The Scarlet Letter style analysis
All cultures and religions have a unique way of dealing with the problem of sin and the treatment of their sinners. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne intentionally reveals how societies which alienate sinners unfairly burden them with shame and guilt. Hawthorne accomplishes this by employing descriptive and vivid diction to show his omniscient point of view, the strong symbol of the scarlet letter, and characterizing a shamed and rejected Hester Prynne. The vivid detail that Hawthorne chooses to depict his characters give the reader strong feelings of their personalities, and Hawthorne's omniscient attitude is shown. For example, the narrator describes the Puritans while they were waiting for Hester to emerge from the prison as "A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats... [who were] assembled in front of the wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak and studded with iron spikesaE?(45). These graphic words present the judgmental ideas of the Puritans, which reflects on their belief that sinners deserve to be persecuted. The feeling that this gives the reader is harsh and dismal, this is an important effect of the book and understan
ding Hester's struggle, which is why Hawthorne describes the citizens in such a negative tone. Another character that the narrator depicts with much detail is Hester. While describing her, he writes, "She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam, and a face which, besides being beautiful from the regularity of feature and richness of complexion, had the impressiveness belonging to a marked brow and deep black eyesaE?(51). This causes Hester to stand out amongst her fellow citizens, and from the prison itself. The narrators charming description of Hester makes her likable, and this intrigues the reader. Pearl is also depicted in a unique way. When in the forest with her mother Hawthorne writes, "There was no other attribute that so much impressed her with a sense of new and untransmitted vigor in Pearl's nature, as this never-failing vivacity of spirits; she had not the disease of sadnessaE?(180). Pearl is a strong and lively child, who is always happy despite her mothers pain. Pearl's childish ignorance is what allows her to oversee the problems around her, and she is depicted as a curious, comical girl. Hawthorne's careful choice of words shows his opinions of the characters and how he wants the reader to perceive them. Hawthorne's omniscient point of view, the scarlet letter, and a guilt
Some common words found in the essay are:
Hester Prynne, Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne's, Governor Bellingham, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Unfair Burden, scarlet letter, symbol scarlet letter, symbol scarlet, omniscient view, hester prynne, characters reader, daily reminder, hawthorne's omniscient, sin hester, shamed rejected,
Approximate Word count = 909
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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