The Scarlet Letter: My View Warning Long Essay with spoilers

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The Scarlet Letter is most definitely a novel to remember. This novel brings so much to the table, there is a little bit of mystery, deceit, evil, and so much more. The Scarlet Letter is full of symbols, themes and motifs. To fully comprehend the novel, an individual must read it more than once. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses very vivid imagery, yet the story unfolds quite slowly. One should have much patience while reading this classic, though in the end one will get rewarded. The Scarlet Letter has feeling, strength and love. What more can one ask for? There are no action scenes, yet there are points in the novel where and individual would want to continue to see what happens next, a sort of mystery. Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), was born in Salem, Massachusetts. His father, also named Nathaniel, was a sea captain. Hawthorne?s father died when he was at the age of 4. Hawthorne?s mothers name was Elizabeth. Hawthorne finished his education in Bowdoin College in Maine. From the years 1825 to 1836, Hawthorne was a writer for numerous magazines. Hawthorne wrote many novels in his time, The Scarlet Letter being one of his best works. In 1842 he married a woman by the name of Peabody. Hawthorne soon moved to England, where he was appointed as consul in Liverpool. He lived there for 4 years. Hawthorne died in Plymouth, N.H, on a trip to the mountains with his presidential friend Franklin Pierce. The Scarlet Letter starts out with Hester Prynne leaving Amsterdam to come to New England to build a new life, but unfortunately her husband had to stay behind. At the time, having an affair was frowned upon and no one to know better than Hester. She waited for what seemed forever and soon assumed that her husband was no more. Hester lived a quiet life until she was found to be pregnant. She soon gives birth to her daughter Pearl. Many questions arose to who the father was; even with the insistence of the minister and town elders she will not disclose the name of the father, so Hester will face the punishment alone. Because immorality of any kind was frowned upon in society she was sentenced to sitting in front of the whole village for 3 hours daily and had to where the letter A on the breast area of her blouse. The A represents many things, but literally it represents adulterer. Reverend Dimmesdale saves Hester from the gallows by stating the fact that her husband is assumed dead. One day a man by the name of Roger Chillingworth, a doctor, comes to visit Hester in her jail cell. The reader soon discovers that Roger Chillingworth is really Hester?s husband. After a long conversation, Chillingworth finally agrees that he will keep their marriage a secret for his sake and the sake of Hester. Chillingworth does ask to know the identity of Pearls father, yet she does not tell him. He tells her that it is his mission to find out who exactly the father is. As the years go by, Pearl grows to be a very mischievous and Hester is now earning a living by sewing and embroidery, she also spends her time tending for the sick and needy. The townspeople soon decide to separate Pearl from Hester thinking that Pearl may follow her mothers footsteps, yet again Reverend Dimmesdale intervenes and makes sure that Pearl remains with Hester. Chillingworth soon moves in with Dimmesdale. Soon Chillingworth determines that Dimmesdale is indeed the father of Pearl, this is after a long period of time although. Soon when Pearl gets older she understands more and more about the letter. Dimmesdale and Hester soon decide to go to London on a trip, but it all falls apart as Dimmesdale tells the truth about Hester and himself. He soon passes away; Hester and Pearl leave the town and settle in a cottage. Hester still wore the letter A on her chest until the day of her death. Some also claim to have seen the letter A on Dimmesdale?s chest as he died. The author conveys the themes of this novel quite well. There are many themes in The Scarlet Letter, but the ones that stand out most are sin, society and identity, and just in plain simple terms, evil. The story of Hester and Dimmesdale parallel the story of Adam and Eve because both couples suffer in a way because they committed a sin. Both also ended in knowledge. Adam and Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, yet for Hester, her knowledge was of some places that women dare not enter. Evil is another big theme in The Scarlet Letter. References are often made to a ?Black Man?. The ?Black Man? is often associated with Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, Miss Hibbins, and Pearl who is often thought of as the Devil. Evil arises from the relationship between love and hate. Identity is another theme that surrounds Hester. She is free to leave Boston and take off the scarlet letter, yet she stays as if she is mentally or physically trapped in New England. She believes that the scarlet letter is a symbol of her character. There are 3 big symbols, the scarlet letter, the meteor, and the rosebush next to the prison door. The scarlet letter is meant to be a symbol of shame, but it is a symbol of strength for Hester. The adulterer meaning of the scarlet letter is soon demolished, it soon means something like able. The meteor is another huge symbol, to Dimmesdale the A made by the meteor in the sky makes him think that he himself should wear the scarlet letter A. It is quite hilarious how the community people interpret this as a sign from god saying Angel and that their governor has entered heaven. The Scarlet Letter is in all a marvelous book written masterfully by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter is a book with something for everybody. The Scarlet Letter is definitely a book you want to read more than once, seems as though every time one reads it, something new is seen that was not there before. To comprehend the novel to a certain extent, the novel must be read more than once. Overall the book is one that an individual should read if they have not yet read it. The Scarlet Letter is truly one of the best.