Within this passage Hester is beginning to feel another sense that lets her know and feel that a random person who as casually passed by her has sinned. She feels awful, terrible because she does not want to know that someone who is considered "holy" has actually sinned or is considered innocent and caring. Hester was taught that as Puritans one must try to live a humble, peaceful life without sin; anything that lets one enjoy life is consider a sin. One cannot be forgiven lightly within the Puritan society, which forced Hester to bare the mark of sin until death and even after death upon the mark on her grave. Yet that great "sin" has given her a gift to see into people's hearts that they are not so perfect, the villagers have also sin, not so drastic as Hester's but small actions that begin to mount on top of each other that have become greater than Hester's sin of sleeping and baring a child of a man out of wedlock. In a way it gives her company that she is not the only one that has flaws in life.
The use of awful and loathsome in line 1 gives the sixth sense a negative connotation about it, it is another miserable experience life has given to Hester, a gift that is not useful emotionally, gives her the ability to feel the presence that one has sinned. The use of commas within the paragraph are used to describe and express more of how the sixth sense has given Hester to question herself and even her society's morals and ideals on how they view who is within the group of the elect.* (*Historical note: The elect are individuals who have given testimonies that they have received God's grace and deserve to be part of the Puritan community. [ The American Pageant: A History of the Republic, 2006])
Questions:
- Should Hester a least tell her daughter, Pearl, who is her biological father?
- Why do people still speak ill of Hester when they are wearing her handiwork of the needle on their apparel?
- Why did Hawthorne wrote about the disipline of how children were put under? (83-84)
1) Hester should and should not tell Pearl who her biological father is: she should because it is Pearl's right to know who he is, but she shouldn't because it might create a grudge in her against men. But Hester should at least tell Pearl when she's about 16 years old, she can't tell her now because she appears to be a hyper little child.
ReplyDelete2) These people have nothing against her needlework/handiwork, it's only her sinful acts that they shame her for. But in the novel, it says that she was not "called to embroider the white veil which was to cover the pure blushes of a bride. The exception indicated the ever-relentless rigor with which society frowned upon her sin." (pp. 76). There is that certain instance in which her needlework was not called for. In other words, these people are hypocrites.
1.I think Hester should not tell Pearl who her biological father is because probably when she is in public she would blurt it out. And, that is the last thing that Hester wants because she seems to want to protect her “lover”. Also, even though she denies that the Heavenly Father sent her here, Hester should wait until she is a little older.
ReplyDelete2.The townspeople are hypocrites; Hester does their clothes (needlework) and they still speak badly of her. They even forbid Hester from sewing veils anything dealing with brides. They just get on my nerves, especially the ugly ladies.
#1 Hester shouldn't tell Pearl who is her biological father because then as i have said before there wouldn't be a story! Moreover, if Hester did tell Pearl who her biological father was then Pearl would be blabbering out-loud to everyone who passes by Pearl that her biological father is ???(i don't want to say it!)Also, Pearl wouldn't understand the situation so Hester should wait until pearl is older enough to understand.
ReplyDelete#2 People are hypocrites (i agree with Esmeralda), thats why they still speak of her like that despite they wear needlework.Since Hester needlework is beautiful and exquisite the people want to wear something "fashionable" and elegant.
For #3, did you mean why did he wrote about the way the Puritans discipline their children??
if it is the question i mentioned above for number 3, then i believe because Hawthorne wants to demonstrate how the Puritans discipline there children and how the children treat others based on the "moral" way the Puritans treat their children.He wants to demonstrate the Puritan strict way of disciplining them.
ReplyDeleteResponse to #1
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is wise to reveal to Pearl who her biological father is, YET. It would be better to wait until she is of a sound age, like her late teens or early twenties, only if she still holds any interest. Pearl, who is young, albeit, very perceptive, might babble the name of her real father to her child-enemies in an effort to keep them from mocking her and her mother.
Response to #2
People will continue to look at Hester as a demoness, even if she does have a useful skill. I think it's natural for people to take advantage of others, whether or not they consider them a friend or acquaintance.