the reaction of book

The scarlet letter reaction to the book

  The scarlet letter narrates a tragically beautiful story which happened in a religious supremacy era.

  The scarlet letter, a scarlet capital letter A, is the clue that runs through the whole book which draws forth the beginning, development and ending of the story.

At the beginning of the story, Hester, the heroine of the story, was standing on the gallows with a three-month-year old newborn girl in her arms. This suspenseful start makes readers wonder what had happened then to leave her in such a situation? The Hester’s obtrusive scarlet letter on her bosom seemed to reveal everything that represents the sin of adultery. Only because she went against the religious morality and sacred rules that is adultery. Though her husband whom she married for due to the arranged marriage had probably died from shipwreck, she still had to be loyal to her husband. This makes me can’t help thinking of the feudalism that a woman must support the family after her husband died and can not marry other people not even the proper true love. In the society that is gender inequality, women’s right is not the right, it’s just an unimportant thing. Those who haven’t married belong to their father, conversely, belong to their husbands, which is blatantly unfair. It seems that women live for themselves, not showing their own value, which makes them more like goods rather than people.

During that prim era, whether at home and broad, most women chose to give in to their fate and gender. By contrast, Hester was shining brilliantly, uniquely. She never thought her pursuit for true love is a sin and that she understood the will of god. It’s her belief and pursuit that made her go forth bravely. Although she had born countless scold and insult, she insisted trying her best to help those who were in need, which added another meaning to the scarlet letter A——ability.

The change of people’s attitude let Hester’s life become easier, but for the priest Dimmesdale, his sense of guilt increased instead of decreasing, which eroded his physical condition increasingly. His weakness and fear refrained him from telling the truth, also the so-called sin. Dimmesdale is such a full character who carry both merits and demerits. He was a typical and standard saint, following and respecting the will of god and giving pious sermon. He enjoyed high reputation for his intelligent, gentle and understanding image that seemed perfect, but he was suffering from the burning and hot scarlet A in the bottom of his heart day and night, which led him towards death gradually. If he was a complete bad guy or on the opposite, he might not be so tortured. However, he was just in the between——he was both a pious saint and a ordinary people with desire for his sincere feelings to his true love.

For seven years, his life was stuck in a dilemma. No matter how hard he tried, he still couldn’t change it, swallowed by the darkness of sin anytime and anywhere. Not until he and Hester planed for their future did he released gradually, which was his best medicine. With Hester discarding the scarlet A, they merely reunited as an ordinary and happy family which was expected for a long time when there was just happiness but no sin.

The limitation of the era distorted and destroyed many people. I am so lucky I wasn’t born in that kind of age and that I can enjoy the freedom of seeking love! Love is the most beautiful thing in the world. If you don't explore and experience it, you come to the world for nothing.

2022-02-14

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