Biblical Allusions In The Scarlet Letter

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The Scarlet Letter in Regards to the Parable of the “Pearl of Great Price”
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter makes use of Biblical allusions to deepen its treatment of the moral superiority of Hester Prynne. Write an essay that explains how familiarity with the parable of the ‘pearl of great price’ from the book of Matthew helps the reader understand the overall meaning of Hawthorne’s novel. Highlight your thesis and claims in yellow. Staple your notes to the back of the essay.

In the Book of Matthew, Jesus redefines many ordinances set out by God and speaks to the people mainly in parables, which is a story heavy in comparisons/analogies to teach a moral truth. Jesus’ reasoning is that man “shall indeed hear but never understand.” (Book of Matthew, 13:14) Hawthorn utilizes many biblical allusions in his novel, The Scarlet Letter. The parable of the “pearl of great price” (Book of Matthew, 13:45-46) has an immense correlation with the principles and meaning of The Scarlet Letter. The “pearl of great price” refers to a merchant who sold all he had for a perfect pearl. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is about a young woman named Hester Prynne. After losing her husband in a shipwreck two years …show more content…

So, when Hester Prynne committed adultery, it affected many people. Specifically, Hester Prynne, Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale, and Dr. Robert Chillingworth were adversely affected. The application of the parable of “the pearl of great price” provides clear insight into the minds of these three characters. As the merchant sold all he had for a great pearl, these three colonists all had their symbolic pearls they paid an immense price for; Hester paid her reputation and position in society for her child, Pearl; Reverend Dimmesdale paid his health for his faith and position in the clergy; Dr. Chillingworth paid his sanity and personality for his

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