The Scarlet Letter 9 :: essays research papers

The Scarlet LetterThe novel The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, had umteen various turning points. The most interesting to me were the scaffold scenes. Each had its own exciting moments. It kept the story moving. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the scenes as major turning points. In chronological order, the first scaffold scene was what started the novel. The book opened right where Hester and Pearl were on the scaffold. In this scene, Hester and her baby are standing on the scaffold in front of the entire village. Everyone one is staring and whispering. She is bearing a strange symbol on her bosom. This symbol is a large letter A. It is quite fancy. exclusively the letter is not something to be proud of. As Hester is standing there holding her baby, Pearl, she spots a very strange homo moving by dint of the crowd of people. The man stares at her. Hester acts like she has some connection with this strange man. Hester and the man look at each other as if they have know e ach other before. They are more than acquaintances. This scene is a turning point because it introduces you to the scarlet letter. The letter is what the entire book revolves around. All of the events are found on the letter and what it symbolizes in the story. Hester is bearing it for the first time. The letter means adultery. The scene is also a turning point because it shows the connection with the strange man (Roger Chillingworth.) Roger Chillingworth is a new character being introduced. The hidden relationship between Hester and Chillingworth will lead to many events and turn the story in a various direction that is not just about the scarlet letter, but about Hesters past.The second scaffold scene is also a very bouffant turning point. This is where Hester, Pearl (who has matured over the amount of time), and Dimmesdale (the villages minister) are holding each others hands on the towns scaffold at night with no one seeing them. Dimmesdale is the man who has had the affair with Hester. No one in the story knows this yet. As the leash stand there on the scaffold, Pearl asks Dimmesdale to stand with them on the scaffold the next day in front of the village. Dimmesdale refuses to do so. He does not necessity anyone to know about his affair with Hester. He is trying to keep his reputation intact.