scarlet letter themes

Donna M.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ostracize
    expel from a community or group
    Their answer to Hester’s sin is to ostracize her.
  2. Judeo-Christian
    being historically related to both Judaism and Christianity
    Sin, Knowledge, and the Human Condition
    Sin and knowledge are linked in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
  3. humanness
    the quality of being human
    As a result of their knowledge, Adam and Eve are made aware of their humanness, that which separates them from the divine and from other creatures.
  4. procreate
    produce more individuals of a given animal or plant
    Once expelled from the Garden of Eden, they are forced to toil and to procreate—two “labors” that seem to define the human condition.
  5. sinfulness
    estrangement from god
    Hester and Dimmesdale contemplate their own sinfulness on a daily basis and try to reconcile it with their lived experiences.
  6. tree of knowledge
    the biblical tree in the Garden of Eden whose forbidden fruit was tasted by Adam and Eve
    The Bible begins with the story of Adam and Eve, who were expelled from the Garden of Eden for eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
  7. scarlet letter
    the letter A in red; Puritans required adulterers to wear it
    For Hester, the scarlet letter functions as “her passport into regions where other women dared not tread,” leading her to “speculate” about her society and herself more “boldly” than anyone else in New England.
  8. Sin
    (Akkadian) god of the Moon; counterpart of Sumerian Nanna
    Sin, Knowledge, and the Human Condition
    Sin and knowledge are linked in the Judeo-Christian tradition.
  9. paradoxically
    in a paradoxical manner
    Paradoxically, these qualities are shown to be incompatible with a state of purity.
  10. empathy
    understanding and entering into another's feelings
    His eloquent and powerful sermons derive from this sense of empathy.
  11. vibrate
    sound with resonance
    As for Dimmesdale, the “burden” of his sin gives him “sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind, so that his heart vibrate[s] in unison with theirs.”
  12. Puritan
    a member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship
    The Puritan elders, on the other hand, insist on seeing earthly experience as merely an obstacle on the path to heaven.
  13. stagnant
    not growing or changing; without force or vitality
    Yet, Puritan society is stagnant, while Hester and Dimmesdale’s experience shows that a state of sinfulness can lead to personal growth, sympathy, and understanding of others.
  14. unison
    the state of corresponding exactly
    As for Dimmesdale, the “burden” of his sin gives him “sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind, so that his heart vibrate[s] in unison with theirs.”
  15. incompatible
    not in harmonious or agreeable combination
    Paradoxically, these qualities are shown to be incompatible with a state of purity.
  16. expulsion
    the act of forcing out someone or something
    The experience of Hester and Dimmesdale recalls the story of Adam and Eve because, in both cases, sin results in expulsion and suffering.
  17. reconcile
    come to terms
    Hester and Dimmesdale contemplate their own sinfulness on a daily basis and try to reconcile it with their lived experiences.
  18. contemplate
    think intently and at length, as for spiritual purposes
    Hester and Dimmesdale contemplate their own sinfulness on a daily basis and try to reconcile it with their lived experiences.
  19. sinful
    morally objectionable or wicked
    As for Dimmesdale, the “burden” of his sin gives him “sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind, so that his heart vibrate[s] in unison with theirs.”
  20. derive
    come from
    His eloquent and powerful sermons derive from this sense of empathy.
  21. obstacle
    something that stands in the way and must be surmounted
    The Puritan elders, on the other hand, insist on seeing earthly experience as merely an obstacle on the path to heaven.
  22. suppressed
    held in check or kept back with difficulty
    Thus, they view sin as a threat to the community that should be punished and suppressed.
  23. eloquent
    expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
    His eloquent and powerful sermons derive from this sense of empathy.
  24. experience
    the content of observation or participation in an event
    The experience of Hester and Dimmesdale recalls the story of Adam and Eve because, in both cases, sin results in expulsion and suffering.
  25. earthly
    of or belonging to or characteristic of this world
    The Puritan elders, on the other hand, insist on seeing earthly experience as merely an obstacle on the path to heaven.
  26. scarlet
    a variable vivid red color, sometimes with an orange tinge
    For Hester, the scarlet letter functions as “her passport into regions where other women dared not tread,” leading her to “speculate” about her society and herself more “boldly” than anyone else in New England.
  27. toil
    work hard
    Once expelled from the Garden of Eden, they are forced to toil and to procreate—two “labors” that seem to define the human condition.
  28. burden
    weight to be carried or borne
    As for Dimmesdale, the “burden” of his sin gives him “sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind, so that his heart vibrate[s] in unison with theirs.”
  29. separate
    standing apart; not attached to or supported by anything
    As a result of their knowledge, Adam and Eve are made aware of their humanness, that which separates them from the divine and from other creatures.
  30. understanding
    the condition of someone who knows and comprehends
    Yet, Puritan society is stagnant, while Hester and Dimmesdale’s experience shows that a state of sinfulness can lead to personal growth, sympathy, and understanding of others.
  31. society
    an extended group having a distinctive cultural organization
    For Hester, the scarlet letter functions as “her passport into regions where other women dared not tread,” leading her to “speculate” about her society and herself more “boldly” than anyone else in New England.
  32. powerful
    having great force or effect
    His eloquent and powerful sermons derive from this sense of empathy.
Created on Wed Jun 29 10:22:07 EDT 2011

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