Scarlet Letter Blog 2

Every mother clutches onto her children with a certain maternal protection and need to love them, but Hester's relationship regarding Pearl goes much deeper. Pearl is the ultimate paradox in Hester's life, she represents two conflicting emotional strains, "The object of her affection and the emblem of her guilt and torture"(93). Pearl is the prize, yet she is the punishment. Hester lost everything through her sin and her sole compensation was this "intolerant brood"(86), who not only serves as a daily living reminder of her mistakes, but also another less than cooperative obstacle in Hester's daily life. Hester loves Pearl not only because of her maternal connection, but for her very survival "This boon was meant, above all things else to keep this mother's soul alive"(104). Without Pearl, Hester has hardly anything to live for, society ravaged her life because of her sin. Hester is kept out of further sin only because of the presence of Pearl, without her Hester would not think twice about turning to darkness"Had they taken her from me, I would willingly have gone with thee"(107). Hester must live with two constant reminders of her sin, the "A" and Pearl, but these crosses she must bear are her salvation. They have made her stronger and given her reason to keep out of sin, a reason to prove society wrong. Despite the evident hardship that Pearl adds to Hester's life, she does show that Hawthorne believes good can come out of an evil situation because Pearl forces Hester to become stronger and gives her a reason to stay away from sin. By staying away from sin, Hester has been able to turn her life around which may redeem her in the eyes not only of the reader and God, but also of society and the father of her child.

Scarlet Letter 1

Hester allows her personality and feelings about her punishment to shine by embroidering the A on her clothes so elaborately. She is showing the towns people that they cannot break her spirit,"(the letter) seemed to express the attitude of her spirit, the desperate recklessness of her mood by its wild and picturesque peculiarity"(51). The town wants her to be gloomy and dull, just like it is, but Hester refuses. The town is judging her, but she acts as though she could care less. She chooses to not only acknowledge the wrath of the people, but embrace it. Through this defiant character, the author portrays a sense of nonconformity. Most would have hung their heads, but Hester displays her elaborate letter. The author is showing that she refuses to be brought down, even in the face of societal wrath. The A does not stand for adultery, it stands for Hester's ability to persevere. Her sins have not directly impacted the people, yet they say "They should have put the brand of iron on Hester Prynne's forehead"(49). Hawthorne forces the reader to reflect on modern society and see that not too much has changed, people still socially persecute those who have done them no wrong. Hester was supposed to be an example of shame, but through the strategic use of her punishment, she has become an example of nonconformity and defiance.

MLK/Syllogism Extra Credit

True Syllogism:
Oppressed people yearn for freedom.
The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself.
Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever.

This syllogism is true because it is a part of human nature to want freedom. When this manifests itself, people who are oppressed will eventually fight back, whether violently or not. Their actions will either change the mind of the oppressor, or cause an argument to ensue, but they will be heard. Once oppression manifests itself, even from thoughts into words, the oppressed is freed a little bit because they have been able to speak their mind, once their thoughts are heard, freedom will surely follow.

False Syllogism:
Oppressed people yearn for freedom.
The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself.
Oppressed people are violent.

This is false because there are nonviolent ways to argue against one's oppression.

True Syllogism:
Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.
Segregation statutes distort the soul and damage the personality.
Segregation laws are unjust.

This is true because segregation goes against the principles of equality by discriminating based solely on one's color. Discrimination degrades people based on appearance and forces people apart, this mentality and practice is unjust.

False Syllogism:
Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.
Segregation statutes distort the soul and damage the personality and is unjust.
An unjust law is no law at all, so segregation is no law.

This is false because although we can all agree that segregation is a terribly unjust practice, at the time of the letter, it was in fact a law.