See a complete list of the characters in our town and indepth analyses of stage manager, emily webb, and george gibbs. Setting the story in salem, the site of the salem witch trials, begins the novels critique of puritan severity. The moon in our town symbolizes beauty and the eternal. The project gutenberg ebook of the scarlet letter, by. Because of his position within the church and society, he is unwilling to confess his sin. A summary of chapters 14 in nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter. A young woman, hester prynne, has been found guilty of adultery and must wear a scarlet a on her dress as a sign of shame. The scarlet letter study guide fahrenheit 451 study.
Emily and george gibbss courtship becomes the basis of the texts limited narrative actionthese two characters thus prove extremely significant not only to the plays events but also to its themes. As the minister returns to town, he can hardly believe the change in his fortunes. The play tells the story of the fictional american small town of grovers corners between 1901 and 19 through the everyday lives of its citizens. A 100, 000mile journey into the heart of america fallows, james, fallows, deborah on. The first scene of the scarlet letter begins with a description of a dull, dusty, dark prison cell. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the scarlet letter, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. After leaving the house, dimmesdale walks to the scaffold where, seven years earlier, hester prynne stood, wearing her sign of shame and holding pearl. Although the scarlet letter is about hester prynne, the book is not so much a consideration of her innate character as it is an examination of the forces that shape her and the transformations those forces effect. It vividly depicts puritan life in massachusetts during the mid1600s and explores issues of american morality, religion, and hypocrisy. Summary and analysis chapter 20 the minister in a maze. The novel is considered a masterpiece of american literature and a classic moral study. Cliffsnotes is the original and most widely imitated study guide.
The scarlet letter chapters 58 summary and analysis. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in our town, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. The scarlet letter, nathanial hawthorne s 1850 novel of a 17 th century adulterous affair in the massachusetts bay colony, centers on several themes that would have been very meaningful to the highly religious, preindustrial community in which it is set. The scarlet letter opens with a long preamble about how the book came to be. Furthermore, she must stand on the scaffold for three hours, exposed to public humiliation. Turning over their plan in his mind, he believes that going to europe is the better choice. The old woman claimed that lots of people had written their names in the black mans book, including mistress hibbins, and that the scarlet letter was the black mans mark on hester. The nameless narrator was the surveyor of the customhouse in salem, massachusetts. The theater one of the most striking features of our town is the way in which the play repeatedly breaks the socalled fourth wall, the imaginary division between the world of the stage and the audience that nearly all. A summary of chapters 910 in nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter.
The scarlet letter chapter 5 summary and analysis enotes. A summary of chapters 56 in nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter. About the scarlet letter the scarlet letter summary character list glossary themes the custom house chapters 14 chapters 58 chapters 912 chapters 16 chapters 1720 chapters 2124 adultery and punishment related links essay questions quiz 1 quiz 2 quiz 3 quiz 4 citations. A throng of bearded men, in sadcoloured garments and grey steeplecrowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes.
With the exception of the stage manager, emily is our town s most significant figure. When he looks back, he sees hester weighed down with sadness and pearl dancing because he is gone. Litcharts uses cookies to personalize our services. Author arthur dimmesdale a young, highly respected minister in boston who has an affair with hester prynne and is the father of pearl. Summary and analysis chapter 12 the ministers vigil. One night, dimmesdale mounts the town scaffold where hester and pearl once stood to be shamed. The lesson begins with a brief background of the author. The scarlet letter is an 1850 romantic work of fiction in a historical setting, written by nathaniel hawthorne.
The scarlet letter 6 of 394 the customhouse introductory to the scarlet letter it is a little remarkable, thatthough disinclined to talk overmuch of myself and my affairs at the fireside, and to my personal friendsan autobiographical impulse should twice in my life have taken possession of me, in addressing the public. In the scarlet letter by nathaniel hawthorne, the author offers vivid descriptions of both dark and light characters through the use of metaphors in his novel about guilt, sin, and revenge. Chillingworth urges the town leadership to insist that dimmesdale allow the doctor to. Read a plot overview of the entire play or a chapter by. The scarlet letter opens with a long preamble about how the book came to be written. In this lesson, we examine the play our town by thornton wilder. The original papers, together with the scarlet letter itself,a most curious relic,are still in my possession, and shall be freely exhibited to whomsoever, induced by the great interest of the narrative, may desire a sight of them. We know very little about hester prior to her affair with dimmesdale and her resultant public shaming.
She refuses to come to her mother, pointing at the empty place on hesters chest where the scarlet letter used to be. The fact that justin can make this transformation by acting reinforces the novels assertion that empathy and understanding which actors need to properly portray their. She wears an elaborately embroidered scarlet letter a standing for adultery on her breast, and she carries a. The scarlet letter by nathaniel hawthorne full audiobook. As they move toward the town hall for the evening feast, dimmesdale sees hester and hesitates. The scarlet letter, novel by nathaniel hawthorne, published in 1850. Chapter summaries 112 the scarlet letter and all its glory. Read a plot overview of the entire book or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. The scarlet letter is an 1850 novel by nathaniel hawthorne set in boston, then the massachusetts bay colony, in the mid17 th century about fifty years before the nearby salem witch trials. Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast,at her, the child of honorable parents,at her, the mother of a babe, that would hereafter be a woman, at her, who had once been innocent, as the figure, the body, the reality of sin.
Analysis, summary, the scarlet letter is a novel that deals with the neverending theme of sin. A summary of chapters 12 in nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter. Every description pertaining to the people or the society has a sense of depression that is dark and bland. The scarlet letter is one of the most celebrated novels in early american literature and is probably the magnum opus of its author, nathaniel hawthorne. Every book on your english syllabus summed up in a quote from the office.
In june 1642, in the puritan town of boston, a crowd gathers to witness an official punishment. Enter your mobile number or email address below and well send you a link to download the free kindle app. Then you can start reading kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. Read a plot overview of the entire play or a chapter by chapter summary and analysis. Now, in the damp, cool air of the cloudy may night, dimmesdale mounts the steps while the town sleeps. Our town is a 1938 metatheatrical threeact play by american playwright thornton wilder which won the pulitzer prize for drama. Dimmesdale leaves the forest first, almost believing what has transpired has been a dream. In the customhouses attic, he discovered a number of documents, among them a manuscript that was bundled with a scarlet, goldembroidered patch of cloth in the shape of an a. A summary of chapters 78 in nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter.
Our town is a play by thornton wilder that was first performed in 1938. See a complete list of the characters in the scarlet letter and indepth analyses of hester prynne, roger chillingworth, arthur dimmesdale, pearl, governor bellingham, and mistress hibbins. The puritan women waiting outside the prison selfrighteously and viciously discuss hester prynne and her sin. The only living and colorful item described in the scene is a rosebush at the peak of its growth. The letter and the child also hold a dual meaning for the town fathers. Throughout history, people have committed all types of sins, and whether they are major or minor, people have been punished. A summary of chapters 1920 in nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter. Heres where youll find analysis about the book as a whole. Next, there is a summary of the play and its characters and a discussion. For justin, our town is an opportunity for him to come into himself and become more comfortable in his own skin. Cliffsnotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what youre studying, cliffsnotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. A summary of chapters 2122 in nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter. Hester, proud and beautiful, emerges from the prison. Hester remains alienated from everyone, including the town fathers, respected women, beggars, children, and even strangers.
From the other side of the brook, pearl eyes her parents with suspicion. Hester has met the black man, and the scarlet letter is his mark. Our town themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. This is a bit of a stretch though, because the moon itself may just be the moon. Founded in 1958 by clifton keith hillegass, cliffsnotes is the original company that produced study guides and book summaries ranging from.
She and other onlookers notice that dimmesdale, who follows the town leaders, looks healthier and more energetic than he has in some. A summary of chapters 1112 in nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter. The work centers on hester prynne, a married woman who is shunned after bearing a child out of wedlock but displays great compassion and resiliency. When a new president is elected, he loses his politically appointed job and, settling down before a dim fire in his parlor, begins to write his romance, which becomes the body of the scarlet letter. While working at the customhouse, surrounded by uninspiring men, the narrator finds himself unable to write.
1263 577 1242 799 421 368 1400 1326 1038 237 751 564 986 826 484 1348 169 1165 614 1458 17 78 902 605 550 1053 953 619 248 617 715 523 881 38 1520 736 589 1102 169 130 326 1189 491 622 802