The Scarlet Letter - Individuality Within A Puritan Society Essays

The Scarlet Letter - Individuality within a Puritan Society Often in society people are criticized, punished and despised for their individual choices and flaws. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author attempts to show the way society casts out individuals simply because their ideas and deeds differ from the common values. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne to symbolize that those who challenge social conformities can benefit society as a whole. Though she has been banished for committing adultery, she sees that the community needs her. Through her generous accomplishments the community realizes she is a person who, regardless of her sin, can affect the community in a positive way. In the beginning of the book Hester Prynne is publicly humiliated as a punishment for breaking a Puritan belief and one of the Ten Commandments; adultery. She is then forced to stand in front of the town for hours as the crowd tries to break her down with criticism and shaming words. After her release, "the scene was not without a mixture of awe, such as much always invest the spectacle of guilt and shame of a fellow creature" (63). They almost took a delight in her punishment, having thought they cleansed the town, and therefore only leaving a "pure" society. They thought that if they treated her so horrible that no one would ever even think of breaking the law again. As the story begins the townspeople do not see her as a necessity but as a nuisance to get rid of. They do not realize the need for which they have of her. And that she is just as much a part of the community as they all are. So in a sense when the banish Hester they are banishing a part of themselves. After this she i s given more punishment by having to wear the letter "A" embroidered on everything she wears as a reminder to everyone that she has committed adultery. She is thrown out of town and is no longer a community member. She suffered these ordeals and punishments because she was an affront to them; she is an individual and that scares them. These perfect Puritans threw her out of their lives because she was not a drone to their ways, but a distinctive person. Fear was the motivation that drove the Puritans to exclude Hester Prynne from society. This new society was afraid that their community would fall apart "in a land where iniquity is searched out and punished" (68) if they did not seek out those individuals that were immoral in their eyes. Their fear of sin and wickedness drove them in their quest to do what they felt was right. The society had to protect itself from its own judgment. Their fault was that they only saw Hester for the crime she had committed but not as the woman she was. When the community banished Hester Prynne they succeeded in upholding their morality but lost an individual. The community is nothing more than a collection of individuals. Although they do not see this point now perhaps they will in time. Since everyone within the community was subject to scrutiny, when someone was caught being bad, everyone could be glad it was not he or she. This closed mindedness could only see hatred for Hester Prynne and the nee d to identify her with the letter "A". This way everyone would look at her rather than one another. Not only is Hester banished from the community and has to live extremely far from the rest of them, she is also alienated as well. Punished already by living outside her community, the people were still not satisfied with this punishment and chose to pass their negativity on to their offspring. "Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast?as the figure, the body, the reality of sin" (83). The mothers of the children in the community would point her out and tell their children not to be like her. They would use her as an example of the consequences of being an individual and going against society's rules. "Children to young to comprehend

Tips For Preparing For Your Composition Final Exam

Tips For Preparing For Your Composition Final ExamThere are many things that will help you prepare for your composition final exam. You can use a study guide that includes resources on all of the material you need to know in order to pass your test. You can also use a study guide that focuses on just the topic areas that are included on the test. The topics will help you understand the components of your essay that you will be writing.One of the best study guides for a composition final is the one that focuses on just the topic areas that will be used on the test. The topics cover everything from math, English, biology, psychology, and a lot more. They will cover the history of the country, the pros and cons of various ideas, and will provide examples of examples to work with. There is so much information that is not included in a regular text book that you can use to complete your study guide.Another great practice for the composition final is to go through an essay on a sample topi c. This will help you get a feel for what the section will be like. Also, it will help you focus on what you need to do throughout the essay.The key point to remember is that the topics are an essential part of your essay. If you don't know what these topics are then you will be too concerned with a specific topic or format, instead of how to bring the concepts together. Since the topic areas are not written by hand, you can go over them as often as you need to until you understand them.The essay should always start with an introduction. This is the first paragraph of the essay and can be one of the hardest parts of writing. It has to be short and to the point. After the introduction, the main idea of the essay should be stated briefly.Then it is time to introduce the major ideas of the essay. This will be in the body of the essay. A sentence or two describing the major idea, the purpose of the essay, and how this essay will solve a problem will be necessary. These sections of the e ssay should be at least two sentences each.After you have finished the introduction, the major idea, and the purpose of the essay, it is time to deliver the argument. The argument should stand alone and be a separate sentence or two. Again, two sentences for each should be enough.Lastly, there is the last section of the essay, which is the conclusion. This is where you tie all of the parts together and speak in an essay. Make sure to state all of the points you feel support your main idea, and that you solve the problem presented.