Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Scarlet Letter 6: 126-144

“ ‘The saint on earth! Alas, if he discern such sinfulness in his own white soul, what horrid spectacle would he behold in thine or mine!’ “ (131).
Dimmesdale was Boston’s angel sent from heaven and the mere thought of him being a sinner frightened everyone. Dimmesdale was basically everyone’s primary example for goodness. Dimmesdale reminds me of Elizabeth Proctor for two reasons. One, because Elizabeth was always thought to be completely truthful and honest. Dimmesdale is viewed by society as pure and no one would ever imagine Dimmesdale lying. Two, because Elizabeth’s single lie was about Proctor’s adulterous act with Abigail. Technically Dimmesdale is not lying, but he is also not telling the truth.

“ ‘Then, and there, before the judgment-seat, thy mother, and thou, and I must stand together. But the daylight of this world shall not see our meeting!’ “ (139).
What Dimmesdale is trying to say in the quote above is that by he will eventually confess his sin to everyone by the time he dies. Pearl seemed to have liked the feeling she got when Dimmesdale stood up with both Pearl and her mother. The fact that Pearl asked Dimmesdale to stand with them the next day was very difficult for Dimmesdale. He saw and witnessed the happiness experienced by Pearl, and this gave Dimmesdale a glimpse of what life would be like if he ever confessed, but his sincere feelings about not confessing overcame this.

Is Dimmesdale foreshadowing his death when talking to Pearl about standing with them?

Is Hester ever going to get tempted to confess Dimmesdale’s sin for him?

Monday, December 15, 2008

Scarlet Letter 5: 107-126

“Some declared, that, if Mr. Dimmesdale were really going to die, it was cause enough, that the world was not worthy to be any longer trodden by his feet” (109).
In this quote above, it is made known the reputation that Mr. Dimmesdale carries around Boston. He is basically known for being a saint on earth or an angel sent from God. With all these good things being said about Mr. Dimmesdale, it is going to make it very difficult for others to believe that Dimmesdale is really the father of Hester Prynne’s child, Pearl.

“Trusting no man as his friend, he could not recognize his enemy when the latter actually appeared” (119).
In the quote above, Dimmesdale shows his inability to confide in anyone and/or everyone. Although Chillingworth is trying really hard by getting Dimmesdale the weeds and other stuff needed for his medicine, Dimmesdale is still incapable of trusting him. What the quote above is trying to say is that Dimmesdale’s inability to trust in others would make him unable to recognize whether someone’s intentions were good or bad.

Is Dimmesdale and Chillingworth going to be on and off throughout the entire book?

Is Prynne ever going to admit to Pearl the fact that her father is Dimmesdale?

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Scarlet Letter 4: 91-107


“ ‘Behold, verily, there is the woman of the scarlet letter; and, of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along by her side! Come, therefore, and let us fling mud at them!’ “(93).

As if standing up on a pedestal for three hours, walking around with a scarlet letter, and having Pearl as a reminder of Prynne’s sin was not enough. Hester Prynne had to walk down the street and accept this ridicule from people, even little children. As much as Prynne would try to ignore it, Pearl could not keep her composure. After telling off the little boys, Pearl walked towards her mother, feeling accomplished or as if she told those little boys what her mother did not have the strength to do: “Pearl returned quietly to her mother, and looked up, smiling, into her face” (93).

“ ‘You speak, my friend, with a strange earnestness,’ said old Roger Chillingworth, smiling at him” (105).
Previous to this quote, Reverend Dimmesdale was defending Prynne and making argument as to why Prynne should remain in custody of Pearl. To Chillingworth, Dimmesdale’s argument does not seem to be so sincere. In the quote above, Chillingworth is raising his suspicion that Dimmesdale had something to do with the adulterous sin committed by Prynne.

Is Dimmesdale being sincere or is he trying to hide something when defending Hester Prynne?

Was Prynne’s adulterous act done on purpose since at the end of chapter 8 she mentions signing a black book?

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Scarlet Letter 3: 72-91

"But she named the infant 'Pearl,' as being of great price, -purchased with all she had, -her mother's only treasure!" (81).

What is this "great price" that the author is talking about? Of course Hester did not pay for her child but there were many things that Hester had to give up for her. Firstly, Hester had to give up her pride. Being an adulterer was not something to be proud of then, and by keeping the baby Hester decided to put her pride aside and basically allowed others to look down upon her. Hester accepted the shame and the dirty looks from everyone because in the end, she had her baby, and that was the only thing she needed.

"In all her intercourse with society, however, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it" (77).

As we found out in the text, Hester Prynne is a seamstress and she basically made everything for everyone in the town. Although, if it were someone else, this would make her a very important person to the town, that was not the case for Hester. Hester, because of the sin she committed, could not be accepted by the town's people. The fact that Hester was actually worried about being accepted was surprise because since the beginning of the novel, she has always seemed to embrace her scarlet letter, which is kind of like embracing her sin.

Is it just a coincidence or is every man that Hester meets supposed to make her feel uncomfortable?

Is this foreshadowing the fact that she was abused rather than have committed adultery willingly?

Monday, December 8, 2008

Scarlet Letter 2: 56-72

"The penalty thereof is death. But in their great mercy and tenderness of heart, they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory" (59).

In the quote above a townsman is speaking and giving his personal opinion of Hester Prynne. From what this townsman had said, he feels as if the town is doing Prynne a favor by not sentencing her to death. That her punishment was not that big of a deal. What seems to get everyone upset is the fact that Prynne embraces everything that was meant to be as punishment.


"After her return to prison, Hester Prynne was found to be in a state of nervous excitement that demanded constant watchfulness lest she should perpetrate violence on herself" (65).

This is what has the townspeople curious. Why is she so happy after being looked down upon and treated poorly? Hester Prynne finds no shame in her acts and the fact that she has no shame is making the people nervous. In the quote above, Prynne is basically put on a special watch because they find her excitement to be abnormal and out of the ordinary.

Did the author purposely make most males in the novel appear suspicious and possible candidates to be the baby's father?

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Scarlet Letter 1: 45-56

“Why, look you, she may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever!” (49).

In this quote above, an autumnal matron is commenting on Hester Prynne and the fact that she feels no shame toward her adulterous act. To everyone it appears as if Prynne is attempting to flaunt her scarlet letter because she had the choice to place it where ever she pleased. Instead of trying to hide it and her sin, she put it in the middle of her chest so that it may be seen to everyone. Prynne shows no remorse for her actions.

“Her sentence bore, that she should stand a certain time upon the platform” (53).


To most, standing upon a platform is no punishment at all, but in the time of Hester Prynne it was. To Prynne, the real punishment was not having people stare at her in disgust or being ashamed. That did not faze her at all. But when Prynne was up on the platform she kept seeing faces: “She saw her father’s face […] she saw her own face” (55). Prynne was not afraid of the opinions of other, but of those closest to her.

Questions:


Will Hester’s child be looked down upon by society?
Will the town’s people go on a search for the person who Hester had relations with?

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Crucible Essay Two

Dora Ocampo
AP English 11 – Mr. George
December 4, 2008
Crucible Essay Two

Have you ever done something that you are not proud of? Something that you wish you could take back, but know that there is nothing that you can do? In “The Crucible,” John Proctor is no different. Proctor is ashamed of and regrets engaging in the act of adultery with Abigail Williams. In order to forgive himself, John Proctor searches for forgiveness from others. What Proctor was not aware of was that he was seeking forgiveness from all the wrong people: Elizabeth and the town’s people. Due to the fact that he was looking for forgiveness from these flawed human beings, he became incapable of forgiving himself, making redemption from anyone difficult.


Through Proctor’s first interaction with Abigail in the play, his devious act of adultery was made known to the audience. Abigail’s forward remarks, “I have something better than hope” […and…] “I am waitin’ for you every night” (Miller 22) remind John Proctor of the sin that he committed. Once Elizabeth’s name was brought into the conversation, John Proctor went from being flirtatious to being hostile. Prior to this interaction with Abigail, Proctor had confessed to Elizabeth about his deceitful sin, yet still does not feel entirely forgiven. Although Proctor received forgiveness from his wife Elizabeth, she still feels skeptical about the situation as a whole and acts cold towards Proctor. Elizabeth’s cold acts take a toll on Proctor, making him feel incapable of ever receiving full redemption. John’s failure of feeling forgiven by Elizabeth influenced him to seek forgiveness from people who are not as emotionally attached.

John Proctor feels he must confess his sins to the town’s people so that he can be forgiven by them. Proctor must put his pride aside and admit to his sin. This is difficult for anyone in the play, not just for Proctor, because of the importance reputation has in Salem. Proctor’s confession said a lot about his character because he remained genuine and true to himself. He was very much conscious of what confessing would do to his name, and Proctor decided to proceed anyways. When Elizabeth attempted to save her husband’s name in court, Proctor was sent directly to jail. He then became confronted with an ultimatum: Proctor either confesses to a lie and lives, or remains true to himself and dies a noble death. Elizabeth plays a big role on Proctor’s decision making in this situation.

Before it was time for Proctor to confess to the court and sign his confession, he meets with Elizabeth for guidance. Elizabeth has forgiven Proctor once already, but refuses to forgive him again if he is incapable of forgiving himself: “It is not my soul, John, it is yours” (136). The entire time Proctor has been worrying about receiving forgiveness from others, but he never once thought about forgiving himself. In Proctor’s conversation with Elizabeth, he realizes his own guilt: “I cannot mount the gibbet like a saint. It is a fraud. I am not that man […] I am no good man” (136). Proctor is not willing to die with people viewing him as a good person. It is safe to believe that the decision made by Proctor in the end was influenced by this epiphany of his.

Just when the audience thought that John Proctor was going to give in under pressure and become disloyal to his character, he snatches away his signed confession and refuses to return it. During this time, Proctor gets the biggest epiphany of all. He finally realizes that forgiveness from others is not what matters the most. No one obtains the ability to judge another and this is something that Elizabeth had already realized and tried to explain to Proctor: “I cannot judge you, John” (135). Proctor realized that God is the ultimate judge and decided to withdraw his confession. Proctor chose to hang and die. This was an easy decision for him to make because he knew that he has been forgiven by the most important and omnipotent person, God.

John Proctor spent more than three months searching for forgiveness from imperfect and flawed people. These three or more months were most difficult for Proctor because everywhere he turned, he saw another reminder of the sin he committed. And it was not until a couple of minutes before his hanging that he realized that the ultimate judge and the only person he needs forgiveness from is God.

Better late than never.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Letter 3: Hale to Proctor

John Proctor,

My sincerest apologies for the outcome of these trials. Tis not an outcome that was expected nor deserved, especially not to a man like yourself. A man of honesty and integrity is not worthy of the unjust laws that Danforth put forth. You most certainly deserve nothing less than the best.


Tis not easy for a man to admit to treachery, but you did. That alone was a noble act that no other man would do for fear that they would be blackening their own name. This was not of concern to you, which is why I tip my hat in respect to your genuine character.

One thing that I would like you to be aware of, is the fact that I had nothing to do with the court, nothing to do with the sentencing of your hanging and nothing to do with you being put in jail. Those were matters way out of my hands. I hope to believe that you know that if I were with the court, I would not allow any of this to happen to you. If I could save anyone from hanging, it would be you that I choose. There is nothing that I have witnessed that would lead me to believe that you have associated yourself with the devil. You and your wife are both Christians, with Christian values and morals, and it is unfair that your life end this way.

The crowd will applause as you walk off that plank, and I will stand there quietly, in mourning. May your soul reach heaven and may you spend eternity with the Heavenly Father up above.

Sincerely,

Hale

Letter 2: Mrs. Putnam to Tituba

Dear Tituba,

It is understandable if you are shocked with this letter I write. Tis not normal for a woman of my reputation to write a letter to a servant sent from Barbados, but there is a favor that I must beg of you. It has been said that conjuring spirits in your homeland is acceptable and common. Tis the opposite here in Salem, which is why this letter must be kept a secret. Not a single soul may be aware of this letter. If word gets out I will be forced to shift the blame on you.

I am not sure if you are aware of my situation. I have given birth to seven children. Six of them died before they were a day old. This is very peculiar to me. How can it be possible that six children die the night of their birth? I have not been able to reach a possible answer. I do suspect one thing though, that the deaths of my children were works of the Devil.

This is where you come in. I shall send the only child of mine that lives to you, Ruth. With Ruth you will conjure spirits and figure out the cause of these deaths. Keep in mind, that if anything happens to my dearest Ruth, it will be you that suffer the consequences. If you even attempt to tell anyone of this, I will accuse you of lies. Do not believe me? Who do you think anyone in this town would believe? A servant or I? Of course it’d be I.

Ruth shall go over to the house in which you serve two days from today, and ask Parris if it be alright that I borrow you for a moment. In that time, you and Ruth will head out the forest, where the conjuring of spirits will take place.

Do Not Reply,

Mrs. Putnam

Letter 1: Elizabeth to Proctor

Dearest Proctor,

Tis like a dream that I am living, better yet a nightmare. I hath witnessed the love of my life lust for another woman. A woman who I trusted inside of my house, with my children, and regrettably with my husband. TO HELL WITH ABIGAIL WILLIAMS! It is she who should be blamed for your hanging, not I. My only intention was to save your name, not to cause harm. Out of all people, you should know best that I do not speak lies. This time was different. I hath spoken with falsity as an attempt to save your life. It resulted that my false words were the cause of your death.

Darling, before you made your decision, you posed a question. Here is my answer, I forgive you. Aye, I forgive thee for everything, for the affair and for lying to Danforth. After you confessed the truth, I realized that the man I married was undoubtedly genuine. Most woman of Salem would not dare show their face after all of the events that took place. Tis not the case with I. I look at thee with pride, not with anger or with hatred. You have proven to me your sincerity and honesty through admitting the truth when the easy way out was to lie.

Tis before you hang that I write this letter. Everyone shouts at me, telling me to convince you to lie, but I will not. You have lived a noble life and will die an honest man. There is one thing that I feel necessary for you to know and want you to keep in mind as you stand there; my love for you is undefined. There are no words to express my emotions towards you. You have given me wonderful children, children that I cherish and no other man can amount to your goodness.

Love Always & Forever,

Elizabeth Proctor