"Not seldom, she would laugh anew, and louder than before, like a thing incapable and unintelligent of human sorrow."
The quote shows the way that though the negative affects have consumed the town and greatly affected Hester her daughter whom is part of the controversy remains unfazed by what hostility surrounds them. Pearl had many negative judgmental views directed toward her but she still found time and life worth smiling for. Furthermore, saying that she would not be put down by others hypocritical views which they hide behind. By Pearl remaining so unaffected through the harsh eyes correspond to the way sin is not as terminal as it is said to be in the puritan society. It shows how we often add to the connotation associated with sin. Is sin so bad when we all do it is the question posed, as well as why do we let sin poison the ways of life we have established instead of just repenting and progressing and learning implementing new knowledge in life. People liked to punish those who were found guilty of sin as to subject them to public humiliation. By Pearl continuing to smile she makes it known that they have not broken her spirit, conveying the message that sin is not the end of life as it was known to be.
Questions
What role does humor play in the chapter when presenting the Scarlet letter and it's newly found attributes?
What is the importance of Pearl being positive through the Scarlet experience?
How does Hawthorne create a parallel between Hester's sixth sense and sin( the effects of sin)?
The importance of Pearl being positive through the scarlett experience is that she is confortable around the situation. The fact that she is positive about the situation shows that the society won't be able to break her and that she is strong. But at the same time, it shows that she is somewhat attracted to the scarlet letter which could be bad if she follows in the same footsteps as Hester.
ReplyDeleteHumor plays a role in the chapter when presenting the scarlet letter and it's newly found attributes by lightening up the mood. It can be intense when you read about the actions of the puritan society toward Hester and Pearl. Also, Pearl's characteristics provides humor when she switches from being loving to having an evil presence and vice versa.
Humor plays the role of keeping the book from being completely dark. The torture and torments of Hester & Pearl can be hard to read so by adding humor Hawthorne has allowed room for a sense of enjoyment by the reader.
ReplyDeletePearl has to remain positive so like her mother the results of the situation don't tear her apart emotionally and she is still able to maintain strength. It shows that she accepts her being different from other Puritan children and she is able to live life as if it doesn't bother her.
Like Lauren had said, adding humor to the mix sort of lightens the tension on such a dark and mysterious storyline. Instead of being set on a particular emotion, Hawthorne mixes it up to give the readers various emotions and reactions towards the story.
ReplyDeleteBecause Hester had committed such a great sin, it gave her this sort of "sixth sense" in being able to look at the sins of other people. Similar to the class blog prompt, Hawthorne relates the two to show how great of an impact the incident had on her. He shows, in speaking generally, that usually whenever people go through such a terrible experience, it causes them to look at things and situations through a different perspective and mind, such as what Hester had been experiencing as a result of committing adultery.