the protection and influence of her husband. Back in this time, if women went against their husband and committed adultery her legal existence and life is at stake. The husband is bound by law to provide for the wife and pay debts. However, if a woman elopes with another man, the husband is not chargeable to provide for her anymore.
By looking at the expectations and rights of women in the setting of “The Scarlet Letter” I cannot help but realize what a difference that is to what we know today in America. Here, women are raised to equality with the other sex and they are viewed to have the same potential. I agree with the excerpt from Peculiar Responsibilities of American Women , when it says that in America today, females are treated as superior in custom and courtesy. In many ways, women have much more freewill and are allowed to do what they want with their lives. They are not letting themselves be bound to a mindset that women should act inferior or should be controlled by one group’s political or religious beliefs. It is interesting to look at Ester and see how she would be treated if she committed adultery in America today. It would not have been such a big deal at all, considering in previous times they were killed for this transgression. Going back to the beginning of this excerpt, where it lists things a husband needs to look for in a wife, I cannot help but realize that list has drastically changed. Men do not look for all of these traits anymore and women do not feel the need to line themselves up with these expectations.
Excerpt from pages 241-245
The information on pages 241-245 in the book “The Scarlet Letter” talks about adultery in the Massachusetts Bay and New Plymouth colonies and the laws that were enacted in response. I thought it was really interesting how in colonial times, adultery was considered a capital crime. Adultery was considered very serious back then, and had great consequences. The laws required adulterers to die for their sin, or at the very least be punished physically. To those who were not killed for their wrongdoing, it was mandatory for the women to stitch a large scarlet “A” on her clothes, so everyone would know the act that they committed. This would also be part of the adulterer’s punishment, because she would be scoffed at in the public eye and forever be known as impure and unfaithful. Even if a woman committed adultery once, the label would follow her for the rest of her life. By looking at the colonial laws about adultery, it is obvious that cheating back then was considered a big deal and wasn’t taken lightly.
While reading the harsh consequences for adultery back in colonial times, I could not help at notice how different adultery is viewed in today’s society. The punishment for cheating today is not death or anywhere close to it. There are no laws that punish adulterers or forbid people from cheating on their significant other. It is a situation that needs to be handled between people in a relationship and the worse that could probably happen is a divorce. Adultery is no longer a taboo in society, but is considered somewhat of the norm. Adulterers do not need to stitch a letter “A” on their clothes to signify their sinful act, but even if they did would people even mind anymore? This example shows how society has transformed over the years and adopted the mindset of “I do what I want”.
While reading the harsh consequences for adultery back in colonial times, I could not help at notice how different adultery is viewed in today’s society. The punishment for cheating today is not death or anywhere close to it. There are no laws that punish adulterers or forbid people from cheating on their significant other. It is a situation that needs to be handled between people in a relationship and the worse that could probably happen is a divorce. Adultery is no longer a taboo in society, but is considered somewhat of the norm. Adulterers do not need to stitch a letter “A” on their clothes to signify their sinful act, but even if they did would people even mind anymore? This example shows how society has transformed over the years and adopted the mindset of “I do what I want”.
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