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10/1/2010

GROUP THREE:

1.       All of the characters in The Scarlet Letter make mistakes. They all have their own agendas, and they all succumb at one point or another to human desires and fallacies. So who is the antagonist in The Scarlet Letter? Who is the chief villain that orchestrates the largest amount of trouble for the characters? If there isn't an antagonist, why?

2.       Look back at the character assigned to you. Provide a complete character study on this character. What insight did you learn about the character, now that the novel is complete? What significant actions/statements revealed character traits (physical, mental, personality, etc.) concerning your character? Use examples to explain the character in detail. This will serve as a study guide for your classmates. This will be a LONGER answer than what you have been doing!!!
3.   Discuss the symbol of the scarlet letter; what does it signify? How does it function in the novel? How does its meaning change over time? What, besides “adultery,” can the A stand for in this story?

31 Comments

Ashley Thalasinos

3/3/2011 06:35:39 am

Question 1,

I think that the viilian in the town is Chillingworth. He caused a lot of problems in the town for Hester because he was her secret husband, and she had to deal with the secret. Finally, she had to tell Dimmesdale, the father of her child about Chillingworth's real identity. So when they planned on moving to Europe, out of spite, Chillingworth came along as the doctor aboard the boat. Also he caused problems for Dimmesdale as well because he wanted Dimmesdale to confess his sins and that got to him. But I think Chillingworth was also the anagonist in the novel too because he opposed of Hester.

Ashley Thalasinos

3/6/2011 09:10:42 am

Question 2,

Dimmesdale was the towns minister. He was respected and loved by all of the puritans in the town. But he knew that he commited adultery and it was hard for him to live with his guilt throughout the years. Suddenly his healh began to plunder and he grew very weak. On page 76 he came forward while holding his hand over his heart. He even punishes himself and burns a letter A on his chest and stands in front of all the town. He is a very wise man and eventually before his death, he announces his sins and accepts Pearl as his child.

Ashley Thalasinos

3/6/2011 09:18:25 am

Question 3,

In the book, the A symbolizes adultery that Hester has commited. The townspeople made her wear the scarlet letter to serve as a punishment for her sins, and for her to feel ashamed of her baby and to always be remembered for her awful decision. But over time, the A changes and the town looks to Hester as a brave and stong woman for taking all the harrasment and her going through everything that she went through but still stayed the same. They no longer looked down on Hester,for everyone makes mistakes. I think the A could stand for Admrer because the town looked up to her towards the end and learned from Hesters mistake as well.

travis jenkins

3/7/2011 05:21:38 am

question 1
The biggest villian in the book is Chillingworth. He has caused a substatial amount of trouble for the other characters in the book. He is making Hester feel bad for her sins, even after seven years. He also makes Dimmensdale feel horrible about what he did. He causes Dimmensdale to become sick because Dimmensdale has to constantly be reminded that he sinned and can not repent because it it a secret.

travis jenkins

3/7/2011 05:43:50 am

Question 2
Chillingworth is the town doctor. He came to Boston unknown by everyone except as an educated scholar. He was actually married to Hester Prine and found that she has cheated on him and has concieved a child by another man. That man is Reverend Dimmesdale. Chillingworth tries to find out who his wife slept with but she would not tell him and when he found out Chillingworth tortured Dimmesdale for seven years until he died of sickness. Chillingworth is often compared to the devil because of his actions of trying to get Dimmesdale to confess his sins.

travis jenkins

3/7/2011 05:55:06 am

Reply to Ashley Thalasinos question 1
I agree that Chillingworth is the main villain in the book. He has tortured Dimmesdale since the middle of the book.
Hester and Dimmesdale compare him to the devil many times. They also say their sins were not as bad as Chillingworth's sin of torturing Dimmesdale.

travis jenkins

3/7/2011 06:10:51 am

Question 3
The scarlet letter represents adultery that Hester committed in the book. It functions as a reminder to others not to do what Hester did. Over time it turns into a symbol of difference and Hester is not so ashamed of wearing it.

travis jenkins

3/7/2011 06:18:40 am

Reply to Ashley Thalasinos question 3
I agree that the scarlet letter serves as a punishment to Hester for her crime. The letter is a reminder of her acts and tells the other townspeople not to commit adultery. The scarlet letter eventually changes and the townspeople look up to her as a hero.

Brandie Owen

3/7/2011 06:23:54 am

Question One---

Every character in some way could be portrayed as the antagonist in The Scarlet Letter, however, I would say that Roger Chillingworth would be considered the main antagonist of the entire story. This is overall, he attempts to cause harm in some way to the main characters in the story. Roger Chillingworth is considered the “chief villain” because he is constantly trying to tear down Hester, Dimmesdale, and even little Peal at one point. Some examples of him being the villain are shown all throughout The Scarlet Letter. Such as when he decides that he is going to corrode Dimmesdale’s mind by telling him that he is sick because he has a secret sin that needs to be made known to the public. He turned Dimmesdale into his own project that has disastrous effects on his well being. Page 130 says, “the sufferers conscience had been kept in an irritated state, the tendency of which was, not to cure the wholesome pain, but to disorganize and corrupt his spiritual being”. This shows us that Chillingworth has disrupted Dimmesdale, therefore making him the antagonist. Another example of Roger Chillingworth being portrayed as a villain is when he attempts tells Hester in the jail that he will see Pearls father tremble, and that sooner or later the father will be his (pg 51). Roger Chillingworth causes harm to many of the characters throughout the novel, which makes him the leading antagonist.

Lindsay Whitaker

3/7/2011 06:45:01 am

question 1:

I believe the antagonist and also the chief villan is Chillingworth. I believe this because he causes problems in the lives of Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale. Roger Chillingworth is overall jealous of the fact that Hester had a child with someone other than him, and he will do everything in his power to see that he suffers along with Hester and Pearl.

Ragan Moore

3/7/2011 06:53:26 am

Question 1---
Overall I think every character in the book at one time was a villain except Pearl. However, out of everyone I think Chillingworth was the main villain. He caused the most damage to everyone, but especially to Arthur Dimmesdale. He sets out for an entire seven years to get revenge on Dimmesdale. He becomes his physician and becomes an in home doctor just to be able to view every single aspect of his life. Chillingworth's appearance reflected his heart to as being a real villain. His outward looks became devilish and evil. Which reflects the true contents of his heart. Chillingworth himself effected not only Dimmesdale, but also Hester. This is because Hester and himself were at one point married, and this being the case they had to keep their marriage a secret. From the beginning the two of them planned to keep the fact that they were at one time married a secret. This affects the whole book because it is like the two of them are living a lie the entire story. In my opinion Chillingworth is definitely the antagonist in the story just based off the ways he treated the other characters, and the torment he caused in their lives.

Ragan Moore

3/7/2011 07:08:06 am

Question 2---
My character throughout the book was Hester Prynne. She was the main character out of the entire story, the whole book itself was centered around her and the sin that she committed. Hester is a strong and independent individual. She has faced more in her lifetime than most people do. She had to deal with daily ridicule, those seeking revenge, and the extreme factor of loneliness. She is constantly dealing with the reminding of her sin. By the never ceasing stares from the citizens, the whispering gossip, and the abandonment that she lives in. Pearl is her only companion in the years after she committed adultery. On page 52 it explains how Hester feels by saying " The days of the far-off future would toil onward, but still with the same burden for her to take up, and bear along with her, but never to fling down; for the accumulating days and added years would pile up their misery upon the heap of shame." This quote directly expresses how she feels about her letter. The "A" is now permanently a part of Hester, and she is realizing that the burden of having it on her chest is not going to get easier as time goes on. The scar will still be there for all to see. Overall i think Hester is a compassionate and loving individual. At one time the community themselves said that she was not as much as an outcast as she was before. That her services and good deeds for the citizens was changing her status in the town for the better. Hester is one of those characters that is hard to put in words completely. There is so much to her complex self!

Lindsay Whitaker

3/7/2011 07:09:38 am

question 2:

Roger Chillingworth is a name that Hester Prynne's husband changed to when he found out that she had committed the sin of adultery. By chinging from Mr. Prynne to Mr. Chillingworth, he thought it would keep him under a low profile and would help him find out who Hester had the affair with without anyone being suspicious. Chillingworth disguises himself as a physician, and suspects that the town's minister, Mr. Dimmesdale is hiding something. He decides that he is going to follow Dimmesdale until he finds out his secret. He tries to get Dimmesdale to confess his secret, but he won't tell. Chillingworth finds out that Dimmesdale and Hester plan to move away together, and Chillingworth gets on the same boat. Chillingworth dies a year after Dimmesdale and leaves all of his money to Pearl.

Ragan Moore

3/7/2011 07:18:31 am

Question 3---
Hester's scarlet letter by the end of the story has so much more meaning than just that she committed adultery. Yes, the letter symbolizes the sin that Hester committed so many years ago. Yes, it is a reminder to all who saw her bearing it on her chest that she sinned. Yes, it has value and represents a form of humility by making Hester bear it on her bosom for life. However, I feel like that the A symbolizes so much more. I think in some way it represents independence and authority. In one aspect the A sets Hester apart from the rest of the society. In reality she is set up on a pedestal ( the actual scaffold) for her sin. She is presented to everyone to make a point she has sinned and the A is pinned on her as a reminder to all. It is setting Hester apart from the rest of the town. Not only based on where Hester lives, which is outside of the town, but by the way she is viewed as a woman. It gives her a sense of authority over other citizens and a form of independence from the Puritan town.

Brandie Owen

3/7/2011 07:19:08 am

Question Two---

The character I was assigned to evaluate was Roger Chillingworth. Since I have completed my reading of The Scarlet Letter, I have learned more in depth about my character, Roger Chillingworth, and how he is portrayed in the story. When I had only read the first few chapters of this novel and I was asked about my character in a previous blog post, I thought that he was more genuine, and even loving towards Hester since they are legally married, but, since I have read more of The Scarlet Letter, I have learned that this is actually the complete opposite of how he really is. Roger Chillingworth’s character has actually evolved into a more demon-like presence throughout the novel. At first, when he came to the new land, the puritans in the village would have described him as a bright scholar who came to help the people of the land that were sick. Then, as the story continues he turns into a dark man with an evil vibe, and he is even mentioned as a “black man” and a “devil”. Hester Prynne even goes as far to say that the things that he touches turns delirious and malignant, and she asks herself if the sun could even shine on him. This shows that he is a dark man. A man of mystery, and secrecy. I learned that Roger Chillingworth is very nosey, and when he wants to find out certain information, he will do almost anything to get it and be wont rest until he does. This makes his character unappealing to the people in the village because they can see the effects that he has on Minister Dimmesdale. I find Chillingworth to be very hypocritical, especially when he talks to Dimmesdale about sinning and how it can affect you. On pages 86-92, Roger Chillingworth and Arthur Dimmesdale have a conversation about repentance, where Chillingworth makes the statement that “men deceive themselves”, and that “they fear to take up the shame that rightfully belongs to them”. However, Roger Chillingworth is committing sin by torturing Dimmesdale and by not making it known to the public that he really is Hester’s husband. Overall in the entire story, Roger Chillingworth Is known as the “bad guy”, however, towards the end if the novel when he dies, he leaves his inheritance to Pearl. “At old Roger Chillingworth's decease (which took place within the year), and by his last will and testament, of which Governor Bellingham and the Reverend Mr. Wilson were executors, he bequeathed a very considerable amount of property, both here and in England, to little Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne” (pg 117). This shows that he has somewhat of a caring heart deep down inside of his black soul. I think that Roger Chillingworth was a great man before he found out that his wife had committed adultery. I believe that it just got the best of who he was, which is a shame, because being a skillful doctor who helps people, he was probably a man of great compassion.

Lindsay Whitaker

3/7/2011 07:26:19 am

question 3:

I believe that the "A" could symbolize "admit" because in wearing the letter, it was publically admitting the sin she had committed. Over some time i believe that the meaning could change to "reminder" because although everyone already knew what she had done, she still had to wear the "A" and it reminded everyone of what she had done.

Ragan Moore

3/7/2011 07:52:23 am

Reply to Ashley- Question 3
Ashley, I really like your substitution for Hester's letter "A" from being adultery to admirer. I think in a way that comparison would work. The town did seem to change their outlook on what they thought of Hester's "A" as time went on. Admiring however, is something that is done when someone does something good and their character is admirable. At the beginning of the book I would have disagreed with your comparison, based solely on the fact that Hester's character was not one to be admired. But by the end of the book if you look at Hester by the way she handed and dealt with the "A" that she was bound to wear I would definitely call her character admirable. She is a strong and courageous woman who deals with her issues very well.

Ragan Moore

3/7/2011 08:01:16 am

Reply to Lindsay- Question 3
I really like your substitute of admittance instead of adultery for Hester's letter A . It shows how the "A" itself is a way of Hester admitting she has done wrong. Although she was forced to wear the "A", Hester took her punishment without hesitation. Admitting you have done wrong is the first step to acceptance of your sins. Good job Lindsay!! :)

Ragan Moore

3/7/2011 08:21:52 am

Reply to Brandie- Question 1
Brandie i really like how you described the way Chillingworth is corrupting all of the characters minds. He is definitely the overall villain between every other character. He is one of those characters that is just bad at heart, and has a sinful and revengeful nature inside of him.

Lindsay Whitaker

3/7/2011 08:46:04 am

Reply to Ashley (question 1):

I agree that Chillingworth is the antagonist and villian of the novel. He tried to do everything he could to get Dimmesdale to confess his secret sin. He also caused problems in the lives of Hester an Pearl.

Lindsay Whitaker

3/7/2011 08:52:07 am

Reply to Ragan (question 3):

I like how you said that the "A" symbolized independence and authority. I agree that the letter sets Hester apart from the rest of the town. It makes her different from everyone else and is a reminder that wherever she goes people will know what she has done.

Lindsay Whitaker

3/7/2011 08:57:36 am

Reply to Brandie (question 1):

I agree that Roger Chillingworth is the antagonist. I love how you say that Chillingworth tries to turn Dimmesdale into his own project. He tries to trick Dimmesdale by making him believe that he is sick. He also tells Hester that he will make Pearl's father tremble. I love the detail you put into your answer!

Ashley Thalasinos

3/7/2011 09:23:09 am

Reply to Travis, question 1,

I agree that Chillingworth is the villian in this novel. He caused Dimmesdale to become deathly sick and made him suffer with guilt. It was like Chillingworth was Dimmesdale concience throughout the novel.

jessica link

2/20/2013 07:01:04 am

i think chillingsworth was a villain the whole time . he was jealous of dimmesdale

Ashley Thalasinos

3/7/2011 09:26:50 am

Reply to Ragan, Question 3

I agree with you that the scarlet letter stood for many things, mostly for adultery, but over time it stood for so much more. I really like how you compared the A to Hester having a authority because that she did. She was a strong woman and handled herself very well even if the townspeople looked down upon her.

Ashley Thalasinos

3/7/2011 09:28:36 am

Ashley Thalasinos

3/7/2011 09:33:36 am

Reply to Brandie, Question 2,

First off Brandie, your character study on Chillingworth was very well said. I agree that at the beggining, he seemed like a nice and loving man of great value. But as time went on he did indeed become demon-like and was very nosey in Dimmesdales business. With everything that Chillingworth found out about his once loving wife, it got to him and turned him into the man he was at the end.

Brandie Owen

3/7/2011 11:04:12 am

Question Three---

The scarlet letter “A” symbolizes a multitude of things throughout the entire novel. At the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, the actual letter itself stands for “adulterer” which shows the negative aspect of the letter. The letter “A” that Hester Prynne was forced to wear on her bosom showed a physical difference between her and society, which caused her isolationism to increase. At this point in the story, we see that the scarlet letter was intended to be a negative thing forced by the puritans show that she had committed a sin that was “higher” than any other according to the puritans. With Hester being isolated from the town and being mentally separated from the townspeople, this affected how she viewed the puritans, and how she handled herself. Since she was made to wear the scarlet letter, over time it began to have positive affects on her and her lifestyle. The scarlet letter’s meaning changed from “adulterer” to “able”. It even says on page 107 that the townspeople had changed their views of her throughout the years. They began to see her as helpful, tender, warm, and gentle. “Such helpfulness was found in her,---so much power to do, and power to sympathize,---that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength”. Hester became very independent because of the symbol that she wore on her chest. The scarlet letter A transitioned from being a negative symbol to a positive symbol over time.

Brandie Owen

3/7/2011 11:15:00 am

Reply to Lindsay Whitaker Question One---

I definitely agree with you that Chillingworth is the antagonist and the villain in the story. I like how you said that Roger Chillingworth was jealous over the situation that happened between Hester and Minister Dimmesdale. Jealousy is described as an emotional rivalry and an attitude towards another person. I would for sure say that Chillingworth could be considered jealous of Dimmesdale. Usually when emotions are tied in with something, such as a relationship, the person will often go to extensive measures to seek revenge on the person they are jealous with. Which we see throughout the story Chillingworth tried to do on Dimmesdale. I find that being jealous of another person does harmful things to their well-being, and does not have any positive effects on the person. Therefore, it is unnecessary and revenge should not be desired. Chillingworths character shows this as we seek deeper into the novel because he becomes very dark and possessive over Dimmesdale, which has negative outcomes.

Brandie Owen

3/7/2011 11:26:43 am

Reply to Ragan Moore Question Two---

I love how you said that Hester had to deal with “those” seeking revenge, not just Roger Chillingworth. I never thought of it that way, but as Hester had to wear the scarlet letter A on her chest, every single puritan in that village was being very revengeful by forcing her to wear that letter on her bosom. As she had to go through the “whispering gossip” as you say, I’m sure that had to be almost like a greater revenge, more so than having to wear a letter on her bosom because it shows mental isolation, which seems to be worse then just a physical isolation. I feel deep sadness for Hester throughout this novel as she was being put through many trials. Like you said, Pearl was her only companion over the course of 7 years, which I’m sure, had to be hard on her because I couldn’t imagine being isolated from everyone else in the world except for someone who was decades younger than me. I agree that Hester is very complex and she definitely could not be described completely in a matter of just a few sentences.

Brandie Owen

3/7/2011 11:37:32 am

Reply to Ashley Thalasinos Question Three---

I would definitely say that Hester was made to wear the scarlet letter “A” to show the sin she had committed and to serve as an example, however, I also think that the puritans went to such drastic measures to maybe even make them feel better about the small sins they commit every day. Since the puritans have such a strict moral code, I find it unfair that certain sins people commit such as lying (which we all do, even the puritans back then), is put in an order from least to great; great being the one that requires drastic measures such as her wearing the letter “A” on her bosom. I loved watching Hester grow from a woman who committed a sin and is looked down upon for it, to a woman who is “brave and strong” as you say. I find Hester to be very brace and strong because even though she had the option to leave the puritan village, she remained there and paid for the sin she committed. I like how you said the letter “A” could stand for “admirer” because Hester can definitely be admired for all the multiple things she dealt with and accomplished mentally throughout this novel. Overall, as a person, she became a symbol because it says on page 179, “t was near that old and sunken grave, yet with a space between, as if the dust of the two sleepers had no right to mingle”. This shows us that Hester, even dead symbolized great admiration. `

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