The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Awakening by Kate Chopin share common themes that can be related to the poem ‘’The Journey’’ by Mary Oliver. The Awakening which was an interesting novel depicted strong themes of identity, love, women and femininity, society and class, respect, reputation, as well as life and existence. The Scarlet Letter was a really strong novel with a powerful character, and represented themes such as revenge, women and femininity, natural world, isolation, love, judgment, forgiveness, guilt, and supernatural. As developed in the previous sentences the two novels definitely shared some very strong and common themes which can be related to the poem. The poem shares a theme of finding a voice and transforming into one’s true self.
One of the major themes in The Awakening was identity. Edna Pontellier many a times in the book needed the ‘’awakening’’ experience to really find herself and find her true identity in humanity and in the Victorian society that she lived in. So she had to come over societal judgment and find her independence. The poem similarly compares to the theme discussed in The Awakening because it really focuses on the theme of finding a voice and finding one's true self and identity as well as transforming into something greater. Since this book took place in the Victorian era Edna Pontellier was forced into the societal structure that she had to fit into to play the role of a wife or a mother and that's really not who
The time period of the 1880s that Kate Chopin lived in influenced her to write The Awakening, a very controversial book because of many new depictions of women introduced in the book. The Awakening is a book about a woman, Edna Pontellier. In the beginning, she is a happy woman with her husband and 2 kids vacationing at Grand Isle. While there, Edna realizes she is in love with Robert Lebrun and that she was just forced into an unloving/dissatisfying marriage with Mr. Pontellier. Robert however, leaves for Mexico. While there, Edna picks up a relationship with Alcee Arobin who helps her realize her sexual passions. Edna has a sexual awakening, and is determined to get independence and she eventually leaves Mr. Pontellier. She shows her independence and sexual passions through painting. Edna moves into a house of her own. Robert comes home and tells her he loves her. However, Edna can't handle all of the social "rules" and commits suicide before finishing her conversation with Robert. The book contained a lot of sexual passion shown by Edna, which is a new depiction of women in the 1880s. The new tone Kate Chopin wrote in was influenced by society and her life. The Awakening caused a lot of controversy due to this new tone.
The setting of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet letter” is crucial to the understanding of the event that takes place in the story. The setting of the story is in Salem, Massachusetts during the Puritan era. During the Puritan era, adultery was taken as a very serious sin, and this is what Hester and Dimmesdale committ with each other. Because of the sin, their lives change, Hester has to walk around in public with a Scarlet Letter “A” which stands for adultery, and she is constantly being tortured and is thought of as less than a person. Dimmesdale walks around with his sin kept as secret, because he never admits his sin, his mental state is changing, and the sin degrades his well-being. Chillingworth
The story the awakening was an opportunity for the author to openly disagree with what a majority of women during her time blindly accepted. But as we read the story we can see trough several different scenarios, Edna revealed just how hard it was for a lady to try to do her own thing without being judge or hold down. Even though the book did not turn out the way some readers expected it showed us that after being "awakened" Edna would never accept her role more than and insignificant unhappy woman. The story teaches us great valuable lessons and make us think about the choices we make in the daily bases twice before committing them.
In the novel “The Scarlet Letter” and the musical “Chicago”, we are able to see many ideas and events that are similar, but there are also occasions where the actions that the characters take, differentiate. Both the novel and the musical’s main storyline is about a woman that committed adultery and have to face the consequences and criticism for what they did.
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne shows multiple connections between characters and nature. As the story progresses nature becomes more prevalent in the characters and continues to establish certain characteristics for each character. This established connection provides a view into the depths of human nature that each character portrays.
Nathaniel Hawthorne connects his books with similar themes and ideas. One short story that shares many themes with The Scarlet Letter is “Dr. Heidegger's Experiment”. A strong symbol that is alike is the symbol of Pearl and the Rose. Pearl is like the Rose because Pearl is the reason why Hester has to wear the A and the the Rose is how the water of youth was given. Those symbols are alike because they lead to effecting others. There are themes that can relate back to each other. The Human Condition, Appearance VS. Reality, and Dark People are a recurring themes found in both stories.
In his book, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells of a story where a young woman has had an adulterous relationship with a respected priest in a Puritan community. Typical of Hawthorne's writings is the use of imagery and symbolism. In Chapter 12, The Minister's Vigil, there are several uses of imagery when Dimmesdale, the priest, is battling with confessing his sin, which has plagued him for seven years. Three evident techniques used to personify symbolism in this chapter are the use of darkness versus light, the use of inner guilt versus confession, and lastly the use of colors (black versus white).
Demi Moore's portrayal of Hester in the movie The Scarlet Letter proved her worth as a feminist actress, which led her to other, more modern female empowerment roles ranging from Striptease to GI Jane. But in the moviemakers 'attempt to give the story what they might think is a little modern flavor, they barbarously misconstrued the theme, and thus the importance, of a timeless story. In the novel, there can be little doubt that Hester is a strong person, but the movie made her out to be a martyr for women's rights. The female empowerment theme of the movie also inevitably led to the characterization of Christians and their ethics as tyrannical and oppressive because the feminist
Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of America's most renowned authors, demonstrates his extraordinary talents in two of his most famed novels, The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. To compare these two books seems bizarre, as their plots are distinctly different. Though the books are quite seemingly different, the central themes and Hawthorne's style are closely related (Carey, p. 62). American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne is most famous for his books THE SCARLET LETTER and THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES, which are closely related in theme, the use of symbolism, characterization, and style.
The Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel that takes place in the town of Boston, Massachusetts in 1642. Hester Prynne, the main character of the story, commits the sin of adultery. Because of this sin, she is "blessed" with a child named Pearl. Her punishment is to wear a scarlet letter “A" on her chest for the rest of her life, which affects the way the townspeople look and act around her. Also, she must stand on the scaffold in the town for three hours for the whole town to recognize her grave sins. The man who should be standing upon the scaffold along with her and Pearl is the town minister, Dimmesdale. He is presented as a weak character because of his fear of losing his beloved reputation as such a holy
Edna, the protagonist in The Awakening, experiences this ongoing battle within herself. Besides this ongoing battle inside, she also has a tough time fitting into society and nature as well. In the following quote, Edna is referred to as Mrs. Ponteiller. “ Mrs. Ponteiller was not a woman given to confidences, a characteristic hitherto contrary to her nature” (Chopin, 1263). Edna starting at an exceedingly young age had been very beside herself. However, there are certain people who influenced her as she grew older. She sees women like Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz and wonders why she cannot be more like them as they fit into society without any problem. The “her”
“Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted for too long a series of generations in the same worn-out soil. My children have had other birthplaces, and, so far as their fortunes may be within my control, shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth.” (23)-Nameless narrator’s narration
The novel The Scarlet Letter and the film Chicago have many similarities and differences. Within time the values of a person have changed and not in all cases do things get serious. Time periods have changed and now adultery is not as serious as it used to be. In the 1850’s and 1920’s nothing was easy to get away with at all.
The Scarlet Letter Critical Analysis Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, the direct descendant of John Hawthorne, and a judge at the infamous Salemwitchcraft trials. The guilt that Hawthorne felt over the actions of his ancestor had an enormous impact on his writings. In his introduction of "The Scarlet Letter", Hawthorne accepts the guilt from his forefathers and offers to repent for their crimes (Waggoner, 5). This unusual way of viewing guilt and sin is one driving factor in Hawthorne's writing. The other, which is closely related to the first, is the relationship between men, and of man to humanity as a whole.
“The Awakening” gives readers different view of feminism. The novel not only displays how Edna begin to gain independence from the role of an obedient wife but the novel also embodies of how Edna gains control of her body. The idea of Feminism rebukes people from being treated as property. This notion of feminism not only applies to independence but also freedom of making decisions, in Edna’s case, Decisions about her body and sexuality. Edna cared for her husband and appreciated how well he took care of their family. However, she didn’t love him, “she had married without love as an excuse” (Chopin, 2005). This being evident in the novel, it’s no surprise the Edna started to stray from her marriage to Leonce. The estrangement between the couple started earlier in the novel