Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Scarlet Letter: A Physiological Phenomenon

So far, we have read up to Chapter 13 in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. So far, I am surprisingly enjoying this book. As I read, I wonder how Mr. Hawthorne wrote so magically. His intelligence of symbolism is astounding and I cannot fathom how he comes up with such interesting material. The characters he has contrived are thrilling. Hester is such a versatile character; she represents so much of human nature and the inner strength that we all yearn to have. At the same time, Chillingworth is so evil that he emulates the devil to a certain extent. It makes me as a reader play with how he will change the lives of the townspeople; he has truly gotten into my head, which I guess was Hawthorne's intent. 
My only complaint is that I am rushing through the book to get the reading done. I may actually want to read it again at my own leisure to really get what Hawthrone is trying to convey. Then, it will be more enjoyable and I won't have to worry about getting the assignment done.  

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