The Scarlet Letter Group at eNotes

Each one of the scaffold scenes shows the changes in both Dimmesdale and...

Wed, 7 Jan 2009 09:19:00 PST

Each one of the scaffold scenes shows the changes in both Dimmesdale and Hester. In the first scene, Hester comes out wearing a colorful dress with the "A" emblazened almost proudly on her breast. Later in the scene, Hester sees Chillingworth in the crowd and her demeanor changes. By the end of the scene, she is very distraught.By the second scaffold scene, Hester is dressed much more conservatively and has been chosen by the town to sew the...

The scaffold scenes are the highpoints of the novel. You could make...

Wed, 7 Jan 2009 09:19:00 PST

The scaffold scenes are the highpoints of the novel. You could make the argument that the rising and falling action, or what leads up to and what is a result of each scaffold scene shows the major transitions in the book. What are those transitions? How about comparing and contrasting each of the scaffold scenes? Read the link below to get started. Search a bit within enotes for more discussion on the significance of these scenes, and...

Just as the scarlet A changes in meaning, each scaffold scene differs...

Wed, 7 Jan 2009 09:19:00 PST

Just as the scarlet A changes in meaning, each scaffold scene differs from the next in its symbolic meaning. For instance, the first scaffold scene is more or less redundant since Hester has already been condemned by the matrons who are envious of her beauty (Ch. 1)and the stern "grey" Puritan code that allows no sin. In contrast to the first scene which is open and in broad daylight, the second scaffold scene is...

I need an essay topic for "The Scarlet Letter," and I want it to based...

Tue, 6 Jan 2009 17:11:52 PST

I was planning on doing each of the three scenes seperately and the development of each of the characters during the scene, but when I outlined it, it came out very much like a summary. My teacher recommended that I try to divide the scenes in a way that I wouldn't be able to summarize too much. This is research paper, so any source recommendations (not a free essay site) would be incredibly helpful. Thanks for the time.

Anne Bradstreet (1612 -1672) Poet who had the first book written by a...

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 18:35:39 PST

Anne Bradstreet (1612 -1672) Poet who had the first book written by a woman published in the English Colonies, Well-educated, tutor to her own 8 children and other colonist's. Wife of Governor Bradstreet. Close friend of Anne Hutchinson, who was driven from the Mass. Bay Colony for her religious beliefs which ran counter to the Puritain authority.Edward Taylor (1642 -1729) Poet and Minister, graduate of Harvard College, minister to the...

There is certainly a similarity between Hester and Anne Bradstreet as...

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 18:35:39 PST

There is certainly a similarity between Hester and Anne Bradstreet as they are both resigned to their fates. For instance, Bradstreet wrote verses after the burning of her home and expresses this resignation and Puritanical faith in God (all that happens is for a "reason.") She wrote:He[God] hath...by one affliction or other ...made me to look home, and search what was amissTruly this attitude is also typical of Hester, who seeks...

How has Hester changed, physically? Describe how her change is...

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 13:38:38 PST

How has Hester changed, physically? Describe how her change is both positive and negative.

Certain pervasive themes reoccur in Hawthorn’s stories. Explain which...

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 12:53:20 PST

Certain pervasive themes reoccur in Hawthorn’s stories. Explain which adult main character goes with each theme.

There are three scaffold scenes in the novel that occur over a period of...

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 13:37:48 PST

There are three scaffold scenes in the novel that occur over a period of seven years. Each scene casts a new light on the development of the main characters in the novel. In the first scaffold scene, Hester is on the scaffold for the first time as part of her punishment for adultery. At first, she seems almost haughty. She is wearing a beautiful dress, her hair is not covered as was traditional in Puritan dress and she has embroidered the...

In "The Scarlet Letter", Hathorne meant for the "scaffold...

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 13:17:39 PST

In "The Scarlet Letter", Hathorne meant for the "scaffold of pillory" to represent time. How does he accomplish this purpose?

The scaffold represents the restrictive lives of the Puritans, as Hester...

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 08:58:49 PST

The scaffold represents the restrictive lives of the Puritans, as Hester has to endure the "world's ignominious stare" on the scaffold at the beginning of the novel. At the end, it is rather Reverend Dimmesdale who opens himself up to public scorn on the scaffold when he reveals that he is Pearl's father. Ironically, however, the townspeople do not see those who stand on the scaffold as they really are--they are quick to condemn...

How do both the scaffold and the natural environment function...

Sun, 4 Jan 2009 04:37:57 PST

How do both the scaffold and the natural environment function as symbols in the novel?

Compare actual Puritans with Hawthorn's characters in "The Scarlet Letter"

Sat, 3 Jan 2009 06:08:05 PST

Compare actual Puritans with Hawthorn's characters. Anne Bradstreet and Hester; Edward Taylor and Dimmsdale; Jonathan Edwards and various ministers

Time and the Natural Enviroment are major symbols.Explain To what degree...

Sat, 3 Jan 2009 06:04:14 PST

Time and the Natural Enviroment are major symbols.Explain To what degree each of these symbols succeeds in accomplishing Hawthorns purpose.

Hawthorne makes much use of the the Red Letter A within his novel; at...

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 15:39:11 PST

Hawthorne makes much use of the the Red Letter A within his novel; at various times, it stands for "Adulteress," "Able," "Angel," and at one point he invites the reader to determine its meaning for him or her self. There's also references to Pearl's red dress, and the red rosebush; at one point the governor refers to Hester as a scarlet woman. These are just a few examples; red may mean passion, embarrassment,...

What is the symbolism of the color red in The Scarlet Letter?

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 14:12:42 PST

What is the symbolism of the color red in The Scarlet Letter?

Themes reocur in N.H's stories.How are these important to the...

Thu, 1 Jan 2009 09:56:05 PST

Themes reocur in N.H's stories.How are these important to the development of the plot and also to the development of the 3 main adult characters?

This question encompasses the entire novel and cannot really be answered...

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:35:37 PST

This question encompasses the entire novel and cannot really be answered in the detail you want in this short space. I suggest you consult the links below for more information.1. Hester changes from a woman who flaunts her sin by wearing a beautiful dress and skillfully embroidering the letter "A" to a woman who is dressed more conservatively and is stronger both emotionally and physically than she is at the beginning of the novel....

How do Hester, Dimmesdale and Chillingworth change physically,...

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:05:39 PST

How do Hester, Dimmesdale and Chillingworth change physically, emotionally, and spiritually in The Scarlet Letter?

The moral reconciliation occurs during the third scaffold scene in...

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 11:31:46 PST

The moral reconciliation occurs during the third scaffold scene in Chapter 23 when Dimmesdale mounts the scaffold that Hester had stood on seven years earlier and he admits he is the father of Pearl. During the entire novel, Dimmesdale has been hiding this secret from the public and the guilt has eaten away at him both mentally and physically. He realizes that he can no longer keep the truth from the community and confesses his guilt. This...