the scarlet letter essay introduction

Introduction The Scarlet Letter. This historical novel of American Romanticism was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in 1850. It created a lot of controversy in literary circles. It showed the settings of the Puritan region of Massachusetts Colony of the 1650s, narrating a storyline of a woman, Hester Prynne, who suffers after having an affair with a church minister.

Introduction Summary: "The Custom-House". Hawthorne discusses the merits of sharing autobiographical information with his readers and then describes the circumstances he says inspired The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne explains that he has always felt drawn to Salem—his birthplace, and the town where his ancestors lived for centuries.

The Scarlet Letter paints a very unflattering portrait of the Puritans, a religious group that dominated late seventeenth-century English settlement in Massachusetts. Puritanism began in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603). The name "Puritanism" came from the group's intent to purify the Church of England by making government and religious practice conform more closely to ...

The Scarlet Letter, novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850.It is considered a masterpiece of American literature and a classic moral study.. Summary. The novel is set in a village in Puritan New England.The main character is Hester Prynne, a young woman who has borne a child out of wedlock.Hester believes herself a widow, but her husband, Roger Chillingworth, arrives in New England ...

Dive deep into Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion ... Start an essay ... The "Custom-House" introduction is the author's attempt to ...

Summary. Hawthorne begins The Scarlet Letter with a long introductory essay that generally functions as a preface but, more specifically, accomplishes four significant goals: outlines autobiographical information about the author, describes the conflict between the artistic impulse and the commercial environment, defines the romance novel (which Hawthorne is credited with refining and ...

Full-length critical introduction that examines the setting, characters, and themes. One fascinating chapter treats the scarlet "A" as a character. ... New Essays on "The Scarlet Letter ...

Published in 1850, The Scarlet Letter is considered Nathaniel Hawthorne 's most famous novel--and the first quintessentially American novel in style, theme, and language. Set in seventeenth-century Puritan Massachusetts, the novel centers around the travails of Hester Prynne, who gives birth to a daughter Pearl after an adulterous affair.

Analysis. "The Custom-House" is a stand-alone section of the novel. It resembles more a tract or a personal essay than an introduction to a piece of fiction, but it offers plenty of insights that will support the rest of The Scarlet Letter. For one thing, we gain a sense of why the narrator feels the need to tell the story.

Hawthorne's emotional, psychological drama revolves around Hester Prynne, who is convicted of adultery in colonial Boston by the civil and Puritan authorities. She is condemned to wear the scarlet letter "A" on her chest as a permanent sign of her sin. The narrative describes the effort to resolve the torment suffered by Hester and her co ...

Summary. In the introduction, The Scarlet Letter's anonymous fictional narrator describes himself as having accepted a job at the Salm Custom House, as a surveyor. The customhouse is a dilapidated and incomplete building, located on an old wharf. Many of the people he works with are much older and will have their jobs for a lifetime because ...

The Scarlet Letter is that novel. The novel is set in seventeenth-century Boston, a city governed by strict Puritan law. The story begins as Hester Prynne, the novel's protagonist, is led out of a prison carrying an infant, named Pearl, in her arms. A bright red "A" is embroidered on her chest.

INTRODUCTORY TO "THE SCARLET LETTER". It is a little remarkable, that--though disinclined to talk overmuch of myself and my affairs at the fireside, and to my personal friends--an autobiographical impulse should twice in my life have taken possession of me, in addressing the public. The first time was three or four years since, when I favoured ...

The Scarlet Letter Introduction The Scarlet Letter is a classic tale of sin, punishment, and revenge. It was written in 1850 by the famous American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. It documents the lives of three tragic characters, each of whom suffer greatly because of his or her sins. Shot Plot The story begins with Hester Prynne, a resident of a ...

1. Discuss the effect of the punishment upon Hester's personality. 2. Explore the relationship of the Governor's mansion to the "old world" and to the Puritans. 3. Examine some of the many ...

The Scarlet A. Besides the characters, the most obvious symbol is the scarlet letter itself, which has various meanings depending on its context. It is a sign of adultery, penance, and penitence. It brings about Hester's suffering and loneliness and also provides her rejuvenation.

He also explains the work from an historical viewpoint. For example, The Scarlet Letter is a traditional romance set in Puritan New England. The type of historical criticism just described has, like New Criticism, been dropped or revised in modern literary criticism. Today there exists what is known as New Historicism.

Topic #1. Discuss Hawthorne's blend of realism, symbolism, and allegory in The Scarlet Letter. Outline. I. Thesis Statement: The Scarlet Letter is a blend of realism, symbolism, and allegory. II ...