Thread: scarlett letter help

Have you seen the movie or read the book?

i read the book for english class. i actually almost finished the essay now.

Good job. Although I'd be interested to hear your take on it, I know you've already written an essay on the subject so the last thing ya wanna do is write about that book again.

ill post up the essay it is only 5 paragraphs

Don't do it for me, only if you want help on the essay.

well. i would like a little help on it. thanks.

The Scarlet Letter



The Scarlet Letter is a story of an adulteress named Hester and her illegitimate daughter Pearl. Since Hester committed adultery in a Puritan society she was punished. They put her in jail and once she was freed they had forced her to wear a big red letter A on her breast. This was to show others that she was an adulteress. Many think that this book is a feminist novel while others completely disagree. Some also think that if Hester was a man she would not have been punished the same way. It is also thought that a novel such as this one lends itself to the idea that it is trying to say something politically. These ideas will be discussed.



One question about this novel that is constantly asked is the question wondering if The Scarlet Letter was a feminist novel or not. I do not believe that it is a feminist novel for many reasons. I actually think that this is the complete opposite and that it was an anti-feminist novel. Today's feminist thinking stems from the idea that women should and do have control over their own lives. They should be able to come and go without asking permission of their 'man'. Although adultery is frowned upon in all society, it is less a major crime than a 'sin'. The letter A and the way Hester is treated would be anti-feminist. In the novel Hester lives her own life and actually creates a good life for her and her daughter. She does this without the need for a man in her life. She leads a 'feminist' life, which is in contrast to the life of other women of the times.


Another question that is frequently asked is if Hester was a male would she have had the same punishment. I believe the answer is no. Yes, the male would have been punished, but I do not think he would have been punished to the same extent as Hester. Reverend Dimmesdale was the father, yet he wasn't punished by the townspeople. This is partly because he was never found out; the only person that punished Dimmesdale was himself. He felt really bad and with all this worrying he torments himself. Due to all his torment he ends up dieing of heart failure. His punishment was internal and personal, not external and public.


Hawthorne was at odds with his ancestors and as such he needed to write about things opposite to what their beliefs were. The politics of his ancestors was the Puritan way. In his book, The Scarlet Letter, he tries to show how the usual punishment (hanging) is not appropriate for a crime of the heart, such as adultery. The way Hester grows in her life and actually becomes a productive member of society is against the politics of the time. The Reverend becomes the bad person in his own eyes and finally dies a bad death. Hawthorne tries to provide an idea that the Puritan ethic was too stern and harsh. He does a good job in this novel by contrasting Hester's good works with the punishment of the scarlet letter.


This novel addresses spiritual and moral issues from the American perspective. Although the subject (adultery) was not a popular subject at the time, this story captured the minds of many readers. Its many questions, a few of which have been discussed above, were part of the reason the book was so popular. The ideas of a woman having her own life, or the punishment of a male adulterer are two questions that still provide discussion material today. A political novel, by an author with interesting political ancestors is almost always a popular book. The Scarlet Letter tries to address these and other ideas and does a good job.

Looks okay, but I would rewrite in a way the excludes all parenthesis.

Also you missed the profound aspect of the release of the book. I was sneaky and googled it ... ... and found that the book was released with 4000 copies. All sold out in 10 days. For the time that is exceptional. Also look at the issues of religion in those days. Adultery was not discussed in polite society ... anyway look over the googled discussion of the book here and we can go on some more if you like.

Not a bad start though ...

Make sure what ever you write is in your own words. DO NOT CUT AND PASTE ANYTHING FROM THE INTERNET!!!! That could get you a scarlet letter of your own my friend.

Here are few of my suggestions. Find whatever line I'm copying, and consider my suggestion in bold.

The Scarlet Letter is a story of an adulteress named Hester and her illegitimate daughter Pearl. Since Hester committed adultery in a Puritan society she was punished. They put her in jail and once she was freed they had forced her to wear a big red letter A on her breast. Some also think that if Hester was a man she would not have been punished the same way. It is also thought that a novel such as this one lends itself to the idea that it is trying to say something politically. These ideas will be discussed.

The Scarlet Letter, by (author's name here), tells the tale of a woman named Hester and her illegitimate child, Pearl. Hester, a citizen of a society with Puritan beliefs, was sentenced to prison for the crime of adultery. Upon her release, she was forced to adorn a red "A" on her chest as a shameful reminder of her blasphemies. Many critics of this novel believe that had Hester been born a man, the punishment for her crimes would have been far less severe. It is this theory, amongst others, that strengthens the belief that this story is a feminist political statement.

I don't believe that you neither need to or should state that "these ideas will be discussed". The introduction/thesis should set that up itself. Not going to review all of the paragraphs since I don't want to write the paper for you, just giving you something to possibly work from. I've also never actually read this, so I have no idea what the content is. Just rewording it into how I would have written it.

Originally Posted by danzik17

The Scarlet Letter, by (author's name here, underlined), tells the tale of a woman named Hester and her illegitimate child, Pearl. Hester, a of a society with Puritan beliefs, was sentenced to prison for the crime of adultery. Upon her release, she was forced to adorn a red "A" on her chest as a shameful reminder of her blasphemies. Many critics of this novel believe that had Hester been born a man, the punishment for her crimes would have been far less severe. It is this theory, amongst others, that strengthens the belief that this story is a feminist political statement.

I, think, that, if, he, use, that a paragraph. He will not a do, well!

Yea I found some stupid mistakes that I made and fixed them, lack of sleep is showing. As for the commas - that style is just personal preference. I always segment my paragraphs/sentences logically through the use of commas and semicolons, and it's always worked fine for me.

sparknotes.com

thanks alot guys. i will be sure to use them in my essay.

Originally Posted by MWpro

sparknotes.com

That was what I was looking at too ..