The Scarlet Letter: Part 1: 1-6

Hawthorne’s style seems to change in the transition from the customhouse to the main part of the novel; it feels faster and not as dry. I actually preferred this; the customhouse felt more tedious to read in comparison. I found the first chapter to be beautifully written and visual with emphasis on the symbolism throughout, especially in regard to the rosebush. While reading the first chapter, the words flowed into my mind with the visual context of a film. In particular, it reminded me of the movie artistry in Schindler’s List. While an unusual comparison, I admit, in my mind I pictured the prison and all surrounding it draped in black and white, then the rose bush coming into frame with vibrant color of red popping out-just as in Schindler’s List with the little girl’s red coat. The same visual came to mind with Hester-only the “A” on her chest reflecting of any color. Side Note: I’ve never seen any of the film interpretations, but I think read/heard about this being in one of the older films. Anyways, the second chapter seemed to carry on some of the cinematic imagery as the first, especially when she’s visualizing her past, like the descriptive attributes of her parents and even the visualization of herself and her feminine attributes that she took pride in her past-which becomes an important detail in Hester’s character later on. I found that Hester’s character becomes more admirable in the following chapters, for instance, when she refuses to rat out the name of her baby’s father. She takes on the burden of her punishment on her own, which I’m not sure many people would do in either those colonial times or even today. On the opposite, Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are both are unlikable characters. Although, Dimmesdale does redeem himself later on and proves to be of stronger character, he initially seems weak and wobbly as a wet noodle. While I could understand Chillingworth’s feelings toward Hester and the mysterious identity of her lover, Chillingworth quickly sets the tone for the antagonist. When Pearl is introduced, I found her to be delightful and as colorful as the letter upon her mother’s chest. Hawthorne nailed her character as the otherworldly or “fairy-like” child. I felt that Pearl was the most interesting in the fact that she seems to see into people’s hearts with an uncanny intuitiveness for a curious child of her age.