The Scarlet Letter: Themes, Symbolism, and Analysis
The Scarlet Letter (1850): A Summary and Analysis
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne opens with Hester Prynne being led to the scaffold, where she is to be publicly shamed for committing adultery. She is forced to wear the letter ‘A’ on her chest at all times. She has stitched the letter onto her dress with gold thread, giving it an air of elegance. She carries Pearl, her daughter. In the crowd, she recognizes her husband from Amsterdam, Roger Chillingworth, who forces her never to reveal
Read MoreThe Scarlet Letter: Symbolism and Themes in Hawthorne’s Novel
The Scarlet Letter: Contrasting Settings and Characters
In The Scarlet Letter, the town and the surrounding forest represent opposing behavioral systems. The town represents civilization, a rule-bound space where everything one does is on display and where transgressions are quickly punished. The forest, on the other hand, is a space of natural rather than human authority. In the forest, society’s rules do not apply, and alternate identities can be assumed. When Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the
Read MoreThe Leper’s Faith: A Story of Hope and Healing
I. Yearning for Health
The Gospel narrative tells of a leper whose faith ignited a deep yearning for healing. He believed in Jesus’ power to heal, a stark contrast to those consumed by sin who lack hope and despair of ever being cleansed. This indifference to spiritual matters is a pervasive ailment, but this leper was different. He yearned to be free from his terrible affliction.
Some love their leprosy, clinging to sin and finding camaraderie with fellow sinners. They resist the company of the
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