The Scarlet Letter(la lettera scarlatta)

Materie:	Appunti
Categoria:	Lingue
Voto:	1 (2)
Download:	37
Data:	30.01.2001
Numero di pagine:	3
Formato di file:	.doc (Microsoft Word)

THE SCARLET LETTER

Hester Prynne was tall and with a figure of perfect elegance. She had dark, glossy and abundant hair. Her face was beautiful for regularity of feature and richness of complexion, impressive because of a marked brow and deep black eyes.
Hester personality: Hester had a natural dignity and force (strong) of character, burning blush and yet haughty smile, a glance that would not be abashed, lady-like, a certain state and dignity, an impulsive and passionate nature. She made a halo of the misfortune and ignominy. Hester is a woman outside the ordinary reality, maybe she is a woman above the other people. She refuses hypocrisy of puritan people. Hester look for the freedom of her mind, against the unjust law of the world and against prejudice. She is an nonconformist, an emancipated woman.

Hester’s origins:
Hester lived in Old England. Now her paternal home is a decayed hose of grey stone, with a poverty-stricken aspect, but retaining a half-obliterated shield of arms over the portal, in token of antique gentility (her family was not rich, but they were noble). Her father had a bald brow and reverend white beard, that flowed over the old-fashion Elizabethan ruff. Her mother felt a heedful and anxious love and had laid the impediment of a gentle remonstrance in her daughter’s pathway.

Her married life:
Hester began her new life with her husband in a continental city. She remembers the tall, grey houses, the huge cathedrals and the ancient and quaint public edifices. Her husband was well stricken in years, he had a pale, thin, scholar-like visage with eyes dim, penetrating and bleared by the lamplight. He was slightly deformed (the left shoulder was a trifle higher than the right). She didn’t have a happy married life.

Change:
After the imprisonment, Hester was alone in the world. She lived in her cottage near the forest by the sea-shore with little Pearl to be guided and protected. She was hopeless of retrieving her prison. She was isolated from other people, because nobody would to accept an adulteress or a sinful woman and she assumed a freedom of speculation against the whole system of ancient prejudice.

The world’s law was no law for her mind→ This quotation means that Hester lived in Puritan New England, but the puritan laws were to strict for the impulsive and passionate Hester, who kept in prison.
Thought visited her→ This quotation means that Hester, while she was alone in her cottage, thought over her destiny, but over the life of other people too. Her life was tied up by unjust laws and prejudice, but nobody could realise it, so she couldn’t freely express her point of view. Hester could think in a different way, but she had to show freedom of her mind only into herself, not in front of puritan and strict society.
Black shadow emerging into sunshine→ She is a sinner, but she is coming out from prison.

Hester and Arthur: Hester and Arthur felt in love some years ago, but their relationship was secret and obstructed by Roger Chillingworth. Hester is the strongest of the two, she is the one who takes decisions and spurs Arthur to do something. Arthur is very weak, insecure and frightened. He is especially frightened, because of Chillingworth’s revving. Arthur is also an egoist, because he don’t tell nothing about his relationship with Hester.

Guilt: Hester doesn’t feel a sense of guilt for loving Arthur, in fact she says ”May God forgive us both-we are”. She wants to help him to overcome his sense of guilt and to give him courage to go on living. He considers himself and Hester two sinners and he’s afraid of the judgement of God of the revenge of Hester husband. At the end Arthur dies for his guilt.