The Scarlet Letter Project

1. The Scarlet Letter Project Marissa Cotelesse Pd. A-B

2. Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. Nathaniel Hathorne, Sr., was Hawthorne’s father. He was a sea captain. Nathaniel’s father died in 1808 of yellow fever. After he passed, Nathaniel, his mother and two sisters moved to Salem. They all lived there for 10 years. In 1821 Nathaniel started college at Bowdoin College. He was later elected Phi Beta Kappa in 1824. One year later he graduated. Hawthorne published his first novel in 1828, entitled Fanshawe. In 1842 he married Sophia Peabody and moved to The Old Manse, in Concord, Massachusetts. It wasn’t until 1850 that The Scarlet Letter was published. Nathaniel Hawthorne mostly wrote short stories books around romance. They were also centered on guilt, sin, and evil. Nathaniel’s works are inspired by Puritan New England. They combine historical romance with symbolism and deep psychological themes. Nathaniel Hawthorne died in his sleep on May 19, 1864 while on a tour of the White Mountains. Nathaniel is buried on "Authors' Ridge" in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts. “From the intense consciousness of being the object of severe and universal observation, the wearer of the scarlet letter was at length relieved, by discerning on the outskirts of the crowd a figure which irresistibly took possession of her thoughts.” Source of Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Hawthorne

3. Character ProfileHester Prynne Hester Prynne was a young beautiful woman. She was tall, with a perfect figure. Hester had dark hair, and dark eyes. Hester Prynne was very lady like considering her circumstances. She was a well renowned seamstress who had good quality work. Hester Prynne committed adultery with Reverend Master Dimmesdale. The two had a little pearl named Pearl. Hester was put in jail for her crime, was told to wear an “A” on her chest, and she was not allowed to design wedding dresses anymore. Some people would assume that Hester is embarrassed to wear the “A”, but she is not. Prynne knows what she did was wrong, but she does not regret it or feel sorry for herself because of the way she is being treated. To show that Hester is proud to wear the “A” she flaunts it off on her clothes. This shows that Hester is very independent. Dimmesdale lets Hester take the blame for their actions and she has to deal with all the consequences. Even though he treats her this way, they are both still is in love with each other. Towards the end of the book Dimmesdale finally tells the truth that he was involved in the crime. By this time Hester Prynne’s life has changed. People come to her for help and advice. Hester Prynne is respected now and is not treated differently.

4. Conflict Analysis- Hester Prynne Hester Prynne is left without her husband for a long period of time. In that time she commits adultery. Prynne obviously can’t keep this from her husband. Hester Prynne’s husband is Robert Chillingworth. He is an older man. They were put into an arranged marriage when Hester was very young. When Hester finally tells Robert about the affair it causes a small conflict. He becomes madder at himself for letting this happen. Chillingworth feels like he should have known this would happen for many reasons. He thinks it his fault because he sent her across the ocean first without him, so he wasn’t there to take care of her. Also, he thinks it’s his fault for marrying such a young girl when he is older than her. One last reason is because he knows they both weren’t really in love before the affair. Robert Chillingworth man’s up for not being there for his wife and takes responsibility for her affair. He accepts his wife’s decision but is still mad because she won’t tell him who the affair was with. In the end Robert Chillingworth dies an unfulfilled death. On page 69, Hester won’t tell Robert who the affair was with and he tries to convince her to tell him. “Whether in the outward world, or, to a certain depth, in the invisible sphere of thought, few things hidden from the man who devotes himself earnestly and unreservedly to the solution of a mystery. Thou mayest cover up thy secret from the prying multitude, thou mayest conceal, it, too, from the ministers and magistrates, even as thou didst this day, when they sought to wrench the name out of thy heart, and give thee a partner on thy pedestal. But, as for me, I come to the inquest with other senses than they possess. I shall seek this man, as I have sought truth in books; as I have sought gold in alchemy. There is a sympathy that will make me conscious of him. I shall see him tremble; I shall feel myself shudder, suddenly and unawares. Sooner or later, he must needs be mine!” –Robert Chillingworth

5. Theme Sometimes in life people do things even if they know they are wrong. People will make decisions that turn out bad. That’s life, and everyone makes mistakes. I can relate to this type of situation because I make mistakes all the time even when I know I’m wrong. In The Scarlet Letter Hester makes some bad decisions. She commits the crime of adultery. She does understand that what she did was wrong. Hester handles herself very well by not causing a fuss over this. She takes the consequences and lives with her mistakes. Hester is a very independent person. She shows this by making the “A” she has to wear decorative. In the book Hester Prynne shows that it is okay to make mistakes as long as you take the consequences and learn from it. My opinion is that this book shows how to learn from mistakes. Instead of being bitter and complaining about having consequences just take responsibility for your actions. This will show that you are independent and know how to be responsible. It might be hard to do, but if you just learn from your choices you will become a better person.

6. Personal Reflection My opinion of The Scarlet Letter is that it was a really good book. I like how it was a book that was written many years ago, but adultery still effects many people in today’s society. It helped me to better understand adultery. Before I read The Scarlet Letter I wasn’t really educated in what adultery is, but now I have a better understanding of it. The person I feel like I can relate to is Hester. I can relate to her because if I was in this situation I know I would have done the same things she did. I wouldn’t have let this bring me down. I would have stood up for myself and took the consequences in my own manner. I don’t think I would have decorated the “A” like she did, but I know I would have taken responsibility for the mistake just like her. I would definitely recommend this book to my mom because she loves reading books. I know she would love this book too.