The Sc a rlet Letter
-
Upload
fredericka-nolan -
Category
Documents
-
view
29 -
download
0
description
Transcript of The Sc a rlet Letter
ACADEMIC ENGLISH 11MISS DOMAN
The Scarlet Letter
OBJECTIVES
To obtain knowledge of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s life and background and how it affected his writing
To understand the historical and social context in which The Scarlet Letter was written
To identify key literary elements in the novel (setting, characters, mood, climax, symbols, themes)
To analyze and discuss events throughout The Scarlet Letter and their implications and meanings
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
About the Man 1804-1864 Salem, Massachusetts Descended from
prominent Puritan family Inherited guilt Solid accomplishment Great guilt
Ancestor: William Hathorne
Married Sophia Peabody Strength and nobility Reflected in Hester
Prynne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
First Great American “Pro author” First psychological novel Redemption, sin 4,000 copies of The
Scarlet Letter sold in the first 10 days
Works Novels Short Stories He believed that evil was
a dominant force in the world
fiction expressed a gloomy version of human affairs
“The Scarlet Letter is powerfully written but my writings do not, nor ever will, appeal to the broadest class of sympathies, and therefore will not obtain a very wide popularity.”
-Hawthorne, after finishing the novel
The ROMANTIC HAWTHORNE
• Literary Movement known as Romanticism• concern
themselves with the soul,
• stress emotions over reason,
• and show passions and inner struggles
• Hawthorne is haunted by what is obscure, dangerous, and the confines of good and evil, and social relations
• All Hawthorne’s work is one form or another of “handling sin”
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
SUBDIVISION OF ROMANTICISM: GOTHIC LITERATURE, the “dark romantics”(1800-1850)
-use of supernatural -motif of double (both good and evil in characters; sin and evil does exist) -depression, dark forests -emphasis on symbolism
The Scarlet Letter
Published 1850Set in 17th Century
Boston—about 1690Puritan code of lifeMain characters
Hester Prynne Pearl Prynne Arthur Dimmesdale Roger Chillingworth
Spans 7 year periodThe Scarlet Letter as
a SATIRE
The Scarlet Letter
Plot Love triangle: wife-lover-husband
Struggle: good versus evil Characters’ souls at stake
Suspense Will identities of lover and husband be revealed? How will identities be revealed?
Psychological movement: quest for revenge
THEOCRACY
word comes from Greektheo = Godcratos = rulea theocracy is a government where the civil laws are based (in whole or in part) on religious laws; civil leaders in theocracies are probably also important religious leaders
The Scarlet Letter
Structure Innovative form Instead of ongoing chronicle of events
Series of separate, fully-realized chapters Interspersed with expository chapters
Novel begins in media res Action already occurred Characters facing consequences
The Scarlet Letter
Point of View (POV) Omniscient Author reveals inner and outer characters Asides
Social criticism History Psychology
All characters in constant state of change
Theocracy Act of adultery not important Consequences of adultery more important
The “scarlet letter” of the novel’s title refers to a scarlet letter “A” that the novel’s main character is made to wear on her clothing
as punishment for her crime of adultery.
Hester Prynne
Novel’s heroineAdultererFirst strong female
character in American literature
Major Characters
Pearl
Hester’s daughter Illegitimate child Product of adultery
Precious to her mother
Intelligent, imaginative
Major Characters
Arthur DimmesdaleReverendLooked to as leader
of communityPopular and
admired
Major Characters
Roger Chillingworth
ScholarDoctorSketchy
Major Characters
Themes
Effects of Sin and Possibility of Redemption Psychological and social consequences of sin Characters’ processes of redemption
Applies to: Hester Dimmesdale Chillingworth
Secondary Effect: Insight into the Hearts of Others
Themes
Hypocrisy Conflict between
outer appearance and inner reality
Depicted in Hester’s relationship with community
Illustrated in portrayals of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth
Other Noticeable Themes Guilt Revenge Human frailty and
Sin Pride Love Vs. hate Fate vs. Free Will Alienation
Conflicts
Man versus Society
Man versus Man
Man versus Self
Symbols
The Scarlet Letter Central symbol of novel Meaning changes as characters change
The Scaffold Public exposure of private since Redemption through confession
Elements of Nature Good and evil Forest is changeable symbol for both
Symbols
Irony
Dramatic Irony Controls novel Readers know something about a character the other
characters do not If characters knew what readers know, plot would be ruined
Situational Irony Central to novel’s action Contrast between intention of an action and its result Expectations aroused by situation are reversed
Verbal Irony Say one thing and mean another Throughout novel
What happens when a private sin becomes a public crime?