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The Market-Place In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Decent Essays

Like any novel, The Scarlet Letter, develops tone, mood, and foreshadowing through chapter titles. In the chapter, "The Market-Place", the setting is defined by the ominous tone Hawthorne uses in the beginning of the novel. Despite, "market-place" indicating a lively and bustling community it instead reveals a solemn and condemnatory town. This contrast awakens the reader to the cultural setting with the unlikely disheartening tone. However, the second chapter, "The Recognition", is far more visible as to what the author might lead into. Hester recognizes her husband, Robert Chillingworth as she stands on the scaffolding judged by the religious community. Yet again the foreshadowing is prominent in the third chapter: "The Interview". Using

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