Guidelines

What does the last sentence of The Scarlet Letter mean?

What does the last sentence of The Scarlet Letter mean?

A motto carved on the headstone they share ensures that their punishment follows them even into death: “on a field, sable, the letter A, gules.” This motto is a verbal representation of the scarlet letter (“sable” means black and “gules” means reddish). We could interpret this persistent A as a tragic final image.

What theme does The Scarlet Letter symbolize?

Guilt is a major theme in The Scarlet Letter , and appears primarily in the psychology of Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale is tormented both by guilt at his sinful act of fathering an illegitimate child, and then by the guilt of failing to take responsibility for his actions and having to hide his secret.

What is the plot of the story Scarlet Letter?

The novel is set in a village in Puritan New England. The main character is Hester Prynne, a young woman who has borne a child out of wedlock. Hester believes herself a widow, but her husband, Roger Chillingworth, arrives in New England very much alive and conceals his identity.

Why is The Scarlet Letter A banned book?

“The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne Published in 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” was censored on sexual grounds. The book has been challenged under claims that it is “pornographic and obscene.” The story centers around Hester Prynne, a young Puritan woman with an illegitimate child.

Who did Hester Prynne sleep with?

Hester Prynne slept with Reverend Dimmesdale, a minister of religion in The Scarlet Letter. This happened while her husband was far away from home, during which time it was widely assumed that he’d been killed by Native Americans.

Why was The Scarlet Letter banned?

Published in 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” was censored on sexual grounds. The book has been challenged under claims that it is “pornographic and obscene.” The story centers around Hester Prynne, a young Puritan woman with an illegitimate child.

Why is The Scarlet Letter so controversial?

While the book was controversial upon its release in the 1850s (it was banned by the Russian Czar at the time) due to Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester as a whole person with desires and feelings, you might not expect people to take the same tack so these days.

What is the plot of the Scarlet Letter?

Download this LitChart! (PDF) The Scarlet Letter Summary. The Scarlet Letter begins with a prelude in which an unnamed narrator explains the novel’s origin. While working at the Salem Custom House (a tax collection agency), the narrator discovered in the attic a manuscript accompanied by a beautiful scarlet letter “A.”.

What do you need to know about study in Scarlet?

Everything you need for every book you read. Part 1 of the novel is presented as an excerpt from the journal of John H. Watson, an army doctor who has just returned to England after being injured during the Second Afghan War.

What was written on the wall in a study in Scarlet?

Though there are splashes of blood all over the floor, there is no wound on the body, and on the wall, written in blood, is the word “RACHE.” Detectives Gregson and Lestrade are at a loss to explain the mystery, though Lestrade offers an incorrect theory that the murderer had tried to write “Rachel” but was disturbed before finishing.

What happens to Pearl Chillingworth in the Scarlet Letter?

Chillingworth, losing his revenge, dies shortly thereafter and leaves Pearl a great deal of money, enabling her to go to Europe with her mother and make a wealthy marriage. Several years later, Hester returns to Boston, resumes wearing the scarlet letter, and becomes a person to whom other women turn for solace.