Honors Literature Writing #2

David Henry Thoreau gave a true assessment of literature, “In literature it is only the wild that attracts us. Dullness is but another name for tameness. It is the uncivilized free and wild thinking in Hamlet and The Iliad, in all scriptures and mythologies, not learned in schools, that delights us.” Thoreau explains that the malice of writing is what connects us, and delights us to literature. I’ve heard this connection with the analogy of “the cruelty of war makes us love war.” These connections seem true, it was the sin, and the darkness brought by the scarlet letter that makes the novel, The Scarlet Letter, so enthralling.

The scarlet letter is meant to impose on Hester Prynne shame; the letter itself is uncivilized, because it brings misery to Hester Prynne, for the rest of her life. She is scorned with this letter, and even poor innocent Pearl, having nothing to do with the initial sin, has to bear with the criticism. The owns people see Hester as the sinful one, and even though she hasn’t committed the sin alone, she has to

The first view of wild thinking is the novel starts with the “Goodwives”. They, the women of mature age and members of the church, condemn Hester Prynne for her adultery. They delegate about the punishment Hester must receive, “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die,” say a pitiless woman. Even thought the magistrates decide on her punishment, the women who are supposed to feel pity for Hester repudiate her deeds and would like to see her be humiliated by bringing shame to all women. Now a day, if we know someone commits adultery, we start judging them right away, because it is the shame we bring upon them, that makes us more powerful. It gives us the opportunity to feel better than them, and we get addicted to this feeling, that we keep on doing it.
The main character and storyline that is contradicting the values of the townspeople is Reverend Master Dimmesdale. When Hester is publicly humiliated, Dimmesdale tries to avoid the magistrates from forcing Hester to reveal the father of her child. He only does this because he is unsure and afraid of people from knowing his dark secret, yet he never tries to defend her from the rough criticism. The multitude is amused by Hester’s suffering; they judge her as a sinner, even though Dimmesdale, being a “pure” man has committed a sin as well. Later on in the novel, the townspeople and Pearl, Hester’s daughter, see the affection and connection between Hester and Dimmesdale, the people try to ignore it because they don’t want to realize that their own minister has done them wrong.