As I read through the first pages of the Scarlett Letter, I was quite intrigued by the setting and the motivation of some of the characters. It all started when in the second paragraph of the first chapter I read that youth was the primary reason that there was crime. However, as i kept reading I also read that verdict for a a person who committed crime was confirmed by public sentiment. I thought "well isn't this ironic, the older people were blaming youth for crime, yet they were who had raised them and who chose their punishments". It was so ironic to me because I couldn't believe that such a "pure" society who thought God was the almighty, were often pretending to be like God to "punish" those who had sinned, or whom they hated. Did they think they had no sins to be punished for as well? I couldn't understand the reason behind their punishing, which was most of the time envy (and they were playing the role of God). A "pure" society to them was punishing others and pointing out their flaws, in order to hide their own or just simply for the joy of seeing others suffer. It is only obvious to me that youth would so much want to rebell from such hipocrasy and stupidity they were being taught to believe.
In my opinion this society was everything but pure. As Hawthorne described them, they were people in denial of reality trying to hide behind the veil of religion. A "pure" society that felt joy inflicting pain in others because they couldn't face the harsh reality that they didn't want to live such a boring, strict life. It is clear that the women were unhappy as they gossiped (which was prohibited in their "pure" ways of life) of everyone who had everything they had ever wanted. The old women gossiped about those whom were younger, the ugly of the beautiful, the fat of the skinny, the obedient of those women whom were rebellious, etc. Everytime any of these would open their mouth to eat the other one alive with insults, there was always a tone of disdain and envy that showed they couldn't stand each other. Women's envy was so great that even men were dragged with their insults. Women self-proclaimed themselves judges because they thought just whipping someone for disobedience was not enough; they believed in death as the right punishment saying men were to easy on sinners. Women were so judgemental that they wouldn't find for answers they would make them up, and if you disagreed you were to be banished. And for the hope of freedom or change... well that was not in the menu for many.
As I read through the first pages of the Scarlett Letter, I was quite intrigued by the setting and the motivation of some of the characters. It all started when in the second paragraph of the first chapter I read that youth was the primary reason that there was crime. However, as i kept reading I also read that verdict for a a person who committed crime was confirmed by public sentiment. I thought "well isn't this ironic, the older people were blaming youth for crime, yet they were who had raised them and who chose their punishments". It was so ironic to me because I couldn't believe that such a "pure" society who thought God was the almighty, were often pretending to be like God to "punish" those who had sinned, or whom they hated. Did they think they had no sins to be punished for as well? I couldn't understand the reason behind their punishing, which was most of the time envy (and they were playing the role of God). A "pure" society to them was punishing others and pointing out their flaws, in order to hide their own or just simply for the joy of seeing others suffer. It is only obvious to me that youth would so much want to rebell from such hipocrasy and stupidity they were being taught to believe.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion this society was everything but pure. As Hawthorne described them, they were people in denial of reality trying to hide behind the veil of religion. A "pure" society that felt joy inflicting pain in others because they couldn't face the harsh reality that they didn't want to live such a boring, strict life. It is clear that the women were unhappy as they gossiped (which was prohibited in their "pure" ways of life) of everyone who had everything they had ever wanted. The old women gossiped about those whom were younger, the ugly of the beautiful, the fat of the skinny, the obedient of those women whom were rebellious, etc. Everytime any of these would open their mouth to eat the other one alive with insults, there was always a tone of disdain and envy that showed they couldn't stand each other. Women's envy was so great that even men were dragged with their insults. Women self-proclaimed themselves judges because they thought just whipping someone for disobedience was not enough; they believed in death as the right punishment saying men were to easy on sinners. Women were so judgemental that they wouldn't find for answers they would make them up, and if you disagreed you were to be banished. And for the hope of freedom or change... well that was not in the menu for many.
Why would the author descrebe the young girl as an image of Divine maternity in Pg.53?
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