Analysis on Chapter 5: Hester at Her Needle
In the chapter "Hester at Her Needle," Hawthorne uses torturous, loathsome diction and a biblical allusion to emphasize the pain that society and the scarlet letter creates as well a metaphor which creates the symbolic idea that the forest represents sin.
Hawthorne's choice of painful, hateful words suggest that the scarlet letter is being painfully forced onto Hester and permanently becoming a part of her identity. Hawthorne describes, "The symbol...was red-hot with internal fire, and could be seen glowing all alight, whenever Hester Prynne walked..in the night-time. And..it seared Hester's bosom so deeply" (81). Hawthorne's use of the phrase "red-hot with internal fire" as well as the word "seared" emphasizes the pain which is created from society forcing the scarlet letter onto her and punishing her for a sin. Hawthorne also uses the following words throughout the passage: horrible, bitterest, scorn, ulcerated, wound, sinful, torture, branded, aguish, intolerable, dreadful, insidious, and loathsome. All of these words suggest that Hester is in pain. Society is "burning" or "branding" her with this symbol and it is becoming a part of her.
Not only does Hawthorne use specific diction to emphasize the pain that Hester feels because of the scarlet letter and society, but he also uses a biblical allusion. Hawthorne writes, "With her native energy of character, and rare capacity, it [the world] could not entirely cast her off, although it had set a mark upon her, more intolerable to a woman's heart than that which branded the brow of Cain" (77). The allusion to the brow of Cain refers to the story in the bible where the Lord put a mark on Cain so that anyboy who came upon him would know to kill him. Hawthorne describing the mark upon Hester as being worse than that of a mark that marks you for death once again emphasizes the pain that Hester experiences from the scarlet letter, and the judgement from the society she was once a part of. She feels more pain knowing she has to live with the scarlet letter and the judgement that goes along with it then she would if she knew she would soon die because of it.
In this chapter Hawthorne also creates the idea that the trees and the forest represent sin. Through his use of a metaphor, a connection between Hester's sin and trees is made. Hawthorne writes, "Her sin, her ignominy, were the roots which she had struck into the soil. It was as if a new birth..had converted the forest land, still so uncongenial to every other pilgram..into Hester Prynne's wild and dreary, but long-life home" (73). Hawthorne metaphor of the roots being Hester's sin and the forest land being her life-long home creates the idea that the trees are made from sin, the roots, and that the forest land, or sin land, will be her home from that point forward. Hester would always live the life of a sin.
In this chapter Hawthorne's emphasis of the pain caused by the scarlet letter and society as well as the idea that Hester will live in the land of sin for the rest of her life contributes to the greater purpose that the scarlet letter will permamently, if not already, brand Hester and become a part of her. It will become her identity, and her life. For Hester there is no escaping that.
Hawthorne's choice of painful, hateful words suggest that the scarlet letter is being painfully forced onto Hester and permanently becoming a part of her identity. Hawthorne describes, "The symbol...was red-hot with internal fire, and could be seen glowing all alight, whenever Hester Prynne walked..in the night-time. And..it seared Hester's bosom so deeply" (81). Hawthorne's use of the phrase "red-hot with internal fire" as well as the word "seared" emphasizes the pain which is created from society forcing the scarlet letter onto her and punishing her for a sin. Hawthorne also uses the following words throughout the passage: horrible, bitterest, scorn, ulcerated, wound, sinful, torture, branded, aguish, intolerable, dreadful, insidious, and loathsome. All of these words suggest that Hester is in pain. Society is "burning" or "branding" her with this symbol and it is becoming a part of her.
Not only does Hawthorne use specific diction to emphasize the pain that Hester feels because of the scarlet letter and society, but he also uses a biblical allusion. Hawthorne writes, "With her native energy of character, and rare capacity, it [the world] could not entirely cast her off, although it had set a mark upon her, more intolerable to a woman's heart than that which branded the brow of Cain" (77). The allusion to the brow of Cain refers to the story in the bible where the Lord put a mark on Cain so that anyboy who came upon him would know to kill him. Hawthorne describing the mark upon Hester as being worse than that of a mark that marks you for death once again emphasizes the pain that Hester experiences from the scarlet letter, and the judgement from the society she was once a part of. She feels more pain knowing she has to live with the scarlet letter and the judgement that goes along with it then she would if she knew she would soon die because of it.
In this chapter Hawthorne also creates the idea that the trees and the forest represent sin. Through his use of a metaphor, a connection between Hester's sin and trees is made. Hawthorne writes, "Her sin, her ignominy, were the roots which she had struck into the soil. It was as if a new birth..had converted the forest land, still so uncongenial to every other pilgram..into Hester Prynne's wild and dreary, but long-life home" (73). Hawthorne metaphor of the roots being Hester's sin and the forest land being her life-long home creates the idea that the trees are made from sin, the roots, and that the forest land, or sin land, will be her home from that point forward. Hester would always live the life of a sin.
In this chapter Hawthorne's emphasis of the pain caused by the scarlet letter and society as well as the idea that Hester will live in the land of sin for the rest of her life contributes to the greater purpose that the scarlet letter will permamently, if not already, brand Hester and become a part of her. It will become her identity, and her life. For Hester there is no escaping that.
Analysis on Chapter 10: The Leech and his Patient
In the The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses a metaphor, diction and an allegory to define the relationship between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale.
Hawthorne specifically uses a metaphor as the name of chapter 10 because it draws a connection between the parasitic actions of leeches and the relationship between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. Chillingworth is the leech and Dimmesdale is the patient, the victim of the leech. The kind diction Hawthorne associates with Chillingworth at the beginning of the story is very different from the ugly, evil diction he associates with Chillingworth as he becomes "friends" with Dimmesdale. Hawthornes change in diction once again conveys the idea that Chillingworth is a leech and sucking life out of Dimmesdale. Hawthorne says, "He had begun an investigation...But, as he proceeded, a terribly fascination, a kind of fierce, though still calm, necessity seized the old man within its gripe, and never set him free, until he had done all its bidding" (120). Hawthorne describes Chillingsworth as being seized by a firece fascination towards Dimmesdale and his secrets. His use of the words "fierce", and "seized" emphasizes that Chillingworth is, in a sense, aggresively approaching the secrets of Dimmesdale. He sucks these secrets from Dimmesdale, taking the role of a leech. In the mean time, Dimmesdale, the victim of the leech, is being overcome by Chillingworth's prying to uncover Dimmesdale's secrets. The relationship between the two men does not ortray a healthy, loving, mutual relationship, rather one dominated by parasitism.
Hawthorne also uses an allegory or contradiction to describe the relationship between the two men. The occuaptions of the two men contradict each other because Chillingworth is a physician and uses logic from science to reason, which are cold, hard facts, while Dimmesdale is a minister and he uses faith to reason. Spiritual and scientific aspects never coincide with each other because of the differences in reasoning. Chillingworth states, " 'Thus, a sickness, a sickness, a sore place, if we may so call it, in your spirit...' " and Dimmesdale replies, " 'But who art thou, that meddlest in this matter?- that dares thrust himself between the sufferer and his God?' " (127). Chillingworth tries to get between Dimmesdale to discover the true logic to Dimmesdale's illness but Dimmesdale claims that it should bebetween him and God. This emphasizes the strain in the relationship between the men. Even if they were true friends at first, their relationship will not last because science and religion often do not intermingle well.
Throughout the chapter, Hawthorne describes the relationship between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale's through the metaphoric title of the chapter, the change in diction associated with Chillingworth throughout his friendship with Dimmesdale, and the contradiction between the religious thinking of Dimmesdale and the Scientific thinking of Chillingworth. The idea that Hawthorne creates from the use of these elements leads to the ultimate purpose of characterizing Chillingworth and Dimmesdale's relationship as being unhealthy from Dimmesdale and parasitic.
Hawthorne specifically uses a metaphor as the name of chapter 10 because it draws a connection between the parasitic actions of leeches and the relationship between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale. Chillingworth is the leech and Dimmesdale is the patient, the victim of the leech. The kind diction Hawthorne associates with Chillingworth at the beginning of the story is very different from the ugly, evil diction he associates with Chillingworth as he becomes "friends" with Dimmesdale. Hawthornes change in diction once again conveys the idea that Chillingworth is a leech and sucking life out of Dimmesdale. Hawthorne says, "He had begun an investigation...But, as he proceeded, a terribly fascination, a kind of fierce, though still calm, necessity seized the old man within its gripe, and never set him free, until he had done all its bidding" (120). Hawthorne describes Chillingsworth as being seized by a firece fascination towards Dimmesdale and his secrets. His use of the words "fierce", and "seized" emphasizes that Chillingworth is, in a sense, aggresively approaching the secrets of Dimmesdale. He sucks these secrets from Dimmesdale, taking the role of a leech. In the mean time, Dimmesdale, the victim of the leech, is being overcome by Chillingworth's prying to uncover Dimmesdale's secrets. The relationship between the two men does not ortray a healthy, loving, mutual relationship, rather one dominated by parasitism.
Hawthorne also uses an allegory or contradiction to describe the relationship between the two men. The occuaptions of the two men contradict each other because Chillingworth is a physician and uses logic from science to reason, which are cold, hard facts, while Dimmesdale is a minister and he uses faith to reason. Spiritual and scientific aspects never coincide with each other because of the differences in reasoning. Chillingworth states, " 'Thus, a sickness, a sickness, a sore place, if we may so call it, in your spirit...' " and Dimmesdale replies, " 'But who art thou, that meddlest in this matter?- that dares thrust himself between the sufferer and his God?' " (127). Chillingworth tries to get between Dimmesdale to discover the true logic to Dimmesdale's illness but Dimmesdale claims that it should bebetween him and God. This emphasizes the strain in the relationship between the men. Even if they were true friends at first, their relationship will not last because science and religion often do not intermingle well.
Throughout the chapter, Hawthorne describes the relationship between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale's through the metaphoric title of the chapter, the change in diction associated with Chillingworth throughout his friendship with Dimmesdale, and the contradiction between the religious thinking of Dimmesdale and the Scientific thinking of Chillingworth. The idea that Hawthorne creates from the use of these elements leads to the ultimate purpose of characterizing Chillingworth and Dimmesdale's relationship as being unhealthy from Dimmesdale and parasitic.