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"A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities."

"We dream in our waking moments, and walk in our sleep."

"Easy reading is damn hard writing."

"To do nothing is the way to be nothing."

"Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you"

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Another theme this book explores is identity and finding your place in society. Hester loses her place in the Puritan life and society when she is publically shamed and shunned. She no longer is Hester Prynne and is only an adultress. This allows her to find her own identity and find where she fits in in the world, her purpose rather, with a new life. She doesn't let her past experiences completely define her but rather lets it become a part of who she is. Denying an experience of yours does nothing but bring guilt. This book shows that owning your past and using it to shape who you are makes you your own, unique person.

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Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Nathaniel Hawthorne.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 30 June 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Nathaniel-Hawthorne. Evan, and Noelle Thompson.

“The Scarlet Letter.” Owl Eyes, www.owleyes.org/text/scarlet-letter/analysis/historical-context      “Hester Prynne.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Aug. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hester_Prynne

Burk, John. “Literary Devices in ‘The Scarlet Letter.’” Prezi.com, 1 Feb. 2015, prezi.com/pw0gsgpvvspw/literary-devices-in-the-scarlet-letter/
“Puritan Life.” Ushistory.org, Independence Hall Association, www.ushistory.org/us/3d.asp.
“Themes in The Scarlet Letter.” Dramatic Technique in Death of a Salesman, www.bachelorandmaster.com/britishandamericanfiction/themes-in-the-scarlet-letter.html.
“Nathaniel Hawthorne Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore, www.brainyquote.com/authors/nathaniel_hawthorne.

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The main theme this book explores is one of sin and personal growth. Hester Prynne is condemned for adultery, an act of sin. It showed that an act of sin results in suffering and shunning, especially in a Puritan society. But because of this, she learns to be independent and realizes what humanity means. The same went for Dimmesdale, but his was personal; his condemnation took place in his head and had a great mental toll on him for the great guilt he felt. This experience of commiting a sin and facing the consequences, whether physically or mentally, led to personal growth for the both of them. They learned what it was to be human.

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Set in a 17th century village in Puritan New England, this story tells the life of Hester Prynne, a young woman condemned by her Puritan neighbors for they believe she has committed an act of adultery. While her husband sent her to the New World and never followed through with his promise of joining her, she has an affair and gives birth to a baby named Pearl. She refuses to reveal the father's name.  For this act, she is forced to wear the scarlet letter 'A' to mark her as an adulteress. This story tells the struggles and frustrations of her life in finding her place and the burdens of her past... the returned husband who has taken on a new, secret identity and the father of her child.

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Born in July 4th, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, he was an American novelist and short story writer. He was best known for his literary work of "Scarlet Letter" written in 1850, where he explored Puritan hypocrisy and their oppressive nature. He eventually died on May 19th, 1864 in Plymouth, New Hampshire.

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Puritan Life in the 17th Century, the Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Puritan Life in the 17th Century, the Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Male supremacy dominated Puritan society. Women were repressed and held back by their male peers, as shown in the Scarlet Letter. A census report of the Massachusetts Bay Colony found names such as Silence, Fear, Patience, Prudence, Comfort, Hopestill, and Be fruitful, which really reflects what women were thought of back in the day in their colony. On the positive side, the Puritans did have higher literacy rates, higher birth rates, and had longer life expectancies compared to the past. Furthermore, their lifestyle revolved very much around God. They were required to attend church everyday and were condemned and fined if they didn't. They took God's laws very seriously and an act of sin was not brushed off easily and were often led to harsh punishments.

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This story explores many literary elements. One main one being the letter 'A'. To the onlookers, it symbolizes the meaning of adultery. To Hester herself, however, it symbolizes the humiliation, condemnation, and mockery that was put upon her and will follow her for the rest of her life. Her daughter, Pearl, symbolizes the blossoming of life and humanity that Hester felt the Puritans lacked. She is the hope and the good in Hester's life and future. Another symbolism mentioned in the book is the rosebush. It represents the beauty in a world with no color. It brings a sense of hope, especially to the prisoners who see this rosebush outside the prison.