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Importance of Death in The Scarlet Letter and My Antonia
It is universally acknowledged that one who comes into this world must also leave. Just like everything else, even life and death is a binary composition. You cannot have one without the other. Although not many people like to think about it, death is a very important factor not only in life, but also in literature. Most often, death is portrayed as evil or gruesome, especially in commercial fiction. However, there are literary texts, which portray death through other factors. Through the depiction of the deaths of Arthur Dimmesdale and Mr. Shimerdas in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Willa Cather's My Antonia, respectively, the reader is able to associate the significance of such issues as guilt, revenge/murder, religion, and the consequences of the two deaths. It may seem odd that instead of concentrating on the central female characters to portray these important issues, I have chosen two male characters. However, it is through the deaths of the male characters that the central females, Hester and Antonia are able to shine as women.
In both these novels, the death scenes of the characters are ambiguous. In relation to one issue or another there is always something vague or missing, which leaves the readers to judge for themselves. The death scene in The Scarlet Letter is very powerful and full of remorse .
Arthur collapsing into the arms of his loved one, after pleading with the people to look at Hester's scarlet letter once again, showing Roger how he had sinned as well, acknowledging Pearl and relieving her of her "...errand as a messenger of anguish" (Hawthorne 222) by kissing her, and fin...
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...moil and keep her father's past alive. Both deaths also imply more than what meets the eye. While Arthur's death is surrounded by the possibility of revenge, Mr. Shimerdas' death is encircled by the likelihood of murder. The two deaths also highlight the importance of religion. Arthur, being a Reverend, is given the strength by God to confront his sins, while Mr. Shimerdas, also a Reverend of sorts, is buried and forced to live an afterlife of uncertain paths due to his faith. Lastly, the aftermaths of these deaths, is what makes The Scarlet Letter and My Antonia two great works of literature. Through Arthur's death, Hester is once again able to display her inner strength by making her own choices and standing by her love, whereas Antonia through the death of her father is able to excel in a man's world, while not forgetting her womanhood.
Willa Cather’s “My Antonia” is a collection of fictional memories loosely based off Cather’s own childhood. Throughout the novel young Jim Burden encounters several characters and befriends men and women alike, but two female characters become very close; Antonia Shimerda and Lena Lingard. Antonia and Lena both aid Jim throughout his life; one through childhood and the other through adulthood. While both characters have minor similarities, the differences between them are pronounced.
Jim and Antonia's relationship could not extend beyond the friend-zone because of the divergent paths their lives were taking after Mr. Shimerda's death. Later in the novel, Antonia had to quit school
My Antonia took place in the late 19th century. Jim Burden narrated his recollections of Antonia's life and their childhood together, after a twenty-year absence. The novel began when the ten-year-old orphaned narrator moved from Virginia to the plains of Nebraska to live with his grandparents. He spent his childhood alongside his grandparents and a neighbor Bohemian on the prairies. This Russian girl, new to America, was Antonia. Jim and Antonia spent endless afternoons together. He taught her English and about America. Her lessons were of life and strength. His daily life on the farm changed when he moved with his grandparents into the nearest town, Black Hawk. Antonia found a job as a house hand in town, even though her family was still on a farm. Their adolescent years were occupied with dances and picnics. Jim went on to college after graduation. Antonia, never able to go to school, was courted but left with a child out of wedlock. However, soon after, she was married to a fellow Bohemian and they had eleven children. This book is the moving story of his friendship with Antonia, his Antonia.
The Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, shows the adverse consequences caused by adultery between Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. Dimmesdale and Hester committed the supreme sin of the Puritan society they belong. They must both deal with the effects of the scarlet letter. Pearl, the daughter of the two lovers, continuously punishes Hester for what she has done. Dimmesdale can only see Hester and Pearl when others will not find out or see. Hester finds a way to support herself and daughter, and at the same time, puts a mark on the possessions of some who are a part of society. The sin of adultery created repercussions that were shared and individually experienced by Reverend Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne.
Hawthorne depicts the character of Hester as a woman with many heroic qualities. Hester is portrayed as courageous and loyal, although she is ridiculed for her “sin” she refuses to name the father, saying she will “never’ do so, because she does not want him to endure the pain. The community even begins to view her in a different way, the “adulterer” symbol now represents “able.” She continues to be charitable and kind despite enduring dreadful hardships. Her inner strength, her defiance of convention, her honesty, and her compassion may have been in her character all along, but the scarlet letter brings them to our attention. He shows us how strong willed she is, during her confrontation with the Governor she makes it clear to him that he “shall not take her,” “she will die first!" By the end of the book she becomes an angel of mercy who eventually lives out her life as a figure of compassion in the community. Her charitable deeds continue to strengthen throughout her struggle. Hawthorne’s depiction of Hester showed us that even women can be heroic
The Scarlet Letter is brimming with symbols which represent various aspects of Puritan society. In every chapter symbols are displayed through characters and the letter itself. The most dramatic of chapters using these techniques to provide the reader with vivid imagery of the events that took place. Hawthorne's ability to introduce these symbols and change them through the context of his novel is but one of the reasons that The Scarlet Letter is considered a classic masterpiece and a superior example of the romance novel.
...t had taken a long time for the truth to be revealed in the Scarlet Letter, Hester leaves behind a legacy of bravery for being a mother to the product of a sin and loving with a symbol that represents her sin. Although John Proctor refuses for his name to be put up in the Puritan community for the townspeople to see the crime he has committed, his death is evidence that he did truly care about the injustice in the Puritan society between the wealthy who are guilty of witchery but were not charged and the poor average people who were innocent but accused and prosecuted. Both Arthur Miller and Nathaniel Hawthorne show readers through Hester Prynne and John Proctor that these characters have made mistakes and had integrity to own up to the punishment from the Puritan community. Therefore both characters are significant in many ways to show readers how similar they are.
The central themes in The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables are very similar as they indicate Hawthorne's ideals through writing. Throughout both of these novels, the theme of heart vs. Head is very apparent. In The Scarlet Letter, the heart leads Hester and Dimmesdale to commit an dreadful sin, but the intellect thoroughly damns Chillingworth (Rountree, p. 78). This same theme is easily evident when we recall the characters of Colonel and Jaffrey Pyncheon in The House of the Seven Gables. Not only are these two selfish with what power they already posses, but they are ruthless in obtaining more land and wealth (Crowley, p. 74). In both novels, the theme of heart vs. head played the central plot of each and was also evident in smaller scenes throughout each. During the course of The Scarlet Letter, Hester is developing mind as Dimmesdale is gaining heart (Rountree, p. 91). When Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest, Dimmesdale can at last be true; he can turn completely out of himself as their two hearts are once ...
Hester Prynne, the central character in the Scarlet Letter, realizes and accepts the consequences of the adulterous act she committed against her husband, Roger Chillingworth, as Hawthorne shows in this quotation. Hester, throughout the book, excludes and humbles herself because of her crime, rather than simply running away. At the same time, she advertises her sin through the brilliantly embroidered “A” and through her daughter, Pearl, born out of this sin. Hester realizes that she indeed sinned in committing adultery, and, being the strong individual that she is, accepts the consequences of her actions.
Author Nathaniel Hawthorne heavily relies upon the natural world to express certain themes through The Scarlet Letter, but makes it almost human-like when interacting with “sinful characters” such as main protagonist Hester Prynne and her very close friend Arthur Dimmesdale, in comparison to their “innocent” daughter Pearl Prynne. Hester Prynne is known throughout her town as the “adulteress” through the piercing scarlet letter “A” upon her bosom. Thinking her husband was dead, Hester became intimate with one of the town’s men and gave birth to her daughter Pearl. The town shunned her and made her the highest symbol of sin in their community for years and years to come. As time progressed, it became known to the public that Arthur Dimmesdale, the
Death in books are absolutely horrible, especially when it’s your favorite character. It rips your heart and soul out of you, in simple terms: It destroys you. After that death, you are left to wonder why the author decided to such a horrible thing and you start ask yourself: What does this mean? and How is this going to affect the novel? In the educational text, How to Read Literature Like A Professor, Foster analyzes how violence and symbols affect novels.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne’s development as a character can be considered as heroic. Essayist Mark Van Doren alludes to the consequences of Hester Prynne’s sin into a positive light and presents her as a courageous individual. His essay is effective his use of compassionate tone, benevolent diction, and strong emotional appeal, or pathos, to portray Hester Prynne in a complimentary light.
People who have willingly chosen to become Jesus disciples are required to partake in the fellowship of Christs sufferings. While we are not meant to nail ourselves on the cross and re-live the suffering by Jesus at Calvary, yet we are asked by God to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Fasting, from many years even before Christ, was a symbol of a person humbling him or her self to show God that he or she is sincere in seeking Gods blessings. Fasting is serious business, but it can be approached with the wrong motives.
In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a love triangle among three characters leads to trouble in their lives. Hester (the central character) sufferersing from punishment for her adulterous acts from the public. Arthur Dimmesdale suffers inwardly innerly and punishes himself for fortifying with Hester knowing she is married. Simultaneously Roger Chillingworth longs for revenge to kill Dimmsdale for he has Hester's heart; something he hungers for. The love in this story keeps these characters commingled in this loved crazed novel.
Ramadhan in Arabic: رمضان and Persian: رَمَضان Ramazān and Urdu : رَمْضان Ramzān and Turkish: Ramazan and Indonesian/Malay: Puasa or Bulan Puasa ) is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar Muslims worldwide observe this as a month of fasting for Muslim. This fasting was on Five Pillars of Islam. The month lasts 29–30 days based on the visual of the crescent moon. Ramadhan was the month for Muslim make purification themselves to be better person at the future. Ramadhan was the special than other month because Allah very love to the people who are fasting in this month for get Him blessing. The word Ramadhan was comes from the Arabic root ramida, which have the general means scorching heat or dryness. Fasting is fardh ("obligatory") for adult Muslims, except those who are not have ability to fasting like women pregnant if she don’t want fasting because worried about her baby healthy she can to not fasting, the people who has gastric, travelling (musafir) and the women where has menstrual bleeding. Fasting in Ramadan was obligatory (wājib)