“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.” This profound statement holds a great deal of truth. In our daily lives, we often find ourselves wearing different masks depending on the situation or the people we are with. We may act one way in front of our friends, another way at work, and yet another way when we are alone. However, if we continue to do this for an extended period, we may start to lose touch with our true selves. We may become so accustomed to wearing these different masks that we forget who we really are. This can lead to a sense of confusion and disorientation, as we struggle to figure out which face is the real us. It is essential that we take the time to reflect on our true selves and be true to who we are, rather than constantly trying to fit in or please others.

An absolute captivating read every single time!!! This sentence emphasizes the power and impact of the previous statement. It suggests that this idea is not only thought-provoking but also engaging and interesting. It makes the reader want to continue thinking about the concept and perhaps even apply it to their own lives. The use of the word “captivating” implies that the statement has a certain allure or charm that draws the reader in and holds their attention. It is a statement that is worth reflecting on and considering, as it has the potential to have a profound impact on our lives and our understanding of ourselves.

The Scarlet Letter is a rather wordy treatise that delves into the aftermath of adultery on the couple who committed this sin or crime in the theocracy of Massachusetts in the mid-1600s. It is an interesting read, and I'm glad I took the time to peruse it. However, I didn't have an overwhelming fondness for it. One of the main reasons for this is the vagueness of Hawthorne's theme. He includes a witch in the story who doesn't hide her allegiance to the devil. Are we supposed to believe in witches? Also, are Hester and her lover, especially little Pearl, meant to be the living embodiment of evil? It seems that Pearl is, as he describes her in such a way time and time again. If that is indeed the case, I'm glad that our thoughts have changed on this issue, at least. I suppose the Puritans didn't believe in forgiveness, redemption, or weakness. Their will was to enforce divine law, and they did their duty. What a dour and bleak book this is! At least it ends on a bit of an uplift.

Overall, The Scarlet Letter offers an intriguing look into a bygone era and the moral and religious beliefs of the time. While it may not be a book that I would rush to read again, it does make one think about the consequences of our actions and the power of judgment.

So I finally got to find out for myself what the majority of American high-schoolers are subjected to.

While I see the importance of a story like this and the ideas it presents in 1850, I think the subject matter is both outdated and irrelevant today. One might, of course, choose to point out that Hester Prynne's antics would still today be considered immoral in certain parts of the world. However, the difference is that they probably wouldn't treat her so leniently as this seventeenth-century puritan community in Boston did. Therefore, it is neither applicable nor particularly shocking.

The most surprising thing was that she didn't get hung for her "crime" in the 1600s - a time when people were attached to boulders, thrown in a lake, and if they drowned they were innocent, and if they survived they were burnt as witches.

I think the main problem for me is that a lot of The Scarlet Letter relies on the religious aspect instead of the social aspect. It's much harder to appreciate the tragedy of that blemish on Hester's soul when you're not religious. I expected a lot more ostracising and name-calling from other members of the community but most people talked to Hester like she'd done nothing wrong (though, they tended to stare at her scarlet letter) and her bad reputation didn't seem to affect her life massively.

Like I said, Hester Prynne's real struggle was with how God saw her and if she could be forgiven in the afterlife.

In fact, it didn't seem to me like much of the main story was about the scarlet letter attached to her bosom. If you don't know the story, basically Hester Prynne commits adultery that results in the birth of an illegitimate child. The ministers then rule that she should be forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' for the rest of her life so she will be publicly shamed. This is at the beginning in the first couple of chapters. After that, the story is about finding out the identity of the father (no mystery at all), interactions between Hester and her husband, and the growth of Hester's illegitimate and really annoying child.

The greatest strength of The Scarlet Letter is that it gives us Hester - one of the early strong female protagonists. She is far more feisty and willing to stand up for herself than most Austen (for one example) characters, but she also lacks the depth of personality that other nineteenth-century female creations have. But, beyond the scandal, I'm just not sure this book is worthy of its popularity.

I had a look on sparknotes to try and see why the novel earned its masterpiece badge, and many of the techniques and themes explored are such as the use of night and day to be symbolic and the choice of names.

If it is this kind of small attention to details that makes a story so brilliant for you, then you might just love The Scarlet Letter. But I prefer something bigger, that moves or inspires or angers me. I don't want to have to analyse a text to discover how great it is, partly because I believe you can see symbolism in anything if you look hard enough (see: Shakespeare). It's not that I mind this nitty-gritty stuff being there, but I think it's a poor substitute for well-developed characters and plot.