Essay on Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter - 569 Words

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author presents three symbols that all reinforce the main idea of the novel. The main idea that reoccurred throughout the novel is that people don’t have to let their mistakes or circumstances determine who they are or what they become; it’s all in how one interprets life. Many symbols may seem as just an ordinary character or coincidental object to some readers, but the symbols have a deeper, underlying meaning. Although there are many symbols in this book, there are three that really help support the main idea: Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter, the meteor, and Hester’s daughter Pearl. One symbol is Hester’s scarlet â€Å"A† that she wears on her bosom. She received this letter, specifically†¦show more content†¦The Puritans despised Hester and her symbol for her sin, and shunned her for many years even after her prison sentence. Hester could have just lived a depressed, lonely life in seclusion with her daughter Pearl, but she decided to accept her sin and wrong doing to become a mentally stronger woman. During the many years of Hester being in prison and being rejected when she was released, she practiced needlework to provide food for her and her daughter. As the people in Salem recognized her talent of her embroidery and garments, they began respecting her talent, and so the scarlet â€Å"A† that stood for â€Å"adulterer† slowly began to stand for â€Å"able.† Hester started to supply apparel for babies, ceremonies, inaugurations, and funerals. Furthermore, the Scarlet letter has another symbolic meaning. When Pearl went to the seashore, she made a green letter â€Å"A† out of seaweed – nature’s color. This was symbolic for Pearl’s sinless life so far because she hasn’t truly been introduced to sin; she still is â€Å"green† and â€Å"pure†. As for Hester, her scarlet â€Å"A† is sy mbolic of her many sins, for no one can avoid sin as they grow older. A second symbol that supports the main idea is the meteor. As The Scarlet Letter progresses, the readers find out that Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is the man who committed adultery with Hester. Because he has not admitted to his fault, Dimmesdale has been plagued with a sickness where he is constantly grabbing atShow MoreRelatedSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter1247 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter Symbolism is simply defined as the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Symbolism is a common occurrence in literary works and many books use symbolism to express mystical ideas, emotions, and states of mind. As in most literary works, symbolism also appears in The Scarlet Letter. There is lots of symbolism used in The Scarlet Letter to convey multiple things and to express many ideas. Symbolism can be found everywhere in The Scarlet Letter and many ofRead MoreSymbolism Of The Scarlet Letter753 Words   |  4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter: Symbolism of the Scarlet ‘A’ Symbolism has many different meanings, and the Scarlet ‘A’ in â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† has many different meanings as well. Hester Prynne is the main character who is forced to wear the scarlet letter as remembrance for the crime and the sin that she has committed. This letter completely ruined her reputation in her community. How could a small piece of fabric do so much harm? This letter was a representation of something much greater than the letter ‘A’Read MoreScarlet Letter And Symbolism1045 Words   |  5 PagesThe Scarlet Letter and Symbolism Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many forms of symbolism in his book The Scarlet Letter. Symbolism is, according to Merriam-Webster, â€Å"the art or practice of using symbols, especially by investing things with a symbolic meaning or by expressing the invisible or intangible by means of visual or sensuous representations.† This means that the author was using objects to represent an action or idea. The symbols used in his book is either all physical or visible objects. ManyRead MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter1401 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter Symbolism is a literary style that uses symbols to represent ideas or qualities. Symbolism plays a very important part in The Scarlet Letter because it uses the characters to develop the main idea of the story. The symbols used by Nathaniel Hawthorne help the reader to visualize and understand the meaning of the story. Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne, Pearl, and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale as symbols throughout the book. They are the main characters of the story andRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter Symbolism725 Words   |  3 PagesSymbolism of the â€Å"A† In the novel, â€Å" the scarlet letter†, Hester was being criticized by other women in her town. The people in Hester’s town believed that she had an affair with another man while she was in a relationship with her spouse and she was accused for being unfaithful and committed adultery with that man. Hester Prynne was forced to wear a scarlet letter â€Å"A† on her chest to show that she was unfaithful and that she committed adultery. The scarlet letter is a symbol of the sin she hadRead MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter1101 Words   |  5 Pages Scarlet Letter Symbolism Essay Nathaniel Hawthorne was a writer in the 1800s, an anti-transcendentalist, and the great-nephew of John Hathorne, a judge in the Salem Witch Trials. Hawthorne is obsessed with Puritanism and, due to being obsessed, bases all his writings on Puritan towns. All of his stories take place in New England in the 1600s, before the Salem Witch Trials; The Scarlet Letter is one of these stories. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbolism of theRead MoreSymbolism in the Scarlet Letter3886 Words   |  16 PagesSymbolism of The Scarlet Letter A symbol is a literary device which is employed to portray another object or individual. In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is most often a tangible object he uses to represent an undefined idea, complex in scope and significance. More times than not, it represents reverent, profound, or virtuous concepts of merit. From the substitution of one idea or object for another, to creations as massive, complex, and perp lexing as the veil in the Ministers BlackRead MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter. Symbolism Is The Use Of1085 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter Symbolism is the use of an object, character, or event to represent something else. Nathaniel Hawthorne, without a doubt, uses symbolism throughout the course of the novel, The Scarlet Letter. The novel takes place in a Puritan community in present-day Boston. Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth, and Pearl are the main characters. They all have major roles and without them, the novel would not be the same. Hester Prynne; married to Roger ChillingworthRead MoreSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter1079 Words   |  5 PagesFrom fairy tales to mythologies, fables to romance to even the simplest short stories of a third grader’s book, almost all of them often comprise a scheme of Heroes vs. Villains, and Good vs. Evil. Similarly, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne also contains many of the same situations and characters with their own symbolic meanings that allow them to express strong and demanding feelings through the symbols that they carry. Hester Prynne, w hom appears as a sinful woman, a shame to the societyRead MoreSymbolism in The Scarlet Letter Essay1252 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism can be defined as a figure, character, or object that is used to represent complex or abstract ideas. By expressing an idea in the form of an image, the reader can visualize the concept more concretely. The old expression, â€Å"a picture is worth a thousand words,† applies to symbolism as the author creates a visual representation of ideas. The use of symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter helps to illuminate the overall meaning of the work. At the beginning of the book, the

Essay about Nazi Use of Darwinism - 1495 Words

After the Great War in the nineteenth century, European nations had a difficult time finding economic stability. Germany took full responsibility for starting World War I and by signing the Treaty of Versailles, Germany agreed to give up huge portions of territory and pay reparation to victorious allies. The harsh principles which were outlined by the Treaty of Versailles made economic stability in Germany difficult to achieve and caused Germany to suffer from inflation and the Great Depression. Unemployment and the fear of communism allowed Adolf Hitler to rise to power in 1933. Before Hitler came to power, he spent nine months in jail where he wrote his autobiography Mein Kampf (My Struggle), where he mentions how Darwin’s theory of†¦show more content†¦An excerpt written by Jerry Bergman; Darwinism and the Holocaust illustrates one view of social Darwinism and is posted on www.trueorigin.org/holocaust.asp. It is clear Bergman is a creationist, being, he falsely cla ims; if the Nazis believed all humans were descendants of Adam and Eve and equal before the creator of god, the holocaust would have never occurred (1). To validate his argument, Bergman concludes social Darwinism is equivalent to Nazism, and claims Hitler is a â€Å"savior† of man kind-if Darwinian evolution is true (11). By calling Hitler a â€Å"savior,† he shows his readers he is not only ignorant, but does not truly grasp the fact, Darwin’s ideas of evolution were abused to justify Nazi policies against races which were considered â€Å"inferior.† By quoting many writers and Nazi documents, Bergman creates collective authority to validate an absurd argument. However, by providing readers with detailed interpretations of various quotes from Hitlers Mein Kampf, he successfully illustrates how Darwin’s ideas of ‘natural selection’ and ‘survival of the fittest’ were misused to justify for racial discrimination. Hitler use d terms such as ‘superior race,’ ‘lower human types,’‘pollution of the race,’ and the word evolution itself-derived from Darwin’s theories of evolution. This clearly indicates Darwin’s theories influenced Hitler. However if these ideas did not exists, the Nazis might have found another reason to justify for the genocideShow MoreRelatedSocial Darwinism And Its Effect On Society1069 Words   |  5 Pagesare called Social Darwinists. Social Darwinism is a competition between groups in society, usually resulting in the most fit, or most capable, coming out on top. Social Darwinists argue that the strong’s power and wealth should increase, whereas the weak’s should decrease. There are different views as to who these weak and strong groups are, but all Social Darwinists agree that the strong should be rewarded and the weak punished. The concept of Social Darwinism is based off of Charles Darwin’s theoriesRead Mo reMarilynne Robinsons Essay Darwinism1340 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿ Marilynne Robinson’s Essay â€Å"Darwinism† Introduction to Christian Theology REL 103 Kaitlyn Spencer Marilynne Robinson is a Pulitzer-winning novelist who has graced us with her essays found in The Death of Adam. Robinson gives the read the feeling of being much more educated than he or she really is. These essays provide readers with different ways of discussing history, religion and society. They, although difficult to comprehend at times, are flawlessly arguedRead MoreNazi Germany And World War Two4215 Words   |  17 PagesIntroduction Historians have examined many possibilities to the roots of the Holocaust and World War Two, however, another possibility, which is rarely studied, is Social Darwinism. Social Darwinism is a theory which was influenced by the works of Charles Darwin, however, truly developed by British philosopher and scientist Herbert Spencer. The heart of his theory was the belief that evolution continued by the survival of the fittest. This theory states that evolution occurs when individuals thatRead MoreSocial Darwinism Is An Ideology Of Society1566 Words   |  7 PagesSocial Darwinism is an ideology of society that seeks to apply biological concepts of the laws of evolution by natural selection of evolutionary theory to sociology and politics, often with the assumption that conflict between groups in society leads to social progress as superior groups outcompete inferior ones. How we got to the point of coining the modern term of â€Å"Social Darwinism† we would have to turn to the fa mous man himself, Charles Darwin. At first glance, Charles Darwin seems an unlikelyRead MoreNazi Death Camps in the Night by Elie Wiesel833 Words   |  4 PagesNight is an non fiction, dramatic book that tells the horrors of the nazi death camps all around Europe. The book is an autobiographical account of what happened, so the main character is the author. The author is Elie Wiesel who was only 14 year old when Nazi Germany came through his town of Sighet, Transylvania. This is story is set between the years of 1944 and 1945. Elie and his family of 4 are optimistic when Germany begins to take power. Germany invades Hungary, then arrives in Elie’s townRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust945 Words   |  4 PagesPerhaps one main tragedy that leaves people feeling baffled is the Holocaust. Eric Lichtblau described the Holocaust in his article, The Holocaust Just Got More Shocking, as a genocide in which Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany and its associates killed approximately six million Jewish people becau se the Nazis believed that exterminating the Jewish people was justified. They believed this for the reason that Jewish people were not only a â€Å"low† and â€Å"evil† race, but were affecting the lives of the Germans negativelyRead MoreThe On The Euthanasia Program1496 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom which it was concluded that genetic traits could be transferred from one generation to the next. Following Mendel’s death, the principles outlined in his laws of heredity continued to serve as a reference point for scientific scholars, including Nazi physicians whom often cited Mendelian law in their justifications for sterilization and euthanasia. Eugenics, on the other hand, was first introduced into the scientific lexicon, by Charles Darwin’s cousin Francis Galton in 1883. According to GaltonRead MoreThe Tragedy Of The Holocaust922 Words   |  4 PagesPerhaps one main tragedy that leaves people feeling baffled is the Holocaust. Eric Lichtblau described the Holocaust in his article, The Holocaust Just Got More Shocking, as a genocide in which Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany and its associates killed around six million Jewish people because the Nazis believed that exterminating the Jewish people was justified. They believed this for the reason that Jewish people were not only a â€Å"low† and â€Å"evil† race, but were affecting the lives of the Germans negativelyRead MoreThe Anti Semitism1533 Words   |  7 Pagesraces emerged from the encounter of Europeans on the Native Americans, Asians, and Africans. The Social Darwinism Theory further supported this encounter. This theory explained that human s belonged to different species of races and biologically competed for existence with one another. The theory further explained that only the superior races could survive the struggle through wars. Social Darwinism has been revealed in the contemporary society as the creation of fake science because there has not beenRead MoreFascist Italy, Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan1741 Words   |  7 Pages Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and Imperial Japan all shared a global concept of fascism where the willingness to create a collective conscious of nationhood was justified through imperialism. Indeed, the importance of nationalism within Fascist culture would greatly affect the foreign policies of Italy, Germany, and Japan during the 1930s and 1940s. World War one had brought about revolutionary changes in the nature of war, society, and technology, where the advent of total war and mass mobilization

Battle of Atlantic Free Essays

In the fall of 1939, the Atlantic Ocean was the dramatic setting of a fierce battle between the British and the Germans. At the time, most people thought that the Battle of the Atlantic may have decided World War II’s outcome. This battle was the deciding factor throughout the war. We will write a custom essay sample on Battle of Atlantic or any similar topic only for you Order Now The battle of the Atlantic was a violent and destructive battle. Many people lost their lives fighting in this battle. New technology was one of the major factors in helping the allies win the long and crucial Battle of the Atlantic. The Battle of the Atlantic was a violent and destructive battle which caused chaos in the ocean. Many ships were built then blown up or sunk in sea and some may have survived. This battle was so violent and destructive that each side had its own strategy planned out exactly at when to use it. The allies mass-produced over 100 corvettes in 1943 and by 1945 the allies ships turned from 38 – 410 ship because in the spring of 1941, u-boats sunk about 500,000 tons of shipping good each month (u-boats are German submarines). May 1943 was the turning point of the allies. The allies moved from the defensive strategy to offensive; instead of the Germans hunting us, the RCN (Royal Canadian Navy) and company hunted them. By July, the Germans were only capable to destroy/sink 20 ships per month. â€Å"The Battle of the Atlantic was the only thing that ever frightened me. † –Winston Churchill One of the reasons that the Germans got so many kills was because they used a strategy called ‘wolf packs. ’ This strategy involves hunting in packs instead of separately; they would hunt with 3-4 ships minimum. Everyone was devastated when this battle erupted; it caused a lot of deaths as well as nightmares for the ones who survived. Up to this day, no one can forget this horrific battle because it was the longest running battle during World War II which was also one of the most destructive ones with the thousands of ships submerged beneath the cold, dark waters of the Atlantic During the 2,075 days of the Battle of the Atlantic, there were many deaths as well as ships sunk on each of the 2 sides. It may have seemed that Germany sunk more ships because they achieved to sink over 1000 ships in 600 months but they were the ones that lost the most. One of the reasons Canada joined the war is because the Germans sunk a passenger ship ‘SS Athenia’ on the coast of Ireland on September 3, 1939 which resulted in 4 Canadians killed. The Germans might have sunk the ship by accident or on purpose but either way, they have killed 4 Canadians and the prime minster was not pleased. There were 95,000 uniformed men and women in the navy. After the war, 2,210 Canadians died; 6 of them were women, 24 warships and 2,900 other ships (merchants etc) sunk including 14 million tons of shipping goods. On the other hand, the Germans lost 800 u-boats, 42 enemy surface crafts and 30,000 of the 39,000 Germans never returned. Although many Canadians died in this ongoing battle, we (the navy) commemorate them for their actions during this battle every year on the first Sunday of May. The allies (RC/RCN) struggled throughout the war because of the lack of technology. In the 1940’s a new sonar system was created to help the allies detect the enemies. In the beginning, the allies only had an early type of sonar called ‘ASDIC’ (Allied Submarine Detection Investigation Committee). ASDIC was most effective when used underwater where the allies could detect long range u-boats but on surface, the u-boats were undetectable. As the war continued, allies were equipped with a better, more advanced sonar system which could detect u-boats underwater and even on the surface in dense fog; the allies perfected the technique ‘Radio Directional Finding’ (RDF) as they received this new enhanced technology. With the new technology in hand, the allies had a special feature; they could locate wolf packs accurately using the u-boat radio transmissions. The results of the new features and technological innovations were fantastic; the allies could hold their ground against the u-boats when escorting ships such as merchants etc. Since we now have the advanced technology of the sonar from the battle, our sonar technology is improving every day. When the Battle of the Atlantic came to an end, World War II was close to the end. With many injured, dead and submerged under the waters of the Atlantic, they helped the allies win the battle and defeat the Germans as well as innovating the sonar and navy technology. Every year on the first Sunday of May, the navy would commemorate the ones who fought in the Battle of the Atlantic as they did some heroic actions leading the allies into victory! Bibliography http://wwii.ca/page-54/-battle-of-the-atlantic-.html How to cite Battle of Atlantic, Essay examples