What is the theme of The Scarlet Letter quizlet?

What is the theme of The Scarlet Letter quizlet?

Perhaps the foremost purpose of The Scarlet Letter is to illustrate the difference between shaming someone in public and allowing him or her to suffer the consequences of an unjust act privately.

How does the scarlet letter relate to today?

Another example of ways in which The Scarlet Letter plays out in modern day times is through public shaming on social media. This is similar to The Scarlet Letter because Hester is not supposed to be sexual outside of marriage to her husband. She was publicly insulted and shamed just as women today are.

What can you learn from the scarlet letter?

By teaching The Scarlet Letter, I realized the underlying themes, not the supernatural elements that had enthralled me, are what make the story so powerful. Sin, forgiveness, and redemption are timeless ideas. Just like Hester Prynne, young people struggle with the consequences of bad choices.

What does scarlet letter mean?

The definition of a scarlet letter is an identifying mark or brand placed on someone who has committed adultery. An example of a scarlet letter is the Puritan woman in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 book The Scarlet Letter who cheated on her husband and had to wear a red A. noun.

What is an election sermon scarlet letter?

Dimmesdale finishes his Election Day sermon, which focuses on the relationship between God and the communities of mankind, “with a special reference to the New England which they [are] here planting in the wilderness.” Dimmesdale has proclaimed that the people of New England will be chosen by God, and the crowd is …

How did Dimmesdale get the A on his chest?

He discovers that Dimmesdale, out of the guilt and sadness he feels from what occurs with Hester, has carved a letter “A” on his chest. This act of self-mutilation is essentially his own way to “share” the pain of Hester’s humiliation. It forms a letter ‘A’ in the sky, mirroring the badge of shame Hester must wear.

What are Dimmesdale’s last words?

Dimmesdale’s very last words are “Praised be his name! His will be done! Farewell!” These words are significant because they were spoken after his confession, and then he died.

How does Hester die in The Scarlet Letter?

Dimmesdale, leaving the church after his sermon, sees Hester and Pearl standing before the town scaffold. He impulsively mounts the scaffold with his lover and his daughter, and confesses publicly, exposing a scarlet letter seared into the flesh of his chest. When Hester dies, she is buried next to Dimmesdale.

Why did Hester take off the scarlet letter?

Dimmesdale relies on her to redeem him and believes she can provide the mercy and forgiveness he has not felt at the hands of God. Taking off the scarlet letter, Hester seems to release them both from an earthly prison.

What happens when Hester removes the scarlet letter?

The sun shines on the couple when Hester removes the scarlet letter, suggesting that nature, God, or both favor their plan. Pearl, on the contrary, cannot accept this new, happier version of her mother. Likewise, Hester and Dimmesdale are failing in their attempt to follow a higher truth.

Why does Hester put the scarlet letter back on?

Hester puts the scarlet letter back on because it is an important part of her identity, and it allows her to be defiant and help other women, yet it was Hawthorne’s design for her to come back because she is best able to embody these ideals by sacrificing her freedom from the scarlet letter.

Why does Pearl finally kiss Dimmesdale?

She kisses Dimmesdale because she has outgrown the anger and secrets of the past. It is all behind her now.

Why does pearl not recognize Dimmesdale?

Even Pearl does not recognize him because he has changed so completely. Meanwhile, Mistress Hibbins appears and speaks with Hester and Pearl. As Pearl questions Mistress Hibbins about what the minister hides, the witch tells Hester that she knows the minister also has a hidden sin comparable to Hester’s scarlet token.

How does Hester react to having to wear the scarlet A?

Hester has to stand on the scaffold for three hours to be mocked, and is required to wear an embroidered scarlet letter “A” on her chest for the rest of her life. What is Hester’s reaction? Chillingworth, Hester’s husband, appears. She is frightened and surprised when she recognizes him.

Does Hester love Dimmesdale?

Hester realizes that she still loves Dimmesdale, and she courageously tells him this, even as she reveals her silence concerning Chillingworth. Hawthorne contrasts their love — “which had a consecration of its own” — and Chillingworth’s revenge and asks the reader which sin is worse.

How does Hester help her community?

Hester herself wears coarse and subdued clothing, and she only spends money to dress her baby, Pearl. She gives away all her spare money to the poor, on people who actually have more than she does. She also makes garments for the poor, and her charity is perhaps a form of penance for her sins.