https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k An overview on Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, and Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony en-us 2018-09-07 15:53:18 UTC 2025-12-04 14:03:33 UTC hello@padlet.com ic02193 https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/278917003 Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1804. He was the sixth generation of a strict Puritan family. His father died in 1808, leaving him, his two sisters, and his mother dependent on relatives. Nathaniel spent most of his childhood in Salem and Maine, but a leg injury forced Nathaniel to be immobile, not being able to play games with the other children. Instead, he read and thought a lot, developing a good taste of reading. He was also idolized by his mother and two sisters because he was the only man in the family. He went to Bowdoin College from 1821 to 1825, and the education was paid by his uncles. During his time there, Hawthorne did pretty well. After graduating, he returned to his mother's home in Salem, where he spent twelve years in solitude, learning to make unique tales and sketches.

]]> 2018-09-07 15:59:33 UTC https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/278917003 ic02193 https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/278917159 Nathaniel Hawthorne's real name was Nathaniel Hathorne, but changed his name do the religious persecution and the Salem witch trials of which his family participated in. The aspects of these events and his Puritan upbring really affected his work. His first major works were short stories he wrote anonymously. The short story that started his career was the Twice-Told Tales, published in 1837. After this, he got a job in the Boston Custom House in 1838. After working in the Custom House, he married his long time neighbor Sophia Peabody and spent time in the Brook Farm community. During his time in Brook Farm, he wrote the short story Grandfather's Chair. In 1842, Nathaniel and Sophia moved to the Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts. Here, he wrote Mosses from an Old Manse and The Snow-Image. After these short stories, he got a job as a Surveyor in the Salem Custom House but was relieved of his job in 1848 do to political ties. After this, he moved to Lenox in the Berkshire Hills, writing The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables, The Blithedale Romance, Wonder Book and Tanglewood Tales. After this time of writing books, he wrote Franklin Pierce's campaign biography and moved to Europe for seven years. During his time away from the USA, he wrote Our Old Home and the Marble Faun. After he returned to the USA, he died 5 years later on May 19, 1864.]]> 2018-09-07 15:59:52 UTC https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/278917159 ic02193 https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/278917833 The major theme in the scarlet letter is the theme of damnation. This theme mostly deals with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Throughout the book, Dimmesdale tries to tell the people of Boston that he is the worst of all sinners (Committing adultery with Hester), but no one believes him. This ends up as him struggling to live with himself. With no way of telling any one of his sins because no one believes him, he just ends up in eternal punishment because he can never admit he did anything wrong. In the end, he attempts to save himself over and over, but always fails.]]> 2018-09-07 16:01:29 UTC https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/278917833 ic02193 https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/278918116 Another theme is the frustration and guilt. The three main character in the book have frustration and guilt embedded at their core. First, Hester is guilty of adultery and frustrated that Pearl, Hester's daughter, was going to be taken away from her care do to her guilt. Second, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale has a ton of guilt and frustration. First, he is frustrated that every time he tries to come clean of his guilt, no one believes him and praises him for making such great sermons. Also, he is frustrated that Hester never admits to him who Chillingworth is until later in the book. Chillingworth also has guilt and frustrations. Chillingworth's guilt stems from never letting go. He never forgives Dimmesdale or Hester, and this guilt leads to his demise. His frustration is that he never gets the feeling of success. Throughout the novel, this theme of frustration and the burdens of guilt conflict every character and carry on the plot.]]> 2018-09-07 16:02:25 UTC https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/278918116 ic02193 https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/280420745 Bloom, Harlod. “Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2018, www.notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Hawthorne-Nathaniel.html.

Marsh. “Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter.” Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, www.calhoun.k12.al.us/teacherpages/teacherfiles/Symbolism%20in%20the%20Scarlet%20Letter.doc.

“Themes in The Scarlet Letter.” The Scarlet Letter, 2013, www.bachelorandmaster.com/britishandamericanfiction/themes-in-the-scarlet-letter.html.

Brooks, Rebecca B. “17th Century Massachusetts.” History of Massachusetts, 11 Aug. 2018, historyofmassachusetts.org/17th-century-massachusetts/.

Brooks, Rebecca B. “History of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.” History of Massachusetts, 5 Jan. 2015, historyofmassachusetts.org/history-of-the-massachusetts-bay-colony/.]]> 2018-09-12 15:46:18 UTC https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/280420745 ic02193 https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/280422618 In the Scarlet Letter, there is tons of symbolism through the book. One of the symbols you encounter early on in the book is the wild rose bush. The rose bush is right outside the prison where Hester Prynne is at the beginning of the story. The rose bush represents the sweetness and morality along track. The rose bush is constantly referenced throughout the book to show sweetness in the darkness. For example, the rose bush is reference when Pearl was going to be taken from her mother. In the first chapter the rose bush in contrasted from the harsh and dirty prison to the beautiful rose bush, and the rose bush also symbolizes to the prisoners as the last kind thing they will see.]]> 2018-09-12 15:49:29 UTC https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/280422618 ic02193 https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/280422721 In the first chapter, there is the prison. The prison symbolism all of the punishments from civilized life. He symbolizes the prison as a black flower growing in society, which represents all of the wrong of society, and is also compared to the sweetness of the rose bush. Also in the first chapter is the overgrown grassy plot. The grassy plot symbolizes the corruption and ills of society, and stems from the prison. The grassy plot represents the need for the black flower in society, the prison]]> 2018-09-12 15:49:40 UTC https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/280422721 ic02193 https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/280423202 The Great Puritan Migration started in 1620 and ended in 1642. In this period of time, tons of Puritans left England for religious freedom in the Colonies. The Puritans also came for the abundance of land available and the resources that were found in Massachusetts. Overcrowding soon occured in the new colony and living conditions made a turn for the worst. Even the most famous of the settlers had to endure the harsh conditions, like John Winthrop, who had to suffer through the colony's lack of fresh water. In 1630, Boston was finished and in 1632, it was named the capital of the Colony. Only ten years later, Boston was overcrowded and many moved into the countryside and established small towns like Salem. In 1650, the disease brought by the settlers had killed 90% of the Native American population living there. While the Native Americans succumbed to the disease, the population of the settlers skyrocketed. More and more settlers came to take the land that the Native Americans could not control anymore.]]> 2018-09-12 15:50:26 UTC https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/280423202 ic02193 https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/280423825 By 1675, the Native Americans had had enough. The King Philip's War (First Indian War) had erupted. Major casualties on both sides occured. 5% of New England's population, and 10% of the Native American population died. 10% of all towns were destroyed and numerous Indian villages were wiped away. The economy was ruined and many people were homeless due to the war. Any Native Americans left by the war were enslaved. Many of the Colonists were frustrated by the war and things only got worse. Epidemics, famine, more Native American fights, and the loss of the Colony Charter made the Colonists lives miserable. All of the investment done over the past 50 years was destroyed and they had to restart. This anger all boiled over into the Salem Witch Trials. A doctor in Salem determined that some girls were bewitched and the girls blamed some local women. One of the women accused admitted she was a witch. This caused mass hysteria throughout the colony and people turned on each other, saying that they were witches. Fights broke out all over and 19 people were executed due to the Trials. Life in Massachusetts Bay Colony was terrible throughout the century. ]]> 2018-09-12 15:51:23 UTC https://padlet.com/ic02193/qfiid3nu3w1k/wish/280423825