Round D Cloggers

What aspect of Transcendentalist thought do you think we most need to pay attention to in the 21st century? Why? Feel free to revise/edit the journal you wrote in class about Transcendentalism for this clog. (And remember to post your response as a new entry, not as a comment.)

The Scarlet Letter to me did not move me in any extraordinary way. Although I recognized and admired the strength of Hester as a character, I think that at times her redemption in Puritan society is unrealistic. In the beginning of the novel the extreme Puritan punishment of Hester seems to contradict the sympathetic view of her later in the novel. Furthermore, I do not believe that this novel is a good representation of American ideals because of the emphasis on symbolic reasoning. Throughout this novel Hawthorne portrayed Puritan society as somewhat selfish and self centered. Their interpretation of external phenomena repeatedly focus’s on the individual, rather than the community or simply the realistic nature of the world. This theme of selfishness through their view of external phenomenon I believe is a poor portrayal of our society today.

Scarlet Letter

Although I did find some parts of the Scarlet Letter to be dense, overall i enjoyed the book. I personally thought Hester's situation to be very inspiring. Even after being tormented and frowned upon by everyone in society, she perseveres through her problems and eventually overcomes them. Hester also, however, discovers more about herself after she is considered an outcast, and her sin actually allowed her to expand as a person and learn about who she truly was. Hester was able to grow from her mistakes and in the end become a better person. I believe this is a concept everyone can relate to; learning about yourself through your own mistakes. For that reason I found Hester to be a character that many people could relate to. For that reason I think that it should remain required reading, as the high school students who read the story can learn from Hester and her situation and apply the story into their own lives.

Scarlet Letter Reflection

Although in some aspects The Scarlet Letter was a dense and slow read, the story has an uplifting message of perseverance and dedication, but maybe just a little too uplifting. I think that Hawthorne is overly optimistic about Hester's reintegration into society. After her stay in prison, she was viewed as an outcast, yet slowly over a period of seven years, the community is starting to welcome her back. They even go as far as to propose removing her scarlet letter. It seems that the reason the scarlet letter was given to Hester in the first place was to remind both herself, as well as the townspeople, of her sin. Puritan culture is very critical of sinners and it would be hard to believe that they would shrug off Hester's wrongdoings so quickly. Despite Hawthorne's optimistic plot, he still composes a stirring novel based on Hester's tolerance and acceptance of her position in society and her stuggles as an adulteress. I think itis for that reason that this book should be required reading for high school students. Hester is the perfect example of how tolerance, acceptance and perseverance can pay off. This is an excellent message to high schoolers as they struggle with grades, peer pressure and social interactions.

Final Thoughts on The Scarlet Letter

Personally, I was moved by Hester's perseverance and her patience of 7 years. Her strength to endure never ending hardship also emphasized the feministic theme of the novel. The feminism portrayed in the novel was unique. Hatred towards men, believing that women should be paid the same as men, and thinking that men violated women's rights, which are stereotypical feminist's opinion are not embraced in the Scarlet letter. Rather than actively protesting towards unfair treatment, Hester acknowledged her sin and contributed for the society even with facing her own difficulties. Without leaving Massachusetts, Hester lived with people's ignorance towards herself for 7 years. Then, she changed her reputation of "Adultery" to "Able" and "Angel". In the novel, we cannot find any part which describes Hester's outer resistance towards her society. She changed her reputation with only silence. This explains to us how powerful a woman Hester was and it gave me the biggest impression through the novel. I think all American high school students need to read the Scarlett Letter. It indirectly shows the background of Puritan society and how the towns in the New England settlement, which has close relationship with our history.

Round C Cloggers

I'd like to hear your final thoughts on The Scarlet Letter. Write about what moves you and/or consider this question: Why is this considered a "great American novel"? Should it be? Should every high school student in the country have to read it (as is currently pretty much the case)?