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Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Puritans believed that God had his chosen few for salvation, while the rest were condemned to eternal damnation. Nobody knew who those elected were, so Puritans lived in spiritual anxiety, seeking signs of God's favor or anger.

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Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote "Scarlet Letter" in 1849 and it was published in 1950.

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The Scarlet Letter took place in 1642 to 1649.

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Herman Melville (1819–1891)—Melville, a contemporary of Hawthorne, is Known for Moby-Dick (1851). Like The Scarlet Letter, Moby-Dick explores deep moral and philosophical questions and grapples with themes of sin, guilt, and the individual's relationship with society. And of course, Edgar Allan Poe Though his works were often darker and more gothic, Poe was another influential writer of the period. His stories like The Tell-Tale Heart (1843) and The Fall of the House of Usher (1839) examine guilt, paranoia, and psychological conflict, which overlap with Hawthorne’s explorations in The Scarlet Letter.

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Sought to "purify" the English church yet was eventually driven out of Britain because of the movement so they migrated to America, in which they demonstrated the first moments of self-government in America with the creation of the Mayflower compact.

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The main theme of the Scarlet Letter is to show a visual of how mass hysteria and mob mentality work. It illustrates how strong religious belief can create tension between what is believed to be good and evil. In addition, it represents gender standards and religious standards for women. Critiques the Puritan legal system and its harsh, often unjust, punishments. Alienation also occurs in the book, making people view a person as less human and slowly losing sympathy for a person.

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Puritans believed one should have a covenant relationship with God in order to redeem one's sins. God is viewed as absolute sovereign over all. A primary value of Puritanism is predestination, in which Puritans believe God has chosen those for salvation, meanwhile the rest are condemned to damnation.

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Roger Chillingworth is the main antagonist in the book Scarlet letter. Roger Chilling worth is an English scholar who is married to another character Hester Prynne. Roger Chillings worth uses his authority as a doctor and Scholar to diagnose his wife's adultery partner and cause havoc among everybody.

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The illegitimate daughter of Hester Prynn and Reverend Arthur Dimmsdale. She symbolizes the sin of her parents' adultery, a constant reminder of her mother's scarlet letter.

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Hester Prynne is a strong, independent woman in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts who was convicted of committing adultery. As punishment, she is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her chest. Despite the shame society places on her, she remains resilient, raising her daughter Pearl and sculpting out a life for herself as a skilled seamstress. Over time, she transforms the meaning of the letter, becoming a symbol of stability and empathy rather than disgrace. Her name represents many things, for example, “Esther,” a biblical figure known for her bravery in saving her people. This last name sounds similar to “prim,” which could highlight how society views her as sinful or prim and proper. It may also hint at “pryn,” an old English variation of “prison,” reflecting her social and emotional confinement due to her punishment.

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Arthur in the Bible was a king who was "mighty, brave, honourable, valiant"

Dimmsdale could be broken down into dimm, meaning dark, and dale meaning valley.

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"The young woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale. She had... And never had Hester Prynne appear more ladylike, " (p. 55)

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"Whenever that look appeared in her wild,bright,deeply-black eyes, it invested her with a strange remoteness and intangibility; it was as if she were hovering in the air and might vanish,like a glimmering light that comes we know not whence, and goes we know not whither."(P.95)

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"He was small in stature, with a furrowed visage, which as yet could hardly be termed aged. There was a remarkable intelligence in his features, as of a person who had so cultivated his mental part that it could not fail to mold the physical to itself and become manifest by unmistakable tokens." pg 62

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The sunlight symbolizes innocence and purity as it follows Pearl and runs away from Hester due to her infidelity. Once Hester removes the scarlet letter and lets her hair down, it almost regresses her back into her pure, youthful state. As this happens, the sun shines onto Hester and Dimmesdale after they agreed to put the past behind them and start anew. This symbolizes redemption and acceptance.

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What does the forest represent when Hester and Dimmsdale talk.

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What does the forest represent when Hester and Dimmsdale talk.

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The forest represents the peaceful nature that resides outside of the puritan community. When Dimmsdale and Hester go into the forest they talk about life and Hester suggests they leave the puritan community. The forest represents the life that they could have that's peaceful and away from all judgment of the puritan community.