The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

[BooksNJoy]

I read it but never liked it.
But ConorEngleb mentioned Great Expectations. I really loved this one !

[winsomefish]

I think the Scarlet Letter is a great book for Americans to read due to its relevance in early American History. It's also a great way to get started with classic novels because it's a relatively easy read, but stands up to re-reading because it has so many layers. The characters are sympathetic and interesting and it's one of my favorites.

[Jolie]

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" (1860) analyzes the power of government combined with religion. Religion was taken more seriously during than the 1800s compared to todays society. Pearl the most intellectual child to understand the concept of adultery and morality. "Freedom"

[Lady Sparks]

i read only the cliff notes on this book because i couldn't get all the way thru it i know that the information i have heard says the book is good i may have to read it again and see if i can understand the true meaning in the story without a teacher telling me the symbolism

[Norma_Rudolph]

I read the Scarlet Letter when I was quite young and found it so depressing that I have never read it since and probably never will. Hawthorne is a wonderful writer which only made the book that much harder to take.

[salberson 10]

I found the scarlet letter very pedantic lol. It is so easy to imagine this book as a short story. Not the most interesting novel to me.

I actually liked the novel but I really agree with this comment - would have made a great short story!

[symanthagattis13]

I remember reading this in the junior year of high school. Everyone I knew groaned and hated the book, the teacher even said it was uninteresting. This book is beautifully written, from the beginning we have hints and tips about who the father might be. We also see that despite her circumstances she loves and cares for her daughter above all.

We have all different sorts of characters in this book and I think that's why it attracted me so much. The characters go from pious righteous and guilty man to someone with no remorse, no humanity. Hester who despite her adultery stuck out to me as the most morally correct of all the woman is just beautifully done.

[Nathrad Sheare]

symanthagattis13:

I couldn't agree more! N.H.'s genius is undeniable, but nowhere quite as evident as in this novel. His skills in the area of characterization are profound! "The Leech and His Patient" is a truly sinister chapter and captures Chillingworth and Dimmesdale almost completely. Hester is constructed in striking language. Several of the lines written in reference to her are among my favorites in all of literature. Even Pearl, beyond whom the third dimension may sometimes seem, held my sympathy and fascination from the first words on her impish nature to the last on her metamorphosis from girl to woman. This novel is a treasure. No ifs, buts, or notwithstandings...

[meghannnelson13]

I read this book in sixth grade but I just recently had to read it in school as a senior. I love this story because Hester kept her head held high and let everyone's opinions roll off her back. She was so strong and powerful even though she had the chance to act like a victim. I'll be honest, Dimmesdale was weak and his decision to wallow in self pity ruined my opinion of him. This is one of my favorite books with my favorite character!

[atoillion]

I read The Scarlet Letter in high school and I remember enjoying the book and actually enjoying it even more when I had to dig deep and write a paper on it. If you simply read this book, on the surface, you may be missing out on a lot. Looking at the time period, plot and character analysis will really help you to understand more about the time period and what Nathaniel was trying to portray.

[MaragothThorn]

Nathaniel Hawthorne always had a knack for making these symbolic, over-detailed stories, but The Scarlet Letter takes the cake. It was not difficult to find the symbolism in the whole book (if one knows how important Puritan ideals were back in the colonial days), but explanations for everything were not as helpful to move the story along. Surely, we do not live in a society where this style of reading is still popular. The story, in itself, is masterfully structured. But this story is more than just the consequences of an affair; this is a story of the struggles to keep moving forward when the world is against one and eventually finding forgiveness and redemption.

[Dando]

I also read this in the 10th grade. The language was a bit of a deterrent, but I very much enjoyed the story. My teacher even made us wear the letter of our greatest vice for a day and I very much enjoyed having an English teacher who made reading interactive. I am feeling inspired to reread this after reading this thread.

I also love the movie, Easy A, that was inspired by The Scarlet letter!

[Batesblogger]

My favorite element of this novel is the character of Hester Prynne, herself. I like how the supposed punishment (the wearing of the scarlet A) of the patriarchal authority figures becomes for Hester a space of liberation in which she can learn about who she really is as a woman and a mother. From the beginning of the novel, Hester seems very different from the Puritan matriarchs, and she is able to learn how to appreciate herself and her unique strength because she is separated from the community. By the end of the novel, I think she has accepted that her "punishment" has been her freedom, and she returns to Boston to recover her place, which becomes a place of strength for other women, as well. I really like that Hester doesn't allow the patriarchy to "win" in the novel. For Hawthorne, this is really a very feminist novel!

This. I have only ever seen Hester as the consummate victim. I never thought to really look at her from this perspective. She didn't want or need their acceptance. She was her own woman and their worse punishment gave her the freedom she craved. Simply Beautiful. Perhaps I need to reread this with a much more open mind.

[deah319]

I've read it when I was a sophomore, could not clearly remember how it ended. I might download it and give it another go.

[Batesblogger]

I've read it when I was a sophomore, could not clearly remember how it ended. I might download it and give it another go.

It is worth it to try it again when you are actually interested.