Definitions:
1) aphorisms- a tersely phrased statement of a truth or opinion; a brief statement of a principle. (dictionary.com)
"That is one of your aphorisms" (Wilde 51).
2) munificent-extremely liberal in giving; very generous. (dictionary.com)
"When he saw me he made me a low bow, and assured me that I was a munificent patron of art" (57).
Quote: "I believe I can't help telling you things. You have such a curious influence over me. If I ever did a crime, I would come and confess it to you. You would understand me" (56).
Explanation- Dorian believes now that whenever he has a problem or has a great experience in his life. The only one who can fully comprehend his feelings is Lord Henry. Dorian believes that some force is making him want to tell Lord Henry. But what he doesn't know or yet realize is the Harry has been manipulating him from the start. It is not him wanting to tell Harry his desires. It is really Harry, forcing young Dorian to reveal every aspects of his life to Harry.
Quote: "Perhaps you had better write to him. I don't want to see him alone. He says things that annoy me. He gives me good advice" (60).
Explanation- Dorian is trying to say that he doesn't want to be with Basil without Harry there because Basil allegedly gives him good advice. This alludes to the part when Basil warned Dorian that Harry was a bad influence. But now that Dorian has fallen under Harry's spell. He craves the bad advice; he can not live without it. And he does not want Basil to now try to talk some sense into him or risk losing Lord Henry for good.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Dorian Gray: Chap 3
"It posed the lad, made him more perfect as it were. Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic" (Wilde 39).
Explanation: Lord Henry has just finished talking with his uncle, Lord Fermor, about Dorian Gray's past. After that he begins to go over the story in his head. Learning that Dorian's mother risked everything she had to fall in love with a commoner. Then that her father chose to hire someone to murder Dorian's father. It started out as a beautiful story but had a tragic end. Now that Lord Henry found out about this, he believes that anything that started with beauty will end with regret. Just like Dorian Gray's beauty will soon be lost and have a tragic end; "What a pity it was that such beauty was destined to fade! (39).
"To get back one's youth one has merely to repeat one's follies" (44).
Explanation: Lord Henry is trying to explain a theory with this quote to the Duchess of Harley. That to feel young again you must relive all the mistakes you have made and relive all those dangerous situations. When you are young you may make the most mistakes of your life. By going through those experiences once more you believe that you are young once more. When you grow older you grow wiser and thinking about mistakes will prove that you may not be wise. And in a sense you may not be old.
Definitions:
1) Iridescent- adj. displaying a play of lustrous colors like those of the rainbow.
"let it escape and recaptured it; made it iridescent with fancy, and winged it with paradox.
2) Supercilious- adj. haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.
"'I am told, on excellent authority, that her father keeps an American dry-goods store,' said Sir Thomas Burdon, looking supercilious" (41).
Explanation: Lord Henry has just finished talking with his uncle, Lord Fermor, about Dorian Gray's past. After that he begins to go over the story in his head. Learning that Dorian's mother risked everything she had to fall in love with a commoner. Then that her father chose to hire someone to murder Dorian's father. It started out as a beautiful story but had a tragic end. Now that Lord Henry found out about this, he believes that anything that started with beauty will end with regret. Just like Dorian Gray's beauty will soon be lost and have a tragic end; "What a pity it was that such beauty was destined to fade! (39).
"To get back one's youth one has merely to repeat one's follies" (44).
Explanation: Lord Henry is trying to explain a theory with this quote to the Duchess of Harley. That to feel young again you must relive all the mistakes you have made and relive all those dangerous situations. When you are young you may make the most mistakes of your life. By going through those experiences once more you believe that you are young once more. When you grow older you grow wiser and thinking about mistakes will prove that you may not be wise. And in a sense you may not be old.
Definitions:
1) Iridescent- adj. displaying a play of lustrous colors like those of the rainbow.
"let it escape and recaptured it; made it iridescent with fancy, and winged it with paradox.
2) Supercilious- adj. haughtily disdainful or contemptuous, as a person or a facial expression.
"'I am told, on excellent authority, that her father keeps an American dry-goods store,' said Sir Thomas Burdon, looking supercilious" (41).
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Dorian Gray: Chap 1 and 2
"We live in an age when men treat art as if it were meant to be a form of autobiography. We have lost the abstract sense of beauty. Some day I will show the world what it is; and for that reason the world shall never see my portrait of Dorian Gray" (Wilde 13).
Explanation: This quote is when Hallward is explaining to Lord Henry, why he won't exhibit the painting. Hallward is trying to explain that many artists of that century have lost the true reason behind art. These artists only look at art as a source of income, instead of just pleasure out of making art. The reason Hallward made the portrait of Dorian Gray was for the sake of beauty itself and how this man would be immortalized forever by his beauty. Hallward is not trying to make a profit; he is just looking for the beauty in all things.
Ensconced- to settle securely or snugly. (dictionary.com)
"And the two young men went out into the garden, and ensconced themselves on a long bamboo seat that stood in the shade of a tall laurel bush"(7).
Quote: "How long will you like me? Till I have my first wrinkle, I suppose. I know,
now, that when one loses one's good looks, whatever they may be loses everything. Your picture has taught me that" (28-29).
Explanation- This quote comes after Dorian sees his portrait. But when he sees it he realizes something that scares him. This portrait will always be beautiful and remain young but Dorian himself will just keep growing older and older until he becomes "dreadful, hideous, and uncouth" (27). He realizes this from his talk with Lord Henry. Dorian was inept to the fact that he was growing older and that he was squandering his beauty. That Henry made him realize that one day he will grow old and lose everything, meaning his youth. And to Lord Henry, "There is absolutely nothing in the world but youth!" (25)With this Lord Henry has stripped Dorian of his innocence and has shown him the cruelty of the world.
Definition:
Uncouth- strange or awkward. (dictionary.com)
"He would become dreadful, hideous, and uncouth" (27).
Explanation: This quote is when Hallward is explaining to Lord Henry, why he won't exhibit the painting. Hallward is trying to explain that many artists of that century have lost the true reason behind art. These artists only look at art as a source of income, instead of just pleasure out of making art. The reason Hallward made the portrait of Dorian Gray was for the sake of beauty itself and how this man would be immortalized forever by his beauty. Hallward is not trying to make a profit; he is just looking for the beauty in all things.
Ensconced- to settle securely or snugly. (dictionary.com)
"And the two young men went out into the garden, and ensconced themselves on a long bamboo seat that stood in the shade of a tall laurel bush"(7).
Quote: "How long will you like me? Till I have my first wrinkle, I suppose. I know,
now, that when one loses one's good looks, whatever they may be loses everything. Your picture has taught me that" (28-29).
Explanation- This quote comes after Dorian sees his portrait. But when he sees it he realizes something that scares him. This portrait will always be beautiful and remain young but Dorian himself will just keep growing older and older until he becomes "dreadful, hideous, and uncouth" (27). He realizes this from his talk with Lord Henry. Dorian was inept to the fact that he was growing older and that he was squandering his beauty. That Henry made him realize that one day he will grow old and lose everything, meaning his youth. And to Lord Henry, "There is absolutely nothing in the world but youth!" (25)With this Lord Henry has stripped Dorian of his innocence and has shown him the cruelty of the world.
Definition:
Uncouth- strange or awkward. (dictionary.com)
"He would become dreadful, hideous, and uncouth" (27).
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Scarlet Essay
Essay Topic 4
The forest is seen as a nesting ground for the black man as he roams around looking for his next victim to take with him to the underworld. It is a dark and shady region, with its tall and dense trees. It seems to eclipse the part of the sun that would have given the forest some life. As this primeval region is believed to be the Devil’s land, no one can feel safe trotting though it. The forest symbolizes evil; it is the physical representation of the fear of sin the villagers have. Since it is the place where many sins occur, it is well-concealed, and is away from the watchful eye of society. Yet, in the books The Scarlet Letter and in The Crucible the forest seems to play the role of a safe haven for those that have sinned, contradicting the accepted understanding of the village as a safe haven for villagers.
In The Crucible the forest was seen as dangerous and a home for the Devil. So much so that it was a sin for anyone to enter the forest. With the harsh teachings of the Puritan lifestyle, many people were becoming so agitated that people were accusing others of being witches. With accusations flying all over, many villages suffered because of the pandemonium witchcraft created. As for Salem, the people were on edge because so many people were already accused of witchcraft. So to escape this wild village, Abigail Williams found the forest as a place of safety, to escape the turmoil.
From the uproar in her village, Abigail decided to bring some of her friends and Tituba to dance in the forest and perform many of Tituba’s native rituals. They danced under the night of the forest shade where it would be difficult to see, partaking in acts which would be considered witchcraft if they were caught. These sinners felt free from the establishment of their Puritan society. They could not be judged, they could not be undermined, and all they felt was the bliss of pure happiness in a place were only evil took place.
As a result, when these ladies returned to the village they were targeted as being witches because they were caught. People believed they were selling their souls in the forest because that is where the devil is located. Abigail wants to hide the fact that she was in the forest. She tells the other girls, “Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's dead sisters. . . I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you” (Miller 20). Abigail starts to threaten the other girls and forces them to never speak a word of what happened in the forest, because people will assume that the only reason anyone should have been there is to meet with the devil; they wanted to escape and be free. When Tituba was blamed she blamed Abigail, and likewise, Abigail placed the blame on someone else. This lead to people being falsely accused, and many deaths within the village.
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was forced to wear the scarlet letter. She builds her home, on the outskirts of town, in the forest; far from the village where no one can see her. For if no one can see her, then they can put her adulterous ways out of the villagers hands. The forest’s “Comparative remoteness put it out of the sphere of that special activity which already marked the habits of the emigrants” (Hawthorne 75).
From this quote, Hester chooses to live in this remote area to seclude herself from the village and have a peaceful haven to return to. She chooses the forest instead of the town because when she enters the village there is a bubble of seclusion around her. The villagers only see the scarlet letter upon her bosom; and because of it they want nothing to do with this sinner. They will only judge and observe Hester from a distance.
Certain outcasts also turn to the demonic forest because they have indirectly sinned and need a way out. In The Scarlet Letter, little Pearl is an outcast in her home of Boston. Even though she has yet to commit a sin, she is the physical manifestation of her mother’s sin. When Pearl entered into the forest, she would play around and look like a forest sprite jumping from place to place. As she is in this forest the author points out, “Pearl resembled the brook, inasmuch of her life gushed from a well-spring as mysterious [. . .] But, unlike the little stream, she danced and sparkled, and prattled airily along her course” (168- 169). According to this quote a little brook in a dark forest is the best way to describe an elfish seven year old girl as opposed to the city. It is clear here that Pearl is one with nature, meaning that she does not fit in the town. She is a sinner, and a sinner’s place is the forest. That is where Pearl is safe; that is where she belongs.
In The Scarlet Letter, there is an interaction between Hester Prynne and Dimmesdale that further enhances the theme of the forest being a safe haven. They are both sinners; therefore, they know that they do not belong in the village. In the village Hester Prynne was judged by everyone’s reaction to the scarlet letter. She was called a harlot by some while others thought she should be put to death. She publicly bore her sin and is suffering each day in the town. She is not as beautiful as she once was, her beauty is diminishing, her hair has been rolled up, and the richness in her cheeks has started to fade. Arthur Dimmesdale bore his sin privately with God. He can not atone for his sin because he believes it will ruin the entire Christian faith in his colony; to him that faith is the most important thing because everybody believes he has not sinned, which keeps the people’s faith alive. Dimmesdale “well knew—subtle, but remorseful hypocrite the he was! [. . .] he loved the truth and loathed the lie, as few men ever did. Therefore, above all things else, he loathed his miserable self!” (131). Everyday he must preach about how wretched he is and how he is a hypocrite. It is up to him to bear the weight of all the sins by himself, and is the reason he has become so weak and feeble.
Contrasting with how their lives were in the village, in the forest, there is a difference. In the forest these two can actually interact and show their true feelings toward one another. It is here that a complete shift happens in these characters. Dimmesdale believed that, “The germ of it was dead in me! O Hester, thou art my better angel! . . . This is already the better life!” Why did we not find it sooner?” (182). This shift in Dimmesdale’s character is from feeling burdened with his own sin and getting weaker as an after effect; a stronger man without a care in the world. By changing locations to this haven Dimmesdale has become better, and is willing to do all the things he could not do before while in the village. When Hester sees that her lover has changed, she removes her scarlet letter. As she throws away the scarlet letter she also removes the “burden of shame” (182), that was on her soul: “She had not known the shame until she felt the weight . . . her sex, her youth, and the whole richness of her beauty came back from what men call the irrevocable past” (182- 183). This shift in Hester’s character has brought back her beauty and her freedom. These two lovers can now love each other and their daughter Pearl.
To many people the forest has been seen as a dark and scary region. Many people would relate the forest to evil because it is away from their town; it is an uncharted area.
It can block out the sunlight; so light will not be able to penetrate the gangling trees of the forest. And to the people the only thing the rejects light is darkness. Hence meaning the forest is evil. There are times in the forest when noises occur and it cannot be explained why it happens. Other times while in the forest, strange, black figures can be seen roaming around the forest, but it is to dark to see who the person might be. The legend of the Black Man may have originated from a misconception like this.
In the books The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible the forest seems to play the role of a safe haven for those that have sinned, contradicting the accepted understanding of the village as a safe haven for villagers. To sinners the forest seems to provide certain shifts in the characters and seems to rejuvenate them from their lives in the village. The villagers could not understand how safe the forest might be because they were not being looked down upon in their village. To a sinner the forest provided everything a village could not; a sense of security and freedom.
The forest is seen as a nesting ground for the black man as he roams around looking for his next victim to take with him to the underworld. It is a dark and shady region, with its tall and dense trees. It seems to eclipse the part of the sun that would have given the forest some life. As this primeval region is believed to be the Devil’s land, no one can feel safe trotting though it. The forest symbolizes evil; it is the physical representation of the fear of sin the villagers have. Since it is the place where many sins occur, it is well-concealed, and is away from the watchful eye of society. Yet, in the books The Scarlet Letter and in The Crucible the forest seems to play the role of a safe haven for those that have sinned, contradicting the accepted understanding of the village as a safe haven for villagers.
In The Crucible the forest was seen as dangerous and a home for the Devil. So much so that it was a sin for anyone to enter the forest. With the harsh teachings of the Puritan lifestyle, many people were becoming so agitated that people were accusing others of being witches. With accusations flying all over, many villages suffered because of the pandemonium witchcraft created. As for Salem, the people were on edge because so many people were already accused of witchcraft. So to escape this wild village, Abigail Williams found the forest as a place of safety, to escape the turmoil.
From the uproar in her village, Abigail decided to bring some of her friends and Tituba to dance in the forest and perform many of Tituba’s native rituals. They danced under the night of the forest shade where it would be difficult to see, partaking in acts which would be considered witchcraft if they were caught. These sinners felt free from the establishment of their Puritan society. They could not be judged, they could not be undermined, and all they felt was the bliss of pure happiness in a place were only evil took place.
As a result, when these ladies returned to the village they were targeted as being witches because they were caught. People believed they were selling their souls in the forest because that is where the devil is located. Abigail wants to hide the fact that she was in the forest. She tells the other girls, “Now look you. All of you. We danced. And Tituba conjured Ruth Putnam's dead sisters. . . I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you” (Miller 20). Abigail starts to threaten the other girls and forces them to never speak a word of what happened in the forest, because people will assume that the only reason anyone should have been there is to meet with the devil; they wanted to escape and be free. When Tituba was blamed she blamed Abigail, and likewise, Abigail placed the blame on someone else. This lead to people being falsely accused, and many deaths within the village.
In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was forced to wear the scarlet letter. She builds her home, on the outskirts of town, in the forest; far from the village where no one can see her. For if no one can see her, then they can put her adulterous ways out of the villagers hands. The forest’s “Comparative remoteness put it out of the sphere of that special activity which already marked the habits of the emigrants” (Hawthorne 75).
From this quote, Hester chooses to live in this remote area to seclude herself from the village and have a peaceful haven to return to. She chooses the forest instead of the town because when she enters the village there is a bubble of seclusion around her. The villagers only see the scarlet letter upon her bosom; and because of it they want nothing to do with this sinner. They will only judge and observe Hester from a distance.
Certain outcasts also turn to the demonic forest because they have indirectly sinned and need a way out. In The Scarlet Letter, little Pearl is an outcast in her home of Boston. Even though she has yet to commit a sin, she is the physical manifestation of her mother’s sin. When Pearl entered into the forest, she would play around and look like a forest sprite jumping from place to place. As she is in this forest the author points out, “Pearl resembled the brook, inasmuch of her life gushed from a well-spring as mysterious [. . .] But, unlike the little stream, she danced and sparkled, and prattled airily along her course” (168- 169). According to this quote a little brook in a dark forest is the best way to describe an elfish seven year old girl as opposed to the city. It is clear here that Pearl is one with nature, meaning that she does not fit in the town. She is a sinner, and a sinner’s place is the forest. That is where Pearl is safe; that is where she belongs.
In The Scarlet Letter, there is an interaction between Hester Prynne and Dimmesdale that further enhances the theme of the forest being a safe haven. They are both sinners; therefore, they know that they do not belong in the village. In the village Hester Prynne was judged by everyone’s reaction to the scarlet letter. She was called a harlot by some while others thought she should be put to death. She publicly bore her sin and is suffering each day in the town. She is not as beautiful as she once was, her beauty is diminishing, her hair has been rolled up, and the richness in her cheeks has started to fade. Arthur Dimmesdale bore his sin privately with God. He can not atone for his sin because he believes it will ruin the entire Christian faith in his colony; to him that faith is the most important thing because everybody believes he has not sinned, which keeps the people’s faith alive. Dimmesdale “well knew—subtle, but remorseful hypocrite the he was! [. . .] he loved the truth and loathed the lie, as few men ever did. Therefore, above all things else, he loathed his miserable self!” (131). Everyday he must preach about how wretched he is and how he is a hypocrite. It is up to him to bear the weight of all the sins by himself, and is the reason he has become so weak and feeble.
Contrasting with how their lives were in the village, in the forest, there is a difference. In the forest these two can actually interact and show their true feelings toward one another. It is here that a complete shift happens in these characters. Dimmesdale believed that, “The germ of it was dead in me! O Hester, thou art my better angel! . . . This is already the better life!” Why did we not find it sooner?” (182). This shift in Dimmesdale’s character is from feeling burdened with his own sin and getting weaker as an after effect; a stronger man without a care in the world. By changing locations to this haven Dimmesdale has become better, and is willing to do all the things he could not do before while in the village. When Hester sees that her lover has changed, she removes her scarlet letter. As she throws away the scarlet letter she also removes the “burden of shame” (182), that was on her soul: “She had not known the shame until she felt the weight . . . her sex, her youth, and the whole richness of her beauty came back from what men call the irrevocable past” (182- 183). This shift in Hester’s character has brought back her beauty and her freedom. These two lovers can now love each other and their daughter Pearl.
To many people the forest has been seen as a dark and scary region. Many people would relate the forest to evil because it is away from their town; it is an uncharted area.
It can block out the sunlight; so light will not be able to penetrate the gangling trees of the forest. And to the people the only thing the rejects light is darkness. Hence meaning the forest is evil. There are times in the forest when noises occur and it cannot be explained why it happens. Other times while in the forest, strange, black figures can be seen roaming around the forest, but it is to dark to see who the person might be. The legend of the Black Man may have originated from a misconception like this.
In the books The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible the forest seems to play the role of a safe haven for those that have sinned, contradicting the accepted understanding of the village as a safe haven for villagers. To sinners the forest seems to provide certain shifts in the characters and seems to rejuvenate them from their lives in the village. The villagers could not understand how safe the forest might be because they were not being looked down upon in their village. To a sinner the forest provided everything a village could not; a sense of security and freedom.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Scarlet Letter: Chap 23-24
Definitions:
Semblance- outward aspect or appearance;show (dictionary.com)
Escutcheon- a flat protective covering on a door or wall etc. to prevent soiling by dirty fingers (dictionary.com)
"And on this simple slab of slate--as the curious investigator may still discern, and perplex himself with the purport--there appeared the semblance of an engraved escutcheon." (Hawthorne 235)
"Madman, hold! what is your purpose?" whispered he. "Wave back that woman! Cast off this child! All shall be well. Do not blacken your fame, and perish in dishonor! I can yet save you! Would you bring infamy on your sacred profession?" (225).
Explanation- This happens after the minister's speech. when everyone is gathered around he calls his lover and his daughter over to him. Chillingworth wants Dimmesdale to shut his mouth and for to not dare speak the truth to the people. If the minister tells the truth to the people of New England,then Chillingworth can no longer torture him properly, which is his greatest pleasure. Without this secrecy Dimmesdale will be somewhat lifted of his burden. And Chillingworth's revenge will all be for naught.
"Wherever her walk hath been,--wherever, so miserably burdened, she may hope to find repose,--it hath cast a horrible repugnance round her. But there stood one in the midst of you, at whose brand of sin and infamy ye have not shuddered!" (227).
Explanation- This quote comes after he reveals that he is a sinner just like Hester. He is trying to explain to them that everyone citizen has judged Hester just because of the scarlet letter. And he is saying that he is wears a scarlet letter just like Hester. And he has not been ignored been ignored by society. Here he is showing how hypocritical and judgmental everyone in town really is. The people only say darkness in one place in that "A" and nowhere else.
Semblance- outward aspect or appearance;show (dictionary.com)
Escutcheon- a flat protective covering on a door or wall etc. to prevent soiling by dirty fingers (dictionary.com)
"And on this simple slab of slate--as the curious investigator may still discern, and perplex himself with the purport--there appeared the semblance of an engraved escutcheon." (Hawthorne 235)
"Madman, hold! what is your purpose?" whispered he. "Wave back that woman! Cast off this child! All shall be well. Do not blacken your fame, and perish in dishonor! I can yet save you! Would you bring infamy on your sacred profession?" (225).
Explanation- This happens after the minister's speech. when everyone is gathered around he calls his lover and his daughter over to him. Chillingworth wants Dimmesdale to shut his mouth and for to not dare speak the truth to the people. If the minister tells the truth to the people of New England,then Chillingworth can no longer torture him properly, which is his greatest pleasure. Without this secrecy Dimmesdale will be somewhat lifted of his burden. And Chillingworth's revenge will all be for naught.
"Wherever her walk hath been,--wherever, so miserably burdened, she may hope to find repose,--it hath cast a horrible repugnance round her. But there stood one in the midst of you, at whose brand of sin and infamy ye have not shuddered!" (227).
Explanation- This quote comes after he reveals that he is a sinner just like Hester. He is trying to explain to them that everyone citizen has judged Hester just because of the scarlet letter. And he is saying that he is wears a scarlet letter just like Hester. And he has not been ignored been ignored by society. Here he is showing how hypocritical and judgmental everyone in town really is. The people only say darkness in one place in that "A" and nowhere else.
Christmas vacation outline
Chapter 15
• Hester admits that she hates Roger Chillingworth
Hester: “Yes, I hate him!”... “He betrayed me! He has done me worse wrong than I did him!” (Hawthorne 159)
• Pearl seems very curious about the scarlet letter and wants to know the true meaning behind it. She even makes a connection between her mother and Mr. Dimmesdale (his action where he places his hand on his heart).
• Hester lies to little Pearl here too.
Hester: “What questions are these? There are many things in this world that a child must not ask about. What know I of this minister’s heart? And as for this scarlet letter I wear it for the sake of its gold-thread” (163).
Chapter 16
• The sunshine runs away from Hester because she is sinned and is engulfed in darkness.
Pearl: “The sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom” (165).
• Pearl continues to ask about the letter so Hester tells her that it is the mark of the black man( the devil)
Hester: “Once in my life I met the Black Man!”… “This scarlet letter is his mark” (168)!
Chapter 17
• Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest
• Dimmesdale is burden with the pain of being a hypocrite to all of his followers. And has to bear the constant weight of his sin. Hester sympathizes with him and reveals that Roger Chillingworth was Hester’s husband.( on pg. 175)
• Dimmesdale responded by saying, “I might have known it,” murmured he. I did know it” (175)!
• They both believe that Chillingworth’s sin of human heart is the worst sin. (on pg. 176)
• Now that Dimmesdale knows Chillingworth’s true nature, the physician might realize that he knows.
• Hester believes that they should start anew in another country where Chillingworth can’t get them. (on pgs 178-179)
• This is an important chapter for Hester and Dimmesdale relationship.
Chapter 18
• The scarlet letter had made Hester into a strong woman (180)
• While the minister was left weak for taking on the burden of his sin alone and in secret (180)
• They both decide to start a new life together.
• Hester even throws away her Scarlet letter, and when she does her beauty returns to her and she lets down her hair. (182)
• There is a shift in the minister as he feels some new strength come into him(182)
Chapter 19
• The minister was worried that because Pearl shared the same features as her, the people would have linked the two. (186)
• Dimmesdale says he was never good with children but pearl is the only one who acted nice toward him.(186-187)
• Pearl refuses to acknowledge her mother because she is not wearing the Scarlet letter
• Pearl returns to Hester once she puts the Scarlet letter back on and with it the torment and anguish along with it. She then loses her beauty and freedom. (190)
• Dimmesdale wanted to get closer to Pearl so he kisses her as soon as he does; she runs to the brook and washes her head.
• Pearl seems to be a little sketchy about Dimmesdale.
Chapter 20
• Dimmesdale and Hester want to leave on a Spanish boat but the minister has a sermon in three days.
• He seemed to return to the town with new strength.
• He seemed to have awkward interactions with the people. (196-197)
• Mistress Hibbons seems to have accused him of being in the forest with the black man.
• Dimmesdale goes to his abode then Chillingworth comes in. The minister told the physician that his services where no longer necessary. Chillingworth seemed to know that Dimmesdale knew his true identity.
“The physician knew then, that, in the minister’s regard, he was no longer a trusted friend, but the bitterest of enemies.
• Dimmesdale then threw his old sermon in the fire place and worked on a new one.
Chapter 21
• There is a holiday in the town because of a new elected official so all the people gather in the marketplace.
• Pearl seems to think of Dimmesdale as being sort of two-faced, in the sense that he won’t show his true nature in front of the whole town. (205)
• It seems that Roger Chillingworth has somehow become a member of Hester’s party and is coming aboard the ship(210)
Chapter22
• The newcomers of the area talk about Hester’s scarlet letter and so those the whole town too. And all Hester can do is bear it and try to be strong.
• The soldiers are compared to being royal knights
• And Dimmesdale begins to talk about his speech to everyone and it’s compared to an organ playing.
• Hester seems to be completely stressed out more than ses letting on. (220)
• Hester admits that she hates Roger Chillingworth
Hester: “Yes, I hate him!”... “He betrayed me! He has done me worse wrong than I did him!” (Hawthorne 159)
• Pearl seems very curious about the scarlet letter and wants to know the true meaning behind it. She even makes a connection between her mother and Mr. Dimmesdale (his action where he places his hand on his heart).
• Hester lies to little Pearl here too.
Hester: “What questions are these? There are many things in this world that a child must not ask about. What know I of this minister’s heart? And as for this scarlet letter I wear it for the sake of its gold-thread” (163).
Chapter 16
• The sunshine runs away from Hester because she is sinned and is engulfed in darkness.
Pearl: “The sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom” (165).
• Pearl continues to ask about the letter so Hester tells her that it is the mark of the black man( the devil)
Hester: “Once in my life I met the Black Man!”… “This scarlet letter is his mark” (168)!
Chapter 17
• Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest
• Dimmesdale is burden with the pain of being a hypocrite to all of his followers. And has to bear the constant weight of his sin. Hester sympathizes with him and reveals that Roger Chillingworth was Hester’s husband.( on pg. 175)
• Dimmesdale responded by saying, “I might have known it,” murmured he. I did know it” (175)!
• They both believe that Chillingworth’s sin of human heart is the worst sin. (on pg. 176)
• Now that Dimmesdale knows Chillingworth’s true nature, the physician might realize that he knows.
• Hester believes that they should start anew in another country where Chillingworth can’t get them. (on pgs 178-179)
• This is an important chapter for Hester and Dimmesdale relationship.
Chapter 18
• The scarlet letter had made Hester into a strong woman (180)
• While the minister was left weak for taking on the burden of his sin alone and in secret (180)
• They both decide to start a new life together.
• Hester even throws away her Scarlet letter, and when she does her beauty returns to her and she lets down her hair. (182)
• There is a shift in the minister as he feels some new strength come into him(182)
Chapter 19
• The minister was worried that because Pearl shared the same features as her, the people would have linked the two. (186)
• Dimmesdale says he was never good with children but pearl is the only one who acted nice toward him.(186-187)
• Pearl refuses to acknowledge her mother because she is not wearing the Scarlet letter
• Pearl returns to Hester once she puts the Scarlet letter back on and with it the torment and anguish along with it. She then loses her beauty and freedom. (190)
• Dimmesdale wanted to get closer to Pearl so he kisses her as soon as he does; she runs to the brook and washes her head.
• Pearl seems to be a little sketchy about Dimmesdale.
Chapter 20
• Dimmesdale and Hester want to leave on a Spanish boat but the minister has a sermon in three days.
• He seemed to return to the town with new strength.
• He seemed to have awkward interactions with the people. (196-197)
• Mistress Hibbons seems to have accused him of being in the forest with the black man.
• Dimmesdale goes to his abode then Chillingworth comes in. The minister told the physician that his services where no longer necessary. Chillingworth seemed to know that Dimmesdale knew his true identity.
“The physician knew then, that, in the minister’s regard, he was no longer a trusted friend, but the bitterest of enemies.
• Dimmesdale then threw his old sermon in the fire place and worked on a new one.
Chapter 21
• There is a holiday in the town because of a new elected official so all the people gather in the marketplace.
• Pearl seems to think of Dimmesdale as being sort of two-faced, in the sense that he won’t show his true nature in front of the whole town. (205)
• It seems that Roger Chillingworth has somehow become a member of Hester’s party and is coming aboard the ship(210)
Chapter22
• The newcomers of the area talk about Hester’s scarlet letter and so those the whole town too. And all Hester can do is bear it and try to be strong.
• The soldiers are compared to being royal knights
• And Dimmesdale begins to talk about his speech to everyone and it’s compared to an organ playing.
• Hester seems to be completely stressed out more than ses letting on. (220)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)