Politics of 'A' ~ The Scarlet Letter

‘Politics of ‘A’ : The Scarlet Letter’

Name: Saryu D. BaraiyaSubject: The American Literature [Paper – X]Roll No: 25Study: M.A.Year: Semester- IIISubmitted to: Department of EnglishUniversity: Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University

saryubaraiya93@gamil.com

The Scarlet Letter: Politics of ‘A’

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Born: 4th July, 1804 American writer Short-story writer and novelist First novel: ‘Fanshawe’ Much of his writing centers on ‘New England’ Moral allegories Inspired by ‘Puritan thoughts’ His fiction: Part of Romantic Movement Romanticism to Dark Romanticism Died: 19th May, 1864

The Scarlet Letter: Politics of ‘A’

A Romantic Fiction work written: 1850 Historical novel Set: 17th Century, Puritan background, Boston Story of Hester Prynne Story of self realization Story of repentance Story of dignity Characters:

o Hester Prynneo Pearlo Roger Chillingwortho Arthur Dimmesdaleo Governor Bellinghamo Mistress Hibbinso John Wilsono Unnamed narrator

The Scarlet Letter: Politics of ‘A’

Why letter ‘A’????Why in Scarlet color????

The Scarlet Letter: Politics of ‘A’

The Letter ‘A’ stands for:

Beginning of the novel: ‘Adultery’

Middle of the novel:‘Able’

End of the novel:‘Angel’

The Scarlet Letter: Politics of ‘A’

Letter ‘A’ as Adultery:

“Speak, woman!” said another voice, coldly and sternly, proceeding from the crowd about the scaffold. “Speak; and give your child a father!”

“I will not speak!” answered Hester, turning pale as death, but responding to this voice, which she too surely recognized. “And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one!”

The Scarlet Letter: Politics of ‘A’

Letter ‘A’ as Able:

“When she is in nature, ―the mother-forest, and these wild things which it nourished, all recognized a kindred wildness in the human child.”

“And Pearl was the oneness of their being. Be the foregone evil what it might, how could they doubt that their earthly lives and future destinies were conjoined, when they beheld at once the material union, and the spiritual idea, in whom they met, and were to dwell immortally together?”

The Scarlet Letter: Politics of ‘A’

Letter ‘A’ as Angel:

“But there was a more real life for Hester Prynne, here, in New England, than in that unknown region where Pearl had found a home. Here had been her sin; here her sorrow; and here was yet to be her penitence”

Thank you….