Thematic Statements

1/26/2015

Create a thematic statement for The Scarlet Letter. Make this your first post.

Next, comment on your own post, defending your thematic statement as it relates to the text. Provide textual support for your claim.

Finally, comment on the thematic statement of a peer (the topic should be different from yours) and defend this theme with evidence from the text.

230 Comments

Sviatoslav K.

1/26/2015 08:29:30 am

Revenge is key to one's insanity.

Ava M

1/28/2015 10:23:07 am

Chillingworth devotes his life to destroying Dimmesdale as revenge for what had happened between him and Hester while Chillingworth was still married to her. He becomes this sort of warped beast and eventually his mind starts to decay. He still pursues his revenge, but it is a double edged sword that is destroying him as well as Dimmesdale. “But, as he proceeded, a terrible fascination, a kind of fierce, though still calm, necessity seized the old man within its gripe, and never set him free again until he had done all its bidding.” (Hawthorne 117).

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 08:50:36 am

Nice defense of this theme. Good use of textual evidence.

Logan L.

1/28/2015 12:28:39 pm

It was once said that if you're going to embark on a quest for revenge, you should make sure you dig two graves. This reflects Chillingworth's struggle to bring down Dimmesdale, which inevitably ends up hurting himself as well. At the end of the book, not only is Dimmesdale destroyed but Chillingworth is also ravaged about what he has done. Because of this, Chillingworth's plan could be said to have backfired on him, which is a perfect example of the theme "Revenge is key to one's insanity", since Chillingworth made himself insane by the end of the plan.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 08:39:28 am

Good defense of the theme. Be sure to provide textual support to prove your claim.

Sean Kaufman

1/29/2015 08:26:37 am

In the book The Scarlet Letter, Roger Chillingworth decided to take revenge for his wife committing adultery by taking revenge on Arthur Dimmesdale. When Dimmesdale relieved to the crowd the only thing Chillingworth could use to torture him, he went into a shallow rage, saying “’Thou hast escaped me!’ he repeated more than once.” (Hawthorne 234). Throughout Chillingworth’s plot of revenge, he seemed almost deranged, in a psychotic way. His mental state was deteriorating along with Dimmesdale, but it did not recuperate. When they tried to escape, a sailor messenger said,”…hump-shouldered old doctor, and he engages to bring his friend, the gentleman she wots of, aboard with him,” (220). He went to join Hester and Dimmesdale on the boat to escape, showing is unwavering devotion to get revenge on Dimmesdale. The kind of devotion he was showing was unhealthy and is done only by revenge-crazed people who have created nothing else in their lives. When Dimmesdale showed the crowd what was on his chest, Dimmesdale lost his fear of it being known, causing Chillingworth to lose all leeway he possessed. This realization caused Chillingworth to go mad with doubt and anger, causing him to become even more insane. By attempting revenge on Dimmesdale, he dove into waters of insanity so deep that no one was able to rise back to the surface of sanity again.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 08:22:21 am

Much stronger defense of this thematic statement compared to your defense of your own.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 08:31:45 am

I would have phrased this a bit differently ("key" usually refers to something that is critical to a desired result - and insanity is usually not a desired end goal). Nonetheless, revenge can lead to insanity is certainly a theme of this novel.

Sean Kaufman

1/26/2015 09:46:17 am

Puritanism is an unforgiving and vengeful religion.

Samantha Soracco

1/28/2015 07:14:06 am

Puritanism is a very strict religion. God is what one lives for. Life doesn't matter as long as when one dies, one may find herself with God. The puritans didn't live life in the moment, only in worrying anxious patterns of every day life to not do wrong acts and to please God. There was no fun, no selfish nor self pampering acts. No choosing the life one wanted to live. People were given life only to meet God after death. There were many rules to follow in which made life boring and terrible. Puritans did not have the right to do whatever puritans wanted to do because the bible was what was followed. If one bad act is done, no Puritan is forgiven by God and was doomed to go to hell. Puritanism was vengeful because of the torture puritans were put through with the Salem witch trials and the Scarlet letter. People were killed for absolutley no reason. All in all, Puritanism disn't allow puritans freedom.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 03:58:01 am

You should be supporting this theme with connections and evidence from the text.

Sean Kaufman

1/28/2015 08:17:51 am

The Puritan religion has severely strict punishments for now what would be considered minor crimes. In the chapter 3 of The Scarlet Letter, it said, “The penalty thereof is death,” (Hawthorne 59). Death was given out to people who committed adultery. In modern day society, a death sentence is typically given (if at all) to people who have committed murder. Other Puritan punishments included, “…a sluggish bond-servant, or an undutiful child…was to be corrected at the whipping-post. It might be, that an Antinomian, a Quaker, or other heterodox religionist was to be scourged out of the town, or an idle and vagrant Indian whom the white man’s fire-water had made riotous about the streets, was to be driven with stripes into the shadow of the forest,” (47). The religion whipped children, exiled other religions, and combined these punishments for Indians for causing a ruckus, which could be just as minor as hitting a bell to tell the children to come. Puritanism is an extremist form of Catholicism. One wrong step and this religion takes everything. The author showed one final punishment in chapter 25. In it, Dimmesdale dies, secretly becoming an additional punishment for Hester and Chillingworth. His death is punishment to Hester for having a child with him. Hester sincerely still loved Dimmesdale and wanted to see him again, as stated in chapter 23, which said, “’Shall we not meet again?’…By bringing me hither, to die this death of triumphant ignominy before the people!”(229). It was pushed further when she was buried. The burial place, “…was near that old and sunken grave, yet with a space between, as if the dust of the two sleepers had no right to mingle,” (235). She was never allowed to meet him again. His death was also a punishment to Chillingworth for ditching his wife and never having told her he was alive for two years, as well as Chillingworth is now unable to torture Dimmesdale, which had become his only goal in life. Even seven years after the crime is done, the Puritan religion still found a way to punish them, making Puritanism a largely unforgiving religion.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 08:17:34 am

Your defense could have been more clearly articulated. How is Dimmesdale's death a Puritan punishment for Hester and Chillingworth? How did Puritanism punish Chillingworth? Is it the religion that is punishing them, or society?

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 07:50:10 am

This is a good theme for Scarlet Letter, however it is not as universal as it should be. You have limited your theme's versatility by including Puritanism in your statement.

Logan L.

1/26/2015 11:48:23 pm

When judging a person, more than just what meets the eye should be taken into account.

Jay Vankawala

1/28/2015 11:33:26 am

Hester, to the reader's eyes, is a respectable woman that is an extremely humble in character, a caring mother, and a positive contributor to her society. The fact that her daughter Pearl is an anomaly to Hester does not make the latter lose her patience (to a justifiable amount) while raising her. Hester is also described later in the novel as "able," and readily gives food to the poor and needy and mends the clothing of many in her small village. However, an unforgivable incident that took place seven years ago had tarnished everything she strives to be perceived as today. The other characters in The Scarlet Letter, as well as humans in general, tend to emphasize the bad actions of their peers rather than the good ones, and never forget each other's mistakes. Of course, when judging a person, more than just what meets the eye should be taken into account. One bad choice should not overshadow the overall good character of a person.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 01:13:10 am

Good defense of this theme. Provide textual support to prove your claims.

Logan L.

1/28/2015 12:17:18 pm

This thematic statement reflects the theme of The Scarlet Letter because Dimmesdale was for so long viewed as the apex of purity in the town, but near the end of the book was shown to be in reality the most sinful of them all. Hester also was no doubt scarred with sin, but she was at least open with it and didn't try to conceal it. Also, she tried to seek redemption from her sin by making it known in her infamous Scarlet Letter, instead of just ignoring it like Dimmesdale did. Because of Dimmesdale's saint-like statues among his parishioners, as contrasted to his real self, it is abundantly clear that close analysis of a person is necessary before judging them as either good or bad. This leads to the thematic statement "When judging a person, more than just what meets the eye should be taken into account".

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 08:49:38 am

Great defense of statement, but you must provide textual support to prove your claims.

Marisa B

1/29/2015 07:40:22 am

One person should not be judged by their appearance or what other people think of them. In the Scarlet Letter, people automatically began to judge Hester when they saw the large 'A" she wore on her chest. They whispered things about how she was a disgrace to the community and how she was going to go to hell. However, these people barely even knew Hester and had no right to judge her based on what "had met the eye" before they knew the real Hester. This is a great thematic statement that relates to the novel! Great work Logan!

Mrs. Elbakry

2/5/2015 01:55:54 am

Good defense of statement, but you should provide evidence from the text to support.

Stephanie Barrios

1/29/2015 11:40:51 am

When everyone looks at Hester they see her red A and automatically think of the sin she has committed. They can’t seem to get past their differences. They only see that she is a sinner and going to hell. In Hester’s mind she was forced to marry a man she did not love. Once it seemed he had died she felt the right to move on with her life. She fell in love with a man and had a child. In her mind she may have known it was a sin but she also felt like she deserved happiness.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 06:19:30 am

Good defense.

Christopher Conicelli

1/29/2015 11:57:54 am

In the story Hester is marked with the "A" that she must wear for all to see. This marking on her is used to tell the people to treat her differently from everybody else because she has committed adultry. Everyone is made to assume she is a very awful person when actually she helps many people including the poor. If the people did not treat her so unfairly they would come to show more respect for her since she is such a nice person. In the end of the book the people begin to show her respect because they start to realize that the "A" she wears is only a mark of her past and not of who she is.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 02:03:17 am

Good defense, however you should provide textual support to prove your claims.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 08:48:35 am

Good thematic statement and life lesson.

Kelly W.

1/27/2015 06:45:38 am

Making a mistake does not always necessarily make someone a bad person.

Kelly W.

1/28/2015 08:52:23 am

The theme of the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, revolves around Hester's mistake she made in her past. Although she made a sinful choice by committing adultery, this did not affect how Hester acted in her community. She did not live in pity and forget about her life and Pearl's life; she lived through her shame and continued to learn from her mistake. Hester knew better than anyone that she did the wrong thing, but yet she didn't stop living because of it. Committing adultery did not make her a bad person. Though her community looked down upon her, there came a point in the novel that she was the tailor of the town and would sew items of the people in her community. She also helped the poor and even earned the respect of the people in her community by contributing so much. They admitted that she was full of helpfulness and was respected... they even believed her A mean Able and "so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength" (146)! Hester managed to change the scornful interpretation of her A just by helping in her society, which is how people should look at every mistake. Mistakes are purely what they are: mistakes. They should never define a person, but if they do then there should be a way for one to redeem themselves, which was clearly detailed in this novel.

Zoe Olbrys

1/28/2015 03:38:11 pm

Committing a sin or making a mistake should not define a person; his or her long lasting behaviors and actions should be the basis for what others think of him or her. Being a good person versus a bad person deals with many factors and decisions a person has made, not just one. Hester Prynne clearly committed a sin, adultery, and a child was born because of her mistake. Though the members of her community initially ostracized and judged her for several years because of one simple mistake she made, they did not see her true colors until they realized she was more than just a symbol of ridicule in their Puritan town. The quote “Individuals in private life [...] had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, not of that one sin [...] but of her many good deeds since [...] the town’s own Hester, who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted!” (Hawthorne 147) shows the transformation of the townspeople who once scorned Hester, and now value her as a person rather than treating her like a piece of garbage. Her mistake clearly defined her for many years after she gave birth, but the fact that Hester was a good person on the inside showed through when she helped the individuals in her town in their everyday lives. Clearly, Hester did not commit adultery because she was a bad person, but because of her feelings of lust and love toward Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester did make a rather large mistake, but was never a “bad person”; only a person characterized by a wrong decision.

Chris Wolf

1/29/2015 09:04:43 am

Hawthorne truly emphasizes in this novel that even though you made a mistake, you are not necessarily a bad person. Adultery was looked down upon in Puritan society and was even punishable by death. When Hester committed her act of adultery, she stood up on the scaffold being berated by fellow townsmen and as a punishment, was forced to wear a scarlet A on her chest. The people of the town then treat her as an outcast. However, later in the novel, Hawthorne shows how Hester has been donated her time to helping the poor all while supporting Pearl on her own. "None so self-devoted as Hester, when pestilence stalks the town" (Hawthorne 146). These acts of kindness shows how that even Hester made a mistake, she is still a kind person. Although adultery is a very malicious act, Hester was simply under the mindset that her husband was dead and could move on to other relationships. Hester shows how even though she made a huge mistake, she is still a kind and helpful person, thus conveying Hawthorne's theme that making a mistake does not make you a bad person.

Mrs. E

2/10/2015 01:40:22 am

Good defense and use of evidence from the text!

Andrew Cuomo

1/29/2015 10:05:27 am

Hester in The Scarlet Letter made a huge mistake for her time. But you don't see her breaking the law constantly. She is a nice person and the only reason not many people like her is because of the mistake. It's not because she is a nasty person or anything like that. The only thing people like her for is her embroidery. She is a good person for doing this, and everybody loves wearing her pieces of art. Some of the highest people in the town where her clothes. People should like her because of this, and not shun her because she made a mistake.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 06:29:13 am

Okay. You could have also defended Hester's goodness with her moral choices beyond just embroidering shrouds. Use textual support.

Mrs.E

2/6/2015 03:57:18 am

Good topic, but I would be more direct in what you're claiming. "Making a mistake does not make someone a bad person."

Jacob Eichenbaum

1/27/2015 10:20:27 am

The theme of The Scarlet Letter is that adultery is harmful towards all parties involved.

Jacob E.

1/28/2015 09:41:04 am

The Scarlet Letter focuses primarily on the effects of adultery on those involved. Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and even Pearl become different because of the incident. Hester's change is most obvious, as she is forced to wear her scarlet letter and disliked by the whole town. Dimmesdale really beats himself up over his sin, and this becomes extremely apparent by the health problems he faces. He also is cursed with a red mark on his chest. Chillingworth undergoes the most subtle change. He makes it his life's purpose to torture Dimmesdale. Around town he seems the same, but in his personal home he is obsessed with the idea of hurting the Reverend. Because of her unlawful conception, Pear is forced to experience her childhood as an outcast. Even though she was nothing less than the product of her parents' sin she is forced to suffer. No good came from Hester and Dimmesdale's affair, and this is evident throughout the story.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 07:14:48 am

Good defense of your theme. Use textual support to truly prove your claims.

Kelly W.

1/28/2015 12:50:22 pm

Two of the characters that were affected the most by this act were Hester, Pearl, and Dimmsdale. Dimmsdale held on to the guilt of being the sinner in this act throughout the whole book. Through the entire book, Dimmsdale's health actually deteriorates, as it is assumed that he grew old from the guilt he had been holding onto. Hester was given a scarlet letter in the beginning of the book (which we observed the entire way through the book), which labeled her as a sinner. The society she lived in looked down upon her and even lead her to isolation in the woods. Lastly, Pearl was looked at as a child of sin. She was the product of the adultery, which made her seem to be the product of a sin and was also looked down upon in her society as well. She could not be a normal kid in her society, but she was almost hated by many. These were all repercussions of the adultery sin. It does not just affect one person; it affects multiple.

Mrs. E

2/10/2015 01:49:06 am

Good defense. You are missing textual support, though, which will strengthen your argument.

Wade G

1/29/2015 10:45:28 am

This theme is very accuratley stated. Through out this novel this is made very apparent. While it seems as though one night of unfaithfulness could not result in too much harm, this is completley wrong. Not only did Hester ruin her own reputation, but her daughter's, her husband's, and her lover's. All parties involved are constantly plauged by thoughts of these sinful, unfaithful acts. This becomes apparent when Dimmesdale states "Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life." This really shows how even though Dimmesdale is in the clear in the eye of the public the guilt is still eating him alive.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 07:31:55 am

Very good defense of this theme. Much stronger than your defense of your own theme.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 07:12:19 am

Interesting theme choice. Not many touched upon this topic.

Briannaaa

1/27/2015 12:43:19 pm

Even the most noble man, can have his undignified moments.

Brianna Old

1/28/2015 07:02:05 am

The book The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, had depicted a story of a young woman’s life, Hester Prynne, after she had committed the crime adultery. After reading the book, developing thematic statement, "Even the most noble man, can have his undignified moments”, can fully support the overall theme. Both the main characters Hester and Arthur Dimmesdale had carried out actions that had surprised the reader. Hester, an assumed to be widow, had moved to the New World from England without her husband accompanying her. She was a fair seamstress forced to make a living on her own. Even though she was an innocent woman in the beginning, her pureness had been ripped by the inevitable acts that brought her to shame. On the other hand, Arthur Dimmesdale, the town reverend, was a man who was supposed to enforce the Puritan law instead of break it. When lust won over logic, Dimmesdale desire to conform to Puritan society had broke, leaving him with unforgivable guilt; he had continued on to harm himself mentally and physically. These two characters had expressed how even the good can have a darker side that commits the bad.

Sydney T.

1/28/2015 11:07:36 am

The thematic statement "Even the most noble man, can have his undignified moments", makes sense because Arthur Dimmesdale was known as a noble man among the puritan society. He was the reverend of the town and was never known for doing anything remotely out of character. When he had assisted Hester in committing adultery, that is when he had had his undignified moment. Like stated, Hester was an assumed widow and it was unexpected of her to commit such an undignified act.

Mrs. E

2/10/2015 01:54:25 am

Good defense, but you're missing evidence from the text to support it.

Erin Satkowski

1/29/2015 10:26:34 am

This thematic statement is very true throughout the novel. In the text, Dimmesdale was presumed to be the most holy person throughout the Puritan society because he was a minister. The Puritan people praised him and looked up to him for guidance on how to fulfill their Puritan beliefs. No one would ever suspect that he would commit such a mistake. I also liked how you used the phrase, "undignified moments," because that is all it was; a mistake, an undignified moment. Dimmesdale shouldn't be punished his whole life just for one mistake. It wasn't crime, perhaps in the Puritan religion, but not by today's standards. In the text, Dimmesdale expresses his deep remorse for his act of adultery and the audience can see what this mistake is doing to his physical and mental state. He knows what he did is wrong and that is punishment enough.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:15:02 am

Great defense of theme. Be sure to use textual evidence to support.

Mrs. E

2/10/2015 01:53:28 am

Nicely articulated theme!

Connie C

1/27/2015 02:08:57 pm

The truth will set a person free from the guilt that has been destroying his body and soul.

Kayla A

1/29/2015 07:35:53 am

One person who was affected in the book was Arthur Dimmesdale. In the book, he lived with the guilt of committing adultery with Hester. Throughout the book, Dimmesdale gets attacked by himself and by Rodger Chillingworth. He starts to deteriorate and ends up dying from his poor health. Hester was someone in the book who didn't have to hide the guilt. She made her sin known by decorating the "A" on her chest. She ended up becoming a member of the society again. By telling the truth, she set herself free from all the guilt and the shame. However, Dimmesdale did not and that led to his destruction.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 06:06:14 am

Good defense of this statement.

Connie C

1/29/2015 10:09:50 am

The theme in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is that the truth will set a person free from the guilt that has been destroying his body and soul. This is because Dimmesdale was always suffering in the book before he exposed his secret to the townspeople. In the book, it said, “In Mr. Dimmesdale’s secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge. Oftentimes, this Protestant and Puritan divine had plied it on his own shoulders; laughing bitterly at himself the while, and smiting so much the more pitilessly, because of that bitter laugh. It was his custom, too, as it has been that of many other pious Puritans, to fast,—not, however, like them, in order to purify the body and render it the fitter medium of celestial illumination,—but rigorously, and until his knees trembled beneath him, as an act of penance” (Hawthorne 131-132). As this quotes states, Dimmesdale tortures himself by whipping and starving his body because of the guilt hidden in his soul. He feels guilty because he committed a sin, but is not atoning for it like Hester. Instead, he is looked upon as a holy, sinless person by the townspeople. Sadly, that just leads Dimmesdale to feel even guiltier; to the point in which he physically hurt himself because of his strong Puritan beliefs.
At the end of the book, Dimmesdale finally confesses to the townspeople that he is the father of Pearl. After his blunt confession, Dimmesdale collapses on the scaffold, but “there was a sweet and gentle smile over his face, as of a spirit sinking into deep repose; nay, now that the burden was removed, it seemed almost as if he would be sportive with the child” (Hawthorne 228-229). As it is shown in this quote, Dimmesdale feels ‘free’ after he confesses his sin to the people of the town. Soon after this, Dimmesdale dies and that shows that God has finally let him be ‘free’ from the self-inflicted torture he had caused himself daily.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 06:23:57 am

Terrific defense of theme and use of evidence to support. Well done.

Sviatoslav K.

1/29/2015 11:25:13 am

i can agree to this being the theme of the book due to how the truth was the darkness that scarred Dimmesdale's heart in the story. during the entire story we have been trying to find out who is the father of Pearl. What better way of learning how was by discovering the dark scene right above the ministers heart where he punished himself for adultery just as his partner was. Of course, once Chillingworth had found out it ate at Hester due to how she had allowed her lover to be tormented by her wicked husband. Except, when finally in chapter 17 the two came clean with one another and decided to make better of there lives together. "'I do forgive you, Hester,' ... ' I freely forgive you now. May God forgive us both! We are not, Hester, the worst sinners in the world..." (Hawthorne 176). This quote shows how when after the two freed the evil truth from within them set the two free from the darkness from which they are living, and lead them to going out to better their lives for themselves and Pearl.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 08:33:42 am

Good defense of this theme and textual evidence to support.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 06:22:45 am

Excellent theme!

Samantha Soracco

1/28/2015 12:11:51 am

If a good person does one bad thing, that bad thing has become the person's reputation entirely.

Samantha Soracco

1/28/2015 07:04:28 am

This theme is relative throughout the entire book of The Scarlet Letter because Hester was not well known before adultery. She had a husband that was lost at sea for some time so he was figured to be dead. Hester thought this and decided to have a daughter with another man. This was considered adultery because her lost at sea husband was still alive and her doing of adultery was considered a sin to the public. From that point on, where she was recognized for her adulterous acts, she became known as the symbol of adultery and was looked down upon by all. "Speak woman!" the puritans would say as they victimized her upon the scaffold the day she was recognized for sin. Hester wore a scarlet letter "A" on her chest all her life from that moment. She was publicly judged all her life because of her act. Although that wasn't all there was to Hester because she helped people and raised Pearl, she improved herself and made herself known more than the letter. But still, even at her grave, Hester and Dimmesdale had the letter "A" on their graves to symbolize a big part of their lives. To have the wide known adultery symbol imprinted on a tomb stone of those who have done it, pretty much tells people that adultery was a big part of their lives. " On the field, Sable, the letter A, Gules" This last sentence of the book proves that Hester's one bad act was what she was known for in her life; that no apologetic action could mask the biggest sin of all.

Hailey H

1/29/2015 11:37:35 am

I agree with you Sam how this theme is seen throughout the entire book of the Scarlet Letter. The second chapter of the book begins with a description of a women standing on a platform holding a baby and wearing a red "A" on her chest. From the very beginning, the readers were taught that Hester was to be known from this "A." You mentioned how one act will predict a person's reputation and this is completely true. For example, Dimmesdale is known as the nicest person in town because he helps the townspeople in the church. However if he does one wrong action, his title is ruined and he will be looked down upon. As you talked about, the "A" made appearances throughout the book even to the last sentence. This "A" was put on the grave to symbolize how Hester would always be seen; a woman who committed adultery. Even though Hester made the best out of it and wore the "A" with pride, others saw it as a sin and would never forgive her for what she had done. It just shows that one bad mistake can lead to a life of hiding behind it.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 03:56:42 am

Good defense of your theme. Nice use of evidence from the text!

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 03:49:56 am

Good idea, Sam. Try to use more precise diction rather than "thing" to clarify your statement.

Tom D

1/28/2015 07:45:07 am

A person needs to learn how to forgive and not hold a grudge.

Tom D

1/29/2015 09:20:02 am

In the book "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathanial Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is a married woman, who did in fact have sexual relations with a man other than her husband. when her husband, Chillingworth, finds out, he spends every waking minute trying to figure out who the other man is and intends to do harm to him. The end result of him chasing Dimmsdale around and mentally tormenting him results in Dimmssdale dying and not soon after, Chillingworth also dying. If Chillingworth could have just realized that to Hester, he was considered to be dead, and while what she did was wrong, he could have forgiven her and not held a grudge towards the other adulterer. If Chillingworth could have been forgiving, he wouldn't have driven Dimmsdale to death with guilt and killed himself by worrying too much about the other adulterer.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 06:56:38 am

After your defense, you might have summed up your thematic statement even more concisely by saying "Grudges only lead to more downfall." Use evidence to support your claims.

Justin Olson

1/29/2015 11:32:01 am

I agree that forgiveness is a prevalent theme in the Scarlet Letter. At the end of the book Hester is forgiven by society for what she did. The Scarlet Letter is no longer what defines Hester or Pearl. In Chapter 22 [219], Hawthorne writes, “The Puritans looked on, and, if they smiled, were none the less inclined to pronounce the child a demon offspring, from the indescribable charm of beauty and eccentricity that shone through her little figure, and sparkled with its activity.”

Justin Olson

1/29/2015 11:51:48 am

I agree that forgiveness is a prevalent theme in The Scarlett Letter. At the end of the book, Hester is forgiven by society for what she did. Neither Hester nor Pearl are defined by the scarlet A on Hester’s chest. In Chapter 22 [219], Hawthorne writes, “The Puritans looked on, and, if they smiled, were none the less inclined to pronounce the child a demon offspring, from the indescribable charm of beauty and eccentricity that shone through her little figure, and sparkled with its activity.” This quote demonstrates forgiveness and acceptance on the part of the Puritans.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 09:10:32 am

Good defense and use of textual support.

Riley N

1/29/2015 11:56:50 am

This theme has very strong ties to Roger Chillingworth in the book. In chapter 4 Chillingworth asks, "But Hester, the man lives who has wronged us both! Who is he?.... 'Never sayest though?, rejoined he smile of dark and self relying intelligence," (pg 70). This began chillingworth's spiral into self-destruction.He then became a black man feared by human kind. Hawthorne writes, "The old man, on the other hand, had brought himself near to her level, or perhaps below it," (pg 151). At this point Chillingworth lost his human worth and was a soul embodiment of revenge.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 12:22:02 am

Okay defense of this theme, but more explanation would have strengthened it. Who was the grudge against? Do you think he learned his lesson in the end? Good use of evidence.

Riley N

1/29/2015 12:13:32 pm

The theme of the price to pay being to steep is very relevant as the book opens. In the beginning Hawthorne writes, "All the townspeople assembled and leveling their stern regards at Hester Prynne," (pg 56). Immediately Hester is under immediate disapproval for her acts. Lucky to escape with her life Hester almost payed the ultimate price for her mistake. Years later in the story Dimmesdale says, "The judgement of God is on me, it is too mighty for me to struggle with," (pg 177). Arthur Dimmesdale as well felt this high price that he put upon himself as a holy man. He too paid a much greater price but he pair only in silence.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 12:28:40 am

Proofread - I'm not sure what you meant by the last line. Be specific with what you are claiming. What act are you talking about? What is the price that Hester pays if not death?

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 06:47:23 am

Good theme and important life lesson.

Sydney T.

1/28/2015 08:27:40 am

Everyone makes mistakes, regardless of the repercussions.

Sydney T.

1/28/2015 10:57:51 am

After reading the novel "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne the thematic statement is "Everyone makes mistakes, regardless of the repercussions." In this novel, Hester Pyrnne had made the mistake of committing adultery, when she was already married. She had committed adultery even though repercussions could have followed afterwards and they had. Arthur Dimmesdale had also assisted Hester in committing this act. Hester had realized that committing adultery had been a mistake once she had been punished; she was out casted by society. People often make mistakes, even if they're by accident. Mistakes are committed often without the thought of consequences.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:52:45 am

This defense really supports the topic of life choices over mistakes. When you claim "She had committed adultery even though repercussions could have followed afterwards and they had," you are saying that she knew she faced repercussions for it, but she believed her husband was dead. Also, you must provide textual support for your claims.

Kelly M.

1/29/2015 10:24:40 am

Sydney, this thematic statement is well-put and very true to the plot of The Scarlet Letter. I agree with your point about how people do things without thinking of what the consequences would be. Hester obviously did not think that she would be caught, and that could have been true if it wasn't for Pearl's birth. With that in mind, no one is perfect and making mistakes is just a part of life. The true challenge is learning how to move on and grow from mistakes. Hester learned how to not let this mistake effect her all that much. She chose to raise her daughter and not resent her for being a result of a mistake.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 04:55:00 am

I like that you melded your response with the defense of your theme. You should provide evidence, however, to strengthen your claims.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:41:50 am

I'm not sure what the repercussions have to do with making mistakes (if the repercussions were already identified, would it really be a mistake...or a well thought out choice?). Try articulating your theme a bit more clearly.

Chris Wolf

1/28/2015 10:03:50 am

Your actions are the basis upon which people judge you.

Chris Wolf

1/28/2015 12:32:09 pm

The Scarlet Letter is an entire book written about the actions of one woman. This book emphasizes on how your actions decide what people think about you. At the start of the book, Hester is standing on the scaffold with little baby Pearl in her arms whilst people hurl names such as "hussy" and "sinner" at her for her act of adultery. Throughout the book, people look down upon Hester for this one act. However, later on in the book people view Hester's A as meaning "able" instead of "adulterer". Hester has spent her years aiding to the less fortunate and helping out where she can all while pulling off the single mother act. Therefore, people begin to revere Hester Prynn for her strong will and view her as a victim of circumstance as opposed to a sinner. These two scenarios focus on Hawthorne's theme of people will judge you based off your actions. Adultery was an act of the devil in Puritan times, and people were trained to believe that it was one of the worst things you can do. Therefore, when Hester is standing up on the scaffold, people view her as a sinner based off of that one action, and later in the book, people begin to look up to Hester due to her kind and charitable acts toward others. The Scarlet Letter truly focuses on how your actions can affect what people think about you.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:56:46 am

Great defense of your theme. Be sure to include textual support to strengthen your claims.

Jacob E.

1/29/2015 08:57:08 am

It is amazing how one small action can define a person. Hester Prynne had lived a good, noble life in her Puritan city, but one sin caused people to forget this. Women whom Hester had once been friendly with were saying things like, "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die," (49). While Hester had done nothing horribly wrong before her affair with Dimmesdale, it was her one negative action by which she was judged by her peers. Even when Hester grew and matured as a women throughout the book, the townspeople remembered her sin through the scarlet letter sewn on her clothing. All of the good she does helping the less fortunate it is appreciated, but not enough to change their judgement of her. Her one initial action, committing adultery continues to haunt her throughout the novel.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 07:18:44 am

Great defense and evidence to support this theme.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:54:42 am

Good theme!

Ava M

1/28/2015 10:12:28 am

Committing one sin automatically makes you a sinner, regardless of how good a person you are.

Ava M

1/29/2015 08:10:06 am

Hester was a good person who made a mistake. She slept with Dimmesdale and he got her pregnant, and for that she was branded as a sinner. They ostracized her from society and made her wear a scarlet letter on her chest. She became very lonely and sad, with only her daughter to talk to. “Here, there was the taint of deepest sin in the most sacred quality of human life, working such effect, that the world was only the darker for this woman's beauty, and the more lost for the infant that she had borne.” (Hawthorne 53). She tried to do good deeds and help the people of the community, but they still only saw the scarlet letter on her chest. She wasn’t a bad person, but after just doing one bad thing in her life, she was marked as a sinner. In the puritan times, a sin was a sin, and it didn’t matter what the size of it was

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 08:56:10 am

Good points made. You could have also used Dimmsdale as an example.

Connie C

1/29/2015 10:32:13 am

Dimmesdale was considered to be a holy, respected Puritan minister before he confessed his sin. In the novel, it said, “The people knew not the power that moved them thus. They deemed the young clergyman [Dimmesdale] a miracle of holiness. They fancied him the mouth-piece of Heaven’s messages of wisdom, and rebuke, and love. In their eyes, the very ground on which he trod was sanctified (Hawthorne 129-130). However, after Dimmesdale exposed his sin, the people never saw him as a holy Puritan minister again. To the townspeople, Dimmesdale turned into a sinner and that will never change no matter how hard Dimmesdale’s friends try to cover it up because of the “proofs, clear as the mid-day sunshine on the scarlet letter, establish him a false and sin-stained creature of the dust” (Hawthorne 231).

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 06:25:13 am

Solid defense and use of evidence.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 08:51:55 am

Interesting take on the topic of sin. Most people go with the answer we all want to here - "one shouldn't be judged by one act alone" - but you went with the sad truth about society. Good job.

Nolan

1/28/2015 10:52:31 am

The gods only go with you if you put yourself in their path, but you must be the one to make that choice and take the risk.

Nolan

1/29/2015 11:37:07 am

In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne describes the beliefs and ideas of Puritans during the 1850’s. They believed highly in God, being Catholics who strongly stressed the ideas of pure religion. This thematic statement begins with the idea of putting yourself into God’s hands. This can be connected with The Scarlet Letter because the Puritans in this book believed this very idea: That everything that happens in life happens only because God wants it to. The second part says how it is a difficult choice to make, and very hard to uphold. Hester, the main character, has committed adultery. Most people often shunned her, but she has accepted it and “put herself into God’s path.” She made the choice, took the risk, and allowed her life to play out.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 11:32:19 pm

The Puritans (and this novel) were from the 1600s. They were Christians, not Catholics. What choice are you talking about here? If God controls everything, what free will did they have? This is not a well-articulated defense of your theme.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 04:56:37 am

Clarify what you mean by "the gods only go with you if you put yourself in their path" - are you talking about destiny and fate? free will? good karma?

Jay Vankawala

1/28/2015 11:22:43 am

Human nature needs to be accepted and cherished rather than restricted by government or religion.

Jay Vankawala

1/29/2015 11:31:40 am

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, Hester Prynne struggles to battle her inner human desire for pleasure in a strictly Puritan society. Her secret “adultery” is discovered when she gives birth to a daughter after her legal husband had disappeared for two years. Her lover, shockingly, is revealed to be a priest, Mr. Dimmesdale. In her Puritan world, Hester and her neighbors were stripped off all that made them human – pain, pleasure, desire, even the pursuit of happiness. Their life goal was to punish themselves until God redeemed them and sent them a sign to say that they were granted a ticket to heaven. As a punishment for her ill deed, Hester was forced to wear a large scarlet “A” on her chest, standing for “adultery” or “adulteress.” However - "For years past she had looked from this estranged point of view at human institutions, and whatever priests or legislators had established; criticizing all with hardly more reverence than the Indian would …The tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers … and they had made her strong.” Hester does not resent the scarlet letter, she cherishes it! She acknowledges its power to dare her to do things no Puritan would do. Feel shame. Feel despair. Feel free. These are all emotions that we need to stay humble and keep our sanity. Trying to restrict that special something that gives us life and character is like robbing our humanity and turning us into mindless robots. One cannot make a human not feel attraction or experience sexual intimacy, similar to how one cannot keep a dog from barking or a honey bee from producing honey. Rather, these distinct traits should be perceived as gifts, part of a wonderful essence that makes us, us. We can use them to progress ourselves as individuals to be more sympathetic, more understanding, and more HUMAN. Nothing, not God, not the government, and not religion, should instill fear or pressurize us into being people we don’t want to be or seeing others in condescending or reverent ways, two opposite extremes that were able to almost completely control the villagers in Hester’s society. Justifiable human nature will always prevail – there is no way to prevent it, hide it, or subdue it. Hester and her “devout” lover Dimmesdale proved that when they committed adultery under the severest of pressures of punishment.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 01:12:07 am

Terrific defense of your theme and support from the text. Well done.

Patrick M

1/29/2015 11:43:24 am

The tenets of Puritanism are notoriously dull and bleak. These tenets essentially reduces human beings to robotic slaves whose only purpose is to serve their overlord, whom they should continuously be fearful of. No dancing, singing, or freedom of thought are allowed in this culture; only linear thinking is encouraged by the Puritans. When Puritan values creep into government, as was the case in The Scarlet Letter, humans are demeaned even further; Hester Prynne was labeled with the mark of her sin for the rest of her life because of her human desire to break out of her failing relationship and pursue her true love. The restriction of these purely human emotions and actions can only lead to a stagnating society, with no out-of-the-box thinking and no social progress being made if every person is told to be a thoughtless drone. The only way for a society to grow is to allow spontaneity and passion, not some cold, vengeful, and narcissistic idol, be the rulers of the populace.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:02:47 am

You make some poignant points and connections to the text. Be sure to include textual evidence.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 01:11:24 am

Interesting theme! This would definitely not apply to LOTF :)

Heather Hassler

1/28/2015 12:36:44 pm

Guilt is a feeling that is dangerous unless faced.

B. Forever Young

1/29/2015 08:19:09 am

One of the thematic statements "Even the most noble man, can have his undignified moments" had been developed after reading "The Scarlet Letter" and can correspond with the other written above. To back up the first thematic statement, Author Dimmesdale had been used as an example to express the unforgivable guilt he felt after assisting Hester in committing adultery. It was shocking to find out that the town reverend, a holy rule follower, had committed the ultimate crime. On going to the second statement, Dimmesdale can be used again to signify how one can not forget about guilt. No matter how bad you can mentally and physically hurt yourself, guilt will constantly force its way into your life until fully faced.

Mrs. E

2/10/2015 01:52:49 am

I wish you would have focused solely on the Heather's thesis statement. As is, you haven't provided enough detail to defend this statement, only that Dimmsdale is a good example - why? Provide evidence from the text.

Heather Hassler

1/29/2015 09:24:32 am

The book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is mainly focused on the aftermath of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale’s horrible act committed. Together, the two had a child out of wedlock, and while Hester was married. Hester was punished appropriately for this crime, while Dimmesdale’s identity remained a secret. This left Dimmesdale feeling extremely guilty, especially since he was witnessing Hester’s secret be released. He, on the other hand, had to keep all of his guilt bottled up inside of him. He had to torture himself in order to not feel bad. He did not want Hester to suffer more than he did. This feeling of equal guilt is prominent throughout the entirety of the novel. Dimmesdale’s guilt is never solved and he lives his entire life in the book with it. Finally, at the end of the book, it is too much to handle, which is just proving the fact that one’s guilt can be harmful.

Mrs E

2/3/2015 07:39:04 am

Great defense, but it would be even stronger if you provided textual support.

Ethan LaFrance

1/29/2015 10:41:44 am

Well said, Heather. Both Hester and Dimmesdale experience guilt, while Hester's comes from the outside world, the source of Dimmesdale's guilt is entirely from within himself. In the very end, Hester is ready to move on with her life, and not let the society she lives in define her, having dealt with constant judgment ever since the first signs of her adultery began to show. Dimmesdale, however, let the guilt cripple him, making him a shell of the great man of God he once was. The guilt ends up murdering him. This is interesting because, while society knew of Hester's crime, it forced her to reckon with it, and by doing that, accept it as part of herself. Dimmesdale was never forced to face his guilt head on, only knowing it as it ate away at his heart, and it ended up being the death of him. Perhaps Hawthorne is saying that, although society was wrong to judge the pair, the real battle was within them. The external hatred did not matter, but how one views themself ultimately decides their fate. You captured Hawthorne's message beautifully in the statement, "Guilt is a feeling that is dangerous unless faced."

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 04:32:33 am

Great response, Ethan. Next time, provide textual support to prove your claims.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 07:33:21 am

Very good thematic statement! Precise and poignant.

Christopher Conicelli

1/28/2015 12:40:41 pm

Making mistakes is a part of life, but how the situation is handled makes the difference.

Mary Palys

1/29/2015 08:18:41 am

Hester and Dimmesdale both committed the crime of adultery yet, they handled the situation differently. Hester faced the crime with "natural dignity and a force of character" (Hawthorne 50). Hester was not scared of climbing the stairs of the scaffold, looking the crowd in the eye, and admitting to what she had done. She did not blame anyone or look down on Pearl with disdain. Hester handled the situation she was in with grace and even refused to bring anyone else down with her. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, let the situation go to his head. He felt an aching guilt deep in his soul the would not fade. He poured his guilt into his sermons but the hole in his chest kept growing. It eventually got to the point where he just could not take it anymore; he was delusional and so sickly the he carved a matching crimson letter 'A' into his chest. While Hester accepted what had happened and tried to move on, Dimmesdale only wallowed in his guilt.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 12:43:01 am

Terrific defense of this theme. Nice work!

Tom D

1/29/2015 09:27:22 am

I agree with your thematic statement "making mistakes is a part of life, but how the situation is handled makes the difference." What Hester did was technically wrong, however to her, Chillingworth was assumed to be dead. If Chillingworth could have handled the situation a little better and not been bent on revenge for Dimmsdale, both Chillingworth and Dimmsdale could have worked out a way in which no one got hurt. However, Chillingworth handled the situation poorly, causing the conflict of him trying to find out who the other sinner was, and ultimately killing both himself and Dimmsdale.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 07:00:18 am

I think the better connections to make would be to Hester and Dimmsdale. Hester handled her mistake head on and lived a life with less struggle than Dimmesdale did in hiding. Chillingworth's wrongdoing was torturing Dimmsdale. Perhaps his redemption was passing on his fortune to Pearl.

Heather Hassler

1/29/2015 09:33:31 am

In most situations, one has a decision to make on how to handle things. In the case of The Scarlet Letter, each character is faced with life-changing decisions. How they carry themselves through each situation determined the outcome, both physically and mentally. Committing adultery had made a huge impact on both Hester Prynne’s and Arthur Dimmesdale’s lives. Their reaction to it, though, shows how huge of a difference there can be when handling a situation. While Hester was persecuted publically, she was able to stay strong through the process and still remain dignified. Dimmesdale, whose sin was kept away from the public until the end of the novel, handled the situation entirely different. The guilt he felt completely took over him and he let it tear him apart. He and Hester had two very different takes on the situation and the outcome of each shows the impact it had. Hester was able to remain fairly happy, although internally conflicted. Dimmesdale’s death is largely because of the way he tortured himself because of the adultery committed.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 07:40:21 am

Great defense, but, again, you should be provided textual support to strengthen your claims.

Tim M

1/29/2015 10:03:28 am

I strongly agree with your statement. Hester and Dimmesdale both committed adultery. They both handled it well, but in different ways. Revenge plays a major role in the handling of the situation. Though Dimmesdale did commit a crime, Chillingworth should not have wanted to harm another person for this minor crime (though serious in their time) but Chillingworth was assumed to be dead. The resolution of this should not to get revenge on Dimmesdale. Chillingworth handled the situation poorly because there is another way to solve it without any one getting hurt. Hester handled this situation very good, and took great pride in it. Since she was a seamstress she made it gold so it would stand out. She was not afraid or down about it. She was making a statement that she does not care and loves her daughter. “God gave her into my keeping,”...“I will not give her up!” (103). She handled this very professionally.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 11:35:14 pm

Good use of evidence when connecting Hester's situation to the theme. Chillingworth, however, was the wrong example to compare her to. Dimmsdale is the one who made the mistake, and he handled it poorly by keeping his secret bottled up until the guilt finally killed him.

Christopher Conicelli

1/29/2015 11:29:51 am

Throughout the story Hester has to deal with the consequences of committing adultery in a Puritan society. In the beginning of the book the people do not treat her the way they used to. She is now looked down upon for her actions, yet Hester handles the situation in a respectable way. When she walks out of the prison in the book she "appeared more ladylike, in the antique interpretation of the term, than as she issued from the prison." (Hawthorne 7) Hester knows that what she has done is not accept by the people, but handles the situation by showing them that she is still a respectable human. Deeper in the book the connection between the people and Hester changes when they realize that she may not be such an awful person after all and start to treat her better. In the book the people say, "It is our Hester - the town's own Hester - who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted!" (Hawthorne 111) Since Hester handled the situation in a respectable way, she was able to change the people's views about her from her negative actions to realizing that she truly is a respectable woman.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 02:08:11 am

Nice work here. Good use of evidence.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 02:06:11 am

Good statement, but I would ask that you be more specific when you say "makes the difference." In what manner?

Zoe Olbrys

1/28/2015 03:18:42 pm

Individuality, through personal decisions and actions, can be both positive and negative.

Zoe Olbrys

1/29/2015 03:29:14 am

Hester Prynne, the protagonist in the Scarlet Letter, was used as a symbol to show how one person can become an individual through their choices. Her ultimate decision to commit adultery made her stand out the most; she gave birth to a child out of sin and was punished by having to wear an A on her chest and by standing on a scaffold in front of her entire town. Hester showed individuality because most people in Puritan times would stay strict to their religious values, whereas she committed adultery with her town’s priest, Arthur Dimmesdale. Also, she was an individual because she was ostracized from society, causing her to live on the outskirts of town in the wooded area, where many people were afraid to go because they were afraid of the unknown. Though Hester made the decision to commit adultery, she was able to use her individuality as something positive; she made the punishment more enjoyable by decorating the A she wore on her chest. Not only did the red A make her stand out, but the embroidery and intricate features displayed her creativity and longing to be different than the rest of society. She decorated the A with “[…] an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread […] so artistically done […] the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore […]” (Hawthorne 50) showing that if she were going to be set apart from the crowd, she would make her separation (the letter A) beautiful. Therefore, being an individual through committing a sin is negative, but her choice to embrace her mistake made the situation more positive for Hester, because she could control what would ultimately separate her from society; the letter A.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 12:40:29 am

Good defense and use of evidence to support. I think your theme could have been "Despite society's judgment of what is different, individuality is something that should be celebrated/embraced."

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 12:36:49 am

While I like your topic, I think choosing one side or the other would strengthen the statement.

Kelly M.

1/28/2015 03:22:28 pm

The past should be used as a tool to help guide you in the direction of your life, now; but it is not meant to define you.

Jeet R.

1/29/2015 09:27:34 am

Kelly, this thematic statement is very accurate and insightful. The great equality activist Marcus Garvey once said "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots."This quote, and yours, apply beautifully to The Scarlet Letter. The protagonist (Hester Prynne), a formerly respected member of society, was harshly reprehended after being found to be an adulterer. However during her punishment, she utilizes her past experiences to help guide her decision making in the later chapters of the books. This is evident in the facts that she became both the town seamstress, and a aide to poor and homeless people. Both of these acts helped in the process of changing her image, and in showing how she used her past as a learning tool. However, she did not let it define who she was in present time. After looking at all the data, it is easy to see that your thematic statement is validated.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 01:06:05 am

Very good defense, but use some textual support to prove it.

Kelly M.

1/29/2015 10:16:14 am

The Scarlet Letter's underlying theme throughout the entire book was that it was extremely important to the protagonist, Hester Prynne, to grow from the mistakes that she had made in the past. Hester committed adultery and was punished by being forced to wear an "A" upon her chest in order for her crime to be evident to everyone else. Along with that punishment, she was forced to leave her town as she raised her daughter. As most people would probably be ashamed and agree with the ostracization, Hester looked at it in a different light. She chose to raise her daughter (Pearl) as a normal child and not allow her to know that she was the cause of this. Hester looked at the situation as something that wasn't nearly as bad as it seemed. It is important to not forget the past and mistakes completely, but to let it guide a person to make better decisions. "From this intense consciousness of being the object of severe and unusual observation, the wearer of the scarlet letter was at length relieved, by discerning, on the outskirts of the crowd, a figure which irresistibly took possession of her thoughts." (Hawthorne 56). This was a scene on the scaffold when Hester had to stand in front of everyone and admit to the crime that she had committed. She stood with her head up and shoulders back and took responsibility for her actions. She also saw the man who was a part of Pearl's conception, but stood alone and did not call him out. Rather than dwelling on her previous actions, she took her punishment like a champion and would later be a model for her daughter of how to stand up for yourself and move forward.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 04:53:03 am

Great defense of your theme and good use of evidence.

Julia H.

1/29/2015 10:18:13 am

I agree with your argument; it was very insightful! When Hester committed the crime of adultery, she did not know that her husband is still alive. After he did not return to the United States for about two years, Hester assumed the worst; Chillingsworth was dead. She had a relationship with the Puritan minister Arthur Dimmesdale and was charged with adultery. As a result of this, her beautiful daughter Pearl was born. Committing adultery was an act that was highly frowned upon in the Puritan society and as a result of committing this crime; Hester was required to wear a large scarlet letter “A” to let people see that she acted in an unlawfully manner. In the story it describes “On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold-thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore...” (Hawthorne 50). This quote shows that the A was a defining act that held her unique to others. She decorated that letter to show that this act will not define who she is as a person and that she will not let this punishment take a toll on her. Instead of taking this punishment in a negative manner, she was able to stand confidently and take all the criticism that was given to her from the townspeople. As the novel progresses Hester shows that she takes the decisions she made in the past to help guide her in the future. She stays out of the center of attention with her daughter living at the edge of town and slowly changes the opinions of those around her. People Individuals like Hester, are able to overcome mistakes and hardships to move on and live successful, fulfilling lives. Hester is proof that one act made is not something that should define who you are. The single act of adultery does not define her as a person; all of the other kind and caring acts Hester does for other people are what shapes her true character.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 02:43:48 am

Great defense of this theme and good use of evidence from the text to support.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 02:10:55 am

Excellent thematic statement!

Julia H.

1/29/2015 07:24:17 am

One can challenge the rules of society by refusing to conform to the rigid standards and staying true to themselves for the decisions they have made.

Julia H.

1/29/2015 10:06:42 am

Some decisions that individuals make result in certain consequences that separate them from the rest of the citizens. In the Scarlet Letter, the main character of the novel, Hester, commits one of the largest crimes in the Puritan beliefs; adultery. As a result of this act, Hester is blessed with the life of her baby daughter Pearl, but must take the punishments given to her for going against the Puritan way of life. Instead of being put to death like the others sentenced for this act, she is able to keep her life. This gift comes with a catch; Hester must wear a large scarlet letter A on her breast for the rest of her life. This is to serve as a punishment for her wrongdoings and make people aware of the crime that she has committed. Many criticize Hester for committing this horrible act and treat her poorly as a result. Instead of shying away from these statements and giving up, Hester is able to stand behind her decision and take the disapproval without giving into the harsh criticisms. Instead of treating the letter as a burden, Hester embraces it and uses it to her advantage. No matter what comments others make of her, she looks at the letter as a gift and decorates it with a gold embroidery. This letter, in a way, makes her stronger since she is able to be self-reliant and protect her daughter while being shunned by society. The bold quality she possesses gives her the strength to move to the edge of the town and start anew. As a result she completely changes the meaning of the letter A, proving that adversity, when met head on, can embolden you rather than break you. Instead of having the A represent “adultery”, it stands for “able.” Hester turns that negative energy from the crowd to a positive influence that makes all the townspeople like her. In the story it says, “The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness found in her,-so much power to do, and power to sympathize, - that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne 146). This quote is significant in the fact that it is a representation of how strong Hester really is and her ability to influence the opinions of others around her. Unlike others in her situation, Hester moves past the damaging aspects of her decisions to focus on the light of the choices, Pearl. This is her positive light that helps keep her strong enough not to give into the mean comments and project her stance that standing out among others can be a constructive situation and should not always be taken in a derogatory perception.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 02:45:45 am

Very nice job!

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 02:44:25 am

Excellent thematic statement, Julia!

Mary Palys

1/29/2015 07:24:48 am

Revenge is a sinner's way of acknowledging his guilt.

Mary Palys

1/29/2015 09:27:19 am

Chillingworth, as we know, sent Hester to the Puritan's settlement two years before himself. On his way there he was captured by Natives and came in touch with his more savage side. When he finally finds Hester again he finds her standing on top of the scaffold, being accused of adultery. During the gathering about Hester and her crime, Chillingworth pretended not to know her. After the gathering, he visited her in her cell, demanding to know the identity, her, of course, refusing. During his stay with the Natives, Chillingworth also learns some of their medicinal tactics, so when Dimmesdale feels unwell it is Chillingworth who goes to see him. As the story goes on Chillingworth slowly but surely pieces together that Dimmesdale is Pearl's father and "digs into the poor clergyman's heart" (Hawthorne 117) along the way. Chillingworth does not fully recognize it but, he blames himself for what happened. He takes the guilt and anger for himself and pushed it onto Dimmesdale because that is the only way he will let himself recognize that fact that he is guilty.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 12:45:20 am

Excellent! Great defense and support with evidence.

Sarah S

1/29/2015 12:06:18 pm

I agree with this thematic statement, since Chillingworth mentally gets revenge on Dimmesdale. This is because of the guilt he feels while he realizes that Dimmesdale is Pearl's father. This guilt is because it's his fault that Hester is in the village in the first place, and he abandoned her

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:35:42 am

I think you could have elaborated a bit more on this one, but good decent defense of this statement. Provide textual evidence to support your claims.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 12:43:56 am

What an interesting theme! Well said!

Kayla A.

1/29/2015 07:26:13 am

Things may be viewed differently in the eyes of society.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 06:08:43 am

This statement is very vague. What exactly are "things?" Be more mindful of your word choices.

Marisa B

1/29/2015 07:34:38 am

A person is not defined by one mistake, but rather by what they make out of the mistake made is what truly defines them.

Marisa B

1/29/2015 10:44:33 am

The Scarlet Letter is a novel based on the mistake of one woman, Hester Prynne. She committed the sin of adultery which is considered to be a major fault in Puritan society. Despite the people of her community constantly judging her for wearing the 'A' on her chest, Hester was able to overcome this mistake and not let it define her. Once the Puritan community realized that Hester was making a statement instead of hiding herself, they began to say that the 'A' on her chest stands for 'able' rather than adultery. "On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold-thread appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore [...]" (Hawthorne 50). Instead of wearing the A plain and boring, Hester took it as an opportunity to show people that she was not going to hide from what she had done, but instead embrace her mistake by making the 'A' on her chest stand out. The community realized this when she stood out with the gold letter on her chest. They also labeled this A as 'able' because of Hester's ability to raise her daughter, Pearl, despite the criticism she has received. Everyone believed that Pearl would be a sinful child because she had been the product of a sin. But, Hester decided to raise Pearl to prove the essential goodness of all people and that one mistake should not define the way people perceive you. It is the way one handles the situation that truly defines them. In Hester's case, she proved to people that she was a good person and that she was not going to be affected by one mistake that she made in the past, but only allow it to show people the true "ability" she has to overcome her challenges.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 02:01:34 am

Great defense of your statement, and good use of textual support.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 01:57:35 am

Good thought, but not articulated well towards the end.

Kayla A

1/29/2015 08:46:55 am

Puritans believe that everyone is born a sinner and you had to prove to God that you were “worthy” of going to heaven. If you committed a sin you were automatically going to hell. In the book, Hester committed adultery which is a sin. She was supposed to be killed; however, she was spared because she had a daughter. Although Hester was not divorced or single, she did not know whether her husband was alive or dead so she made the choice that she was going to start over with another person. In her eyes, that was ok. Also, she didn’t love her husband and she was too young for him. She found someone her age that she fell in love with. Society viewed this as adultery. They considered her husband to still be alive. Therefore, she was punished. Also, as a result of her sin, she had to wear a scarlet “A” on her chest. This was to let others know that she had committed a sin and she was indeed a sinner. Hester decorated this “A” in order for it to stand out. To Hester, it was a symbol of who she was as a person and she was proud to have the “A” on her chest. She kept it on for many years, even after her sin went unnoticed. To other people in society, the “A” showed that she had committed adultery and she sinned. Also, society viewed pearl as a child of sin where Hester viewed her as her prized possession. Society views things differently than you might, just like with Hester in the Scarlet Letter.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 06:14:13 am

This involved much summary, but your theme is a bit more clear with connections to the story. I still feel you could sum up your thematic statement and defense of the same more precisely. Provide some deeper understanding of the novel based on this theme.

Jeet R.

1/29/2015 08:49:20 am

Though guilt and revenge are two completely different feelings, they can produce the same destroying effect in a person.

Jeet. R

1/29/2015 09:56:07 am

Guilt-a feeling of having done wrong or failed in an obligation. Revenge -inflict hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong done to (someone else). As one could see, these two words are very different in definition, but they can induce the same destructive result.These details are evident in two different characters in the novel, Rev. Dimmsdale and Chillingworth. Dimmsdale, the fellow adulterer, is consumed with the guilt for the sin he committed. He is pushed to the point of self-harm in order to escape the tremendous feeling of guilt. Chillingworth on the contrary is Hester's pervious husband and he is filled with revenge and rage. Hester mentions that even his health begins to deteriorate due to his obsession with revenge. As evident in the novel, both scenarios prove how guilt and revenge cab produce very harmful feelings in a person.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 01:09:14 am

Again, great defense, but you need to prove it with direct evidence from the text.

Laura W.

1/29/2015 10:08:42 am

Chillingworth is a good example of this. He is so consumed with revenge, it starts to take over. By the end of the novel, it has taken him over so completely that he dies a year later. Dimmesdale on the other hand, seems to waste away before the community's very eyes because of the guilt he experiences because he never admitted his sin.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 01:16:34 am

Good defense, but you are missing textual support to prove your claims.

Andy S

1/29/2015 11:33:41 am

This can be used as a thematic statement since it relates so well with the book. Reverend Dimmesdale felt a strong sense of guilt which inflicted him with a destructive illness. This guilt eventually led to Dimmesdale’s death on the scaffold. Chillingworth was destroyed by revenge. This desire for revenge corrupted him and broke down his mental stability. Both characters were destroyed, but by different things.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:23:12 am

Good defense, but provide textual evidence.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 01:08:15 am

Interesting theme! Very insightful!

Andrew Cuomo

1/29/2015 09:26:42 am

Revenge will get you nowhere in life.

Andrew Cuomo

1/29/2015 09:49:02 am

Revenge is something that we all want to get when an enemy does something we don’t like. But, what is that really going to get you? A feeling? That feeling will only last for a short period of time. Then you’re on with the rest of your life. This is similar to what happened with Roger Chillingworth. He mentally abused Dimmesdale for seven years. Then Dimmesdale died. So how is that a feeling of revenge? Chillingworth wasted seven years of his life trying to get revenge. I can tell you this now, revenge does not work well when you’re dead. Also, where’s Chillingworth now? He is also six feet under. He never got to have the full “feeling” of revenge because of his death. So what does revenge do? It wastes your life while you are trying to get a false feeling of satisfaction, when you really don't know what you're getting yourself into.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 06:27:11 am

Good defense. Textual support would have strengthened this position about Chillingworth not gaining fulfillment from his revenge.

Manny A

1/29/2015 11:17:22 am

Revenge is something that people seek when they are angry. It is taken to the extreme when the outcome of the action harms someone for an extended amount of time. Roger Chillingworth spent years tormenting Dimmsdale before he even knew he committed the act with Hester. He tortured him for so long, making Dimmsdale feel even more guilt than the amount he already had. Chillingworth pushed him to the brink until he died in front of the crowd on the scaffold. Chillingworth then spent the rest of his days enjoying his victory, however for a very short time. His craving for revenge had taken away the last few years of his life. That he could have been doing something he always loved to do. It is true that revenge will get you nowhere, especially after others find out what you did. It is important to enjoy life while you still can because you never know when it's going to come to an end.

Mrs E

2/3/2015 06:04:04 am

Good defense of this theme.

Nolan

1/29/2015 11:36:03 am

I believe that you are right when you say that revenge will get you nowhere in life. In The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale is obsessed with revenge to the point where his mental and physical health begin to deteriorate. I also agree with you when you say that revenge is a waste of time, because you will be in the same position from when you began to when you end. Dimmesdale is a good example of this idea.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 11:22:23 pm

Dimmsdale was not seeking revenge. Chillingworth was the one obsessed with it. Incorrect defense of this theme.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 06:25:42 am

Short and sweet, but certainly relevant. Good work.

Laura W.

1/29/2015 09:27:14 am

One's past does not necessarily define him/her.

Laura W.

1/29/2015 09:57:31 am

Hester is a very kind person who throughout the novel struggled to break free from the ostracization the "A" causes. She tends to the poor and sick, as well as provides them with clothing despite the fact that they "not unfrequently insulted the hand that fed them" (77). This is her attempt to atone for her sin of adultery, but at first the rather uptight Puritans believe she is an evil woman. As years past since the initial incident, the Puritans almost start to forgive her, saying that the "A" stands for "Able" instead of "Adultery" and pointing her out to newcomers, not as a sinner, but as a do-gooder instead.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 01:18:04 am

Very good defense! Nice work!

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 01:17:27 am

Good theme. Short and sweet.

Ethan LaFrance

1/29/2015 09:36:48 am

Nothing good results when humans pass judgement over one another.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 04:33:37 am

Good theme! For future reference, the idiom is "to pass judgment on"

Tim M

1/29/2015 09:39:12 am

Puritanism is a judgmental religion

Tim M

1/29/2015 10:20:45 am

Hester is a very confident person. She takes a lot of pride in wearing the "A" that is supposed to be a bad thing. She makes it gold a appealing to look at. But the other people of her community are judging. They see this letter as a awful thing. No women dare walk through the forest, but Hester would. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dare not tread" (180). The people should be less judging and notice that she is not ashamed of the letter and it could be giving her courage,since she's traveling to where others would never go near.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 11:58:09 pm

Good defense of the theme of judgment. Good use of evidence.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 11:44:56 pm

While yes, this is a correct statement, it is not truly a universal theme because it is specific to Puritanism. "Society is quick to judge what is different" shares the same sentiment and can be applied to numerous works of any time period.

Erin Satkowski

1/29/2015 10:09:57 am

People are desperate to conform to society's standards of normalcy.

Erin Satkowski

1/29/2015 10:41:56 am

This statement fits as the thematic theme of the novel because in the text, Hester committed the crime of adultery and her punishment was to wear to a red A on her chest in order to identify her from the rest of society. Even though this was not an order to the rest of the people, much of the Puritan society shunned her just so that they wouldn't be associated with such a devilish person. They wanted to conform to normal as much as possible in the Puritan society. When Hester gave birth to her daughter, Pearl, she was also shunned although she had done nothing except been a result of the incredulous act. The adults of the society had even told their children not to play with Pearl and eventually Hester was forced to move out into the woods that were said to be evil. Hester and her daughter were cast out of society. These acts show how people will do anything to conform to society's standards of normal, even if it includes shunning a young baby who had nothing to do with the sin. If people weren't so worried about being normal or how they would appear to others, Hester and Pearl may not have faced the same amount embarrassment.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 09:21:03 am

Interesting points made to defend your thesis. To make this even stronger, provide textual support to prove your claims.

Mrs. El

2/3/2015 09:15:51 am

Good statement. I'm interested to hear your defense.

Stephanie Barrios

1/29/2015 10:26:32 am

One’s inner struggles can deteriorate one’s mind.

Stephanie Barrios

1/29/2015 11:56:18 am

This thematic statement is shown throughout the whole book. Dimmesdale is a great example of this. His inner struggle is the fact he committed the sin of adultery. “Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am!” His guilt is building up inside and destroying him. He has resorted to hurting himself in order to feel like he is being punished for his sins. He thought of these delusional punishments and he keeps losing his mind. Until he finally admits what he has done and then the weight is lifted off his shoulder.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 06:22:05 am

Nice defense of your theme. Good evidence to support (although don't let it float in your response). You could have also included Hester in this defense. Even though her guilt was not physical, it did weigh heavy on her mind, did it not?

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 06:14:57 am

Great theme!

Wade G

1/29/2015 10:30:04 am

One act does not define a person

Wade G

1/29/2015 11:45:14 am

This theme represents the novel because one mistake made by Hester should not define her as a person. Although Hester is almost completley shunned by society she keeps faith and is even a good mom. The offspring of her wrongdoing and she kept the child and raised her right. In chapter 8 Hester defends Pearl by stating "God gave her into my keeping" and "I will not give her up!" Hester is a loving mother and trys her hardest to shelter Pearl from her mistake. This one sinful act does not define Hester's whole existance as a wrongdoing.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 07:29:39 am

Your statement claims one act does not define a person, but your defense begins with "should not define." Does this act define her in the eyes of society? If not, what does? How does she change society's view? Explain in more depth.

Ashley Lombardi

1/29/2015 01:46:55 pm

This is an excellent theme to describe the book, The Scarlet Letter. After Hester commits such an unforgiveable act, her society treats her as an outcast. She is forced to wear the scarlet letter to truly separate herself from everyone else. Despite this treatment, Hester remains positive and strong. In the second chapter when Hester is released from the prison, she is defined as never looking more beautiful. This shows who Hester really is. She has seemingly embraced her decision and has refused to let it affect who she is and how she will be in the future. By shocking everyone by her pleasant appearance and attitude, she proves that one act does not define a person.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 04:38:12 am

Great defense. Use textual support to prove it.

Thomas Westgate

1/30/2015 02:56:06 pm

This theme is very fitting for the book. When Hester commits adultery the community viewed her as evil and not to be trusted. Conversely, after committing adultery and receiving her "A," instead of acting deceitful as her mistake may suggest, she acts only humble and never even reacts angrily when people insult and outcast her. Despite expectations she was actually one of the most pious member of the community after she committed adultery. Therefore, the one act of adultery was unable to define her as a bad person. Instead she defined herself through her future actions.

Mrs. E

2/10/2015 01:56:28 am

Great defense, but missing evidence from the text to support it.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 07:26:29 am

This is a good theme, however it is quite similar to the first blog for this unit. Try to mold it into your own words.

Ethan LaFrance

1/29/2015 10:34:21 am

(This is supposed to be a reply to my thematic statement, but it didn't get approved yet and I have to go to play practice soon so I'm just doing it here):

The theme of most of Nathaniel Hawthorne's works is directly influenced by his belief system, Transcendentalism. One of the major precepts of Transcendentalism is that everyone gives different meaning to their life, and so people should not judge one another by the same ethical code that corresponds with their personal beliefs. Because Puritanism highly stresses the judgement of man by God, even elevating it above true faith and connection to God, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses it to contrast with Transcendentalism in a lot of his writing. You can almost hear the venom in his diction as he describes the religious officials of Puritan Boston "He looked like the darkly engraved portraits which we see prefixed to old volumes of sermons; and had no more right than one of those portraits would have to step forth, as he now did, and meddle with a question of human guilt, passion, and anguish."(Hawthorne 61) In this excerpt, Hawthorne clearly states that it is out of the senior clergyman's place to decide upon Hester's fate. The book portrays the horrible series of events that occur when man takes it upon himself to play God, judging his fellow humans and giving them penal sentences for their moral transgressions. Hawthorne vividly illustrates in the novel the toll it takes on all involved. Hester becomes bitter and isolated, cast out of society for committing an act of love. Dimmesdale, her impregnator, becomes a tortured man, falling ill and physically degrading until his death by guilt. Chillingworth, obsessed with revenge, pushes Dimmesdale closer and closer to this death, falling out of sanity in the wild pursuit of comeuppance. The books says that he dies soon after Dimmesdale. Thus, Nathaniel Hawthorne paints a brutal yet lucid portrait for the consequence of a judgemental system like Puritanism; death, insanity, moral decadence, guilt, and anguish.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 04:34:45 am

Fabulous defense of your theme and terrific evidence from the text to support.

Andy S

1/29/2015 10:38:45 am

The secrets we keep private harm us more than they help us.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 09:21:38 am

Good thematic statement.

Andy S

1/29/2015 10:41:33 am

Thesecrets we keep private harm us more than they help us.

Justin Olson

1/29/2015 10:54:42 am

Hypocrisy can create physical effects on the body.

Justin Olson

1/29/2015 11:54:07 am

Arthur Dimmesdale is a preacher who is living a lie. To many, he represents godliness. He lectures from pulpit to the parishioners about sin. Dimmesdale preaches every week on how bad sin is, and names himself as a sinner too. These small “confessions” make the parishioners worship him more. He is a preacher with a great sin so he cannot lead his parishioners to any spiritual place. His words and actions demonstrate what a hypocrite he is. This hypocrisy has physical effects on him. Dimmesdale is described throughout the novel as frail and full of sorrow as well as pale and physically delicate. He has large sad eyes and a trembling mouth. All of these characteristics suggest that he is being haunted by the fact that he is living a lie. In Chapter 11 [130], Hawthorne writes “The aged members of his flock, beholding Mr. Dimmesdale's frame so feeble, while they were themselves so rugged in their infimity, believed that he would go heavenward before them…..”

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:09:05 am

Based on this defense, I believe the topic at hand is really guilt. Guilt has caused this physical deterioration of Dimmsdale, and it can do so in real life as well.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 09:06:59 am

While this is an interesting take on hypocrisy, I'm not sure if it can apply as a universal theme.

Manny A

1/29/2015 11:06:12 am

Faith drives the decisions people make

Manny A

1/29/2015 12:02:17 pm

How strongly someone believed in the Puritan faith showed what kind of person they truly were in the eyes of society. This would also determine the outlook of life a person has about life and the path they would take when reaching afterlife. Hester was strong in faith, but still committed the sin of adultery. This shows how even a person of strong faith could still do something not deemed lawful in the eyes of society, indicating that no one is perfect because everyone makes mistakes sometimes in their life. Dimmsdale is also a very strong believer in the faith. His actions shows how everyone makes mistakes and either have to spend the rest of their lives feeling guilty or move on and learn from it. Even though he chose to feel guilty the remainder of his life, the fact that he was able to tell the townspeople the truth on the scaffold indicated that he was a strong believer in the Puritan faith. Faith shaped the way Pearl acted in society as well. The way she questioned everything her mother and she did made her different from the others. She is a very intelligent little girl that not only questions society, but her own mother as well. The way Hester acted around Dimmsdale always indicated to her that they were a little closer than the average reverend and a common woman. She wouldn’t stop asking if the minister would walk hand in hand with them in town because she wanted to be treated with respect for the relationship he had with her mother. Her faith in the Puritan ways might have been scarcely limited, however her faith of a better life with her mother was as strong as any faith could be. Faith shaped the way all the events in the text occurred.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 06:03:02 am

While your initial theme seemed like a valid statement, your paragraph defended another: "No one is perfect because everyone makes mistakes sometimes [...]." From there you could have explained how each character's reaction to the same mistake affected the outcome of his/her life.

Hailey H

1/29/2015 11:23:02 am

The true character of someone cannot be destroyed.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/5/2015 03:52:42 am

Interesting theme. I would be more specific towards the end - destroyed by what exactly?

Hailey H

1/29/2015 11:24:07 am

In The Scarlet Letter, Hester is given the punishment of wearing a red “A” on her chest to pay for her sin of adultery. In this time period, the Puritans were ruling and almost everything done outside of religion was frowned upon. So as predicted, Hester was shunned from the townspeople and was forced to deal with their hatred towards her. However, instead of letting this action in her life take over and ruin her reputation, Hester took matter into her own hands and changed the situation around. She laced the “A” with gold thread and wore it proudly on her chest. She did not let it define her, but instead add to her character. Her true self was not destroyed by the beliefs of a harsh religion. Hester was able to see the good in her position and made the best of it. Another example of this thematic statement in The Scarlet Letter would be with the character of Pearl. From the second she was born, she was an outcast because she was seen as the product of a terrible sin. In spite of that, Pearl lived her life as she wanted to; free like a child should be. Instead of listening to the gossip about her said by the townspeople, she actually scared them away. Another way Pearl’s character was not destroyed was by her true innocent nature. Society and real life never hit her, but instead were directed around her. Her true character all along was made up of pure innocence that was never demolished by other people’s thoughts or actions.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 03:55:14 am

Great defense. Next time, provide textual support to prove your claims.

Patrick M

1/29/2015 11:31:07 am

Humanity has an innate fear of the unknown, and people tend to believe in what is convenient or easy to understand to cope with this fear.

Patrick M

1/29/2015 11:57:01 am

Throughout Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, the theme of fear is very prevalent. The forest surrounding the village in this story was the most notable embodiment of said theme. When comparing Hester Prynne to the forest, Hawthorne allows the reader to easily understand what this forest is like: “She had wandered, without rule or guidance, in a moral wilderness; as vast, as intricate and shadowy, as the untamed forest” (Hawthorne 235). This shadowy, dark place where few dare to travel almost becomes a character of its own in this novel. Satan himself is even said to live in the forest, as Hester alludes to during a conversation with Chillingworth: “Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us?” (Hawthorne 88). All these stories and myths surrounding the mysterious woods suggest that the villagers wanted to have some concrete basis for their fears. In a losing argument, one often creates a “straw man,” so to speak, and throws in a completely off-topic point that they can easily defend so that it would appear that they are winning. The same principle loosely applies here; there was no reasonable explanation for the worrying of the villagers about the dark forest outside of their peaceful village, so “straw men” needed to be created in their minds in order to justify their fears, making the thought of the unknown easier to cope with. After all, it was much less challenging to understand why one would be afraid of Satan and witchcraft than it was to understand this practically vestigial fear of the unknown in these times.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 09:03:43 am

Terrific defense with textual support to prove your claims. Great job.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:00:05 am

Great theme and truth about humanity. Well done.

Andy S

1/29/2015 11:34:28 am

This can be a thematic statement because almost everyone with a secret in the book ends up being miserable because of the secret. This is evident in the three main characters. Roger Chillingworth’s knowledge of what Dimmesdale did with Hester drives him mad in an effort to punish him. Reverend Dimmesdale kept his affair with Hester a secret. This led to him harming himself as an act of penance which weakened him to a point of death. Hester’s secret of being Chillingworth’s wife allowed for Dimmesdale to be tortured by him.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:26:22 am

Great defense, but provide textual support.

Riley N

1/29/2015 11:36:15 am

The price to pay does not always justify the deed.

Mrs. E

2/6/2015 12:25:51 am

Interesting choice for a theme. Articulate it a bit more clearly. The price to pay for what? I know where you are headed, just clarify a bit more.

Justin Olson

1/29/2015 11:48:54 am

Sarah S

1/29/2015 11:57:06 am

Crime is recognized everywhere in society and in human nature.

Mrs. E

2/3/2015 09:36:42 am

I'm not sure what you mean by crime being recognized in human nature. Articulate your thematic statement more clearly.

Sarah S

1/29/2015 12:01:44 pm

Hester's "A" is recognized throughout her society not just because of it's color but also because of it's meaning. Even Pearl recognizes it, as a young girl. While they're walking through the forest, she tells her mother, "the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your Bodom..." She notices that the sunshine, even though it isn't not a person, avoids the A, and Hester herself, similar to how the people of the village do.

Mrs. Elbakry

2/3/2015 09:38:55 am

Good use of evidence, but you haven't explicitly connected your thematic statement.

Ashley Lombardi

1/29/2015 01:20:01 pm

The theme of The Scarlet Letter is that sin is inevitable even in societies that strive to be perfect.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 04:39:02 am

What an interesting choice! Nice theme!

Ashley Lombardi

1/29/2015 01:37:10 pm

The Puritan society attempts to remain pure and, in the process, avoid human nature. The story follows Hester Prynne and develops around her mistake which can be defended or opposed. The restricting society in which she lives focuses on devoting one's life to God. This order is upset when Hester commits the sin of adultery. Under certain circumstances, this act can be justified. Her husband was thought to be dead and she couldn't resist temptation. After all, her partner in crime was the town minister. Interestingly, a man who preached about living for God has contributed to this sin. It seems that despite the extreme efforts to control a population, there are exceptions. These people were trying to deny their original sin in hopes of going to a better place.

Mrs. E

2/5/2015 04:41:28 am

Interesting position. Provide proof of your claims with textual support.

Thomas Westgate

1/30/2015 02:17:26 pm

Theme: It is better to take responsibility for your actions

Mrs. E

2/10/2015 01:57:24 am

Better than what? You should either complete the comparison or rephrase this statement. One should always take responsibility for one's actions.

Thomas Westgate (Part 2)

1/30/2015 02:38:35 pm

It is better to take responsibility for your actions. In the text Hester takes the "A" as her mark of shame for committing adultery. Although ostracized by the rest of the community, wearing the "A" allowed her to feel as though the loneliness was the punishment for her mistake instead of punishing herself by obsessing over the incident. Conversely, Dimmesdale was guilty of breaking his vocations as a priest, but never took responsibility for his actions. Instead, he hid the fact that he had sinned and it slowly tore him apart, both spiritually and physically. Since he never accepted his sin as Hester did, he was unable to move on. Because Hester was accountable for her actions she was able to leave her sins in the past. Each time Dimmesdale saw people respecting him it brought back the guilt of the incident and even added to it. Now he was guilty not only of adultery, but deceit. Eventually it built up enough that he literally could not take it, and he died. The books shows that being truthful gives one strength.

Mrs. E

2/10/2015 01:58:13 am

Again, great defense of your theme. However, you must provide textual support to prove your claims.

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Thematic Statements

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