Scarlet Letter Scaffold Scenes
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter, the author uses three scaffold scenes to mark the development of Hester Prynne. The image of Hester atop the scaffolding is a metaphor for her forced solitude; for her banishment from society; and for the futility of her punishment. In the first scene, Hawthorne uses the scaffold to explain how Hester can not believe that the "A" and the baby are real. In the second scaffold scene, Hawthorne tries to convey to the reader that Hester has fully repented for her sin, however this is not true. In the final scaffold scene, Hester does not yet fully repent for her sin because her love for Dimmesdale is still strong. Through Hester, Hawthorne is trying to communicate to the reader that it difficult for Hester to repent the sin of adultery. In the first scaffold scene, the author writes "Could it be true? She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast, that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even t
In the third scaffold scene, the Hester remains unchanged. She still has her love for Dimmesdale. "Shall we not meet again?... Shall we not spend our immortal life together? Surely, surely we have ransomed one another, with all this woe! Thou lookest far into eternity, with those bright dying eyes!" (page 175) From this last quote it is again apparent that Hester and Dimmesdale still love each other. Hester, the adulteress is contemplating spending her eternal life with her lover. The scaffold represents how futile the punishment is because it does not change Hester in any way. In the second scaffold scene, it seems as if Hester has changed from sinner into a citizen who now has a job in society, and that she no longer yearns for Dimmesdale and Dimmesdale no longer covets her. However, this is not true. Hawthorne writes, "The moment that he did so, there came what seemed a tumultuous rush of new life, other life than his own, pouring like a torrent into his heart, and hurrying thr
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Approximate Word count = 665
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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