Customer center

We are a boutique essay service, not a mass production custom writing factory. Let us create a perfect paper for you today!

Example research essay topic: Crime And Punishment Hester Prynne - 1,991 words

NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote

Outline i. Introduction ii. Information of the time when it was first published iii. A romance not a novel A. Hawthorne called it a romance B. Why it is a romance C.

The truth in the romance and the novel iv. General considerations of the novel D. Characters E. Setting F. Conflicts G. Tragedy v.

Psychological approaches H. Prynne's psychological thoughts I. Chillingworth's mental condition J. Dimmesdale's mind K. Pearls mental approach vi. Tragedy in The Scarlet Letter A.

Tragedy regarding Hester Prynne B. Dimmesdale's tragic mental approaches vii. Crime and punishment A. The crime of Prynne B. Crime of Dimmesdale C. The punishment that both of them go through viii.

Sin and purification A. The purification of Prynne and Dimmesdale B. The realization of Chillingworth C. Hawthorne's style of psychological purification ix. Puritanism in The Scarlet Letter A. Puritan society B.

Puritan church C. Hawthorne as a critic of Puritanism x. Symbolism A. The letter A B. Symbolic meaning of the forest C. Symbolism by the characters xi.

The theme of Love A. Love between Prynne and Dimmesdale B. Love of a mother C. Hawthorne's treatment of love xii. Irony xiii. Ambiguity xiv.

Conclusion Nathaniel Hawthorne has made a beautiful, admirable, extraordinary approach in this novel said Henry James regarding The Scarlet Letter. It has the beauty and harmony of all original and complete conceptions and its weaker spots are not of its essence, but mere light flaws and inequalities of surface. The novel has the inexhaustible charm and mystery of great works of art. It has a high style of polish as well as a charming freshness.

Hawthorne has cultivated with great industry his natural sense of language, his turn for saying things lightly in touchy mood, picturesquely yet simply, and for infusing a gently colloquial tone into matter of the most unfamiliar import. The Scarlet Letter deals with different aspects, which are portrayed in the novel directly or indirectly. It is a psychological romance with the tragic incidents of crime and punishment. Hawthorne also made symbolic approaches using ambiguous language and irony. The puritan society of this novel is a matter of consideration also. This novel is capable of being interpreted in various ways.

Published in 1850, The Scarlet Letter was well received and became very popular. The first edition of 2500 copies was sold out within three days, and was followed by the second and a third edition during the following six months. Since then the book has never been out of print. It has always been a favorite book both with readers and critics.

Man of the early readers and critics find the book too gloomy and somber but they were pleased that here finally was a work by an American author that could stand with the best thing produced in England. The neatness of its organized structure has attracted the attention of a large number of readers and critics. The book has been found useful in a study of romantic movement and more especially, of the Gothic, the historical and sentimental novel. Hawthorne's careful distinction between the type of fiction, the romance, and another type, called the novel, is one that we no longer observe today, when any long fiction is called a novel. But Hawthorne's words guide us to the perception that he was writing about what goes on inside people, the truth of the human heart, rather than what goes on outside and around world.

He called this novel a romance, not a novel. In The Custom House he suggests that life seen in the sunlight is the stuff of the novel, while the familiar seen in the moonlight and warmed slightly by the light of the coal-fire is the stuff of the romance. A romance, while it must not deviate from the truth of the human heart, has a right to present that truth under circumstances, which to a great extent are the writers own choosing and creation. While a novel is a realistic representation of human nature, human life, a romance may present these under circumstances, which seem improbable, extraordinary, or fanciful, shrouded in an atmosphere of mystery.

Romance must not stray from the truths of human heart and, as regards its structure, must subject itself to artistic laws. In the writing of the story, Hawthorne depended to a very large extent upon actual persons, places and events pertaining to seventeenth-century Boston. The realistic elements in The Scarlet Letter far outnumber and outweigh the marvelous elements. The punishment of Hester Prynne for her sin of adultery is thoroughly true to facts of history. Hawthorne's analysis of Hester's states of mind on various occasions and in different circumstances is also accurate. Chillingworth is another realistic portrait.

Having vowed revenge, he becomes a monomaniac in the pursuit of it. Dimmesdale represents the preserving truth of human nature. He suffers from an inward torture for seven long years. The principal characters are true to life, the major events and situations are probable and convincing and the author has also added several minor characters to heighten the realistic effect.

There are four major characters in this novel. Hester Prynne acting as the main character in the novel and Arthur Dimmesdale is the main male character. Both of them go through the torture, which is the main consideration of Hawthorne. He also shows Roger Chillingworth more sinned against then sinning.

The daughter of Prynne named Pearl shows the rich and luxuriant beauty, a beauty that shown with deep and vivid tints. Sin is one of the main aspects of this novel. It deals with all the characters and with different consequences. The story is set in the New England of 1642 - 1649, is about Hester Prynne and her illegitimate daughter, Pearl, whose father is Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister; and about Roger Chillingworth, Hester's elderly and selfish husband in England, who has come to the colony in the guise of a doctor to torture Dimmesdale into the shaming confession of his fatherhood. The Scarlet Letter turns upon two deep-seated fundamental struggles that between natural impulse and conscience, and that between the individual and the restraints of society. In the iron cage of Puritanism when the natural man was regarded as incurably corrupt, and when infractions to the social code were avenged by barbarous punishments, four people, all tragically great soul find themselves entangled in the mazes of the broken law.

Merely to tell a story of guilty love and passion is not Hawthorne aim. His aim to follow the history of four human souls as their life bring forth the slow maturing, but inevitable fruits of son. The chief theme of The Scarlet Letter is the tragedy of segregation. The superiority of Hester's penance of Dimmesdale's does not consist in its intensity indeed the priest is the greater sufferer of the two and perhaps most aware of the theological significance of their sin. Hawthorne's criticism of the introspective or the repulsive nature in Dimmesdale is not unconnected with the suspicion of the intellectual who sets himself to lonely self-contemplation, becoming fatally aloof from humanity unless love seals the rift, as it does for Hepzibah in The House of the Seven Gables. This novel deals with the inner life of the characters, which constitutes the main theme.

The inter-relationship of the various characters among themselves, and their individual relationship to the society, are worked out and developed through the psychological analysis. Hawthorne's capacity to read the mind of a character may first be studied with the reference of Hester Prynne. Hester's thoughts and feelings are laid bare before us at every step. When she stands at the scaffold facing the multitude of citizen, she has a burning blush and yet a haughty smile on her face. The burning blush reveals her sense of shame caused by the public exposure, while the haughty smile shows her defiance of society's moral code. The memories of the past life, which comes to Hester, as she stands on the scaffold, are psychologically true.

Hawthorne also accurately describes her mental reaction to the strange, incomprehensible moods of Pearl. The novel has the effect of turning Hester into a sister of mercy. Without claiming any of the worlds privileges Hester gives evidences of a feeling of her sisterhood with the race of man. Her penance first imposed upon her by the society and then imposed by herself, serves to give rise to any feeling of repentance in her mind, but only to strengthen her romantic belief that an individual should be free to seek his or her happiness wherever they can find it, untrammeled by any social restraints. Roger Chillingworth personifies revenge. Regarding this character Hawthorne's purpose is to show the effects of revenge in diabolizing him who indulges in it.

Here again Hawthorne shows psychological insight. He analyzes the feelings and motives, which led the old man to marry a young girl. His revengeful passion becomes clearly discernible on his face. Hawthorne also offers us a study of child psychology in his delineation of Pearl. Here is an active, sprightly girl with a mind, which is exceptionally quick and alert, a remarkably precious mind.

She is an impatient, wayward and rebellious child. Hawthorne has shown much subtly in portraying the character of Pearl. Dimmesdale has a complex mind, and it demands a vast knowledge of the intricacies of human nature to be able to portray such mind. Dimmesdale is oppressed by the weigh of his crime. He suffers an agony of remorse. But he does not have the courage to make a public confession of his guilt.

He does not wish to tarnish the noble image, which the public has of him. Hawthorne shows great skill in conveying to the mixed feelings of the strife-torn Dimmesdale the haunting sense of guilt, the desire to confess, the fear of consequences of a confession, the anxiety to keep his public image intact, the impulse to shriek and thus attract attention. It seem that the author has a feeling that he has given to his readers a sufficiency of psychological materials to digest. Tragedy is one of the major considerations of this novel.

The tragedy of Hester and Dimmesdale excite in us a deep feel of pity for their sad fate. Hester Prynne wins admiration by virtue of her candor, her strength, her power of endurance, her deep maternal attachment to Pearl, and her spirit of service, which in course of time, develops in her. Prynne shows her strong determination in refusing to disclose the name of her partner in her crime. By disclosing it she can perhaps have the scarlet letter taken off her breast she can also give her child a father. She is very cruelly treated by the society, but she does not turn into a cynic. She finds herself a social outcast.

Strangers look curiously at the scarlet letter on her breast, and each time they do so she feels as if the letter has been branded afresh into her soul. She goes out of her way to help the needy, even though she receives little thanks. Her sufferings certainly arouse in us the pity and fear to which Aristotle referred. For seven long years she suffers the agony of social ostracism and social censure without the least sympathy from any quarter, and with her own child Pearl, contributing as much to her misery as relieving it.

As always with Hawthorne's women she has more courage than the man with whom destiny links her. Some critics give opinion that it is more the tragedy of Dimmesdale that of Prynne. Prynne suffers deeply but there is no conflict in her. But for seven years Dimmesdale keeps his sin a secret and this secrecy allows him no peace. Immediately after he has committed the crime, a spiritual conflict begins in him and it ends only with his public confession, which also means the end of his life. Dimmesdale produces an impression of weakness...


Free research essays on topics related to: scarlet letter, hester prynne, arthur dimmesdale, roger chillingworth, crime and punishment

Research essay sample on Crime And Punishment Hester Prynne

Writing service prices per page

  • $18.85 - in 14 days
  • $19.95 - in 3 days
  • $23.95 - within 48 hours
  • $26.95 - within 24 hours
  • $29.95 - within 12 hours
  • $34.95 - within 6 hours
  • $39.95 - within 3 hours
  • Calculate total price

Our guarantee

  • 100% money back guarantee
  • plagiarism-free authentic works
  • completely confidential service
  • timely revisions until completely satisfied
  • 24/7 customer support
  • payments protected by PayPal

Secure payment

With EssayChief you get

  • Strict plagiarism detection regulations
  • 300+ words per page
  • Times New Roman font 12 pts, double-spaced
  • FREE abstract, outline, bibliography
  • Money back guarantee for missed deadline
  • Round-the-clock customer support
  • Complete anonymity of all our clients
  • Custom essays
  • Writing service

EssayChief can handle your

  • essays, term papers
  • book and movie reports
  • Power Point presentations
  • annotated bibliographies
  • theses, dissertations
  • exam preparations
  • editing and proofreading of your texts
  • academic ghostwriting of any kind

Free essay samples

Browse essays by topic:

Stay with EssayChief! We offer 10% discount to all our return customers. Once you place your order you will receive an email with the password. You can use this password for unlimited period and you can share it with your friends!

Academic ghostwriting

About us

© 2002-2024 EssayChief.com