Here is the synopsis of our sample research paper on The Symbolism of the Letter 'A' in Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter':
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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 7 page analytic essay that examines the symbolism of the scarlet 'A' in Hawthorne's classic. Explored in the paper is the symbolism the Puritan elders intended the letter to
contain, the effect the scarlet letter had on the life of Hester Prynne, and the change in the symbolism resulting from the good deeds and silent endurance of Prynne. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Page Count:
7 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_LCScarlt.doc
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
through its streets, crowds amassing as crowds have always done when a public spectacle is anticipated. Given the publics ambivalence regarding the recent scandal involving Americas Head of State,
it is hard to gauge how the Presidential Entourage will be met in any particular geographical area. One sign raised above the crowd expressed a sentiment straight from the heart
of New Englands Puritanical roots. Written on the sign were two simple words - "Scarlet A" (Rubin A-1). Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote his classic "The Scarlet Letter" in an age
in which the old, strict doctrines of the Puritans were being replaced by the more liberal values of Protestantism. Although despising the strict social restrictions placed upon society by
his Puritan ancestors, Hawthorne was nonetheless fascinated by the incidents he encountered while researching old court documents (Barna 324). One of these research sessions revealed a case where a
woman had received thirty public lashes for the sin of adultery, then forced to stand in public bearing a sign upon her chest which read "Thus I stand for my
adulteress and whorish carriage" (Barna 324). Thus from the mind of Nathaniel Hawthorne was "The Scarlet Letter" born. The Puritan belief was that we were all born sinful and
that only through the righteous acts of our lives could redemption be obtained. This belief also encompassed the fact that appearances can be deceiving, and that evil lurks just
beneath the surface of us all. The Puritans believed that self-examination and awareness should be practiced before finding the fault in others. Hawthorne saw the contradiction between the
practice of this fundamental belief and the regular Puritan practice of the public ostracism of sinners, noting that fault is easily found in others before it is found in oneself
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