Scarlet Letter ROUGH DRAFT-unfinished

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Crystal Newton

Instructor Knapp

May 4, 2011

English 1B

"A" is for Adultery

           

In the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter includes many important symbols. One of the main symbols used in this novel is the "A". The letter "A" has a few different meaning through the story. In the beginning of the story the letterr means a symbol of sin. The  letter has different meaning towards the middle of the novel , but at the end it signifies sin once again.

            The letter, a patch of fabric in the shape of this "A"  is worn by Hester Prynne on her chest, letting everyone know she is an adulterer. "Adultery (also called philsndery) is a form of extramarital sex. It is sexual infidelity to one's spouse. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Adultery is illegal in some countries. The interaction between laws on adultery with those on rape has and does pose particular problems in societies that are especially sensitive to sexual relations by a married woman and men. The difference between the offenses is that adultery is voluntary, while rape is not".  In this day and age adultery is illegal but in our society its kind of masked. Things are viewed  much differently today than they were in the Puritan times.

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In the novel not much is said about Hester Prynne before she married her husband. Things are very sketchy to me in this novel. In the story they are married even though Hester does not love him. The book makes Hester out to be a strong willed young woman who remembers her parents as loving guides who frequently had to restrain her thoughtless behavior before she got married. These two facts alone suggest to me that this has a lot to do with why Hester committed adultery.

            Hester's husband was a difficult husband. He's ignored his wife for most of their time they are together, but expected her to be the loving caring wife when he decided to pay a little attention to her every now and again. He is made out to be a pretty ugly man. Probably yet, another reason that Hester committed adultery.

            At the beginning of the story Hester Prynne is being led from the prison, with her baby girl Pearl in her arms with the Scarlet Letter "A" on her breast. There is a man in the crowd that tells another that Hester is being punished for adultery. Roger sends Hester to America but never makes it to Boston. He is thought to be lost at sea. Since her husband never arrives in America Hester ends up having an affair ending up pregnant with her daughter Pearl. She will never tell who the father of Pearl is.

            Hester takes all the blame and punishment for this. Her husband who ends up following Hester, now practicing medicine calling himself Roger Chillingworth is out to get to the bottom of this situation. Deep down he thinks he knows who the father of   Pearl is but he needs to prove it. He only tells Hester who he really is and swears her to secrecy. Years go by and Hester works as a seamstress. Pearl grows up  to be a moody and mischievous little girl, but  their

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town and people still do not accept them. They live in a little cottage on the outskirts of Boston. Pearl is almost taken away from Hester but with the help of a local minister named Arthur Dimmesdale they are eventually kept together. 

            Dimmesdale all of a sudden gets a weird heart trouble. I do not think that Dimmesdale actually has heart problems. I think this was just a way for Chillingworth to get to the bottom of the adultery. Eventually Dimmesdale allows Chillingworth to move in with him since her practices medicine so he can give him 24 hour patient care. He thinks that there is a tie between Dimmesdale and Hester so he tries to question Dimmesdale to see what he can find out. Then one day while Dimmesdale is sleeping Chillingworth finds a mark on his chest. It's never said to actually be an "A" but thats what its made to be thought in the book.  

            Another symbol in this novel is Pearl. Pearl is a symbol for many reasons. Pearl is primarily the main cause for the Scarlet Letter "A" that her mother wears. Although she did not make the decision to commit adultery, her mom did, it was the pregnancy and birth of Pearl that caused everyone to actually know Hester had committed adultery.