Pearl: the title is emblematic, giving more emphasis to the symbol of the girl. As the writer writes, pearl has a double meaning: the valuable object and the little child. The only thing she actually has is the girl, and is both the only thing as the most valuable thing (as a pearl) she has. The great contrast is between this little child and her parents. It seems that her mother is the symbol of shame, uglyness, compared to the little perfect "angel". we can see another comparison with angels , seen already at the end of chapter 4: here hester is the "mortal man", inferior, but Pearl is even above the magistrates (angels) because she ahd been brought to Eden to stay with them.
on pg 81 L9 we can see the link with angels, light, maybe also with a saint? (hester, saintlike)
L 14 wild flower: compare rose, wild rose and perfection of nature.
pg 82, L 15 "LONELY MOTHER OF THIS ONE CHILD" compare to ch 4 "had she sinned alone?" why does H. remark her being alone in the sin?
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
9 DJ
ph 79 L 16 - end
these lines and the whole chapter show the ignominy of carrying such a letter on the breast, and these line in particular are the evidence of what importance had this kind of punishment in the puritans' age.
these lines and the whole chapter show the ignominy of carrying such a letter on the breast, and these line in particular are the evidence of what importance had this kind of punishment in the puritans' age.
8 DJ
pg 72 L 1-18
will be taught to look at her... shame.
First of all, Hester's thoughts are seemed to focus not on her sin, but on the symbol she has become for the community: a sinner. She does not want to be one, she is ashamed to be, but she does not wonder about her action but the impression given to the others. So the wish is to escape (go away, back to Europe), expressed in a comparison with the nature again.
will be taught to look at her... shame.
First of all, Hester's thoughts are seemed to focus not on her sin, but on the symbol she has become for the community: a sinner. She does not want to be one, she is ashamed to be, but she does not wonder about her action but the impression given to the others. So the wish is to escape (go away, back to Europe), expressed in a comparison with the nature again.
7 DJ
pg 67 L 3
"a gaze that made her heart shrink..... cold"
This line shows how Helen is still scared from her husband, and does not know him well although they had spent years together. this might help us to understand that of course there was no love in the relatioship, since one should feel safe in the other's eyes and that the reticent man kept many secrets for himself, making Hester scared of the things he might hide.
"a gaze that made her heart shrink..... cold"
This line shows how Helen is still scared from her husband, and does not know him well although they had spent years together. this might help us to understand that of course there was no love in the relatioship, since one should feel safe in the other's eyes and that the reticent man kept many secrets for himself, making Hester scared of the things he might hide.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
5 DJ
Pg 61, L 18 "Mr Dimmesdale; a young clergyman...speech of an angel" Nathaniel H. is pointing out Dimmesdale's great personality and tenderness of charachter. He is a sinner, but still his qualities are well described. Is it possible that H. feels sympathy for this man? The comparison with the angel is maybe opposite to the evil face of Hester's husband (snake).
6 DJ
Pg 66, L 21 "Here!...father's"
We can understand that Helen's husband does not want to be recognized as the child's father, because of "paying" the "dishonor of a faithless woman". Maybe from his speech it is possible to assume that he does not love the woman, otherwise he would have helped her and recognized the child: they both define their marriage as a mistake. But if there is no love, no intenction in living a love/family story, why coming back and risk to be recognized as her husband, to be ashamed?
We can understand that Helen's husband does not want to be recognized as the child's father, because of "paying" the "dishonor of a faithless woman". Maybe from his speech it is possible to assume that he does not love the woman, otherwise he would have helped her and recognized the child: they both define their marriage as a mistake. But if there is no love, no intenction in living a love/family story, why coming back and risk to be recognized as her husband, to be ashamed?
4 DJ
"it was sufficiently evident...hear it" pg 56
In a couple of lines H. describes the relation between Helen and her husband (he does mark out this man because of the mentioned deformed figure) and he tells the reaction of the woman at his sight. We can so understand that Hester is scared by this man, but we don't know why. We can imagine that there is not a good relationship between the twos, but what I think is important to highlight is the very physical reaction of the woman: she pushes Pearl against her bosom, as to protect her from her very husband.
In a couple of lines H. describes the relation between Helen and her husband (he does mark out this man because of the mentioned deformed figure) and he tells the reaction of the woman at his sight. We can so understand that Hester is scared by this man, but we don't know why. We can imagine that there is not a good relationship between the twos, but what I think is important to highlight is the very physical reaction of the woman: she pushes Pearl against her bosom, as to protect her from her very husband.
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