Sign Up Now
Get instant access to over 1 million+ study documents
OR
Already registered? click here to login
By creating your account, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and student honor code.
139)
This represents the first stirrings of change for the meaning of the scarlet letter from adultery to "able"; able to overcome tragedy with one's head held high; just as Hester Prynne had done. As Hester continues to contribute to the community through her seamstress and charity work, she becomes increasingly admired, once again changing the meaning of the scarlet letter. It has now surpassed mere ability to encompass admiration for a woman who was actually a victim of Puritanical small mindedness rather than a sinner worthy of a public haranguing. If anyone was truly sinful here, it was her husband Roger Chillingsworth, who chose to spend his life hell bent on revenge rather than forgiveness.
The Historical Critical Perspective
The Scarlet Letter is set in Boston in the 17th century during the Puritan era. According to Portersfield (2001) "people argued over the strong American tendency to define religion in terms of morality, which was a legacy of the Puritans' move to shift control of religious life from external authorities to individuals, families, and local communities" (p. 230). This description of Puritan life fits ideally into the setting that Hawthorne portrays in his novel.
Interestingly however, Hawthorne does not express disapproval of the Puritans for the fact they sought to chastise a crime of passion. Instead he expresses the following thoughts at the beginning of the novel: "The founders of a new colony, whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion...
47). What he is actually criticizing is the hypocrisy and severity of the guilt and shame disseminated, and the public sanctions dealt to the Puritans by the Puritans.
Conclusion
Nathanial Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter makes strong commentary on Puritan life from a feminist, a psychological and a historical perspective. The themes of shame and guilt are prevalent in each of these veins of literary analysis. From the feminist perspective, Hester's shame and guilt is a product of a sexist, patriarchal society that condemns women far more severely than men for the same act. From a psychological perspective, Hester's daughter Pearl is a manifestation of her own guilt and shame, causing her to struggle with the love she has for her daughter and the public humiliation her existence has caused her. From a historical perspective, Hawthorne's novel is an epitomic representation of the extreme and often duplicitous piousness of Puritan life.
References
Elbert, M.M. (2003) "A" as Hester's Autonomy in Nathaniel Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter. In J. Fisher and E.S. Silber Women in Literature: Reading through the Lens of Gender, Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, pp. 256-258
Hawthorne, N. (1850/1991). The Scarlet Letter. Boston: Bedford Books.
MacLean, H.N. (1955, March) Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter: The dark problem of this life. American Literature; 27, 12-24
Stubbs, J.C. (1979) the pursuit of form: A study of Hawthorne and the romance, University of Illinois Press.
Brown TED Talk Brene Brown's Ted Talk on listening to shame provided some important anecdotes for many of the willing listeners who understood what she was talking about. The purpose of this essay is to incorporate the lessons presented in that talk and infuse that information on how it can benefit me in my internship. This essay will first describe the talk before relating those ideas to my internship in The
White guilt is a sociological and social psychological phenomenon that refers to a collective taking of responsibility by the dominant group for perpetrating past injustices. The phenomenon of white guilt is usually associated with greater support for affirmative action and other activist approaches to mitigating the effects of racism. Therefore, white guilt can be perceived as a desirable or positive variable that can predict pro-social behavior. Indeed, research has shown
Studies have shown that the better the personal support system for an individual with survivor's guilt feelings is, the faster and more effectively that individual will recover from these feelings (Herman 1997). Though counseling and individualized therapy can also be hugely important and effective -- as will be discussed momentarily -- no psychological practitioner ever could (or ethically should) replace a network of family and friends to provide ongoing
The Guilt and Shame In Heroes Sometimes, there is a misconception that heroes do not feel shame and guilt. For instance, in a movie, when heroes eliminate their adversaries, the viewers are happy because they just think of the good result that such action can bring to everyone. The viewers do not care of how the hero may have felt about his action of getting rid of the enemies and the
At all times, a compliant organization will provide the following to all/each staff/employee: A non-hostile work environment An anonymous and secure system for staff to report sexual harassment/ethical concerns Quick and responsive, unbiased, comprehensive & objective investigation into all claims A safe and courteous atmosphere for our patient population and for our staff An environment void of preferential treatment or discrimination based on gender An environment void of preferential treatment Interim & annual training sessions conducted
Psychology: Environmental Problems Facing its worst drought in 40 years, the State of California took a number of measures to conserve water. It first used positive consequences to compel a 20% reduction in water usage by homes and businesses. The disappointing results led to the addition of negative consequences to compel conservation. In addition, California is now taking emergency measures against the oil and gas industry, which was previously exempt from