For the third independent reading book of the year, I find myself reading none other than The Scarlet Letter. I have always been quite a bit curious about this book, as I know others in my family who have read it and found it interesting. It's about a woman named Hester Prynne who gets punished by the Puritan community for committing the act of adultery. They force her to wear a scarlet letter "A" - hence the title - on her gown in order to plant a seed of guilt into her body and mind that will stick with her forever, never allowing her to forget this deed that she has done.
The story has unfolded into a variety of interesting characters - Roger Chillingworth, Mr. Dimmesdale, and especially Hester's growing daughter - Pearl. Pearl is a key character, as her development in life reflects off of her mother's, as well as establishes her being as a living reminder of Hester's infamous crime. The members of the Puritan community scorn Hester for what she has done - even the children despise her - but to make matters worse, their hatred spreads all the way to Hester's innocent child, who in turn, toughens herself up from all of the ridicule. The story follows the mother and daughter through their struggle to live in a world that has been hardened to forgiveness.
The Scarlet Letter really causes you to sympathize with the protagonist. Hester's punishment makes her seem so lonely and isolated from the rest of her community, and I would never wish that on anybody. Everyone makes mistakes, some worse than others, but is it really fair to completely disown them? Okay, so I may be one of those optimistic people who believes in second chances. I know that in certain cases a second chance isn't really a good idea, but still, should we punish harshly, or learn to forgive the grave sins of others and move on to a brighter future, allowing them to learn from those past mistakes? I guess this is one of those books that really makes you think!
Although I wouldn't declare this a favorite book, I am enjoying the story line quite a bit. It's interesting to follow this little duo of characters along on their journey for redemption. The writing style can be a little bit wordy in some spots, but I'm not complaining. Compared to the thick stream-of-consciousness style of my first independent reading book - The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner - this novel is very well written. I find myself wanting to read more and more to see what events may ensue. Well, I shall be looking much further into The Scarlet Letter. Until the next time! :)
No comments:
Post a Comment