By: Rohan Asthana, Ariana Brigidi, Kristen Graf, Ben Hoffman,

Ananth Sajjan

Human Nature: Beautiful & Beastly

Hawthorne proves beauty and light will always surmount evil and darkness in the human soul, as Hester uses the Scarlet letter as a symbol for hope, Pearl matures into a beautiful women, and Chillingworth and his vengeful passions meet their demise.

Thesis

● Evil○ Scarlet Letter “A”○ Isolation

● Beauty○ Artistic○ Loving○ Helps others○ Loves Dimmesdale○ Loves Pearl

Hester Prynne

• Evilo Created by a sino Mischievouso “Satan’s Child”

• Beautyo Represents natureo Represents trutho Grows into a beautiful

woman

Pearl

Evil:● Vengeance● Does the “Devil’s work”● Becomes consumed by hate toward Hester’s accompliceBeauty:● Forgives Hester and Pearl● Gives Pearl his inheritance

Roger Chillingworth

● Hawthorne’s ability of integrating dark and light imagery in the novel allows the reader to distinguish the concepts of truth and evil.

● Light imagery brings out natures beauty and the humanistic truth with characters such as Pearl and Hester

● However, dark imagery represents the evilness in mankind and its ability to affect others.

○ Roger Chillingworth is the primary character for dark imagery

Light vs. Dark Imagery

• People are naturally inclined to do good• Expresses the value of an individual• Hester becomes isolated by society and experiences

change and self-growth• Hester has great personal strength and resolve• Spends time helping others• Hester goes against society

o Falls in love with Dimmesdale and gives birth to Pearl

o Uses Scarlet Letter as symbol for pride, not shame

Transcendentalism

“But on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rosebush, covered in this month of

June, with it’s delicate gems, which may be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal, as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and

be kind to him”- Chapter 1, page 56

Kristen’s Quote

“Pluck one of its flowers and present it to the reader. It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve

the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow.”- Chapter 1, page 56

Ariana’s Quote

“On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore...The young woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance...she was ladylike… characterized by a certain state and dignity, rather than by the delicate, evanescent, and indescribable grace.”

Chapter 2, Page 61-62

Ananth’s Quote

“But, through the remainder of Hester’s life, there were indications that the recluse of the scarlet letter was the object of love and interest

with some inhabitant of another land. “ (Pg 31, Ch 24)

Rohan’s Quote

“...there came a glare of red light out of his eyes...old Roger Chillingworth was a striking evidence of a man’s faculty of transforming himself into a devil...by devoting himself, for seven years, to the constant analysis of a heart full of torture, and deriving his enjoyment hence, and adding fuel to those fiery tortures which he analyzed and gloated over .”

Page 203, Chapter 14

Ben’s Quote