About this title: This is part of a series called "Bloom's ReViews", which are college-level study guides prepared under the aegis of Harold Bloom, distinguished Yale professor and author of "The Western Canon". Each guide includes an introductory essay by Bloom as well as extracts from renowned scholars on key topics in the work. Good for independent study and ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
"Revised: Hester walked across the room. She stepped upon her left foot, her right foot, and then her left foot again. One wonders, why doth she, in this instance of walking across the room, begin her journey upon the left foot and not the right? Could it be her terrible sin, that the devil informeth the left foot just as he informeth the left hand and those bewitched, left-handed persons amongst us? Why, forsooth, doth the left foot of sin draggeth the innocent right foot along its wretched journey from one side of the room to the other? She walked across the room, I tell you. Guilty feet hath got no rhythm..."
"Another required read that took me by surprise at how much I enjoyed it. This is a book that delves into the consequences of guilt on a person's psyche. It is very layered in that there are times where you are not sure that what happens is exactly what is perceived. No exactly surreal but written so that there is a little bit of question about supernatural things happening. Such as did Dimmesdale really have that scarlet A branded on his chest from the power of the overwhelming guilt he carried? Is Pearl really a normal little girl or is she a devil child? Is Roger Chillingsworth just a cuckolded husband or is he the true evil in this village? I loved all the unanswered questions and the power of this story. I admired Hester that she didn't break down and was strong in the face of the censure she received because she was a woman and she got pregnant from an adulterous liaison, and therefore couldn't hide her actions. I don't even think the town cared about who the father was. They had their sinner and they tried to make Hester pay for both of their sins. Yes, this story does delve into the puritanical roots of the United States and our love/hate affair with sex, but I think it was timely but lessons can still be learned, even though sexual attitudes have mellowed. Unresolved guilt does have the power to undermine a person. It can be a burden too heavy to bear. This book resonated with me because I believe this message to be true. I also think it criticizes the tendency of groups to be judgmental against an individual who might have deviated from societal norms, or more likely, just got caught doing it. Hands down, this is one of my favorites of the books I had to read in school."
"The best advice anyone can get about The Scarlet Letter is to skip the whole introductory bit about the Chapter House, unless you want a degree in English. I love this book; I teach this book, but I have my students skip that introduction. It'll make them hate the book.
Once you have skipped that part, what greets you is a wonderful book about the nature and defination of sin. Is it the outward sin, such as Hester's, that is the worse? Or is it the sin that never really comes to light? The book explores these questions and challenges the reader to explore them as well. For instance, I have seen wonderful debates about how much of a "tramp" Hester really is. (Well, my students didn't use the word tramp, but I don't think the term they used is acceptable for a review).
Hawthorne makes great use of symbolism and as a result, there is always something new when reading this book."
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