Mutaharah Wani
Socratic Seminar
1."We are not, Hester, the worst sinners in the world. There is one worse than even the polluted priest! That old man 's revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so!"
Crime can be defined as an action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law.
While a sin can be defined as an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.
A sin is connected to ones religion and is not necessarily connected to ones government. They are not always one and the same. But most governments consider some types of sins as crimes. An example of crime would be going
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Hester feels the hatred that the people of the village have put upon her. At the beginning of the book she walks with "natural dignity and force of character" towards the scaffold as she holds her sin, the baby. She takes her punishment with humility; and does not act out against the people of the village by becoming a witch or creating havoc in the town. Hester works in her little hit making clothes for the rich and the poor. She refuses to hide her letter because she refuses to let it define her, “the scarlet letter has not done its office.” Gradually throughout the book Hester turns cold, suicidal and …show more content…
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 central theme in The Scarlet Letter is that manifested sin will ostracize one from society and un-confessed sin will lead to the destruction of the inner spirit. Hawthorne uses the symbol of the scarlet letter to bring out this idea. In the novel, Hester is forced to wear the scarlet letter A (the symbol of her sin) because she committed adultery with the clergyman, Dimmesdale. Because the public's knowledge of her sin, Hester is excluded physically, mentally, and socially from the normal society of the Puritan settlement. She lives on the outskirts of town in a small cottage where she makes her living as a seamstress. Though she is known to be a great sewer amongst the people, Hester is still not able to sew certain items, such as a new bride's veil. Hester also has no interaction with others; instead she is taunted, if not completely ignored, by all that pass her by. Despite the ill treatment of the society, Hester's soul is not corrupted. Instead, she flourishes and improves herself in spite of the burden of wearing the scarlet letter and she repeatedly defies the conventional Puritan thoughts and values by showing what appears to us as strength of character. Her good works, such as helping the less fortunate, strengthen her inner spirit, and eventually partially welcome her back to the society that once shunned her.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s well known novel, The Scarlet Letter, extensive diction and intense imagery are used to portray the overall tone of the characters. In particular, Hester Prynne, the wearer of the Scarlet Letter, receives plentiful positive characterization throughout the novel. Hester’s character most notably develops through the town’s peoples ever-changing views on the scarlet letter, the copious mentions of her bravery, and her ability to take care of herself, Pearl, and others, even when she reaches the point where most would give up and wallow in their suffering.
As Hester wears the scarlet letter, the reader can feel how much of an outcast Hester becomes. When walking through town, “…she never raised her head to receive their greeting. If they were resolute to accost her, she laid her finger on the scarlet letter and passed on” (Hawthorne, 127).She believes that she is not worthy of the towns acknowledgments and chooses to ignore them. The guilt that now rests in Hester is overwhelming to her and is a reason of her change in personality.
Crime can be defined as “an act or the commission of an act that is forbidden or the omission of a duty that is commanded by a public law and that makes the offender liable to punishment by that law; especially: a gross violation of law” (Merriam Webster). In simpler terms, any act of breaking the law is committing a crime. Southie, Boston is full of crime as crime is the most prevalent social problem found in the town. Crime is the biggest contributor to the overall poor conditions of the neighborhood. The majority of the crimes committed in Southie are in the form of drugs. The leader of the drug trade of Southie during this time was a man named James Whitey Bulger. The ...
A criminal is obviously an individual who commits a crime, but what is crime? A crime is any act or omission of an act in violation of a public law. Though most laws are common throughout America, some laws are also established by local and state governments as well. Criminal laws and penalties vary from state to state. Crimes include both felonies and misdemeanors. Felonies are serious crimes like murder or rape and are punishable by imprisonment for a year or more. The consequence for felonies such as murder and treason can be the death penalty. Misdemeanors are less serious crimes like petty theft or speeding and are punishable by less than a year in prison. Fines are also punishments of both misdemeanors and felonies. The fine’s amount is determined by the seriousness of the case. However, no act is a crime unless it has been stated as such by an American law or statute.
Wearing the scarlet letter was done to please society, but it also maintained her individuality. She respected the rules placed, but she didn’t let it dictate her life entirely. Hester’s strength roots from her indifference with society’s opinion. Resulting from her punishment of her scarlet letter arose the purity of her new independent moral code. With the scarlet letter, Hester became much more independent, and began to follow her own morals, not those of others. the scarlet letter may have consumed her exterior, but inside she was stronger than anyone could imagine. She made her own choices, and by doing so she knew for herself what was right and what
As a woman in a Puritan society, Hester Prynne breaks many of the standards accepted at the time. Throughout The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne shows major character development and proves to be a strong, important character. In the beginning of the story, she is found guilty of adultery and is forced to wear the scarlet letter. She tries to hide it at first, ashamed of her past actions and tired of being reminded of her sins, but eventually learns to embrace it and accept the consequences of her actions. Overall, Hester shows significant development in her character and social status and is greatly influenced by the scarlet letter.
The novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne was an objective description of the life of Hester Prynne, an adultress. The novel does not go into specific details of the thoughts of the woman except to describe the mien of her character. Throughout the novel she faces humiliation by the other people of Boston, but never loses her sense of pride. Hester Prynne suffers enormousely from the shame of her public disgrace and from the isolation of her punishment; however, she retains her self-respect and survives her punishment with dignity, grace, and ever-growing strength of character.
However, people detail as: “naturally born sinners”, and in the bible it discusses the ten commandments and sins, which
Hester chooses to make the Scarlet Letter a part of her character and showcase her good qualities in order to change the definition of the “A”. The way that Hawthorne describes Hester’s fate shows that Hester’s affair was not a mistake, but it was inevitable. Although Hester “wanders without rule or guidance”, she does not wander aimlessly. While she originally did not have much hope for her future, Hawthorne foreshadows that she will end up being an important person because she is the first to explore her morality without being biased by society. By having no set plan to follow, Hester is able
Once Hester has begun to wear the scarlet letter in public and is interrogated, she holds out against the preachers in a great display of strength. Reverend Dimmesdale is the first to try to entice her to divulge her accomplice's name. After his sweet speech brings all the listeners "into one accord of sympathy" (3: 5), no one dares to think that she will not give the name of her partner. She withholds the name with determination, and even the goading calls of the crowd do not make her waver. Probably the greatest example of her strength and perseverance is when the clergyman giv...
Sin is something that every person on earth does, sometimes without even realizing that they are sinning. Some sins such as lying and gossiping are things people do without even thinking twice about it. Other sins are much worse. People plan and know that what they are doing is wrong. Sins have taken over the modern world and you can’t even go one minute without seeing or performing a sin.
Crime is defined as any behavior that is punishable by a fine, a prison or jail sentence or in some cases both. There are two types of crime. The first type is a felony; the standard definition of a felony is any crime that is punishable by more than one year in prison or by death. The most common felonies are murder, robbery, treason, rape and kidnapping. The second type of crime is known as a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor is usually a less serious crime and is generally punishable by a fine and/ or incarceration in a county jail for up to one year. The most common misdemeanor crimes are petty theft, simple assault and minor in possession.
The Scarlet Letter plays a big role in Hester's identity and who she becomes as a person. The Scarlet letter gives her a reputation that does not reflect her character. If Hester were to remove the Scarlet Letter she would be acknowledging that her sin is more powerful than she is. Society gives the Scarlet letter its meaning; it began with adultery and later led to able. However, in Hester’s eyes the letter became a symbol of feminine equality and a reminder of society’s evils.
Sin is treason against a perfectly pure Sovereign. It is an act of supreme ingratitude toward the One to whom we owe everything, to the One who has given us life itself. Have you ever considered the deeper implications of the slightest sin, of the most minute peccadillo? What are we saying to our Creator when we disobey Him at the slightest point? We are saying no to the righteousness of God. We are saying, “God, your law is not good. My judgement is better than Yours. Your authority does not apply to me. I am above and beyond Your jurisdiction. I have the right to do what I want to do, not what You command me to