Overview： ※Long Preamble *A nameless narrator *Discovers a number of documents -Finds a manuscript bundled with a scarletgold-embroidered patch of cloth in the shape of an “A” -Contents state two hundred years before the narrator’s time *Losing his customs post -Creates a fictional account of the events recorded in the manuscript
※Town Scaffold *Hester Prynne -Daughter, Pearl (3 month old infant) -Sent to America first -Asked to identify her child’s father but refuses *Punishment for adultery -Scarlet letter “A” -Public shaming -Partner unknown
※Meeting *Elderly Onlooker, her husband (Roger Chillingworth) -A scholar -Practicing medicine -Had trouble getting to Boston *Chillingworth’s Revenge -Doctor -Makes Hester promise not to reveal who he is -Determined to find out who the man is
※Take Pearl Away? *Hester and Pearl after several years -Outcasts -Small cottage on the outskirts of Boston -Hester supports herself by working as a seamstress *Community officials want to take Pearl away -A young and eloquent minister speaks for Hester and Pearl -Hester and Pearl stay together
※Mysterious Heart Trouble *Arthur Dimmesdale (Hester’s partner in crime) -Suffering from pychological distress -Moves in with Chillingworth *Chillingworth’s suspicions -Suspects Dimmesdale -Sees a mark on Dimmesdale’s chest that confirms his suspicions
※Encounter at the Town Scaffold *Dimmesdale’s condition worsens -Invents tortures for himself -Tries to punish himself atop the Town Scaffold *Hester and Pearl -Doing charitable deeds -Encounter Dimmesdale and join him -Pearl requests him to acknowledge her publicly but is refused
※At the Moment of Refusal *A meteor shoots by and marks an “A” in the sky *Hester sees Dimmesdale’s condition is worsening -Decides to intervene -Asks Chillingworth to stop his revenge *Chillingworth refuses to stop
※In the Forest *Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest -Chillingworth’s identity revealed to him -Decide to flee to Europe together with Pearl -Plan to take a ship from Boston in four days -Both feel a sense of release (Hester removes her scarlet letter and lets her hair down) *However, Pearl does not recognize either one of them
※Plan in Motion or in Jeopardy? *Townspeople gather for a holiday -It is the day before the ship sets sail -Dimmesdale gives his best sermon ever -Hester learns Chillingworth has found out about their plan and has also booked passage on the same ship
※Truth Exposed *Dimmesdale’s Impluse -Comes out of the church and sees Hester and Pearl before the town scaffold -Mounts the scaffold with Hester and Pearl and confesses publicly exposing his chest which has a scarlet letter marked on his chest -Dies as Pearl gives him a kiss on the forehead
※After Dimmesdale’s Death *Chillingworth dies of frustration in his revenge *Hester and Pearl leave Boston *Many years after, Hester returns alone still wearing the scarlet letter *Pearl sends her letters from her own home *Hester is buried next to Dimmesdale and shares and tombstone with an “A” when she dies
TIME & BACKGROUND： ※Author *Nathaniel Hawthorn (1804-1864) *Religion -- Puritan *American novelist and short story writer
※Religion & Story *Nathaniel Hawthorne’s religion -> Puritan *The word Puritan were used as from the 16th century until now. *Puritan -> Latina -> Purus -> Pure *Puritans were a group of religious reformer who lives in Massachusetts in the 1630s. *The religious sect was known for its intolerance of dissenting ideas and lifestyles. *In the story, Hawthorne uses the repressive, authoritarian Puritan society as an analogue for humankind in general *The Puritan setting also enables him to portray the human soul under extreme pressures *Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, while unquestionably part of the Puritan society in which they live, also reflect universal experiences
※The Scarlet Letter *The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850 -> Hawthorne’s masterpiece *Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts during the year 1642 – 1649 *Hawthrones’s other novel -Purtian background, the shadows of the grim tragedy naturally proceeds. -about sin and its consequences. -moods created are those of remorse, sorrow and despair. *The feeling -woven consistently, naturally and harmoniously into the story so that the characters, action and setting blend into a delicate but enduring work of art *Hawthorne deals with the moral problem through the vivid picture of the New England past
※17th Century & 19th Century *17th Century -Colonialism (殖民主義) -got less freedom *19th Century -Nationalism (民族主義) -more freedom and it is the start of Industrial Revolution(工業革命)
※The style Suffused with allegory and symbolism Metaphors and similes abound The use of colors, expression of moods -black, red and gray The setting effectively immerses readers in the atmosphere.
SIGNIFICANCE & ANALYSIS： ※Significance *The Scarlet Letter was marked Hawthrone’s maturity as a novelist. *The Scarlet Letter is also considered the pioneer of romantic and psychological analysis novels in the history of American literature
※Analysis *The Scarlet Letter offers a way of looking at adultery that would let people suffer appropriately for their own sins without forcing the society to worry about which punishment was proper, that is, redefining it as a private matter in which the society had no compelling interest to get involved.
※Sin and Guilt *Hester Prynne -The sin that Hester Prynne has committed is adultery. She is guilty of the crime and is punished by society for it with the scarlet letter. -She handles her guilt by devoting her life and knowledge to aid Pearl in growing and becoming a well respected person. *Arthur Dimmesdale -Dimmesdale manages his guilt of adultery in a much different way than Hester. He pretends like it doesn't exist in the public eye. Dimmesdale feels truly shameful of the sin and his guilt increases after the community tortures Hester. Dimmesdale has to confront himself and fight the inward conflict he has with himself. He handles his situation by fasting and praying. *Roger Chillingworth -The sin that Roger Chillingworth committed was the sin of revenge. He felt no shame toward his sin and he showed no sympathy for Dimmesdale's suffering. Chillingworth takes care of his guilt by devoting his life to prolonging Dimmesdale's suffering. -Chillingworth is so dedicated to exacting his revenge that once Dimmesdale confesses and his soul is released, Chillingworth has no reason to live anymore.
※The different meanings of "A" *Hester Prynne -Adultery (姦淫) -Able (能幹) *Arthur Dimmesdale -Arthur (亞瑟) -Ambition (野心) *Roger Chillingworth -Aged (年老的) -Avenge (報仇) *Pearl -Angel (天使)
Questions： 1.Which of the following is NOT one of the themes in The Scarlet Letter? a)Sin b)Forgiveness c)The nature of evil d)Identity and society Ans: b
2.What does the scarlet letter stand for other than “adulterer”? a)Assassin b)Addict c)Angel d)Adventurer Ans: c
3.Pearl is a very complex character with her primary function within the novel as a symbol. Which of the following is NOT one of her symbols? a)Child of the devil b)A blessing c)A sin d)Temptation Ans: d
4.We know that the society assigns Hester with the scarlet letter to shame her but why does Hester refuse to take it off when given the choice to? a)She doesn't want to throw away something she designed herself b)She wants to be the one who controls its meaning c)She has grown attached to it and feels uncomfortable without it d)She still feels shame and the need to be punished for her crime Ans: b
5.What is the difference between how adultery is viewed now and how it was viewed by Puritan society? Answer：In modern society, adultery is seen as a breach of contract between two people and therefore a private matter. In Puritan society, adultery was seen as a breach of contract between two people and the community in which they lived.
週次：第3週
ReplyDelete日期：3/6
進度：Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter
組員：
UL3.07 陳怡霖 Elaine
UL3.34 楊珮欣 Amy
UL3.35 黃紫婕 Karen
Overview：
ReplyDelete※Long Preamble
*A nameless narrator
*Discovers a number of documents
-Finds a manuscript bundled with a scarletgold-embroidered patch of cloth in the shape of an “A”
-Contents state two hundred years before the narrator’s time
*Losing his customs post
-Creates a fictional account of the events recorded in the manuscript
※Town Scaffold
*Hester Prynne
-Daughter, Pearl (3 month old infant)
-Sent to America first
-Asked to identify her child’s father but refuses
*Punishment for adultery
-Scarlet letter “A”
-Public shaming
-Partner unknown
※Meeting
*Elderly Onlooker, her husband (Roger Chillingworth)
-A scholar
-Practicing medicine
-Had trouble getting to Boston
*Chillingworth’s Revenge
-Doctor
-Makes Hester promise not to reveal who he is
-Determined to find out who the man is
※Take Pearl Away?
*Hester and Pearl after several years
-Outcasts
-Small cottage on the outskirts of Boston
-Hester supports herself by working as a seamstress
*Community officials want to take Pearl away
-A young and eloquent minister speaks for Hester and Pearl
-Hester and Pearl stay together
※Mysterious Heart Trouble
*Arthur Dimmesdale (Hester’s partner in crime)
-Suffering from pychological distress
-Moves in with Chillingworth
*Chillingworth’s suspicions
-Suspects Dimmesdale
-Sees a mark on Dimmesdale’s chest that confirms his suspicions
※Encounter at the Town Scaffold
*Dimmesdale’s condition worsens
-Invents tortures for himself
-Tries to punish himself atop the Town Scaffold
*Hester and Pearl
-Doing charitable deeds
-Encounter Dimmesdale and join him
-Pearl requests him to acknowledge her publicly but is refused
※At the Moment of Refusal
*A meteor shoots by and marks an “A” in the sky
*Hester sees Dimmesdale’s condition is worsening
-Decides to intervene
-Asks Chillingworth to stop his revenge
*Chillingworth refuses to stop
※In the Forest
*Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest
-Chillingworth’s identity revealed to him
-Decide to flee to Europe together with Pearl
-Plan to take a ship from Boston in four days
-Both feel a sense of release (Hester removes her scarlet letter and lets her hair down)
*However, Pearl does not recognize either one of them
※Plan in Motion or in Jeopardy?
*Townspeople gather for a holiday
-It is the day before the ship sets sail
-Dimmesdale gives his best sermon ever
-Hester learns Chillingworth has found out about their plan and has also booked passage on the same ship
※Truth Exposed
*Dimmesdale’s Impluse
-Comes out of the church and sees Hester and Pearl before the town scaffold
-Mounts the scaffold with Hester and Pearl and confesses publicly exposing his chest which has a scarlet letter marked on his chest
-Dies as Pearl gives him a kiss on the forehead
※After Dimmesdale’s Death
*Chillingworth dies of frustration in his revenge
*Hester and Pearl leave Boston
*Many years after, Hester returns alone still wearing the scarlet letter
*Pearl sends her letters from her own home
*Hester is buried next to Dimmesdale and shares and tombstone with an “A” when she dies
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteTIME & BACKGROUND：
ReplyDelete※Author
*Nathaniel Hawthorn (1804-1864)
*Religion -- Puritan
*American novelist and short story writer
※Religion & Story
*Nathaniel Hawthorne’s religion -> Puritan
*The word Puritan were used as from the 16th century until now.
*Puritan -> Latina -> Purus -> Pure
*Puritans were a group of religious reformer who lives in Massachusetts in the 1630s.
*The religious sect was known for its intolerance of dissenting ideas and lifestyles.
*In the story, Hawthorne uses the repressive, authoritarian Puritan society as an analogue for humankind in general
*The Puritan setting also enables him to portray the human soul under extreme pressures
*Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth, while unquestionably part of the Puritan society in which they live, also reflect universal experiences
※The Scarlet Letter
*The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850 -> Hawthorne’s masterpiece
*Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts during the year 1642 – 1649
*Hawthrones’s other novel
-Purtian background, the shadows of the grim tragedy naturally proceeds.
-about sin and its consequences.
-moods created are those of remorse, sorrow and despair.
*The feeling
-woven consistently, naturally and harmoniously into the story so that the characters, action and setting blend into a delicate but enduring work of art
*Hawthorne deals with the moral problem through the vivid picture of the New England past
※17th Century & 19th Century
*17th Century
-Colonialism (殖民主義)
-got less freedom
*19th Century
-Nationalism (民族主義)
-more freedom and it is the start of Industrial Revolution(工業革命)
※The style
Suffused with allegory and symbolism
Metaphors and similes abound
The use of colors, expression of moods
-black, red and gray
The setting effectively immerses readers in the atmosphere.
SIGNIFICANCE & ANALYSIS：
ReplyDelete※Significance
*The Scarlet Letter was marked Hawthrone’s maturity as a novelist.
*The Scarlet Letter is also considered the pioneer of romantic and psychological analysis novels in the history of American literature
※Analysis
*The Scarlet Letter offers a way of looking at adultery that would let people suffer appropriately for their own sins without forcing the society to worry about which punishment was proper, that is, redefining it as a private matter in which the society had no compelling interest to get involved.
※Sin and Guilt
*Hester Prynne
-The sin that Hester Prynne has committed is adultery. She is guilty of the crime and is punished by society for it with the scarlet letter.
-She handles her guilt by devoting her life and knowledge to aid Pearl in growing and becoming a well respected person.
*Arthur Dimmesdale
-Dimmesdale manages his guilt of adultery in a much different way than Hester. He pretends like it doesn't exist in the public eye. Dimmesdale feels truly shameful of the sin and his guilt increases after the community tortures Hester. Dimmesdale has to confront himself and fight the inward conflict he has with himself. He handles his situation by fasting and praying.
*Roger Chillingworth
-The sin that Roger Chillingworth committed was the sin of revenge. He felt no shame toward his sin and he showed no sympathy for Dimmesdale's suffering. Chillingworth takes care of his guilt by devoting his life to prolonging Dimmesdale's suffering.
-Chillingworth is so dedicated to exacting his revenge that once Dimmesdale confesses and his soul is released, Chillingworth has no reason to live anymore.
※The different meanings of "A"
*Hester Prynne
-Adultery (姦淫)
-Able (能幹)
*Arthur Dimmesdale
-Arthur (亞瑟)
-Ambition (野心)
*Roger Chillingworth
-Aged (年老的)
-Avenge (報仇)
*Pearl
-Angel (天使)
Questions：
ReplyDelete1.Which of the following is NOT one of the themes in The Scarlet Letter?
a)Sin
b)Forgiveness
c)The nature of evil
d)Identity and society
Ans: b
2.What does the scarlet letter stand for other than “adulterer”?
a)Assassin
b)Addict
c)Angel
d)Adventurer
Ans: c
3.Pearl is a very complex character with her primary function within the novel as a symbol. Which of the following is NOT one of her symbols?
a)Child of the devil
b)A blessing
c)A sin
d)Temptation
Ans: d
4.We know that the society assigns Hester with the scarlet letter to shame her but why does Hester refuse to take it off when given the choice to?
a)She doesn't want to throw away something she designed herself
b)She wants to be the one who controls its meaning
c)She has grown attached to it and feels uncomfortable without it
d)She still feels shame and the need to be punished for her crime
Ans: b
5.What is the difference between how adultery is viewed now and how it was viewed by Puritan society?
Answer：In modern society, adultery is seen as a breach of contract between two people and therefore a private matter. In Puritan society, adultery was seen as a breach of contract between two people and the community in which they lived.