Critical Paper Topic 3Jazmin Koerper, Beatrice Vu, Brad Deckel, Tylor Flebbe, Meg Larouche

Evaluating Characters...

There are multiple views a reader can have of the central characters in

Hawthorne’s novel. Is Dimmesdale pitied by the reader? Should he be

pitied by the reader? (OR) Is Hester pitied by the reader? Should she be

pitied by the reader? When and why? Why not?

Thesis Statement

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne leads the reader to develop many different ideas about main characters such as Hester and Dimmesdale through his use of the puritan society and the inner goodness of people.

Which characters are most important ?❏Hester❏Dimmesdale❏Chillingworth ?

Why ?

Both Hester and Dimmesdale…❏ both sinned❏ both are human❏ forces writer to question their own and the readers morals and life styles❏ both admit their sin❏ both except their wrong doing❏ both are similar but contrast in important ways

Chillingworth❏ allows you to originality to your paper ❏ he also has sinned❏ differs greatly from Hester and Dimmesdale

Themes related to this topic❏Guilt Vs. Shame ❏ Individual Vs. Society ❏Sanctity of human heart

What are we examining

-Different perspective of Hester and Dimmesdale

-Evidence leading to different perspectives

Should dimmesdale be pitied?

He suffers more than anyone else in the book. Hester's "sin" is out in the open; she has made her peace with it. It was much

more difficult, and more tormenting for Dimmesdale to have to keep it secret. He punishes himself far more than anyone else

ever could

HOWEVER

He lives a life of hypocrisy. Dimmesdale has good qualities, but he also has some bad ones such as hypocrisy and weakness. lives his

life preaching sermons about the consequences of sin, but hypocritical when dealing with sin himself.

Should Hester be pitied?She sins with a man she is not married to and so she must be

punished greatly. Since it was back in the puritan society, she was looked down upon for her sin and secrecy.

HOWEVER

She accepts and owns up to her sins and she has made her peace with it. She shows pride in the letter A and starts doing good

deeds for the people in town. The people started to like her and didn't look down on her as much as they did before.

“Never!” replied Hester, looking, not at Mr. Wilson, but into the deep and troubled eyes of the younger clergyman. “It is too deeply branded. Ye cannot take it off. And would that I might endure his agony, as well as mine!” Chp. 3, pg. 78Hester indirectly references that her public shame must make up for what Dimmesdale could never confess

“Wilt thou stand here with mother and me, tomorrow noontide?” inquired Pearl. “Nay; not so, my little Pearl,” answered the minister; for... all the dread of public exposure; that had been the anguish of his life, had returned to him. chp. 12, pg. 182

Dimmesdale unwilling to publicize his sin to the community

Individual vs societyDimmesdale cannot stand out as an individual

“Many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.” Chp. 13, pg. 192

Hester has never been particularly shameful of the A and was able to own up to it

Her punishment was meant to make her appear weak in front of the community, however her strong personality overcame all of the society’s stereotypes

“The judgement of God is on me,” answered the conscience-stricken priest. “It is too much for me to struggle with!” “Heaven would show mercy,” rejoined Hester, “hadst thou the strength to take advantage of it.” Chp. 17, pg. 236

Dimmesdale cannot deal with his guiltHester points out that God would be more merciful if Dimmesdale would confess

“In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and... [with] a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbors.” Chp. 2, pg. 61

Hester is meant to be shameful of her sin but shows inner strength and pride while presenting pearl and the scarlet letter to the community.