Think about the subtitle of The Scarlet Letter. In what ways is this text "a romance"? What, if any, relationship, is there between "romance" and Romanticism?
If you are unfamiliar with Romanticism as a literary movement, please read the following background information:
http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/romantic/welcome.htm
(Byron features prominently)
In Harold Bloom's introduction to Modern Critical Interpretations: Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, he writes: "Pearl...is the romance's prime knower no reader would doubt. The subtlest relation in Hawthorne's sinuously ambiguis romance is not that between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. It is the ambivalent and persuasive mother-daughter complex in which Hester is saved both from suicidal despair and from the potential of becoming the prophetess of a feminist religion only by the extraordinary return in her daughter of everything she herself has repressed" (Bloom 4).
Opening the exploration to any of the major four characters in the novel, what specific passages do you see that highlight the extent to which Hawthorne was influenced by romanticism? What tension(s) are illuminated, complicated or otherwise illustrated by Romanticism (or vice versa)?
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So from reading the link, i have interpreted romanticism as a sort of idealistic view of ones surroundings. This connects perfectly to just about every character in the text, but i want to focus on Hester. The passage i chose, shows Hester's blindness to denial of her surroundings being "bad" and her way of turning them positive, creating a blinding affect which makes her a romantic character. Although Hester has been burdened with wearing a scarlet letter A in order to public shame and humiliate her, it has evolved into something that to her, represents pride.
ReplyDelete"Hester's nature showed itself warm and rich; a well-spring of human tenderness...her breast, with its badge of shame, was but the softer pillow for the head that needed one...the letter was the symbol of her calling...many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. they said that it meant Able" (Hawthorne 106).
This passage shows the way in which Hester, as well as the rest of the society, had this romanticized view of the significance of the A in that it changed to something beautiful rather than the evil and shame it was intended to represent.
This also reminds me of alchemy. obviously the way we talked about it in class today, the changing of the scarlet letter from something bad to good (as ordinary metals to gold)...but perhaps there is a connection between romanticism and alchemy?
Also, like i said in class today, i think that Hester is genuinely in love with Dimmesdale. And although, he is keeping all the public shame on her, and not admitting to his part in the sin, she loves him still. I think this shows just how blind love is. Romanticism, as i said on my previous post, has to do with imagination, optimism, and idealism overriding reality. This idea of being blinded by romance is what Hester shows in the novel. Although Hester knows that Dimmesdale is wrong in what he is doing, she loves him despite that and even has difficulty accepting within herself that he is keeping this secret from public knowledge. Hester is proof that love is blind.
ReplyDelete"'Let us not look back,' answered Hester Prynne.'The past is gone! Wherefore should we linger upon it now? See! With this symbol, i undo it all, and make it as it had never been."(Hawthorne 130)
In this section of the book, i felt as though Hester was forgiving Dimmesdale and in removing the scarlet letter, she was showing him her forgiveness. It is hard to know why she would forgive him for such a thing, besides that she truly loves him, and her love is blind to his faults.
In my opinion, romance is a notion based on idealism which lacks of factual evidence. Therefore, it is not a historical truth, but an interpretation of an event, which may or may not have occurred.
ReplyDelete“Even after what they considered to be the failure of the revolutionary promise, these poets did not surrender their hope for a radical reformation of humankind and its social and political world; instead, they transferred the basis of that hope from violent political revolution to a quiet but drastic revolution in the moral and imaginative nature of the human race”
I found this quote from the link informative regarding the values of writers during the Romantic Period. Although the writers were given evidence against their beliefs, they sustained an invariable and unrealistic belief of the goodness of the human race. The link also mentioned that a focus of romanticism is possibly the relationship between mind and nature, which is present throughout The Scarlet Letter. These references to nature in the novel are interpreted symbolically, as they represent the value of instinct, and personal morals.
“On one side of the portal, and rooted at the threshold, was a wild rose bush, covered, in the month of June, with delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of nature could pity and be kind to him” (Hawthorne 36).
“Her once baby-voice served a multitude of imaginary personages, old and young, to talk withal. The pine trees, aged, black and solemn, and flinging groans and other melancholy utterances on the breeze, needed little transformation to figure as Puritan elders; the ugliest weeds of the garden were the children, whom Pearl smote down and uprooted, most wonderfully…” (65).
“Pearl, seeing the rose-bushes, began to cry for a red rose, and would not be pacified” (73).
“He was now known to be a man of skill; it was observed that he gathered herbs, and the blossoms of wild flowers, and dug up roots, and plucked off twigs from the forest trees, like one acquainted with hidden virtues in what was valueless to common eyes” (81).
“But, before Mr. Dimmesdale had done speaking, a light gleamed far and wide over all the muffled sky. It was doubtless caused by one of those meteors, where the night-watcher may so often observe burning out to waste, in the vacant regions of the atmosphere…” (101).
Specifically, I see Hester being influenced by nature, as she follows her instincts. As Anna said, “love is blind”, which corresponds to my idea of following instinct. She cannot necessarily control her beliefs and actions, and nature is often uncontrollable.
To add to the awesome points about romanticism as an idealistic view that lacks everything concrete and nature, I latched onto this sentence in the link (even though its may not be directly related to the plot):
ReplyDelete"Prompted by radical changes in their systems of political authority and by their experience of a long, drawn out war in which many of the victories felt like pyrrhic ones, British people during this period felt compelled to rethink the nature of heroism. One way that they pursued this project was to ponder the powers of fascination exerted by these figures whose self-assertion and love of power could appear both demonic and heroic, and who managed both to incite beholders hatred and honor and to prompt their intense identifications"
I think this part of that article is really interesting in terms of what we talked about in class about the transfiguration of symbols and of society throughout the book. I thought of Hester in this quote, how her character in many ways is both "demonic and heroic" to society. On one hand, the scarlet letter is supposed to be this model of shame and precedent to scare people in Puritan Society (how control is often maintained by scaring people- sinners, the crucible, this, our society…), and yet on the other hand (I think someone said this in class today) the people as individual forces view Hester differently and not entirely defined by that shame. Some see the nurturing and kinder qualities to her, her seamstress work, just like how in some people's eyes the "A" is not for adultery but for "Able":
"Such helpfulness was found in her, - so much power to do, and power to sympathize,- that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that is meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynee, with a woman's strength" (106).
What she is being punished for is demonic, but what she is standing for and in all of her pride and strength, its heroic (to many) that she could overcome (on the external) her sin in that way. I also do think that she is proud of the scarlet letter because it's a part of who she is (like Ms. Parrish said) in that she is able to stand strong and alone and raise a child without a man like Chillingsworth or Dimmesdale. And I think she is "heroic" in that sense also because she is powerful, and stands for a sort of strength that women in that time period were not supposed to stand for (which comes out even at the beginning when all of the town is gossiping about her and the symbol she wears). When I was reading today, this quote: "Hester Prynee, fixing her eyes on the minister's, and instinctively exercising a magnetic power over a spirit so shattered and subdued that it could hardly hold itself erect" (127) made me think that she was proud of herself specifically because she could hold strength and overcome something that this man could not. In a way, her role in society has a lot to do with feminity in that time period (I think).
(Continued)
ReplyDeleteSo the Romanticism could go with the transfiguration of society (through the SL), a challenged view of things posited by idealism perhaps. The Scarlet Letter symbol is a transformation, and what spurs out from it is the individual versus society I think, challenging the fixed notions of things and law. Puritanism is challenged because Hester becomes such a powerful figure/ symbol in society. If a part of the romanticism period was defined by rethinking, then Hester and her Scarlet Letter spurs society to rethink themselves, their places in society, their religion and the authority of society and the church. And that makes me think of the question someone asked at the beginning of discussion one day: Why does society label shame to Hester? Why not help this woman with no husband and a child? I don’t have an answer. But I think the notion of rethinking and romanticism and nature also comes into the transcendentalism idea in the text- about the individual's relationship to society and the extent to which one should submit to society (the black flower/ rose bush) and all of this I think is seen in Hester’s role.
[This ought to have been posted at about 7:30-ish, but my computer refused to work]
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the link, I'm going to have to agree with both Nicole and Anna - I interpreted the term "romanticism" to refer to a depiction of something that may or may not have actually happened in history, but for whatever reason is depicted through a pastoral lens.
In other words, another example of a romantic work might have been Goya's famous painting depicting the surrender of Spanish rebels to Napoleons army (The Third of May 1808). Though this exact event may never have happened, it was certainly depicted in a rather foreshadowing light as seen in the white of the soldier surrendering. It is romantic in it's idealistic view of the Spanish rebels and in the fact that the exact event depicted may never have exactly happened.
I suppose then, the correlation between romance and Romanticism is the idea that a certain sense of romance for the event in question is needed to truly understand and appreciate the ideas of Romantic artists. Romantic artists themselves, as I see it, seem to focus on their "romantic" entanglement with the event to create their artwork and communicate the message.
Anyway, back to The Scarlet Letter.
I believe that the best example of my kind of romanticism is in the scarlet letter itself. While it can be debated whether or not the scarlet letters that Hester Prynne sews for herself, it is obvious that public shame was not (and still isn't) a new marvel of the time. So, the scarlet letter is then painted as a beautiful yet misunderstood symbol of the time.
"She came, not as a guest, but as a rightful inmate, into the household that was darkened by trouble; as if its gloomy twilight were a medium in which she was entitled to hold intercourse with her fellow-creatures. There glimmered the embroidered letter, with comfort in its unearthly ray." (Hawthorne, 105).
"It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy..."(41).
...None of that made any sense did it?
And Anna, I think you made a good connection between romanticism and alchemy. I'm not sure either, but I was thinking that it was just (like Nicole said) in taking something "bad" or "shameful" like the Scarlet letter and then for it to become transfigured in some people's eyes and obviously in Hester's character, to be representative of something beautiful. I think that goes with seeing beyond the fixed notion of things, the belief that ordinary things, anything or substance, can be turned to gold- that just because the "A" is labeled "bad" because of the adultery in Puritanism, it is also "able", standing for something that changed from something demonic to something almost valuable and respected. Something branded "bad" can be transfigured into something positive. I think that notion of duality within something branded is shown shown through the imagery and the constant descriptions of nature and light and darkness in people internally and in external circumstances: (maybe this relates to alchemy), that religion is depicted as just as much darkness as it is the light (the blinding factor), and that the scarlet letter is just as much a light symbol as it is a dark one is.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also have a question: When Pearl is asking Hester about the "Black Man" and his book: "How he haunts this forest and carries a book with him, - a big heavy book, with iron clasps; and how this ugly Black Man offers his book and an iron pen to everybody that meets him here among the trees; and they are to write their names with their own blood. and then he sets his marks on their bosoms! Didst thou ever meet the Black Man, mother?"
ReplyDeleteHester responds: "And who told you this story, Pearl?' asked her mother, recognizing a common superstition of the period" (119-120)
What is this common superstition of the period? In the romanticism article at the end it talks about "satanic strain" of romanticism- which also made me think of The Crucible about the fear of the Devil invading society. Does that have anything to do with it maybe? I was confused.
I agree with Anna’s interpretation of what Romanticism is, and idealistic view of life, involving the mind and nature (as Nicole said), but I also really liked what George said about a “pastoral lens”-that’s a really good way to look at it!
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I agree with Anna that Hester is in love with Dimmesdale, rather than Chillingworth. I feel like Hester is almost afraid of Chillingworth, because she realizes that he is killing the Reverend, and she fears what extent he is willing to go to in order to fulfill his desire for revenge. As Nicole mentioned, there is a relationship between mind and nature, which makes me immediately think of Chillingworth gathering his herbs in the forest. This kind of relates to what Ms. Parrish thinks about when she hears the word “herb” haha, in the way that he is using nature-which in a romantic sense, would be seen as serene and peaceful- to destroy his “friend” Dimmesdale. I think that there is some sort of love going on between them (not in a har-har, Gatsby way) but something on more of a friendly intimate level, while competing for Hester. Chillingworth uses his knowledge of herbs and science to find a way to bring down his enemy, but in a way that would deem acceptable in society. “It is our fate. Let the black flower blossom as it may! Now go thy ways, and deal as thou wilt with yonder man." He waved his hand, and betook himself again to his employment of gathering herbs” (119). I think that this quote demonstrates the lack of love between Hester and Chillingworth; I don’t think that there really ever was any love to begin with.
I don’t remember the quote, but towards the very beginning of the novel, when Hester and Chillingworth are in her cell, Hester says something along the lines of, “I never held any love for thee” and Chillingworth says something like, “I took advantage of your youth and beauty”, which reinforces that idea that Chillingworth is drawn to nature, and the transformations that he can create with it. He is transforming Hester from a happy Puritan woman (before she arrived and received the SL) to a woman full of shame (after the SL); he is transforming Dimmesdale by giving him reason to drown in his own guilt, which is in turn causing Hester to be upset with him. Chillingworth is really trying to win Hester back, and prove that he is more “worthy”, but in trying to do so, I think he is actually creating a stronger bond between Hester and Dimmesdale.
*my pages are different
also, to add to what I said, I think that this quote from the link kind of relates to the idea of mystery and human life in tSL, and although this quote is abut a specific literary work, I think that it still applies to what Hester is experiencing throughout the book:
ReplyDelete"a moving meditation on the human condition and its inescapable experience of aging, loss, and suffering. (Keats read it this way — as a wrestling with "the Burden of the Mystery," an attempt to develop a rationale for the fact that "the World is full of Misery and Heartbreak, Pain, Sickness and oppression"
Also, the words" aging" "suffering" "heartbreak" "sickness" "oppression" made me think of the relationship between Hester and Dimmesdale. While they are both certainly in lvoe with each other, their sins cause suffering for the both of them, and due to the oppressive society and its heaven abiding laws, they cannot live as a family-society would simply not accept it. As they each grow older, Dimmesdale's heartbreak and suffering grows stronger, because he refuses to accept his fate, whereas Hester's suffering is less, and the SL becomes that image of pride that we talked about in class today, and she is seen as "Able" while Dimmesdale s more "Disable"
To go off of Grace's idea about Hester being the Byronic Hero of the novel, it's also interesting how while we see Hester's transformation into a hero--or rather, compliance to the significant traits of a demonic, Byronic hero--we also see Dimmesdale eaten from the inside out as a result of his concealment of his sin. He becomes so overwhelmed by his betrayl of his faith and of his people that he abandons the town with Hester to run off to a "free atmosphere of unredeemed, unchristianized, lawless region." (Hawthorne, 129). I found Dimmesdale's transformation from a man of god to a man who embraces sin (by finding joy in the admittance of his act of adultery) a direct correspondent to the "fallen archangel Satan" in Paradise Lost as mentioned in the link. He is even depicted as the "Black Man" (I think he's the Black man... could be the devil, but could be Dimmesdale too I think):
ReplyDelete" 'And mother, the old dame said that this scarlet letter was the Black Man's mark on thee, and that it glows like a red flame when thou meetest him at midnight...' "(120)
" ' But if it be the Black Man, wilt thou not let me stay a moment, and look at him, with his big book under his arm?' 'Go silly child!'said her mother, impatiently. 'It is no Black Man! Thou canst see him now, through the trees. It is the minister!' (121)
Dimmesdale is yet another Byronic hero alongside Hester but his transformation, while it results in the same freedom that Hester attains, is a decline--a "fall"--rather than, as Grace said, Hester's attainment of heroism and representation of women's strength.
Quickly I wanted to add to Eric that i agree the Black Man may be Dimmesdale or the Devil, and i believe it may be both.I am not positive, but as i read over Eric's response I connected the Black Man's book to the Devil's 'book' which appeared in The Crucible, (when the 'withches' signed their names to the Devil/ Pastor was asked to sign his name to the church.) Then it can also be Dimmsdale, (connecting the Devil to Dimmsdale), as he was the one who commited this demonic act with Hester, and perhaps put the scarlet letter on her because he helped bring the shame to her.
ReplyDeleteJust a quick though-kind of confusing, didn't know how to state it. (Not sure if right...)
To begin, I feel like it would be a lie for me to say that I was not flattered by the multiple mentions to a ‘Byronic Hero”, I will gladly take applause later. In the meantime, bringing this back to romanticism, I too agree with the comments of those above me in that romanticism is an idealistic view of life. I think that this is where we get the idea of a “romantic” as being someone who is never a pessimist but rather an optimist in the most extreme sense. In The Scarlet Letter, we clearly see these notions of optimism most clearly defined with Hester.
ReplyDeleteAs Anna said, (paraphrasing), although the Scarlet letter was originally a symbol that was supposed to represent her shame and result in sorrow, it has become more a part of her then some of her most personal features. Her ability to overcome the need to wear the letter not only shows her determination and pride, but also her beliefs as an individual. I believe it is Luke who constantly talks about how the Scarlet Letter is a huge part of Hester, and he is entirely right. In fact, it is so influential, that Pearl finds it to be one of the most signifying and ________ characteristics of her mom. (As always, I cant think of the word that I’m trying to come up with so the blank is for you to fill in.) As for the passage, here it is.
“But that first object of which pearl seemed to become aware was—shale we say it?—the scarlet letter on Hester’s bosom!...Weeks, it is true, would sometimes elapse, during which Pearl’s gaze might never once be fixed upon the scarlet letter; but then, again, it would come at unawares, like the stroke of sudden death, and always with that peculiar smile, that odd expression in the eyes” (87).
*my pages are different. Chpt.6-Pearl.
Also the idea that the man asks for the signature of people who meet him in the woods to sign with their blood- obvious connection to The Crucible and how the Black Man and book also connects to the Devil. (As I am kind of reiterating Grace's brief touch upon this topic.)
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Larissa and Anna when talking about Hester's true love for Dimmesdale. This relationship between Hester, Chillingsworth, and Dimmesdale demonstrates the theme of this unit: Individual vs Society. We do not know much about Chillingworth's and Hester's relationship, but it seems to me that Hester married Chillingsworth to abide by the views for society, seeking acceptance. She illustrates her own individual desire by expressing her love for Dimmesdale and fulfilling her own wishes. However, I think their relationship is romanticized because it is not "based on fact." At this point in the novel, we aren't able to distinguish the facts that hold this relationship together, and it seems more like a hinted idea than a commonly known idea.
ReplyDelete"Romantic Age's thinking about individualism, revolution, the relationship of the author—the author of genius especially—to society, and the relationship of poetical power to political power." This is a quote from the link, and I think it describes Hester's relationship in the fact that Hawthorne shows his own relationship with society within this "romance." Clearly Hester is not a prime member of society, she is shunned for her adultery and has the SL as an outward symbol to show this. However, in the beginning of the book she feels a sort of pressure to abide by societies laws, as we see when Hawthorne says that she wants to cover her SL in public, but never carries out her proposision. Through this, we observe Hester's overwhelming self-confidence and her ability not to let society phase her into believing some thing that she does not agree with herself. She places poetical power over political power, and consumes herself in her own morals, and disregards the feedback society gives to her. However, Dimmesdale does not exhibit Hester's confidence, and feels he needs to hide his own "Scarlet letter" and not reveal the fact that he is the father of Pearl to the society. dimmesdale is very concerned about his reputation, and fears society will shun him, just like they did to Hester...... "To Hester's eye, the Reverend Mr Dimmesdale exhibited no symptom of positive and vivacious suffering, except that, as little Pearl remarked, he kept his hand over his heart." (122)
As for romanticism, i definitly agree it is an idealist view. The scarlet letter, as George said, exhibits the romanticism of the novel, but more importantly it is the idealist view the townspeople, and Hester herself, created from a symbol with the initial purpose to give shame upon Hester. My quote is from very early on, but it shows the interest the townspeople have in Hester's pride of herself and their own acknowledgment of the craftsmanship of the letter even when this should solely illuminate shame put on Hester.
ReplyDelete"...was that the SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bossom. It had the effet of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity , and enclosing her in a sphere herself. 'She hath good skill at her needle, that's certain.' remarked one of her female spectators," (Hawthorne 41)
The description and realization of the townspeople show their focus on Hester's fantastic work, "fantastically embroidered", good skill", while looking upon a symbol which should cause the townspeople to feel compelled to 'shun' Hester, and express her shame rather than pride.
To answer grace's question before I start writing, I believed this superstition to be the belief of the devil lurking in the woods.
ReplyDeleteI see that everyone has focused on the idea of romanticism so I thought that I would focus on the historical aspect of it, and then connect it to the text. I agree with pretty much everything said so far so I thought I would bring it in a different direction so I wouldn’t repeat anyone (although I might end up doing this anyway).
ReplyDeleteIn the article attached, it states that the French Revolution was a huge factor in romanticism. Since this movement was the derivation of romanticism I feel that we should focus on it and how it plays a role in literature. The French Revolution demonstrated this period of time where people believed that an almost “cleansing” of the people would bring in a new age of peace and promise. This reformation is clearly seen in The Scarlet Letter, making the romanticism in the novel irrefutable. Even if we look at the novel just vaguely, we see Hester who has been set aside from society and branded with this scarlet letter. Although a mark of condemnation in society, the letter transformed into some sort of mark of pride for Hester, which is exactly what the romanticists, driven by the Revolution, believed. This mark became a symbol of social individuality—exactly fitting the romanticist mindset. This scarlet letter in itself becomes a reformation. It transforms from meaning “Adultery”, a mark of sin, to “Able”, a compliment society has given her. Even the very government officials who condemned her, now suggest she take the letter off.
References to the apocalypse, such as the meteor, also directly connect with the French Revolution. As the article states “they interpreted the events in France in accordance with the apocalyptic prophecies in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures”. ALSO. Just really quickly, the foundation of religion in the novel translates this rebirth of religion that happened during the reformation.
ReplyDeleteI came to question why Pearl is the most romantic character. Besides this complicated love between mother and daughter, I realized that she is also the essence of romantic ideals. Pearl seems to embrace the misery, pain, and cruelty, accepting it as a part of life. She accepts social realties. In one scene where Hester has taken off her scarlet letter and Pearl refuses to recognize her until she wears it again it states “In a mood of tenderness that was not usual with her, she drew down her mother’s head, and kissed her brow and both her cheeks. But then—by a kind of necessity that always impelled this child to alloy whatever comfort she might chance to give with a throb of anguish—Pearl put up her mouth, and kissed the scarlet letter too!” (135). This embrace complicates the relationship of mother and daughter—a sense of tension in the novel. For the first time, we see Hester embarrassed by her weird child (“Hester turned again towards Pearl, with a crimson blush upon her cheek, a conscious glace aside at the clergyman, and then a sigh…” 134) a sign of the growing tension as Pearl grows up. She asks more and more questions, all the while being a silent reminder to Hester of the crime and sin she has committed. Although Hester may love her child, she is an undying symbol of her shame.
The article also states how romantics are ““obsessed with the concept of violent and inclusive change in the human condition”. Pearl embodies this completely…
AH. No more time. I’ll just post it now and hope it makes sense. I wish I had more time to explain myself because I feel like I just quickly went over ideas really fast and made no sense… so I wish you luck.
I too agree with the notion that romanticism is an idealistic view. As Molly pointed out, although in the beginning the townspeople chastise Hester, expressing their disapproval of her actions, they also remark upon the beauty of the scarlet letter, and Hester's skill as a seamstress. This demonstrates how Hawthorne is romanticizing the scarlet letter, and thus Hester's reaction to her suffering. Instead of hiding to escape the judgemental glares of her neighbors, Hester transforms her symbol of shame into a symbol of hope, and so she herself becomes a symbol of hope, providing help and comfort to all who need her. I think that this is Hawthorne's way of "getting back" at society. Since Hawthorne used his novel to express his displeasure of society and life in the custom's house, it makes sense that he employs romanticism- a set of ideals which his fellow custom house officers did not share.
ReplyDeleteThis ties into the quote Kara pulled in about individualism. I definitely agree that Hawthorne uses Hester's relationship with society to sort of parallel his own. Hawthorne is fighting political power with poetical power by writing The Scarlet Letter. This quote is a good example of Hester's individualism: "In all her intercourse with society, however, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it. Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came in contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished, and as much alone as if she inhabited another sphere, or communicated with the common nature by other organs and senses than the rest of human kind" (69 in my book). Hawthorne makes it clear that it is Hester vs. society, and his depiction of her as a kind, helpful, and strong woman comfirm that he believes that this is an honorable place to be.
Dimmesdale is a different story. I think that his fear of losing his position as Reverend is the largest force driving him to conceal his sin. He is in a different sphere, just like Hester, however Hester does not have such a strong connection with the church, or society as they are the same thing. I don't think that Dimmesdale lacks the confidence to confess, rather he simply loves his profession more than he loves Hester and Pearl. Actually, that isn't true- Dimmesdale is torn between his love for God and his profession and his love for Hester and his child. Because he is so deeply rooted in society, he does not realize this until further along in the book. Their relationship is romanticized because it deals with the individual vs. society as well as religion and human nature. Through all of the obstacles facing their relationship, their very different sphere perseveres, supporting the romantic view of the individual.
Okay, so I just got home and began reading through the first handful of posts. I apologize if my ideas may be somewhat repetitive, however, I am trying to get my post in as soon as possible, so here it goes...
ReplyDeleteGoing off of Anna's idea of Hester being blinded my romance, I focused on Hester's interaction with Dimmsdale in the woods. I found it very interesting how she reacted to the things that Dimmsdale spoke about. First, Hester continually blamed herself for mistakes made by others. Hester appears to be so blinded by her love for Dimmsdale that every minor problem he mentions in their conversation, she blames herself. For example, I fell in love with this passage for the main reason that it exemplifies the love and passionate feelings that Hester has for Dimmsdale.
"Hester Prynne was now fully sensible of the deep injury for which she was responsible to this unhappy man, in permitting him to lie for so many years, or, indeed, for a single moment, at the mercy of one whose purposes could not be other than malevolent" (Hawthorne, 124).
Hester Prynne takes responsibility not only for her scarlet letter, and raising her child, Pearl as a single mother, but also for the scarlet letter found on Dimmsdale's chest that was 'burned' into his body/life.
After publishing my post, I quickly glanced above at Libbey's post and I just want to mention that I completely agree with Libbey's post, in particular her first paragraph. I think that it is also important to include that Hester used the scarlet letter to define her life to those who did not fully understand the position she was in. I think that as the novel progressed, it was apparent that not only were the townspeople classifying Hester as 'the woman with the scarlet letter,' but Hester as well was classifying herself in this sense.
ReplyDelete"Meeting them in the street, she never raised her head to receive their greeting. If they were to resolute to accost her, she laid her finger on the scarlet letter, and passed on. This might be pride, but was so like humility, that it produced all the softening influence of the latter quality on the public mind" (Hawthorne, 106).
The presence of the scarlet letter in Hester's life also allowed Hester to live a more solitary life, despite Pearl's existence in her life. Hester used the scarlet letter to avoid conversation with those whom she chose not to speak to ( all of the townspeople, besides Chillingworth, Pearl, and Dimmsdale).
Ok, so im thinking about what posted, which of course comes afterwards and never before hand, and I noticed that the quote I used really didn’t answer the question being asked. Rather then showing how Hester had idealistic or Romantic views, it showed the impression that the letter had on her daughter. So, I’ve found another quote that better shows what I was trying to say. Don’t COMPLETELY disregard the Pearl quote, but rather take it at face value and look at this one also. Sorry for the confusion.
ReplyDelete“They everred, that the symbol was not mere scarlet cloth, tinged in an earthly dye-pot, but was red-hot with infernal fire, and could be seen glowing all alight, whenever Hester Prynn walked abroad in the night-time” (79).
The notion of Hester walking through the dark with this scarlet letter lighting the way, is truly what demonstrates her both positive outlook and utter reliance on the letter.
I have only read as far as Grace's 2nd comment so far and am impressed with the blog tonight!
ReplyDeleteBefore I read further, though, I wanted to answer Grace's question--yes, the superstition is very much connected to The Crucible in that it refers to the idea of the devil having a book he asks witches to sign (as Tituba says, "he come with a book!") and that same book is somewhat inverted when Proctor refuses to sign his name...
This (to me) was the best blog yet! We have a lot to talk about tomorrow--and afterward. If any of you read this before class tomorrow, think about how Romanticism and/or romance contribute to Hawthorne's argument (what is his argument? Is having an Byronic hero in and of itself some sort of argument?)
ReplyDeleteWow, in the craziness of my day I completely forgot to post. As a result, I will post now, and hope I do not repeat the people above me too much.
ReplyDeleteRomanticism, as most of you said, is an idealistic view of life. Romanticists try to be optimistic about life in general, incorporating love and beauty into pretty much everything. Even in dismal times, romanticists will try to find some goodness to derive.
In TSL, I think that Hester is the most obviously romantic character. She has been given a mark of shame in the form of the scarlet letter, and it makes her an outcast to society. However, she sees that not all is lost, and where someone else might give up on life and turn to the "black man", Hester decides to try to make the best of her dismal situation and works hard to regain her place in society, "Such helpfulness was found in her,--so much power to do, and power to sympathize,--that many people refused to interpret the scarlet letter by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength" (106). Hester has the mentality of bettering herself when the chips are down, and this truly makes her a romantic.
While it may seem slightly far-fetched, Pearl is also somewhat of a romantic character. This is mainly seen in the eagerness with which she speaks of the "black man", talking about him always with excitement. "O, a story about the Black Man... How he haunts this forest, and carries a book with him,--a big, heavy book, with iron clasps; and how this ugly Black Man offers his book and an iron pen to everybody that meets him here among the trees; and they are to write their names with their own blood" (120). Pearl's uncanny fascination and marvel at such complete evil shows how she sees some sort of appeal in dark things, and thus proves her to be somewhat of a romantic.
Again, very sorry for the late post.
Going off Grace’s ideas of Hester and her scarlet letter embodying both heroism and demonic action, I think Peal similarly embodies those opposites too. While Pearl was born out of sin instead of purity, she originally represented Hester’s sin and was meant o punish her: “poor little Pearl was a demon offspring; such as, ever since old Catholic times, had occasionally been seen on earth, through the agency of their mother’s sin, and to promote some foul and wicked purpose” (67). But Hester wanted Pearl because she could at once punish her for her action and reward her for her goodness: “She is my happiness!-she is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! Peal punishes me too! See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin? Ye shall not take her! I will die first!”. I think the duality in Pearl’s nature reflects back to the beginning of the novel where Hester and Pearl are likened to Mary and Jesus: “an object to remind him of the image of the Divine Maternity…something which should remind him, indeed, but only by contrast, of that sacred image of sinless motherhood, whose infant was to redeem the world. Here, there was the taint of deepest sin in the most sacred quality of human life” (42). Hester needs Pearl for redemption and punishment, and Peal was born out of sin yet is destined to “redeem the world”. As the link says, I think Pearl is meant to show “the development of an individual from infancy through psychological stresses and breaks to a coherent maturity”
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