I have come to the end of The Scarlet Letter, and it was definitely worth reading. It was a whole new reading experience for the least part, because such a book would not usually cross my eyes, and this made it all the more enjoyable and interesting. I would even recommend this book to others, especially those studying Puritan times, psychology, or evil such as our class did.
All that I had stated in previous posts that I wanted to unfold in the book did, and it was very interesting to follow. Hester eventually removes the scarlet letter from her chest, but her child Pearl doesn’t seem to recognize her mother without it, forcing Hester to resume the wearing of the scarlet letter. This symbology is important, and is another aspect of Hawthorne’s writing that I enjoyed. In the final third of the story, questions of identity had arisen, and the relationships between the four main characters became more and more intricate and complicated. A woman is also taken to be punished for supposedly being a witch, and this is just another fine example of how true the author stays to the time period, while also developing this fascinating story line.
Leaving this book, there is not much left to be answered. The story comes to a tidy conclusion, leaving the reader feeling satisfied that they know the story of these characters’ lives. Of course, I will always wonder what “irreverent” thing was on Minister Dimmesdale’s chest, although I personally believe it to be a scarlet letter “A,” matching that of Hester’s.
2 Responses to “The Scarlet Letter (4of4)” |
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November 1st, 2006 at 12:09 pm
I very much agree with what you have said. This book was a book i would not have usauly read, and I am very happy that i choose this book because it was a new reading expierience for me. It allowed me to understand what happened to woman in the Puritan time. I, like you, think that the ‘irrevent’ thing on Minister Dimmesdale’s chest was most definetley the scarlet letter “A.” I think that this scarlet letter is what made such a connection between Hester and Dimmesdale.
November 5th, 2006 at 9:00 pm
I always imagined it as a red A burning itself right through his chest, like a cheap special effect in a bad horror film. What do you think Hester’s A really stood for in the end? The townspeople say “Able” or “Angel,” but there are days when I think it’s “Atoned.”