The Scarlet Letter Themes and Symbols

The Scarlet Letter Themes and Symbols The Scarlet Letter, Nathanial Hawthorne’s 1850 novel of a 17th century adulterous affair in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, centers on several themes that would have been very meaningful to the highly religious, pre-industrial community in which it is set: the nature of shame and judgment; the differences between our public and private lives; and the conflict between scientific and religious beliefs. Additionally, several important symbols pop up throughout the novel to highlight these themes, including the scarlet letter, the scaffold, and Pearl. Through the use of these themes and symbols, Hawthorne constructs a world of Puritanical guilt and redemption in the earliest days of America’s history. Shame and Judgment The novel’s most central theme is that of shame and judgment- it is the focal point of the story’s first scene, when Hester Prynne is publicly ridiculed on the scaffold in the town square, and it permeates nearly every part of the book from there on. Prynne is forced to wear the eponymous token over her clothes for the rest of her days in the colony, which is itself a judgment she must endure, as well as an ever-present symbol of her shame and lowly position in the community. As such, wherever she goes she is quickly identified as the person who committed adultery, an act for which the townspeople pass judgment on her, causing her, in turn, to feel some degree of shame. This comes to a head when the townspeople try to take Pearl away from Prynne, an act that mostly stems from their misguided assumptions and views of the mother and daughter. Over time, both the town’s estimation of  Prynne and her own feelings of guilt begin to dissipate, but for many years these feelings are quite strong for each party and serve as a central, motivating force within the story. Public vs. Private The flip side of this form of judgment and shame is experienced by Dimmesdale who, though he has committed the same crime as Prynne, deals with this fact very differently. Dimmesdale must keep his guilt to himself, a state of affairs that drives him mad and eventually to death. Dimmesdales position provides an interesting insight into the nature of judgement and shame when felt privately, not publicly. For one thing, he receives no negative judgment from the others in the colony, as they don’t even know of his involvement in the affair, so he only continues to receive their adulation. Additionally, he has no outlet for his shame, as he must keep it hidden, so it eats away at him over the course of several years. This is not to say that this is worse than Prynnes fate, but the differing situation creates an alternative result; whereas Prynne eventually works her way back, somewhat, into the town’s good graces, Dimmesdale must hide his own shame and literally cannot live with it, as he reveals it and then promptly dies. Through the different ways in which these two are made to endure judgment as well as feel shame, Hawthorne presents a compelling look into the nature of human guilt, as both a public and private phenomenon. Scientific vs. Religious Beliefs Through the relationship between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth, Hawthorne explores the differences between scientific and religious modes of thought and understanding. Given that this novel is set in a 17th century Puritan colony, the characters are deeply religious, and have little understanding of scientific processes. Most of their understanding of the world, in fact, comes from a place of religious belief. For example, when Dimmesdale- who, admittedly, is a priest- looks to the night sky, he takes what he sees as a sign from God. Dimmesdale filtering his perceptions through the lens of his profession is largely the point, though, as he and Chillingworth are used to represent these opposing views. Chillingworth is a new addition to the town, and, as he is a physician, represents the encroaching of science into the religious New World colonies. Additionally, he is often described as representing darkness or evil, or just the devil outright, indicating that his mode of thought is at odds with the others’ in the community, as well as antithetical to God’s order. Interestingly, the two men get along at first, but ultimately grow apart when Chillingworth begins to probe Dimmesdale’s psychological state, suggesting that science and religion are incompatible in analyzing one’s mental anguish. One area in which they do align, however, is over Prynne, as each man attempts at one point to win her love. In the end, though, she rejects both of them, showing that an independently minded woman has no need for either. Symbols The Scarlet Letter Given the book’s title, this object is unsurprisingly a very important symbol throughout the story. Even before the main narrative begins, the reader catches a glimpse of the letter, as the anonymous narrator of â€Å"The Custom House† describes it briefly in the book’s opening section. From there, it appears pretty much right away, and comes to be the story’s most prominent symbol. Interestingly, though the letter represents Prynne’s guilt to the other characters in the book, it has a somewhat different meaning to the reader. It symbolizes not just Prynne’s actions, which, of course, it does symbolize, but it also embodies the town’s viewing of her actions as wrong, and as a punishment forced upon her by her community. As such, it says more about the wearer’s environment, than it does about the wearer herself. It shows that this group is willing to make a very public example of people whom it believes to have transgressed. Notably also, Dimmesdale burns a symbol of some sort- which some claim is an â€Å"A†- onto his chest as a sort of atonement for his role in the affair. This highlights the public vs. private theme in the novel, as the two bear the burden of guilt very differently. The Scaffold The scaffold, which appears in the first scene, serves to divide the story into beginning, middle, and end. It first appears in the opening scene, when Prynne is forced to stand on it for several hours and endure harassment from the community. In this moment, it symbolizes a very public form of punishment, and, as this is the beginning of the book, establishes that tone going forward. Later, the scaffold shows up again when Dimmesdale goes out walking one night and ends up there, whereupon he runs into Prynne and Pearl. This is a moment of reflection for Dimmesdale, as he ruminates on his misdeeds, changing the book’s focus from public to private shame. The scaffold’s final appearance comes in the book’s climactic scene, when Dimmesdale reveals his role in the affair, and then promptly dies in Prynne’s arms atop the apparatus. At this moment, Prynne literally embraces Dimmesdale, and the town collectively embraces the two of them, acknowledging the minister’s confession, and forgiving them both of their crimes. The scaffold, therefore, comes to represent atonement and acceptance, completing its journey, much like the characters themselves, from punishment through reflection, and, ultimately, to forgiveness. Pearl Though Pearl is very much a distinct character in her own right, she also acts symbolically as the living embodiment of her parents’ infidelity. As a result, whenever Prynne looks at her, she must confront what she has done, almost more so even than when she looks at the scarlet letter. Importantly, though, she represents not just her parents’ infidelity, but also her mother’s independence. This is epitomized by some of the townspeople trying to take Pearl away from Prynne, which forces the mother to argue before the governor for the right to keep her child. Essentially, she must fight to prove the validity of her desires and affections in the face of this highly rigid and patriarchal society. Pearl, therefore, represents the sinfulness and the gracefulness balanced in tandem inside of her mother- that is, she is wild but still worth loving nonetheless.

Securitarization of Africa Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Securitarization of Africa - Literature review Example r, the modern world dictates that the security of Africa take center-stage in addressing the greatest challenge of the 21st century which is global terrorism, with Africa posing a major risk to the west in this front (Abrahamsen, 2005:57). Therefore, the morality basis of acting, rather than the pure militarization approach is the focus of the Labour Party towards resolving the African problem. However, the major criticism of the securitization approach to Africa is that the African threat has not merited such emergency actions. The desirability of the securitization approach as the means of developing Africa is likely to develop the threat-vulnerability policy approach, which tends to isolate the continent from the perceived enemies (Abrahamsen, 2005:61). Thus, securitization of Africa might be both undesirable and inadequate to address the social economic problem of Africa that is characterized by underdevelopment, since the approach is merely based on the perceived relationship be tween Africa and international security problem of terrorism (Abrahamsen, 2005:75). Thus, while making an issue a security agenda can give the issue useful political priority, the future of development of Africa needs to be thought from a multiplicity of

A critical analysis of a patient's journey through Paediatric Essay

A critical analysis of a patient's journey through Paediatric Intensive Care Unit from a nursing perspective - Essay Example Even with the children who suffer the extreme form of this heart defect. The success rate has been very encouraging. The said infant suffered from Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) which is an extension of congenital heart disease. It is the fourth most common type of congenital cardiac defect. It basically is a functional signal ventricle due to the congenital heart. HLHS is characterized by a multiple abnormalities related to heart including steosis or atresia of ventricular  inflow and outflow tracts of both the left side (Report of the New England Regional Infant Cardiac Program, 1980). In the 1980’s most of the infants died within the first month of their birth but since then due to various medical advancements and the advent of Norwood procedure, the survival rate has risen a great deal (Kirklin et al. 1980). The two treatments of the congenital heart being currently offered are either multi stages surgical palliation or the orthotopic cardiac transplantation. The mortality rate of the HLHS is considerably higher than other defects occurring due to the congenital heart disease. Additionally there is not much knowledge and information about the long-term follow-up related to the HLHS survivors (Caplan et al. 1996). The infants who are born with this disease are usually born on time and have relatively normal birth weight. It has also been researched that extra cardiac and malformationsare is present in about 2.3% of them (Report of the New England Regional Infant Cardiac Program). It has also been noticed that its occurrence is more in boys than in girls. Fortunately the chances of this disease being present in the siblings are only 0.5% of the times and only 2.2% for other extension of congenital heart disease (Wernovsky, Bove, 1998). The chances of survival post the cardinal surgery has been increased to 95% now. Unfortunately the exact cause of the HLHS has yet

Appendix dorder - completed Essay Example for Free

Appendix dorder completed Essay 1. The exporter harbors some degree of anxiety because fluctuations in the exchange rate affect the real value of the currency used in trading. This might result in the exporter losing some money at the end of the day if the value of the currency falls. 2. The exporter can protect itself in the following ways: Hedging (Forward Exchange Market Hedge, Currency Options Hedges, Credit or Money Market Hedge), Acceleration or Delay of Payment, Exposure Netting and Price Adjustments. 3. The money market hedge involves borrowing money. This is based on a premise that the importer would pay for the goods bought at a certain date in the future. The exporter borrows the equivalent of the cost price of the goods being sold from a bank in the importer’s country, on the date of selling of the goods. He immediately converts this money to the currency in his own country, giving him the real value of the goods he sold. When the importer eventually pays him, he would use the money to settle the loan he got from the bank in the importer’s country. However, the exporter must make judicious use of the loan he got. He must invest it in his own country. Moreover, this depends on the prevailing interest rates in both the importer and exporter’s countries. The cost of might be too high if the interest rate is high in the importer’s country is higher than the amount the exporter con earn in his own country. 4. Acceleration or delay in payments is so important for international companies. The international company can use these as tools. These are tools that the International Company (IC) can use to protect itself against unwarranted losses arising as a result of fluctuations in the exchange rate market. The dynamics of the money market affects the IC but not these other small companies. 5. In this type of exposure netting, I would consider a strong currency and a weak currency. I would buy more of the strong currency hoping that the strength of that currency would balance out the weakness of the other currency. 6. The price adjustment device is important to the international company in the sense that he can use these instruments to protect himself (or herself) from the uncertainties of fluctuating exchange rates more importantly when an exporter is dealing with a customer in a country that has a weak currency. However, this must be done within legal limits. 7. They are important because as long as these gains or loses are accounting entries, they count against the importer / exporter if loses arise and the gains mean that more money is made eventually. 8. Yes, the parallel loan is a form of swap. The parallel loan involves two parent companies in different countries lending money to the subsidiary company of the other. The aim of this swap is to get the loan to the subsidiary company in the other country, in the currency of the subsidiary company. By so doing, the capital market is completely sidelined and no money is lost to the process of buying foreign currency. This loan swap in flexible because if it does not need guarantee from the parent company. If one of the companies defaults in payment, the other can withhold the payment. Also, it can involve more than two companies at the same time. 9. Countertrade is a type of transaction in which a buyer pays for the goods bought rather than in cash. It comes in various forms namely: Counterpurchase, Compensation, Barter, Switch, Offset and Clearing Account. A seller still decides to sell to a buyer who has no money as long as the seller can provide alternate means of payment though the above methods. In the long run, the seller still gets the value for his sales. 10. Inspection of the goods either at the point of manufacture or before they are exported from the developing country. This inspection is carried out by a trusted independent organization. Guarantee by banks is another way. By this, the bank guaranties the quality and delivery of the good from a bank in the developing country. With this, the bank supervises the process of manufacturing the goods, up to the point of packaging. By so doing, the bank does not have to pay for damages in when the contractual agreement is broken because there is a breach in the quality of the foods delivered. Reference Ball, D. A. , McCulloch, W. H. Jr. , Frantz, P. L. , Geringer, J. M. , Minor, M. S. (2006). International business: The challenge of global competition (10th ed. ). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Katherine Patterson’s Bridge to Terabithia Essay -- Bridge Terabithia

Katherine Patterson’s Bridge to Terabithia All children can relate in someway to Katherine Patterson’s Newberry Medal-winning children’s novel, Bridge to Terabithia. The characters are realistic people who could be one’s next door neighbors. From the shy and demure Jess to the vivacious and carefree Leslie, every kid can relate to one of the characters in this novel. The themes in this novel vary as much as the characters. Bridge to Terabithia is a good coming-of-age book that captures our imaginations and our hearts. Bridge to Terabithia is a story about a lonely boy, Jess Aarons, who grows up in a house where he is the only boy surrounded by four sisters and his mother. His father is there but always gone either working or looking for work. His greatest hope is to become the fastest runner in the fifth grade. All summer long he practices running but on the first day of school, he gets beat by the new girl, Leslie Burke. At first, she repels him. However, they soon become inseparable. Leslie and Jess are complete opposites. Jess is scared of a lot but Leslie is fearless. Leslie has imagination and inspiration and Jess envies that. Leslie’s family has money and gets along. Jess’ family is always scraping by and nearly dysfunctional. But nonetheless, they become best friends. In the woods, they create Terabithia, their own secret kingdom where they rule together. Leslie and Terabithia change Jess. He becomes a stronger person, less afraid of the world. But one cruel mor ning, tragedy strikes and Leslie dies. Jess must come to grips with her death and the world. Except now he has to do it alone. Symbolism is a literary element that stands out most in this novel. Patterson uses symbolism so well in this story. The title itself symbolizes Leslie. In chapter seven, Jess’ thoughts bring this symbol to light. â€Å"Jess tried going to Terabithia alone, but it was no good. It needed Leslie to make the magic. He was afraid he would destroy everything by trying to force the magic on his own, when it was plain that the magic was reluctant to come for him.†(65) We see this a second time in chapter eleven. The only way to enter Terabithia was to swing from the hanging rope, which was their bridge. Leslie died because the rope broke, causing her to fall and hit her head before landing in the stream, causing her to drown. The bro... ...r and the schoolyard bullies, and he realizes that he doesn’t need Leslie to protect him anymore and he does not need to take refuge in Terabithia because he can face his obstacles. â€Å"He thought about it all day, how before Leslie came, he had been a nothing-a stupid†¦It was Leslie who had taken him from the cow pasture into Terabithia and turned him into a king. Now it occurred to him that perhaps Terabithia was like a castle where you came to be knighted. After you stayed awhile and grew strong you had to move on.† (126) In the end, Jess builds a bridge to Terabithia and takes May Belle there and he becomes to May Belle who Leslie was for him. Jess does not need Leslie to enter Terabithia because although Leslie is gone, Terabithia will remain and live on with May Belle. There are a lot of children out there like Jess who are alone and scared and they just need to find their own Terabithia to give them courage to face the antagonists of their world. That is why Bridge to Terabithia is an excellent book for young readers. It gives them hope that they can face their world too. Works Cited: Patterson, Katherine. Bridge to Terabithia. New York. Harper Trophy. 1977.

Importance of Time Essay

Time is precious. It is invaluable. It is one of the powerful factors. Our life is measured in terms of time. We grow in time, live in time and perish in time. Time is fleeting. It is changing. It never stops. Neither does it wait for anyone. Time once lost is lost for ever. It can never be regained. It can never be captured. It is the most potent factor. Even the strongest and powerful monarchs have been helpless before time. Even they could not command time to stop. So, we should be careful about the importance of time. We should never waste it. We are successful in life only when we make the best use of time. Time is the most influential factor in this world. It is abstract. Everything in this world is commanded and decided by time. Nobody can escape the hold of time. It is the time which gives us the opportunity to make use of it. Those who make best use of time and avail those opportunities grow and rise in life. Those who waste their time lag behind. They fail to make any mark in life. He is the wisest who makes the best use of time. He rises to the great heights who keep pace with the time. â€Å"A stitch in time save nine† is a popular maxim. It highlights the importance of time in life. It means that an act done in time saves from inconvenience and trouble. It brings reward. It is gainful and it saves from hassle and confusion. Unnecessary delay and lazy attitude towards one’s assigned duty is very dangerous. The great men of the world rose to fame, glory and success because they always made best use of their time. They made a mark in time. They became immortal. They are guide and source of inspiration for generations to come. To ensure best use of time in life, one needs to be very punctual. Punctuality avoids inconvenience and tension. It offers great opportunity, which, if struck properly brings big results. Opportunity once lost is hardly regained. Proper use of time brings success and achievements. Doing everything in time should be the guiding principle of life. Man has limited years to live, but there is lots of work to do. So, he should live a purposeful life. He should make maximum use of each and every moment. Time is precious. It should be valued. We should make use of it in best possible way. Just imagine and suppose that there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course? Each of us has such a bank account. It’s name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to a good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no drawing against â€Å"tomorrow. † You must live in the present on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in Health, Happiness and Success! The clock is ticking! Make the most of today. To realise the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade. To realise the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby. To realise the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper. To realise the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realise the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who just missed a train. To realise the value of ONE SECOND, ask someone who just avoided an accident. To realise the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal at the Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with. And remember time waits for no one. I suggest you to watch the animation movie â€Å"KungFu Panda† in which old tortoise Kung Fu Master advises fat Panda in such words: â€Å"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why its called the present†.

Importance of Time Essay

Time is precious. It is invaluable. It is one of the powerful factors. Our life is measured in terms of time. We grow in time, live in time and perish in time. Time is fleeting. It is changing. It never stops. Neither does it wait for anyone. Time once lost is lost for ever. It can never be regained. It can never be captured. It is the most potent factor. Even the strongest and powerful monarchs have been helpless before time. Even they could not command time to stop. So, we should be careful about the importance of time. We should never waste it. We are successful in life only when we make the best use of time. Time is the most influential factor in this world. It is abstract. Everything in this world is commanded and decided by time. Nobody can escape the hold of time. It is the time which gives us the opportunity to make use of it. Those who make best use of time and avail those opportunities grow and rise in life. Those who waste their time lag behind. They fail to make any mark in life. He is the wisest who makes the best use of time. He rises to the great heights who keep pace with the time. â€Å"A stitch in time save nine† is a popular maxim. It highlights the importance of time in life. It means that an act done in time saves from inconvenience and trouble. It brings reward. It is gainful and it saves from hassle and confusion. Unnecessary delay and lazy attitude towards one’s assigned duty is very dangerous. The great men of the world rose to fame, glory and success because they always made best use of their time. They made a mark in time. They became immortal. They are guide and source of inspiration for generations to come. To ensure best use of time in life, one needs to be very punctual. Punctuality avoids inconvenience and tension. It offers great opportunity, which, if struck properly brings big results. Opportunity once lost is hardly regained. Proper use of time brings success and achievements. Doing everything in time should be the guiding principle of life. Man has limited years to live, but there is lots of work to do. So, he should live a purposeful life. He should make maximum use of each and every moment. Time is precious. It should be valued. We should make use of it in best possible way. Just imagine and suppose that there is a bank account that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening the bank deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course? Each of us has such a bank account. It’s name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to a good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no over draft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no drawing against â€Å"tomorrow. † You must live in the present on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in Health, Happiness and Success! The clock is ticking! Make the most of today. To realise the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade. To realise the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby. To realise the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper. To realise the value of ONE HOUR, ask the lovers who are waiting to meet. To realise the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who just missed a train. To realise the value of ONE SECOND, ask someone who just avoided an accident. To realise the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal at the Olympics. Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with. And remember time waits for no one. I suggest you to watch the animation movie â€Å"KungFu Panda† in which old tortoise Kung Fu Master advises fat Panda in such words: â€Å"Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why its called the present†.