The Scarlet Letter Study Guide

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel, The Scarlet Letter, is a classic of early American literature. Written at a time when American cultural identity was starting to develop, the author portrays a believable representation of a Puritan colony during the nation’s earliest days. The book tells the story of Hester Prynne, a woman in 17th century Boston—then known just as the Massachusetts Bay Colony—who is forced to wear a scarlet â€Å"A† on her chest as punishment for having a baby out of wedlock. Through the story of Hester, Hawthorne explores the community as a whole and the norms and mores under which it operates. Fast Facts: The Scarlet Letter Title: The Scarlet LetterAuthor: Nathaniel HawthornePublisher: Ticknor, Reed FieldsYear Published: 1850Genre: Historical fictionType of Work: NovelOriginal Language: EnglishThemes: Shame and judgment, public vs. private, scientific and religious beliefsMain Characters: Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth, PearlNotable Adaptations: The 2010 teen comedy film â€Å"Easy A,† starring Emma Stone was partially inspired by the novel.Fun Fact: Nathaniel Hawthorne’s last name originally didn’t contain the â€Å"w,† but he added it to distance himself slightly from his family’s past. Plot Summary In mid-17th century Boston, then known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a woman named Hester Prynne is made to stand on a scaffold in the town square and endure abuse for several hours as punishment for birthing a child out of wedlock. The townspeople heckle her and implore her to reveal the child’s father, but she refuses. While this occurs, a stranger arrives in the colony and watches from the back of the crowd. When Hester is brought to her cell, the stranger visits her, and it is revealed that the man is her presumed dead husband from England, Roger Chillingworth. Once  Hester is released from jail, she lives alone with her daughter, Pearl, and dedicates herself to needlepointing. She lives in isolation from the rest of the community, which has scorned her. As Pearl grows up, she develops into a rambunctious young child, so much so that members of the town say that she should be removed from her mother’s care. Upon hearing this, Pearl makes an impassioned plea to the governor, who rules in her favor after the popular town minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, speaks to support her. While Hester is living alone with Pearl, Dimmesdale, whose health has begun to deteriorate, has found a new roommate: Chillingworth—who, as a physician, was assigned to take care of the beloved minister. This poses a problem for Dimmesdale, who is desperate to hide his shame from the rest of the community. At one point, though, the doctor sees a dark mark on the priest’s chest. Later, Dimmesdale is out walking one night, and winds up at the scaffold, where he reflects that he cannot bring himself to admit his guilt. He runs into Hester and Pearl. They talk and Hester reveals that she will tell Chillingworth the identity of Pearl’s father. This sends Dimmesdale into an even deeper depression, and he ultimately reveals himself to be Pearl’s father in front of the town upon the scaffold, shortly after giving one of his most rousing sermons. He then dies in Hester’s arms. Hester moves back to England (though she ultimately returns) with Pearl, who receives a large inheritance from Chillingworth upon his death. Major Characters Hester Prynne. Hester is the protagonist and wearer of the eponymous totem. She is a very independently minded woman, as evidenced by her committing adultery and her behavior after the fact. She is also a morally upright person in general—as opposed to the rest of the townspeople who believe themselves to be but aren’t. She eventually works her way back, somewhat, into the town’s good graces through her deeds, and ultimately rejects both of her suitors in favor of blazing her own trail. Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale is the town’s beloved minister, a public role he uses to shield his private involvement in an affair with Hester. Throughout the book he feels deep guilt and inner conflict over his behavior and public deceit—which ultimately kills him. Roger Chillingworth. Chillingworth is Hester’s older husband from England, but he did not come over with her, and is presumed dead by Hester, making his arrival quite surprising. He is a physician by trade, and is therefore assigned by the town to take care of Dimmesdale when his health begins to worsen. Pearl. Pearl is Hester’s (and Dimmesdale’s) daughter, and, as such, is the living embodiment of Hester’s â€Å"guilt†Ã¢â‚¬â€and of her love and goodness, too. Pearl is often referred to as devilish, and at one point the townspeople try to have her taken away from Hester as further punishment. She never learns her father’s identity, or the meaning of the â€Å"A.†Ã‚   Major Themes Shame and Judgment. From the very beginning, the colony judges Hester and makes her feel ashamed for her actions, even though she was just following her heart and didn’t really hurt anybody. Dimmesdale, too, feels shame for his role in the affair, but he isn’t judged for it, since it remains a secret to all but him and Hester. Public vs. Private. Hester’s role in the affair is very public, and she is, therefore, punished very cruelly for it. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, escapes punishment because his role is unknown. As a result, she must bear her burden outwardly, which is painful no doubt, but she can exorcise it, whereas Dimmesdale must keep it to himself, which ultimately kills him. Scientific and Religious Beliefs. Through the relationship between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth, Hawthorne explores the differing roles in Puritan society of science and religion. The story is set at a time just before the Scientific Revolution, so it is still a deeply religious community. This can be seen through Dimmesdale, who is quite popular and an established authority figure, as opposed to Chillingworth, who is an outsider and new to the colony.   Literary Style The novel is framed by an opening story, â€Å"The Custom-House,† in which the narrator, who bears many biographical similarities to Nathaniel Hawthorne, tells of his time working at the customs house in Salem. There he discovers a scarlet â€Å"A† and a manuscript that tells of the happenings in the colony a century earlier; this manuscript then forms the basis of the novel, which is written by the narrator of â€Å"The Custom-House.† The book creates a convincing representation of life in one of America’s earliest communities, and makes use of the lexicon of that time. About the Author Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, to an old Puritan family; one of his ancestors was the only judge involved in the Salem Witch Trials who never repented his actions. Hawthorne’s work, which focused mostly on life in New England, was part of the Romanticism movement, and usually contained dark themes and love affairs, and deeply moral and complex psychological portraits. He is considered a pioneer of American literature and one of the nation’s greatest novelists.

A Sample Business Plan - 2651 Words

A SAMPLE BUSINESS PLAN Your Business, Inc. A well-written business plan is a crucial ingredient in preparing for business success. Without a sound business plan, a firm merely drifts along without any real direction. Yet, entrepreneurs, who tend to be people of action, too often jump right into a business venture without taking time to prepare a written plan outlining the essence of the business. You should begin by writing down the answer to the very basic question, What business am I in? This may sound elementary, but answering this question with thought and consideration will help you focus on the major purpose of the business, which leads to establishing goals and objectives. In turn, these†¦show more content†¦Mr. lsiah M. Gradient 113 Broughton Road Hamilton, New York 13346 (315) 555-6871 . Work experience: 1976-Present Quadrant Surveying Engineering Co., Hamilton, New York. Managing partner. Supervi ses internal managerial operations, including financial, accounting, personnel, and planning duties. 1971-1975 New York Department of Health Sanitation, Albany, New York. District Maintenance Engineer. Designed water and sewage projects for cities. Supervised staff of twelve. 1966-1970 Hi-tech Survey Co., Albany, New York Technician. Worked part-time as field crew member performed various surveying duties. Education: University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia. Master of Business Administration. GPR of 40/4.0. 1975-1976 1966-1970 Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina. Bachelor of Science degree, in Civil Engineering. References: Mr. John Molooney Dr. Fred Target Assistant Vice President Professor of Engineering Con-Edison Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute New York, New York 10014 Troy, New York 12181 (212) 555-2268 (518) 555-3196 Mr. Sam Hough Certified Public Accountant Charlottesv ille, Virginia 22201 (804)Show MoreRelatedSample of Business Plan3354 Words   |  14 PagesThe following business plans are examples of what a completed business plan might look like. Use the instructions and information included in The Business Plan for Independent Inventors to fill out your own business plan. Sample Business Plan for American Management Technology (AMT) 1.0 Executive Summary By focusing on its strengths, its key customers, and the underlying values they need, American Management Technology will increase sales to more than $10 million in three years, while alsoRead MoreSample Business Plan4113 Words   |  17 Pagescourteous staff. F. 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Chinese New Year †Short Essay Free Essays

Chinese New Year China is the first one of the cradles of world civilization, 5000 years of history makes China more powerful. There are many China’s unique festivals, like Mid-Autumn Festival, Ching Ming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Winter Festival and Chinese New year. Especially Chinese New Year remains the most important social and economic holiday in China. We will write a custom essay sample on Chinese New Year – Short Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Chinese New Year is now popularly known as the Spring Festival because it starts from the Beginning of Spring. Its origin is too old to be traced. Several explanations are hanging around. All agree, however, that the word â€Å"Nian†, which in modern Chinese solely means â€Å"year†, was originally the name of a monster beast that started to prey on people the night before the beginning of a new year. In Chinese New Year, we have many rules and customs. We will sweep the dust, pasting paper cuts and spring couplet, staying up late on New Year’s Eve, dress up in red, give red envelope, etc. â€Å"Dust† is homophonic with â€Å"Chen† in Chinese, which means old and past. In this way, â€Å"sweeping the dust† before the Spring Festival means a thorough cleaning of houses to sweep away bad luck in the past year. This custom shows a good wish of putting away old things to welcome a new life. In a word, just before the Spring Festival comes, every household will give a thorough cleaning to bid farewell to the old year and usher in the new. Paper-cuts, usually with auspicious patterns, give a happy and prosperous atmosphere of the Festival and express the good wishes of Chinese people looking forward to a good life, in addition to pasting paper-cuts on windows. The Spring Couplet†, also called â€Å"couplet† and â€Å"a pair of antithetical phrases†, is a special form of literature in China. The Spring Couplet is composed of two antithetical sentences on both sides of the door and a horizontal scroll bearing an inscription, usually an auspicious phrase, above the gate. The tradition of staying up late to see New Year in originat ed from an interesting folk tale. In ancient China there lived a monster named Year, who was very ferocious. Year always went out from its burrow on New Year’s Eve to devour people. Therefore, on every New Year’s Eve, every household would have supper together. In Chinese New Year, we will dress up in red and go to relatives’ Houses to visit. The red color means luck for Chinese people, so we like to have everything red. People who are married need to prepare some red envelopes that contains money, so when people come to their house, they will get it to the people who are not married or children. When it’s Chinese New Year, children and teenagers get so excited about it, because they can get a lot of money from the red envelopes. How to cite Chinese New Year – Short Essay, Essay examples

Mental illness Population Studies

Question: Discuss about theMental Illnessfor Population Studies. Answer: Introduction: Mental illness is like a two edged sword. On the one side of it, people struggle with their disabilities and symptoms of it and on the other side they face many issues because of their surrounding and because of injustice happening with them. Mental illness is quite common now days. Most of the people surviving by this illness doing well but sometimes when they lose the control they become out of control. Earlier police was not responding it properly. Even the cops have shot many people surviving with this illness. But now they have trained properly to respond the people properly and make them feel better towards the society and environment. It has been found that people who has experienced a serious disorder is quite like to live in poverty. Currently, the patient of mental illness is not treated properly in the society. The society, friends, family and organization of the individual believes that such person is of no worth and they cannot do anything without the help of others. Mental Illness: Mental illness is a health condition which involves many changes in emotions, behavior and thinking of a human being. This illness is mainly associated with problems or distress functioning in work, family and social activities. Mental illness is very common now days. According to a research, 19%, 24% and 12% US adults are experiencing some form of it, serious form of it and substance use disorder of it respectively (Corrigan, Watson Barr, 2006). The illness of mental is treatable. Almost all the individuals with mental illness are doing well in their daily lives. Multiple Disorders: There are many kinds of disorders due to mental illness. Some of them are as follows: Main disorder Major depressive Disorder Anxiety disorder Mood disorders Bipolar disorder Dysthymic disorder Panic Disorder Schizzophrenia Suicide Social phobia Specific phobia OCD PTSD Eating Disorders Autism Personality Disorders Agoraphobia Avoidant personality disorders (Rsch, Angermeyer Corrigan, 2005) Micro: Mental illness is quite different from normal stress or sadness. A person loses all of his senses such as thinking, behaving etc. Mental illness makes it difficult for the survivor to cope up with all of his daily routine (Pustilnik, 2005). Sometimes, it is not easy to understand that it is really mental illness or normal stress. If a person is not treated on time, it could be worsen. At an individual level, the root of mental illness could be some genetic issues, Parental damage, Individual is never supported by his family, chemical imbalance in the body of individual, attachment from somebody, Life failure, poverty etc. If an individual face any of the above mentioned factors, than he could be a patient of mental illness. At micro level, the oppression of individual, small group or a family is taking care of. An individual goes through many steps due to mental illness. Mostly, the behavior of such kind of people is not understandable (Corrigan, Kerr Knudsen, 2005). An individual with this illness may be criticized every time by his own family and friends. And it is also found that people make a stereotype that such person cannot do anything perfectly. An individual or a small group may experience immense sense of loss of interest, lack of motivation, energy, despair etc. Family and society must have a positive outlook towards them; they must motivate such humans and help them to come over it. A communication with such people can help them to come over it (Mechanic, McAlpine Rochefort, 2013). Family and relatives must give their ears to their problems and try to sort it out. All of it could help the individual in reducing the stress and thus the illness could be overcome. Mezzo: At mezzo level, a person could face the mental illness because of a bad relationship with colleague or boss, inability to do work, not capable enough to meet the job requirement, not able to fulfill the social expectation, communication issue with colleague and boss or people outside, some psychological issues, fear etc. A person with mental disability finds it difficult to work with effectively. The working life of those guys gets change completely because of the changes they are facing in their life (Corrigan, 2005). At the workplace, they feel nervous or they fail to give their 100% to their work. In the organization, they find it difficult to communicate with everybody. Even sometimes they become uncontrollable. At this level, an individual start losing his tolerance power and a high suspicion level of outsider is felt by him. They find it complicated to deal with anybody. It becomes tough for them to set all the things perfectly. For make a control over it and for resolving the illness, organization and colleague must help them by maintain a good relationship with them, hearing them patiently, helping them in their work and believing them that they could do this work (Charmaz, 2011). A person who is facing this level of illness must consult his doctor and take treatment. Macro: At macro level, the root of mental illness could be sociological factor, political and legal factor, cultural factor, government, social events, stress due to some legal factor, poverty, social expectation, esteem, stereotype etc (Corrigan Kleinlein, 2005). A person with mental disability could not work with effeciency. The working life of those guys gets change completely because of the changes they are facing in their life. In the society, they feel nervous or they get fail to give their 100% to their social and political life. In the Society, they find it difficult to communicate with everybody. Even sometimes they become uncontrollable. At this level, an individual start losing his tolerance power and a high suspicion level of outsider is felt by him (Angermeyer Dietrich, 2006). They find it complicated to deal with anybody. It becomes tough for them to set all the things perfectly. For make a control over it and for resolving the illness, society, political and legal factor, government and police must help them by providing them a proper treatment and help them to maintain a good relationship with everybody. For it, they must treat every person diligently and must hear them patiently; helping them in their work and believing them that they could do any work (De Silva, McKenzie, Harpham Huttly, 2005). A person who is facing this level of illness must be taking care by every member of the society so that they could also live their life happily. Conclusion: After doing a study on mental illness and its level and the root of the mental illness at many places, it has been concluded that the patient of mental illness must be taking care by everybody to make them feel good for themselves and for the society. They must not be the part of any injustice and government must introduce some policies for them. A good policy would help such people in live their life happily and would even help them to overcome from this illness. Family, group, organization and society must be kind for them and try to understand them and motivate them to do their work. It would help them to feel that they are of some worth and this would help them to reduce the illness of theirs. References: Angermeyer, M. C., Dietrich, S. (2006). Public beliefs about and attitudes towards people with mental illness: a review of population studies.Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica,113(3), 163-179. Charmaz, K. (2011). Grounded theory methods in social justice research.The Sage handbook of qualitative research,4, 359-380. Corrigan, P. W. (2005).On the stigma of mental illness: Practical strategies for research and social change. American Psychological Association. Corrigan, P. W., Kleinlein, P. (2005). The Impact of Mental Illness Stigma. Corrigan, P. W., Kerr, A., Knudsen, L. (2005). The stigma of mental illness: Explanatory models and methods for change.Applied and Preventive Psychology,11(3), 179-190. Corrigan, P. W., Watson, A. C., Barr, L. (2006). The selfstigma of mental illness: Implications for selfesteem and selfefficacy.Journal of social and clinical psychology,25(8), 875-884. De Silva, M. J., McKenzie, K., Harpham, T., Huttly, S. R. (2005). Social capital and mental illness: a systematic review.Journal of epidemiology and community health,59(8), 619-627. Mechanic, D., McAlpine, D. D., Rochefort, D. A. (2013).Mental health and social policy: Beyond managed care. Pearson Higher Ed. Pustilnik, A. C. (2005). Prisons of the mind: Social value and economic inefficiency in the criminal justice response to mental illness.The Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology (1973-),96(1), 217-266. Rsch, N., Angermeyer, M. C., Corrigan, P. W. (2005). Mental illness stigma: concepts, consequences, and initiatives to reduce stigma.European psychiatry,20(8), 529-539.