As I continue to read The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, I remain impressed by his writing style and intricacies.
As Flannery O’Connor said, authors don’t put in details without an explicit purpose. There were many details that I found, and it was interesting to think about how they played into the overall purpose of the story. One example I noticed was with Pearl, Hester’s daughter. After Hester and her baby were released from jail, they went to live in a secluded cabin in the woods (understandably so, given the fact that when they were in public they were constantly ridiculed and that’s really no way to live). While they were living here, to pass the time, Hester made clothes, mostly for the poor. What she didn’t make for the poor, she made for her daughter. She always dressed her in red, and more specifically, scarlet. I found this interesting because of the fact that her adulterous actions were what caused her to need to wear the scarlet letter on her clothes, and she chose to dress the result of her adulterous actions (her daughter, Pearl) in that color may foreshadow some resentment for her daughter that will present itself later in the story.
I found the interaction between Hester and her husband, who goes by the name of Roger Chillingworth, very interesting. On her last night in jail, he comes to visit her, posing as a doctor. In short, he basically said he forgave her for cheating on his, but asked that she not tell anyone that he was her husband. He also says that he will find out who the man she cheated with was, but not necessarily in a vengeful way. The interaction didn’t seem very heated, as one would expect from a conversation with an adulterous spouse. Instead it seemed rather disconnected, which may have been a result of the time period and its norms, or my misinterpretation, or an explicit choice by Hawthorne.
Another thing that I found interesting was the scene with the governor. When Pearl is about three, Hester hears that people think Pearl should be taken away because supposedly Hester is a bad mother. Hester immediately brings her to governor, who begins to ask her question about religion, as if that fact alone was a legitimate way to judge Hesters ability to be a good parent to Pearl. At first I was a little surprised, but then I realized that this was probably very common and appropriate at the time. Reverend Dimmesdale then appeals to the governor and claims that Hester was given Pearl to save her soul, and since Pearl looked like the scarlet letter, Hester is using Pearl to remind her of her sin. I found this whole exchange fascinating, because something as simple as the color she was dressed in convinced the governor to let her keep her daughter. I definitely experienced some culture shock during this part.
I found the interaction between Hester and her husband, who goes by the name of Roger Chillingworth, very interesting. On her last night in jail, he comes to visit her, posing as a doctor. In short, he basically said he forgave her for cheating on his, but asked that she not tell anyone that he was her husband. He also says that he will find out who the man she cheated with was, but not necessarily in a vengeful way. The interaction didn’t seem very heated, as one would expect from a conversation with an adulterous spouse. Instead it seemed rather disconnected, which may have been a result of the time period and its norms, or my misinterpretation, or an explicit choice by Hawthorne.
Another thing that I found interesting was the scene with the governor. When Pearl is about three, Hester hears that people think Pearl should be taken away because supposedly Hester is a bad mother. Hester immediately brings her to governor, who begins to ask her question about religion, as if that fact alone was a legitimate way to judge Hesters ability to be a good parent to Pearl. At first I was a little surprised, but then I realized that this was probably very common and appropriate at the time. Reverend Dimmesdale then appeals to the governor and claims that Hester was given Pearl to save her soul, and since Pearl looked like the scarlet letter, Hester is using Pearl to remind her of her sin. I found this whole exchange fascinating, because something as simple as the color she was dressed in convinced the governor to let her keep her daughter. I definitely experienced some culture shock during this part.
I’m still really enjoying this book, and I can’t wait to see how it continues to unfold.
No comments:
Post a Comment