My First Look into *The Scarlet Letter* (IR)

     

        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! :)

A Look at "If" by E.E. Cummings (PR)

                                       If

If freckles were lovely, and day was night,
And measles were nice and a lie warn’t a lie,
Life would be delight,—
But things couldn’t go right
For in such a sad plight
I wouldn’t be I.

If earth was heaven and now was hence,
And past was present, and false was true,
There might be some sense
But I’d be in suspense
For on such a pretense
You wouldn’t be you.

If fear was plucky, and globes were square,
And dirt was cleanly and tears were glee
Things would seem fair,—
Yet they’d all despair,
For if here was there
We wouldn’t be we.

- E.E. Cummings

     
        The first time I read this poem, I really liked it. The structure, the rhyme scheme, and especially the overall meaning - they all stood out to me as very well balanced. I interpreted the piece as a statement by Cummings that all of the pain and struggles that we, as humans, go through each and every day of our lives are what define us. How we deal with those obstacles makes us who we are. It is very widely known that we learn through our mistakes, analyzing what we have done wrong or could have done better, and adjusting ourselves to grow in our capabilities. Cummings uses phrases like, "earth was heaven" and "tears were glee" to describe a world of perfection in terms of all things being good and beautiful. However, he shows through words like "despair", "suspense", and "sad plight" that a world where all of these ideas are opposite would be corrupted, as no one would be the person they were meant to be. Life wouldn't play out the same if we never struggled. All of those times we wake up dreading the day to come only make us stronger once we get through it all. If everything was mixed around and those struggles weren't really struggles, life would become like a failed attempt at a utopia, as we would never really grow, never strengthen our minds and hearts for the reality of life. By living in a world with sadness and deceit, we enable ourselves to become distinct individuals - individuals who have lived unique lives which define us through our experiences. We have good days and bad days, but without the bad ones, how would we truly appreciate the good? If every day was sunny, wouldn't we miss the rain? Life is comprised of not only good things, but bad things as well. It helps to maintain a sort of balance (just like the poem) - building us up with all sorts of experiences while challenging us to try our best in life to succeed in whatever it is our hearts desire. 

        So, that's how I interpreted the poem. It could have a different meaning for different people, but this is what makes the most sense to me. The dynamics of the poem were all important - each individual element. The three six-line stanzas, the listing of opposites, and the final line of each stanza. They all contribute to the balance of the poem, as well as its meaning. I truly loved the structure of Cummings' piece. By tying everything together within the poem, he made the words and meaning sink in much more effectively than they could have if written any differently. I love reading well-balanced poems such as these. They make everything tie together and simply make so much more sense. Until the next poem. :)