Study Questions XL

1) Jim is genuinely a good person who is willing to help Tom, even though he hardly knows him and all he has done is brought him trouble. We also learn that being free makes him the happiest man, as would it make anyone, and nothing could upset him.
2) The Speech not only liberates Jim from being considered nothing more then a nigger but it also liberates other slaves from the harsh opinions of the society. It makes people really that slaves are actual people and not just property.
3) Tom is proud of getting shot, that’s why he wears the bullet around his neck. Again, like most things about Tom, this symbolizes Romanticism, he wants to be like the hero’s he reads about in his stories, this shows that even after everything people go through they still don’t always change.
4) Through all his adventures and mishaps and seeing the cruel society that he lives in he refuses to live in civilization. He doesn’t want to be a part of it anymore so he moves to territories west of the Mississippi away from the society.
5) Since Huckleberry Finn is told in first person, we get to go on all the adventures with him and you see his views and emotions rather then just here it from someone else. Although it nice to be told from Huck’s point of view, he is a very unreliable narrator because he says things that aren’t true. But if this was told in another point of view it would have been a completely different story and there might have been a completely different plot.

Huck Discussion XXXVI-XXXIX

Mark Twain shows his disliking of Romanticism through Tom. Tom bases all of his stories and plans off of fiction from books the situations he describes wouldn’t and or couldn’t happen in actual situations, which is much like the way many romantic novels are laid out. They fill you heads with ideas that most likely wont occur and they just put false ideas in your head. Huck desperately wants to be like Tom and have a bunch of great stories and be adventurous like Tom, when in reality he is the one who can tell stories about his actual adventures that he has experienced first hand and not read in a book.

The Plan for trying to free Jim is actually quite simple but Tom makes sure to come up with some huge elaborate plan just to make it sound more exciting, even though it didn’t make hardly any sense and was unrealistic. The easiest solutions was just for Jim to escape and then have Tom and Huck pick him up, but since Tom had this crazy plan about digging under the cabin with case-knives Jim decided to wait and execute Tom’s plan. This was dangerous because the longer he had to spend being a slave the longer his life and well-being was at steak. And after waiting all the time and doing all the things Tom had requested such as taming reptiles, tending a flower with his tears. In the mean time, Tom had to write these letters to his aunt and uncle about how a gang of bandits from Indian Country were planning to steal there runaway slave, and because of all these complications Tom ends up getting shot in the leg. This really lays out the foolishness in his plan and in romanticism all together. Making things complicated just so they can be more complex and possibly exciting doesn’t help anything. It’s best if things are just done realistically and efficiently. Jim and Huck manage to get through tough situations just fine without all the extra details and complications that Tom likes to bring in situations, they use their street smarts, which is something Tom Sawyer lacks.

Study Questions XXXI-XXXV

1) Yes, because Huck becomes aware of the fact that he would literally go to hell for Jim and go against everything he has been taught about helping a slave. He will be stealing someone’s “property,” according to the society.
2) Huck had once said that going to hell would be better then going to heaven because it would be more fun. But now he is saying that going to hell is a bad thing and he will go there for stealing Jim but he is ok with it.
3) The Country that they describe is dark and gloomy and lonesome, a lot like Huck is feeling right now, especially because he is without Jim, who has formed a strong bond with.
4) Huck kind of shows that he is somewhat religious and he is starting to believe in fate. As long as he doesn’t try to force things a certain way they will all end up the same and everything will be fine. Miss Watson would agree because she is very religious as well.
5) He makes up a story again. He says that nobody got hurt, just a nigger died, so he isn’t actually counting the nigger as a person which is ironic because he is helping Jim and he thinks of Jim as one of the best people he knows.
6) Romanticism vs. Realism. Tom Sawyer is on his way and since he is so adventurous Huck thinks he could help him find a way to steal Jim back.
7) Tom is doing because he wants to experience an adventure like he read in his books. And Huck is doing it because Jim has become very near and dear to him and wants him back.
8) Huck still has a good heart. Whether or not he like people he still doesn’t want to see them in bad situations, no matter how bad they are.
9) He thinks ok to steal when you are breaking out of prison, but its ironic because they are his families watermelons so they aren’t technically stealing.
10) Because he looks up to Tom and he thinks Tom is smarter then him cause he reads and has all these great stories.

Study Questions XXI-XXII

1) The residents are cruel, the love watching dog fighting, they were mostly strays but it was still cruel to watch and let them fight to the death. This relates to the story because all animals other then humans only do what they need to do to survive, they don’t waste their time with cruel nonsense such as fighting.
2) Because he doesn’t want to take part in the hypocrisy of the two men. He gains from what they do but since they are wrong he doesn’t want to participate. Even though he knows what they are doing is wrong, he doesn’t argue because he doesn’t want there to be altercations on the raft.
3) People tend to be curious. They have to be the first watching something, even in personal situations when they have no business being there. He also says that honor is more important that any other value even more important than one’s life.
4) Unlike the King and the Duke, the Circus is a real performance, not a scam. The Circus is trying to get money and in order to do that they think they should do Shakespeare, but it doesn’t really work out. Not a lot of people showed up so the King and the Duke use comedy to bring people in, like the circus does.
5) It shows that Huck is an unreliable narrator. He thinks that the man in he circus was the most deceived when really I was all a skit.
6) It made people wonder. They wanted to know why women and children weren’t allowed. It’s something for mans eyes only which is an interesting view of the way things were back then.
7) They are being seen as good leaders in the royal family, but really they are dishonest, unreliable, selfish and addicted to money.
8) It shows how much he misses his wife and children and he feels bad for faulting ‘Lizabeth. He keeps beating himself up for slapping her and he cant forgive himself.
9)
• Widow Douglas adopts Huck, and makes him go to school, where he learns religion and gets a good education
• Huck has 6000 dollars that he wants to hide to keep it safe
• He runs away from Widow and Joins tom Sawyers gang
• Out of fear of Pap Huck gives his money to the judge to hold on to for him
• Pap takes him out to a cabin, makes him live and easy life. Even though he gets slapped around every once in a while its still a better life cause he has more freedom
• Huck decides to run away
• He Fakes his death and runs away to Jackson island
• Huck runs into Jim and they talk about why they are both there
• Huck plays a prank on Jim
• They see a floating house with a dead bdy in it
• Huck dresses up as a girls and tries to get information out of a woman
• They discover a stream boat. And in an act to be adventurous like Tom Sawyer he gets on the boat
• Huck meets the Grangerfords and meets Jim again
• Eventually they run away together
• They meet 2 guys that are pretending to be a Duke and a King, they are actually dishonest and not very good people.
• Town of Arkansas: they decided to act our Shakespeare but he can’t convince anyone to come and watch it.
• Switch their play to “royal nonesuch,” and it was a huge success.
• Goes to the circus

Huck Finn XV-XX

#1

• when they lost each other in the fog

• death and rebirth as a theme

• when the toeheads land on land the come in contact with society, and as long as they don’t the fog is individual and the river is together as a society

• the fog is something that is going to blind them

#2

• because he hurt Jim and even though he is a slave and he still wanted to apologize. It is a step up, he is starting to see jim as a person with emotions and feelings and less like a slave.

#3

1. Huck is having 2nd thought, Jim is almost free which makes him guilty of freeing a slave. Huck has been taught that slaves are peoples property and stealing is bad and by freeing Jim is like stealing someone’s property. Huck thinks he is a bad person because of it.

2. Jim has to steal his own family back if he cant buy them and Huck is allowing this to happen because he is helping him run away.

3. Huck says if he turns Jim in will he feel better, no he wont. What’s the point of doing the right thing when doing the wrong thing is easier and better. The right thing as viewed by the society is to turn him in and become a slave again, when really that is not the “right” thing to do.

4. Jim and Huck want to go to Pittsburg. They go by boat Cairo is a place they need to turn so they can go up the Ohio but if they miss Cairo they will miss the turn and then they will go into the deep south where there is a lot of slavery. And he is saying that the snake had done his work and made them miss Cairo.

#4

• Bounty hunter is someone who are looking for run away slaves. Huck makes up a story that pa is really sick with small pox so they don’t want to go by the boat. And they feel sorry for Huck so they give him $40. Its ironic because they are doing something that isn’t ethnically correct today but still they are nice and give Huck money.

#5

• Shows that society destroys nature. Racism is a taught institution. Huck’s natural instinct is to help someone else who is in need, Jim, and society tries to teach him otherwise

#6

• Mark twain put down huck finn after chapter 16 for a few years he didn’t really know where it was going. Then he started writing another book call Mississippi and he went on a cruise and encountered signs of the clan, which made him pick up the book again. Mark wrote book in 1880’s. and he writes the book anyway to show that slavery was still going on in a way but was enforced through fear.

#7

• The pictures were depressing because they have pictures of their dead daughter. Title of the medicine book they are making this romantic idea about death and about a feud. They kill each other off because that’s what your supposed to do in a feud.

#8

• Romanticism VS. realism, Personas, superstition (snake), Ignorance VS. Niavatey. Role of an outsiderHuck is able to see how silly the feud is because he isn’t part of it.

#9

• He says he doesn’t know anything about it. Moses was in the dark when the lights went off. He thought it was a real question not a riddle that Buck already knew the answer to. Moses frees slaves just like Huck. And it’s ironic because Huck doesn’t care for learning about Moses cause he is dead. This relationship shows reinforces that you can do the right thing with out actually knowing what your doing or being educated in religion.

#10

• The hogs go to church whenever and the people only go to church on Sunday, hogs are better then people. They bring their guns to church and the sermon is abut brotherly love and how great it is and then out side of church they hate each other and kill each other, it is a contradiction.

#11

The fued symbolizes romanticism, the two families are fighting against each other and they don’t even know why they are fighting in the first place. It’s a connection with Romeo and Juliet. Its natural for them to be competitive that’s their human trait.

#12

• Its a paradox that they feel comfortable and free on the raft but on shore they don’t feel free. They can be themselves on the raft, on the shore Jim has to hide and Huck has to take on different personas.

#13

· When they are wearing clothes its like being covered by the society but when they are naked they are free, so they don’t wear clothes on the raft so they can be even freer.

#14

· Because Pap taught him that its better for people to have their fun and make their own mistakes and don’t interfere with their business.

#15

· Huck should be considered the most shrewd because he is not being honest to what he knows about the Duke and the King

#16

· He is making fun of romanticism and Shakespeare, who wrote Romeo and Juliet. The Feud, Duke and the king are examples of this.

#17

· The King pretends to be a pirate who has been saved and now he wants to go back, but he needs money, he is conning people. Mark twain is Satirizing the gullibility of people.

#18

· Yes, he reflects the society through them because just like how the society has good views and they go to church, the Duke and the King also have names that are supposed to be good, but they are not. He points out how the society is corrupt.

Study Questions for chapters V – XI

#1
• It’s ironic because his father doesn’t like that Huck is going to school, learning religion and getting an education.
#2
• Because it is tradition that parents and children stay together. That is, for white people anyway. It also reflects society because they are willing to put Huck’s life at stake just so they can follow tradition even though he would be better off with Widow Douglas.
#3
• He thinks the pain of getting beaten is better then having to go to school and dress up and learn religion. He thinks he is more free with his father because his father doesn’t really care.
#4
• Pap and Mark twain have opposite thoughts. He heard that somewhere in Ohio the black people have the right to vote so he wont vote anymore, he is extremely racist
#5
• Freedom. Pap “owns” Huck and by running away Huck is becoming free. Jim is also freed not only from slavery but from Miss Watson as well.
#6
• For one, Tom’s adventures aren’t real; he gets all his stories and adventures from the books he reads. If he had been there it wouldn’t have been successful at all
#7
• He believes that someone prayed for the bread to find Huck, and technically that is what happened, that is how Huck tries to interpret it so it makes it ok for him to take it and eat it.
#8
• He is scared because Huck is supposed to be dead and then he thinks he is seeing a ghost. Then he is afraid that if he tells Huck his secret that he will turn him in.
#9
• Now that no one knows about them, they are both free and don’t have a past to worry about.
#10
• An abolitionist is someone who doesn’t believe in slavery and shouldn’t exist anymore. In Huck’s society every one owns slaves so being called an abolitionist is one of the worst things you can be called. And Huck thinks if they find out he is helping Jim that’s what they will call him.
#11
• Knowledge, personal knowledge. From past experiences, he assumes that it is bad luck.
#12
• Snake is bad luck to Jim (again the theme of superstition). This is typical behavior for Huck and he just wants to have fun and he doesn’t always understand how certain things affect other people. He starts to believe superstition and becomes ashamed of what he did.
#13
• He takes on different personas to get the information he needs. He does what he has to. His personas are of a little girl and a man named George.
#14
• He exaggerates the story. People tend to exaggerate to make people care and become more interested in what you are talking about.
#15
• Satire is making fun of society to make change Murder is less important than a slave. Jim didn’t have any motives to do kill Huck but pap did. So even though people thought Pap might have killed Huck they were still more worried about getting Jim back and when they had the search for Huck they still let Pap help look for him. This shows how messed up the society is.

Study questions for Huck chapters XII - XIV

#1 Discuss Huck’s Logic in differentiating between borrowing and stealing.

• He considers them the same thing but to get around it he wont borrow certain things anymore, such as the crabapples and persimmon. They didn’t like the crabapples and the persimmons weren’t ripe yet so they stopped borrowing them, even though they didn’t want or need anyone

#2 What does Huck’s insistence on boarding the wrecked steamboat tell us about him?

• He wants to be adventurous like Tom Sawyer.

#3 What is the significance of the name of the steamboat, The Walter Scott

• He writes about romantic novels about great adventures, and is also the ship. Mark Twain is making fun of him by having people die in the ship and they can barely get away where as in Walter Scott’s books they are great escapes.

#4 why does Huck try to save the murderers, and how does this reflect on his character

• Because he might become a murderer one day and he tries to see it from their point of view and he doesn’t want them to die.

#5 discuss the satire in the scheme Huck devises to rescue the murderers. How is he able to enlist the aid of the boatman?

• The fact that he uses the greed of the steam boat captian to lure him into helping the men on the boat. He is criticizing they society. He says the niece of Horn back (a wealthy man) was stuck on the boat


#6

• Talking about being stuck on the boat. Since the raft floated away he was either going to drown or get saved, and if he get saved he will be sold into slavery again.

#7

• He exadurated what they do. He says they just sit around and do nothing and have a bunch of wife, a romantic notion about kings.

#8

• Making a statement about the south’s view of the slaves, a slave is a foolish/clown.
• Why would someone want to live in a place with screaming women and children, he should just go build a building and live in it so he could find peace. He missed the point of solemn was doing but he has a good argument. Kings are wasteful. Solemn wants to solve a debate about a baby by cutting it in half. Owner of plantations are like kings and they had under them thousands of slaves, they are disposable, if you get rid of one you still have a lot left.

Words of the day

Evanescent - soon after graduation, because of anna's lack importance, everyones memory of her was evanescent

Veneration - Anna had great veneration for Jayce when it came to schooling

Words of the Day

Magnate (N) John Doe was a magnate who help Jayce start her cafe

Malleable (adj)- the playdough was very malleable so Anna thought it would be fun to eat it.

Dialectical Journal 55

"Will not come of its own accord when I am a woman grown" (PG 160)

Pearl knows her mother by the “A” on her chest. That is all she grew up knowing so it would be logical to assume that when she was older she would wear the letter. Or this could just be a little less obvious way of letting her mom know that its ok to have the “A” on her chest, and that she doesn’t see a sin her mother has committed.

Dialectical Journal 54

Hester’s True big Sin (PG 157)

Hesters real sin was that she was married Chillingworth even though she wasn’t in love and because that’s what your supposed to do, instead of waiting and following her heart and falling in love.

Dialectical Journal 53

Let the black flower blossom as it may (PG 152)

Now that Hester and Pearl are no longer as close, The beautiful rose bush that they created together isn’t the same. Pearl was the innocence and purity that gave the petals light and color and now with out her Hester is black dark and evil like.

Dialectical Journal 52

In a word… analyzed and gloated over (PG 148)

Roger Chillingworth wasn’t keeping Dimmesdale a secret because he was doing him a favor, or because he didn’t want people to find out who he really was. He was keeping it a secret so he could slowly torture Dimmesdale and keep him a live so he suffered. This relates Chillingworth back to the devil because they both like to torture people.

Dialectical Journal 51

The image of a little maid…race with her (PG 147)

Pearl sees herself in the water, not merely just as a reflection but as a part of nature. Now that they are in the forest and Hester and her are going to become disconnected things are changing. The further Hester gets from Pearl, the closer Pearl gets to Nature and becoming one with it.

Dialectical Journal 50

But what distinguished the physician’s ecstasy from satan’s was the trait of wonder in it (PG 121)

Satan always knows when he wins a sould. Chillingworth had wonder on his face still. This shows that Chillingworth is not completely evil or that he doesn’t know 100% of the answers he was searching for.

Dialectical Journal 49

She threw one of the Prickly Burrs at the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale (PG 117)

The prickily burs came off of a sinner man’s grave who had secrets that he would not confess just like Dimmesdale won’t. Pearl is the smartest one of them all and she know all that is going on, but I think she still acts the way she does because she wants to see if asking the question or acting up will cause a change in the way things are.

Dialectical Journal 48

What, in heaven’s name, is she? Is the imp altogether evil? Hath she affections? Hath she any discoverable principle of being? (117)

Pearl is the only one who is free of the “prison” (society) so she gets away with throwing water in the Governors face. Chillingworth doesn’t understand the power she has over everyone, and I believe he is envious. This little innocent girl has more power then he will ever have I think he is trying to figure out what she is or what she is a pat of so he can learn a way to gain the power.

Dialectical Journal 47

Revealing Dimmesdale’s sin (PG 116)

And at the end of the book when he finally reveals his secret and doesn’t have to grow the dark flabby leaves on his tombstone, he is free to go to heaven. He doesn’t have to end up like the man/men who take secrets to their grave with them. And now that he had done what is right by Hester and so he thinks Pearl, he believes it is ok to let go. When really by him revealing himself, it tore Hester and pearl apart and Pearl went with nature where she belonged, and in the end Hester ended up alone. What she had feared from the beginning I believe.

Dialectical Journal 46

“Sometimes, a light…that encouraged him.” (PG 113)

fire that darted from Bunyan’s awful door-way. When pilgrims passed through the entrance to Hell from which flames and smoke dart out. I believe thinking about this in his mind, Chillingworth was starting to think about what it would be like when it happened to Dimmesdale, because he believe that from the extent of his emotional torment that he was going to die soon or go over the edge. Little did he know that all Dimmesdale needed to do was let go of te only thing that really mattered to him. He needed to make peace with what was really important before he died, which was his family. Although I am not sure if he really made peace with his family as much as he only did with Hester because actually by coming forth into Hester’s life he actually pushed out his daughter Pearl which is what was actually cause the problems in the first place.

Dialectical Journal 45

At first, his expressions….sooty with the smoke (PG 112)

He was being fueled by something from hell and the snear on his face meant he was set on revenge, they can see that but they don’t know what it means. This reconnects Chillingworth with the devil and it shows how bad his intentions are and where they are coming from. It also shows that they aren’t able to figure out how dangerous and motivated Chillingworth is which reinforces his cleverness and sly abilities. And then when it says that his visage was getting sooty with smoke, that meant that that internal fire that he was building was getting to hot and he needed to unleash the firey anger built up inside him, this could lead to him killing Dimmesdale, or harming Hester or the baby.

Dialectical Journal 44

Dimmesdale (PG 110)

Arthur Dimmesdale is a well-regarded young minister, whose initials are AD, which also stands for adultery. The author obviously tells us Author Dimmesdale is the partner in sin of Hester Prynne by giving him this name. The word Dimmesdale also has many symbolic meanings. Dim means dark and weak, and dale means valley, so the dimdale here is actually a symbol of the "dim-interior" of the clergyman. He loves Hester deeply, and he is the father of Pearl, but he can only show his passion for her in the forest or in darkness.

Dialectical Journal 43

the Leech chapter 9 (Pg 104)
A Leech is a worm with suckers at both ends. This is definitely talking about Chillingworth. And the fact that he doesn’t only suck the evil out of people, but the good out of them. He is determined to find who slept with his wife and take the evil right out of the man who did it. But in the process, he intentionally tortures Dimmesdale and pulls every shred of good being in his body out of him just for his own pure enjoyment. Chillinworth is a soul sucker.

Dialectical Journal 42

But Here…Satan’s Snare (PG 103)

Here again is an allusion to Mistress Hibbons. Hawthorne is saying that if this allusion to the witch is parable then witchcraft isn’t real, which then condemds the society for putting innocent people to death. This is showing how dramatic the Puritan society was and just because they believed something they would fight for it and put innocent people to death. This is suggesting that although Hester did Sleep with Dimmesdale her crime was not as minor as it should have been and that once again the puritans did the wrong thing following this so calles religion that was supposed to be just and safe.

Dialectical Journal 41

I am my Mothers Child (PG 97)

Hester is connected to nature throughout this entire book, so in this instance I think Pearl is referring to Mother Nature as her mother’s child. She is pure and innocent like her nature and that’s the way she likes to be. She can talk freely with nature, with no judgment passing and Pearl feels like being part of nature is where she belongs, much like Hester believes that being an out cast all by herself (with pearl of course) is where she is supposed to be, its where she fits in.

Dialectical Journal 40

"Thou must gather thy own sunshine. I have none to give thee"(PG 92)

Throughout the book light and sunshine have been symbols of many things. In this case the sunshine can represent life as a whole. Hester doesn’t think she can give pearl the life she want’s, and if she is going to want out of being exiled she was going to have to work it out herself (when she was older of course).

The sunshine of course cold also be a representation of the Scarlet “A” on Hester’s bosom. Hester can’t give any of the blame of the “A” on to Pearl, so she is telling her to find her own happiness and the work out her beliefs on her own.

Dialectical Journal 39

“She screamed and shouted…and looked up smiling into her face.” (PG 91)

Pearl yells and runs after little kids who are being mean to her, this show that she is devilish and that she has a mean side to her. But then she walks right back over the her mother and smile’s into her face. This shows that she is an angle, so which one is it? She treats the Puritans the way act toward her and her mother. They are also much different then her mother because of the way they view things and the fact that they are strange to Pearl. But then she is a perfect angel to her mother because she knows what her mother will think of her and she knows she is always going to be loved by her mother.

Dialectical Journal 38

Full concern, therefore…trip and tumble (PG 90)

They want to take Pearl away to save Hester’s soul., which meant that they thought that Pearl was poisoning it and making Hester darker. Since Pearl was thought of as an allusion or part of nature and the Puritan society thought Nature was connected with the devil, then maybe they thought Hester’s sin was making her worse. They wanted to separate them so that the two of them couldn’t complete each other anymore. She went to the Governor’s anyway to get an interview to stop this, pearl was all she had left.

Dialectical Journal 37

“Ever dreading to detect some dark and wild peculiarity, that should correspond with the guiltiness to which she owed her being.” (PG 80)

When Pearl was born Hester automatically looked for impurities and looked for anything God could have made wrong with her, and then realized he didn’t. Since there was nothing wrong with pearl what god saying that there is nothing wrong with what Hester did. God is saying that since Hester followed her heart and followed love, he was willing to reward her with a perfectly normal and pure baby.

Dialectical Journal 36

“Descent of mortals, and to be finally a blessed soul in heaven.” ( pg 80)

Hester is saying that Pearl is a real blessing from heaven. This reinforces the fact that she know’s Pearl is a part of nature because heaven is about as pure as it can get, but then there is nature. Nature is innocent and unknowing of its changing surroundings, a lot like Pearl. She doesn’t really know why the people look and treat her the way they do but she adapts to it like nature does. Here it is saying that she is not completely pure because she is a part of nature and, unlike heaven, there are impurities in nature. One of Pearl’s biggest impurities being her mother.

Dialectical Journal 35

Not as a name expressive…Mother’s only treasure ( pg 80)

She is saying that having Pearl was a huge price to pay for a night of lust and love. But Hester believes that she is worth it. This goes back to when Hawthorne represents the idea that living a life of love is better then preserving your love because it’s the right thing to do. When Hester looks at her beautiful Pearl and thinks about the sin she has committed and realizes that she is on the outside of the Puritan society, I think she actually feels like she has won. She feels like she has won because she followed her heart and ended up being blessed with a daughter and no matter the circumstances Pearl was the best thing that had ever happened to Hester.

Dialectical Journal 34

“And we must needs say, it seared Hester’s bosom so deeply, that perhaps there was more truth in the rumor than our modern incredulity may be inclined to admit.” (PG 79)

She creates beautiful things which is in contrast to the society. Hawthorne believes very strongly that the Puritan society is very calm and plane and well, ugly. But Hester and her sewing represent the light and life that flows through the community. And here it is saying that perhaps there is more to the story, more to the facts of why Hester committed adultery and who was involved.

Dialectical Journal 33

They Averred…but was red-hot with internal fire…in the night- time. (PG 79)

In this part I made the connection of the color of the Scaret letter to hell and scarlet light. Hester made her letter red because what she had done was a burning sin, much like those in hell. This is how badly Hester thinks of her sins, and how deep down they are hurting her.

Dialectical Journal 32

“Again a Mystic Sister- hood would contumaciously assert itself…had kept cold snow within her bosom throughout life. That unsunned snow in the matron’s bosom…two in common” (pg 78)

Matron and unsunned snow means that a person is pure but doesn’t want to be. What had the unsunned snow in the matron’s bosom and the burning shame on Hester Prynne have in common? Here this is almost an oxymoron because it is saying that she is pure but she has a burning shame on her bosom, the “A”. She cant be both, so I think that Hawthorn is suggesting here that even though she committed the horrible crime that as long as she wears the “A” on her chest, and is able to admit what she did was wrong then she will be pure at heart.

Dialectical Journal 31

Hester and Pearl as Putitans inner sins (PG 78 and 81)

They become symbols of sin and they reflect the people and their deep inner thoughs. Hawthorne’s tone in Chapter 5 is asking if you would rather be like hester and fell in love and became an outcast, or someone who never let themselves fall in love and reserve their hearts because it’s the “right” thing to do. The Puritans also see how Hester dresses Pearl in these extravagant clothes and realizes that even though Hester did fall in love and did commit adultery she is still living among them creating beautiful things, and then they think what would happen if they decided to follow their inner desires and be true to what their soul wants. What could happen then?

Dialectical Journal 30

“Hester bestowed all of her superfluous…garmets for the poor.” (Pg 75)

Even though the Puritan people have labeled Hester as an outcast and an Adulterer she still manages to use her ability to sew to make clothes for the poor, even those who continue to talk badly about her. This shows her strength and boldness. It also shows how pure she is because like the rose bush, no matter that the people do to it, it still manages to produce such beautiful petals and do what it does best.

Dialectical Journal 29

Pearl (PG 71)

An actual pearl is formed from sand (not beautiful) but it makes something beautiful and the take pressure to make it. Just like when Hester held pearl tightly at on the scaffold. (I’m not saying that physically changed her appearance.)

The character pearl is, like her name, part of nature. Hawthorn describes her as this ravishing light in nature that the Puritans believe does not exist. Pearl is like the pedals of the rose bush and Hester is like the green stem. Hester is what keeps Pearl alive and growing and is doing that in such a way that there is little damage done to her and by putting Pearl above, she is keeping her innocent. But Hester on the other hand is planted in the ground, the ground in which is connected to the devil.

Dialectical Journal 28

Nature (PG 88)

There are many magic elements of nature that connect Hester and Pearl to it. In the Puritan society, magic is comparable to the works of the devil and people who were thought to use magic were put to death, therefore it only makes sense that there are magical streams that run through the connection on Hester and Pearl to nature. Aside from magic, the Puritans belive that nature is evil anyway, such as the forest that harbors the black man. Hawthorn is implying however that there is light in nature and that Hester and Pearl are the things that make up the light because of their pureness.

Dialectical Journal 27

The forest

Each character brings out a different side of the forest, however the forest also brings out a different side in each character. For some the forest may be a place of sinister thoughts and wrong doing, but for others it is a place of happiness and freedom. The forest is an open door to love and freedom for both Hester and Dimmesdale. It is a place where the letter on their bodies can no longer have an effect on them if they choose. A world ruled by nature and governed by natural law as opposed to the artificial strict community with its man made puritan laws. Its as if the forest represents a key to the restraints that Hester and Dimmesdale have been forced to wear, all that they have to do is unlock it. Although if they choose not to unlock them, they begin to dwell on the things that they have done to deserve the restraints. In this the forest represents a thing of truth, weather it be good or bad. Pearl however sees the forest as a best friend. It treats her as if she were one of its own. The animals do not runaway at her ever move, instead they come to her with open arms. The light is chasing her no matter where she goes. She is able to run and play freely to her innocent hearts content. She can do that because her heart is innocent and the forest recognizes that.

Dialectical Journal 26

The black Man (PG 70)

Witchcraft sprang from primitive religions that expressed belief on the incarnation of a god in a human or an animal. This god was always called a devil by the Christians and it appeared disguised as an animal or dressed inconspicuously in black; hence the Devil is called the Black man. So it makes sense that Chillingworth can be viewed as the Black man because he spontaneously comes into the puritan society, he could me construed as the devil disguised as a physician.

Dialectical Journal 25

“Have wished for it,—would even have prayed it, were it fit that such as I should pray for any thing. Yet, if death be in this cup, I bid thee think again, ere thou beholdest me quaff it.” (PG 67)

here she is saying that even though she had prayed for death before she doesn’t want it now and is making sure the drink isn’t poison. But when she says “would even have prayed it, were it fit that such as I should pray for any thing” is the real importance here. She is saying that through all her sins if she were still good through god’s eyes, and if she was able to still pray death is what she would have prayed for. She is saying that because of this sin she is no longer allowed to ask anything of god or pray for anything, and if she does, the best thing it could be is death.

Dialectical Journal 24

My old Studies in Alchemy (PG 66)

Alchemy was an early form of chemistry with magical and philosophic associations, studied in the Middle Ages. Its aims were to change base metals into gold and to discover the secret of eternal life. This reconnects him back to being evil and being able to look into peoples souls..

Dialectical Journal 23

Chillingworth (PG 65)

Chilling comes from the word "chilly", which means this man is a merciless avenger. He is calm in temperament, kindly, but keep evil intentions. He married Hester not because he loved her but because he wanted to light a fire in his lonely and chilly heart. He is a bookworm who spends his best time in libraries, and shows no love to his young wife. It is he that has destroyed Hester's youth, and indirectly leads to Hester's tragedy. After he discovers that his wife bore another man's child, Roger gives up his independence. He used to be a scholar, who dedicates his best years "to feed the hungry dream of knowledge," but his new commitment becomes finding and slowly punishing the man who seduces his wife. He soon becomes obsessed with his new mission in life, and when he targets Reverend Dimmesdale as the possible parent, he disguises himself as one trust friend of the minister, attaching himself to him as a parishioner.

Dialectical Journal 22

Roger (PG 65)

“Roger” is like Rogue (hoodlum, scoundrel, bully, revenge), which expresses his act to his wife; Roger also reminds us the Jolly Roger (the black banner used by pirates, skull and crossbones). We know that pirates’ nature is to explore treasures and revenge, which demonstrates Chillingworth’s act to his wife and to Dimmesdale.

Dialectical Journal 21

Meaning of “A” #3: Able, Admirable and Angel

　　Later, the scarlet letter "A" changes its meaning into being able, angel and admirable. The townspeople who condemned her now believe the scarlet letter to stand for her ability to her beautiful needlework and for her unselfish assistance to the poor and sick. At this point, a lot of the townspeople realize what a noble character Hester possesses. The townspeople soon begin to believe that the badge served to ward off evil, and Hester grows to be quite admirable amongst the people of the town. Hester overcomes the shame of her sin through the purity and goodness of her soul. Unselfishly offering her time and love to those who need her most proves that she is not worthy of the fate which has been dealt to her.

Dialectical Journal 20

Meaning of “A” #2: Alone and Alienation

　　The scarlet letter "A" also stands for Hester's lonely life in New England. After she is released, Hester lives in a cottage near the outskirts of the city. Hester's social life is virtually eliminated as a result of her shameful history. Hester comes to have a part to perform in the world with her native energy of character and rare capacity. Hester has no friends in the world, and little Pearl is the only companion of her lonely life, so the scarlet letter "A" also is a symbol of the words "alone" and "alienate".

Dialectical Journal 19

Meaning of "A" #1: Adultry

The letter "A", worn on Hester's bosom, is a symbol of her adultery against Roger Chillingworth. This is the puritan way of treating her as a criminal, for the crime of adultery. The puritan treatment continues, because as Hester walks through the streets, she will be looked down upon as if she is some sort of demon from hell that commits a terrible crime. This letter is meant to be worn in shame, and to make Hester feel unwanted. Hester is ashamed of her sin, but she chooses not to show it. She commits this sin in the heat of passion, and fully admits it because, though she is ashamed, she also receives her greatest treasure, Pearl, out of it. She is a very strong woman to be able to hold up so well against what she must face. Many will have fled Boston, and seek a place where no one knows of her great sin. Hester chooses to stay though, which shows a lot of strength and integrity. Any woman with enough nerve to hold up against a town, which despises her very existence, and to stay in a place where her daughter is referred to as a "devil child," either has some mental problems, or is a very tough woman.

Dialectical Journal 18

“state of nervous excitement that demanded constant watchfulness, lest she should perpetrate violence on herself, or do some half-frenzied mischief to the poor babe.” (PG 65)

They thought she would hurt the babe but since hester probably didn’t think she didn’t do anything wrong, why would she hurt the baby? Plus Pearl is all she has left, she is the result of the sin, and she is the only one who is “on the same side as her.” What the Puritan people don’t understand is that Pearl and Hester are connected through more than just Mother and daughter, they are connected through nature and they are both like the rose bush in the fact that through all the destruction they will stand strong, and being exiled gives them the strength to do that.

Dialectical Journal 17

But he will be known!—he will be known! —he will be known! (pg 58)

Weather he will be known to the community or just to Chillingworth is open for interpretation. I think he is saying that he will not give up until he is found out. And once he does find out then he will make him suffer and start to feel such little self worth that he will expose himself to the community.

Dialectical Journal 16

Prynne

Means to purify her Sin, probe into the interior of ones heart. Purify means to remove containments from. Containment is the action of keeping something harmful under control or within limits. So then to remove her containments from her sin means that she is going to let the harm of her sin run wild. But does her sin actually cause any harm? Or does little Pearl actually represent the Puritans inner desires.

Dialectical Journal 15

Hester

Hester sounds like Hestier, Zeus' sister in Greek mythology, who is a very beautiful goddess. This gives us a sense that Hester is a passionate beautiful woman. In this novel, she is the symbol of the truth, the goodness and the beauty. As a symbol of “truth” she is the symbol of peoples inner sin’s and what they wish about doing, there is nothing wrong with that she did.

Dialectical Journal 14

Gold thread (pg 55)

They use gold because it is pure like Hester, Pearl and the rose bush. The Rose bush is pure because through all the destruction of the humans and through the mass destruction of the surrounding nature, it still stands strong. Which is a lot like Hester, even through all the harsh things said about her and through all the ridicule she still stands strong. Pearl is like the gold thread because it is what holds the A onto her mothers chest, just like she is the result of the sin of adultery, she is what holds the sin to Hester.

Words of the day

Esoteric (adj) Anna's Esoteric joke was said too often and soon became infuriating.

Vitiate (V) the milk from Fairway market Vitiates very quickly.

Dialectical Journal 13

Had there been a Papist among the crowd of Puritans, he might have seen in this beautiful woman, so picturesque in her attire and mien, and with the infant at her bosom, an object to remind him of the image of Divine Maternity, which so many illustrious painters have vied with one another to represent; something which should remind him, indeed, but only by contrast, of that sacred image of sinless motherhood, whose infant was to redeem the world. (pg 53 and 73)

The papist would have seen Hester as the Virgin Mary; a sacred image of sinless motherhood, whose infant was to redeem the world. I believe hawthorn put this example in there to let us know where he stands in the whole ordeal. He believes that Hester is indeed like the Virgin Mary and that pearl was sent in as this wild creature to show the world the way things should be, they way a society should intertwin with nature. Hawthorne places Hester and pearl on the scaffold to show that they are above everyone else, that what Hester did wasn’t a crime that what they are doing is a crime and since she will no longer take part in these crimes, she stands on the scaffold and looks down on them. Much as in the same way they are mentally looking down on her.

Dialectical Journal 12

A crowd of eager and curious schoolboys, understanding little of the matter in hand, except that it gave them a half-holiday, ran before her progress, turning their heads continually to stare into her face and at the winking baby in her arms, and at the ignominious letter on her breast (51-52)

What are the true belifes of this Puritan society? If people gather around to watch Hester stand on the scaffold just because they have nothing better to do then are their beliefes and intentions pure. And if not, is Hester’s punishment taken to far and is just merely a reminder of the fact that the Puritans need to follow the rules because its what they “believe in.” and I quote because if they do not truly believe in these things then why keep the religion and rules in place if they are just going to be broken and people will be wrongly over punished for mediocre crimes.

Dialectical Journal 11

Not a stitch in that embroidered letter, but she has felt it in her heart (PG 51)

It took a lot of strength to be able to stitch that Scarlet “A” on her bosom. Not necessarily physical strength, although yes very painstaking and tedious, this is about inner strength. But I don’t feel like this was so hard for her because she had to deal with the pain of what she had done. I feel like this was so hard for her because of her pride, and he pride in the fact that she doesn’t really believe what she did was wrong. So not only was stitching a label for herself hard to deal with, but stitching a label she felt she didn’t deserve was probably the hardest part of all.

Dialectical Journal 10

"but did ever a woman, before this brazen hussy, contrive such a way of showing it? Why, gossips, what is it but to laugh in the faces of our godly magistrates, and make a pride out of what they, worthy gentlemen, meant for a punishment?" (pg 51)

a woman is saying that by making the best of her situation Hester is being disrespectful toward the magistrates. Hester knows that the crime that she has committed is not as severe as to be punished by death and maybe the crime is to light for full punishment. So by making the best out of the situation Hester can hopefully lighten the other community-members thoughts about her as well as the actual punishment.

Dialectical Journal 9

“who winked and turned aside its little face from the too vivid light of day; because its existence, heretofore, had brought it acquaintance only with the grey twilight of a dungeon, or other darksome apartment of the prison." (pg 49 and 50)

Throughout the book pearl has this connection with nature and sun and sunlight. This is the first instance she is actually in contact with sunlight and the symbol here is not only that it is her first interaction with sunlight, but with the community. She is supposed to be part of the Puritan society but she is also part of nature and this is the first time that she meets her two worlds. And she turns away from the sun, which shows her innocence in the fact that she thinks that she is part of the Puritan society.

Dialectical Journal 8

“The magistrates are God-fearing gentlemen, but merciful overmuch — that is a truth, at the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead. Madame Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me. But she — the naughty baggage — little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown! Why, look you, she may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever!" (pg 49)

Here they are saying that simply having an A on her bosom that she could cover with a brooch is not good enough, that she needs something more. She has a daughter that she will look after for the next few decades of her life. Her daughter will be an everyday constant reminder of what she has done. But as far as the A goes, a reason it is as “simple” as a hand stitched A on her Bosom is quite possibly because the crime she committed was so simple and not worthy of any great attention.

Dialectical Journal 7

Mistress Hibbins & “On the other hand, a penalty which, in our days, would infer a degree of mocking infamy and ridicule, might then be invested with almost as stern a dignity as the punishment of death itself a” (Pg. 47)

Mistress Hibbins was accused of being a witch, but though a jury found her guilty, the magistrates refused to accept the verdict. She went to grand court and was condemned and hanged. In this book, Hawthorne uses her as an allusion to Hester Prynne in the fact that they were both accused for something that may not have actually been bad or deserving of such punishment. Throughout the text Hawthorne hints that in his view magic may not be a bad thing and yet Mistress Hibbins, a wealthy merchant owner, is condemned and hung due to the pure belief that Witchcraft is bad based on the puritan society. If the reader believes that commiting adultery was in a sense, just, in this situation, then that begs the questions was Hester Prynne and Mistress Hibbins accused of crimes that were of little stature. And this all plays back into the fact that the punishment for actions in the Puritan Society were a bit extreme.

Words of the day

Opaque - the Christmas store sells opaque candle holders made by a woman in Willow Alaska

Propensity - Anna has a propensity towards being a know it all.

Vocabulary

Opaque – (adj) not able to see through; not transparent
Propensity – (N) an inclination or natural tendency to behave in a particular way
Esoteric – (adj) intended for or likely to be understood by only a smaller number of people with a specialized knowledge of interest
Vitiated – (V) spoil or impair the quality of efficiency of
Magnate – (N) a wealthy and influential person; esp. in business
Malleable – (adj) able to be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking (of metal or other material)
Dearth – (N) a scarcity or lack of something
Florid – (Adj)
• Having a red or flushed completcion
• Elaborately or excessively intricate or complicated
Evanescent – (adj) soon passing out of sight, memory, or existence; quickly fading or disappearing
Veneration – (N) regard with great respect; revere.

Scarlet Letter 6

Sun

Sun and the idea of light are a big motif in this book. Light is like true things, goodness, god and purity, which goes back again to the rose bush and the purity it and nature has. They also refer to golden light which is interesting again because Hester uses a golden thread when sewing on her A which also ties into the fact that gold is pure, once again like the rose bush and being part of nature and being pure.

Scarlet Letter 5

(Chapter 3)

“A writhing horror twisted itself across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them.”

I think the first part of this “A writhing horror twisted itself across his features,” is saying that he is furious about this and it shows us that he has a bad temper and that he might have a motive to go after the man who slept with Hester. In the other part of the quote the snake, a motif in the book, is representing evil and is connected with the mans reaction which again implies that he may not be a nice guy. It also refers back to Adam and Eve when there was a snake or serpent, evil, deceived them into eating an apple from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. So the man is doing the same thing, he is trying deceive Hester into doing something.

Words of the day

Acquiesce – Anna acquiesced in accepting that Jayce is smarter then her.
Abstinence – Anna started drinking redbull again after six years of abstinence.

Words of the day

Affinity - Anna has an affinity for complaining.

Aberration - Anna had an aberration way about her which set her aside from the other students in Skagway School.

Words of the day

Advocate - anna is an advocate for procrastination and being lazy

acclaim - i am acclaimed by anna everyday in school

Words of the day

Words of the day 9-21-10

Obtuse - anna's obtuse understanding that Jayce is better then her is one of her big faults
Adroit - Jayce is much more adroit in english class then anna
Deleterious - Anna's Deleterious behavior got her kicked out of school

Scarlet Letter 4

“And never had Hester Prynne appeared more lady-like, in the antique interpretation of the term, then as she issued from the prison.”

When Hester comes out for all the people to see, Hawthorne describes her as the most beautiful and the most elegant she has ever been and I think he is implying that because she has to pull out every ounce of dignity she has left to walk out and face all her fellow people. And the amount of pride and dignity she pulls out makes her look the way she did, under the circumstances she was facing.

Scarlet Letter 3

“Let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart.”

She can hold the baby as tight as she wants to her bosom to try and hide that “A” but everyone already knows what she has done so hiding it or not she is still going to be ridiculed. Its is also implying the fact no matter how much she doesn’t want it to be true deep down she will always know it is because she is now a mother, and as much pain as the baby has brought her, she will always love it and it will always be in her heart.

Questions

What colony is the setting for the novel?

Boston Massachusetts

Where in the colony does the opening chapter take place?

By the Jail

For what 2 “practical necessities” did the new colony set aside land?

Burial ground and Prison house

Who is Anne Hutchinson? How does Hawthorne feel about her?

A woman who was put on trial for speaking false ideas, she said that god spoke to her directly but all puritans believe he only speaks through the bible. Hawthorne thinks that she is like the rose bush and she is pure (she fights for what she believes in dispite the consequences.

What 2 possible symbols does the rose have for the reader?

The rose bush is a symbol of a few things. One being hope, there is this lone, beautiful rose bush out side of an old and decrepit jail and people who are in the jail see it and it makes them think of all the beautiful and possible things outside of the jail. It makes hem think of all things right in the world. Another example that this rose symbolizes is the fact that through all the demolition and destruction of all nature by the people, this one, pure and beautiful rose bush survived. Note here that by calling the rose bush “wild” it ties back into my earlier statement about how the people in the jail look at this bush as hope, but also in envy because all things in nature are pure and the fact that they are in jail means that they aren’t pure anymore according to the puritans.

Scarlet Letter 2

The wild rose bush

The rose bush is a symbol of a few things. One being hope, there is this lone, beautiful rose bush out side of an old and decrepit jail and people who are in the jail see it and it makes them think of all the beautiful and possible things outside of the jail. It makes hem think of all things right in the world. Another example that this rose symbolizes is the fact that through all the demolition and destruction of all nature by the people, this one, pure and beautiful rose bush survived. Note here that by calling the rose bush “wild” it ties back into my earlier statement about how the people in the jail look at this bush as hope, but also in envy because all things in nature are pure and the fact that they are in jail means that they aren’t pure anymore according to the puritans.

Scarlet Letter 1

“A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods…”

This sentence is describing the puritan people. Hawthorne is not just giving you an idea of what these people are like, he is giving you his ideas about them. He describes these people as plain and all similar, all the men were bearded and wore gray and colorless clothing. He does a good job of negatively describing these people without noticeably saying that he doesn’t like them.

Words of the day

Jayce’s had alacrity that brought happiness to the school.

Anna had a timorous attitude about me beating her in English

Words of the Day

Reticent - Anna's Reticent behavior really annoyed Jayce, so she killed her.
Rigor - Anna's lack of rigor made her fail the 11th grade, as Jayce went on to graduate on time.

Mayflower Compact

The date is November 10, 1620. After 66 days at sea crammed into a space about the size of a basketball court, the Pilgrims--as the 101 surviving passengers of the "Mayflower" became known--arrived on America's shores. They were an ocean away from their home country and hundreds of miles from where they were supposed to settle in the Virginia Colony. To survive in the wilderness of this strange, new land, they would need some rules for governing themselves and their community. The document they wrote is known as the Mayflower Compact. In fewer than 200 words, it laid the groundwork for democracy in America. So what is the Mayflower compact? What are some facts that correspond with it and how it has shaped America and our government today?

Invaders and explorers of the Americas had many flawed aspects, one of which being a lack in self-governing. With out having rules to abide by everyone will want to rule and run things they think things should be run. And with a bunch of foreign settlers this didn’t make it easy. They all tried to set up different types of government within the same colony/group. The Mayflower’s passengers knew that the New World’s earlier settlers struggled due to a lack of government; ergo the Mayflower compact. The Mayflower Compact is a written agreement composed by a consensus of the new Settlers arriving at New Plymouth in November of 1620. They had traveled across the ocean on the ship Mayflower, which was anchored in what is now Provincetown Harbor near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The Mayflower Compact was drawn up with fair and equal laws, for the general good of the settlement. They settlers off the mayflower knew that they needed to work together in order to build up their colony by working, trading and training for war.

Forty-one people signed the Mayflower compact (all males of course), some more familiar then others such as: John Carver, William Bradford, Edward Winslow, William Brewster, Isaac Allerton, Myles Standish, and John Alden. When creating the Mayflower Compact, the signers believed that covenants were not only to be honored between God and man, but also between each other. They had always honored covenants as part of their righteous integrity and agreed to be bound by this same principle with the Compact. John Adams and many historians have referred to the Mayflower Compact as the foundation of the U.S. Constitution.

The Constitution and the Mayflower Compact were formed on the same bases. The bases of equality and the fact that everyone was created equal. It also indirectly states back to the Constitution that we all have unalienable rights. "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit Of Happiness”

Luckily we are made aware of its relevance to their 21st century lives. This book/story is essential for any school, public, or home library. "The Mayflower Compact" acts as a valuable reminder of the time when America was merely an idea being shaped in the minds of our forefathers, eager to escape oppression and create a better world.