Sunday, July 12, 2009

My Favorite and Least Favorite Character!:)

Favorite Character-
My favorite character in The Scarlet Letter was Hester Prynne. I really like how after she c0mmitted the sin, she decided to change her life for the better. She devoted her entire life to serving others and becoming a better person. I think this is very admirable because when some people commit a sin, they dwell on themselves and don't move on. She completely forgot about herself. Another reason i liked her was that she wasn't afraid to stand in front of people. They mocked her and stared at her "A." haha That sounded funny. I mean her letter A. Anyway, she still was ashamed for what she had done, but she wasn't afraid to look her accusers in the face. She was very courageous and honest. She was able to keep so many secrets even though it would've lightened her punishment if she would've told. She also was never ashamed of her daughter Pearl. People always called her the "devil's child" and names like that, but Hester always stood by her daughter's side. I also like how she did what she wanted. After a while, Hester and Dimmesdale met and decided to run off together because they loved each other. This never happened because Dimmesdale died, but still they were together which would have brought a lot of ridicule from the townspeople. Hester had a really hard life because she was different for the townsfolk. She didn't live the rules exactly and she had a crazy kid. She still was a very courageous and strong person in my eyes.

Roger Chillingworth and Mistress Hibbons-
I had two least favorite characters in The Scarlet Letter. One of them was Mistress Hibbons. She had no purpose in the book except to try and get people to become evil like her. She just had a bad spirit about her and she really had no purpose. She just snuck around and did her bad deeds. She was a really weird witch and i didn't like her at all. My very least favorite character was Roger Chillingworth. I really didn't like this guy. During the first of the book I kind of felt bad for him, because his wife was being humiliated and I thought he would care, but he didn't. He wanted her to be punished, because he felt like she betrayed her. When she wouldn't share the name of her "Buddy" with him, he got really evil. He got a new identity and became an evil doctor. He figured out that Dimmesdale was the "Buddy" and he made a scheme that would kill Dimmesdale slowly and painfully. He didn't care about anyone but himself. He made Dimmesdale feel really bad for what he did. Chillingworth was revengeful and reminded me of the devil. Hester told him that she felt like she didn't even know who he was anymore because he had changed into such and monster. He had no heart and cared for no one. He committed the greater sin than Hester because he was revengeful and he never forgave them, even though he knew they were both sorry. I really didn't have very good feelings for Chillingworth and Mistress Hibbons.

wait... who sinned the worst?

There is so much sinning going on in this story that it gets kind of hard to keep track of. First of all, there is Hester Prynne who committed adultery. Obviously this is a horrible sin, especially from the Puritan point of view. She broke both the laws of the land, and the laws of the church. The second sinner is Dimmesdale, who sinned with Hester. But he not only committed adultery, he lied, and hid his sin from the public eye. Even though he was a reverend, he was deceitful. Another sinner in this story is Roger Chillingworth. He lived solely to get revenge. His heart was filled with hate, and it consumed his whole life. He died with this hatred in his heart. Another sinner is Mistress Hibbins. She willingly follows the devil, and calls him master. The villagers are also sinners because they shun Hester and Pearl. They gossip and point fingers, even though most of them have sinned the same way Hester did.
Out of all of these sinners, I think the ones who sinned the worst are Roger Chillingworth and the villagers. They sinned in their hearts and did not forgive, while Dimmesdale and Hester openly repented of their sin.
One thing this story teaches us is that no one is perfect. We have all sinned, and should not judge others for the wrongs they have done.

Monday, July 6, 2009

How many A's?

The first scarlet letter we encounter is Hester Prynne's. This letter was given to her for committing one of the most severe sins under Puritan law, adultery. Hester was forced to wear the letter on her chest, but she wore it with pride and did not hang her head. This letter caused Hester grief and pain continually for what she did. Hester's letter A was an object of torture.



The second scarlet letter is not seen on the outside, but on the inside where no human can see. This is the letter of Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister. Arthur was not caught committing adultery as Hester was, so he did not have his sin publicly displayed. He had to wear the letter in his heart, and bear the pain that came with it. He eventually broke down and died from the burden that the letter was. Dimmesdale's letter A was a guilty conscience.



Another letter we find is the one on Chillingworth's chest. This letter doesn't stand for Adulterer, it is just a symbol of sin. Chillingworth devoted the last years of his life on seeking revenge towards Dimmesdale. That was all he cared or thought about. The whole purpose of his existence was to make the minister miserable. Chillingworth's letter A was a sign of evil.



The final scarlet letter in this story is the one that Pearl wears. She has not sinned, but she too is affected by the scarlet letter her mother wears. As the offspring of sin, she is shunned by the community. She is constantly asking her mother about the burning letter that her mother wears. Pearl even makes her own letter out of seaweed, just so Hester will ask why Pearl did what she did. Pearl seems to know what is going on, even though no one has ever told her. Pearl, and the letter she wears, is a living symbol of her parents sin.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

.Bad Guy.

I bet you can already guess who I thought the bad guy was. Yes the mean, nasty, Roger Chillingworth. I don't even know how a person could be so cruel. He tortured the minister for revenge because he found the "A" on his chest while he was sleeping. Even though the Dimmesdale is suffering from his own pain for keeping his sin to himself, Roger makes it even more unbearable. He keeps talking about sin and playing mind games with him. Roger even made it super hard for Hester too. She was sworn to secrecy so she couldn't tell anyone who he was. Pearl didn't know or understand but she called him the "Black Man." Roger was only set on revenge on his wife. In Spiderman, sorry for using movies, it says that "revenge is like poison. It can get inside of you and turn you into something ugly." That is exactly what it did. I think Roger would have been a pretty decent man if Hester wouldn't have had an affair. He should have just accepted the fact and moved on. But, he didn't. He let the revenge take over his life and ruin it. He just wastes away and dies. His revenge did nothing but destroy his own life. Pearl went on and married and was happy. Hester and Dimmesdale are buried next to eachother. Roger was a very bad guy.

.Favorite Character! Not favorite character.

I would have to say my favorite character is Hester Prynne. She was a very courageous woman. She waited for her husband in America but he never showed so she wanted to find love. She was never in love with Roger Chillingworth. After she had Pearl, she did anything to keep her safe. She wore the "A" without complaint and lived her life. She was a very intelligent and capable woman. Even the narrorater secretly admires her for her free thinking. What she did was wrong, but she lived up to the consequences. A lot of the women in the village were inspired by her and took shelter with her. She took care of the poor by bringing them clothing and food. That woman had a lot of heart.

My least favorite character would most definatly have to be Roger Chillingworth. He was crushed that his wife cheated on him and had a baby but that doesn't give him the right to ruin someone elses life. He torchured that poor old minister man. I know it was wrong of Aurther to have an affair but again that doesn't give him the right to choose the consequence for him. He was a very mean, hateful man, and I didn't like him one bit. He didn't take care of any poor person. No woman looked up to him. That mean man had no heart.

.The.Sinners.In.The.Bunch.

--Who committed the worse sin?

*Dimmsdale VS. Hester VS. Mistress Hibbons VS. Chillingworth

First let us recap the many sins of this tragic story. 1.) The affair between Dimmsdale and Hester. 2.) Chillingsworth not claiming his own wife. 3.) Dimmsdale not claiming fatherhood of the child conceived after the affair. 4.) Hester hiding the secret of both the father and her husband(which I view as more loyalty but the public viewed it as sin) 5.) Mistress Hibbons temption Hester to come to her witches meeting. 6.) Dimmsdale continuing to preach 7.) Chillingsworth mentally sickening dimmsdale. 7.) Chillingsworth and his forms of torcher and dark magic. 8.) Mistress Hibbons once again budding into someone elses business but this time it is Dimmsdale's. 9.) Chillingsworth actually wanting to destroy Dimmsdale and Hester. . . AND-- the many many i left out.

-If you were to tally the results of all the sins you would probably find Chilingsworth master of sin, Mistress Hibbons pure evil, then following after them Dimmsdale, and Hester.

-Roger Chillingsworth... Previous husband to Hester Prynne, and the one who in the story seems to have the guiltless conscience. Time after time the sins begin to stack one right after another. He is a jealous self centered man, with low morals and standards. Throughout the story and all his evil doings he is somewhat clueless to what he is really committing. He reminds me of Swiper the little thief on Dora the Explorer. Not in the way of stealing things, but his dishonesty, untrustworthyness, and sneakyness. He is the Type that would search for hours or even days just to find the smallest tid bit of dirt he can dig up on someone. I would imagine him being on of the most degrading people ever to walk the earth. In Dimmsdale's final speech I believe Chillingsworth's eyes are finally opened to the full picture once the minister says, "May God forgive thee! Thou too, hast deeply sinned!" next written of the sinner he is withering away and within the year he is dead.

Favorite.Charaters...and.those.not.so.cool.

correct me if I am doing this all wrong. --least favorite and favorite characters

*Pearl is my favorite character. I chose pearl because of her awkward yet belonging role in this book. The name says it all, brought from something of such shame and ugliness to something so bright and beautiful. She is young and outgoing, although she seems mature for her age by the way she acts as a protector of her mother i think she has a very soft side. For example the scene at the mansion of the Governor Bellingham when she placed her delicate cheek into the minister's hand. She is clever in many ways and has a creative mind, such as how she came to be (her mother picking her from the rose bush). She is a very strange character at some points in the book, for example how attached she is the the scarlet letter so much she will not come to her mother at the brook without it. Pearl at times is a straight forward shy away from nothing kind of child, but in the end i feel like she matures in leaps and bounds, like when the minister Dimmsdale crosses their path she is tempted to reach out to him, but doesn't. Pearl was often compared to a fairy or an elf, with her squeels and laughter; giving her mother anxiety. whether or not she on an "errand as a messenger of anguish" or not she charmed and is still charming the hearts to all.

*Mistress Hibbons is my least favorite character. Although not much is written about the foul lady I simply do not like her. She is rude and as one my say a contention seeker. To me she seems as if she is always into others business, such as the invite to Hester as she is leaving the mansion and to Mr. Dimmsdale when she spotted him leaving the forest. To tempt Hester as she did is a straight up sin, as she well knows her predicament and her worries of losing her precious child. I personally think she is a bad bad witch and is a little too obvious, as if she wanted to draw attention to herself. In my opinion she is an ill mannered old twit that should leave business that isn't hers out. She, along with Chillingworth are the trouble makers in this novel, and they are the ones who supposedly were the sinless ones compared to Hester and Dimmsdale. I believe those who wish ill on another and contend in gossip and temptaion are worse sinners than those of a serious sin with a guilty conscience with repentance on their side.

My Favorite and Least Favorite Character

There were so many interesting and well developed characters in this book. I was highly amused with Pearl and the character of Hester satisfied me and I really liked her. However, I think my favorite character would have to be Dimmesdale. He was a quiet down to earth guy that i just felt a respect for. He was so caring for Hester and her child. He was so fond of them and their well being. I could tell the great love and responsibility Dimmesdale felt for Hester and Pearl by the way he acted and responded to them. Throughout Dimmesdale's life and his actions in the community, I could also see that he was sincere and genuinely caring man who wanted to help those he was in association with. He was very forgiving to Chillingworth even though Chillingworth had brought Dimmesdale so much sorrow and grief. Even though it was so hard to do, Dimmesdale finally confessed his large sin showing how much he starved to be conscious free before his death.
Roger Chillingworth was definitely my least favorite character! I despise him. At the beginning of the story I didn't mind him much. Actually, I felt bad that Hester had left him and had had another mans child, but those feelings completely disappeared by the end of the book. He had turned so evil because of his desire for revenge. Reading about him and what he did to torture Dimmesdale made me so angry. When the seaman had told Hester..."-Chillingworth, he calls himself- is minded to try my cabin-fare with you" my stomach just dropped. Chillingworth was so low and terrible to ruin their escape! If I were in his shoes and my husband were to leave me for some younger, beautiful lady I would feel so hurt and angry also, but Chillingworth was in the complete wrong to seek so much revenge. He was simply an evil man.

"Who committed the worst sin in this story?"

There were so many different sins committed by various people in The Scarlet Letter. In the Quaker community any sin was just awful and whoever committed it should be punished tremendously. A small sin was terrible in the eyes of a Quaker citizen and a larger sin, such as adultery, is terribly horrendous!
There were many sins committed in this story such as of course adultery, lying, and actions of revenge which are pretty bad and serious sins. I think the worst sin of them all committed in this story was the sins of Roger Chillingworth.
Hester's sin of committing adultery was such a disgrace in the Quaker community. It was considered a huge sin because it not only went against their beliefs in their community but it was even written in the bible! Dimsdale sinned by also committing adultery and then continuing his secret life ironically as the Reverend. They both had wronged and sinned pretty largely but I feel like Hester and Dimsdale's sins are more acceptable than that of Roger Chillingworth.
Roger Chillingworth felt like he had been greatly wronged when Hester had the affair. He felt regret and a little responsible that he had expected young beautiful Hester to be in love and loyal to an old man like him, but other than that he felt like he had done no wrong. He considered himself a man that lived by good principles. He really wasn't that bad of a man but he ended up committing the worst sin.
He felt such anger and hate towards Dimsdale and his affair with Hester that it just overtook Chillingworth. Chillingworth delighted in Dimsdale's feelings of sorrow and remorse! Roger was so focused on seeking revenge and making Dimsdale feel bad for his sins. It was mentioned in the book that Roger took on a look of evil. He really had become evil and tortured Dimsdale mentally for revenge. Dimsdal, in his last minutes of life even told Roger on the scaffold,"May God forgive thee! Thou, too, hast deeply sinned!" Those words were so true. Chillingworth really did became the person who had committed the worst sin.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Scarlet Letter Prompts



So for your first two posts of this next week, I want you to comment on the questions below...choose your two favorites from the choices...(at least 20 sentence replies to each question!)

Use quotes from the book to support your answer but make sure to state why you think what you do!

*Discuss your favorite and least favorite character.

*Who is the bad guy in this book?

*How many different "Letter A's" were in this book and what did each of them mean?

*Who committed the worst sin in this story?

*Discuss your thoughts about Pearl.

*Discuss the Puritan society that Hester and the other characters lived in and how it affected the overall story.

*Discuss guilt and sin as themes in this story!

Remember, choose two of these to respond to in two separate posts. You will be getting on and composing a response as an author. Please read and make comments to other others. The responses should be completed by the end of next week. You MUST COMMENT to three other of your classmates' reponses. You will be graded on your two responses for the week and your three comments to other bloggers. It must be done by the end of next week...Sunday at midnight.

I will be getting on and making comments too!