Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 334 views

    The Scarlet Letter As A Psychological Novel

    Uploaded by

    Syeda Amarah Zahid
    The document analyzes the psychology and inner thoughts of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter. It describes how Hawthorne depicts the severe mental anguish of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale as they struggle with guilt over their sin. It examines their complex and conflicting emotions in depth through scenes from the novel, showing Hawthorne's keen insight into human nature and the inner workings of the mind.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    The Scarlet Letter As A Psychological Novel

    Uploaded by

    Syeda Amarah Zahid
    334 views17 pages
    The document analyzes the psychology and inner thoughts of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter. It describes how Hawthorne depicts the severe mental anguish of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale as they struggle with guilt over their sin. It examines their complex and conflicting emotions in depth through scenes from the novel, showing Hawthorne's keen insight into human nature and the inner workings of the mind.

    Original Description:

    depiction of human mind through the thoughts and feelings of characters

    Original Title

    The Scarlet Letter as a Psychological Novel

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    The document analyzes the psychology and inner thoughts of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter. It describes how Hawthorne depicts the severe mental anguish of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale as they struggle with guilt over their sin. It examines their complex and conflicting emotions in depth through scenes from the novel, showing Hawthorne's keen insight into human nature and the inner workings of the mind.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    334 views17 pages

    The Scarlet Letter As A Psychological Novel

    Uploaded by

    Syeda Amarah Zahid
    The document analyzes the psychology and inner thoughts of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter. It describes how Hawthorne depicts the severe mental anguish of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale as they struggle with guilt over their sin. It examines their complex and conflicting emotions in depth through scenes from the novel, showing Hawthorne's keen insight into human nature and the inner workings of the mind.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 17

    The Scarlet Letter as a

    Psychological Novel
    BY SYEDA AMARAH ZAHID
    Hawthorne

     An explorer of dark recesses of human soul.


     Depicts the inner life of the characters that constitute
    the main theme.
     His hero and heroine undergo a severe mental agony.
     Gives evidence of a keen insight in revealing to use
    that nature of that agony and causes which bring it
    about.
    Working of Prynne’s mind

     Her thoughts and feelings are laid before us at every step


    Examples:
     When she stands on scaffold, she has “burning blush” (sense of shame caused by
    public exposure) yet a “haughty smile” (defiance of society’s moral code) on her
    face.
     Her bosom reveals “the desperate recklessness of her mood”
     Doesn’t feel agony and torture at the time of her suffering on the scaffold but feels
    later.
     Her memories of past are psychologically true.
     Itis the nature of human being to turn to past
    events which present a sharp contrast with present.
     Her only reality is shame that she is facing.
     On her returning to prison, suffers a nervous
    excitement (reaction from calm and serene attitude
    on scaffold).
     Her decision not to leave Boston helps us
    understand her mind fully.
     Chain that binds her is unbreakable.
     Her secret bond with Dimmesdale.
     Scene of her guilt, scene of her earthly punishment.
    Persuades herself to believe that torture of her daily
    shame would purify her soul.
    Hester’s mental reactions to Peal’s strange
    behaviour also give us insight about her thoughts.
     Can’t stop questioning if Peal is a human child.
     Bursts into passionate tears due to Pearl’s
    abnormal behaviour.
     Cries out in great agony.
     Her state of mind related to stigma which she has to wear,
    Hawthorne shows deep manifestation of human nature and its
    manifestations.
     Scarlet Letter
     Turns her into sister of Mercy
     A as Able
     Had not done its office
     Her sufferings has been great but it hasn’t done its purpose
    (doesn’t look herself as a sinner)
     Stigma crushed her heart
     No longer opens her hair
     No longer cares about her looks

     Her life changed from passion and feelings to thought.


     This transformation has a psychological validity.
     Her
    decision not to reveal Chillingworth and
    Dimmesdale identity has psychological basis.
     Witnessed intense misery of the minister
     Realized she committed wrong.
     Determined to redeem her error.
     Revealsshocking information that the physician is
    her husband
     Wanders in “moral wilderness”
     Shame, despair and Solitude have been her
    teachers
     Becomes a critic of all priests and legislators
     Shows us a strong and resolute mind
     Refuses to surrender to a code of morality
    Working of Chillingworth’s mind

     Personifies revenge
     Knows no mercy
     There was a time when he was calm, gentle and passionless
     His revengeful passion becomes discernible on his face
     All the blackness of mind appears in his countenance
     Calls himself a fiend
     Aware of his tranformation
     Refuses to pardon when Hester requests him
     Makes a desperate attempt to refrain Dimmesdale from
    public confession in order to torture him more

     He got nothing to do after his victim’s death


     No interest in anything to keep him alive
     “no more Devil’s work on Earth for him to do”
     Died after one year of Dimmesdale’s death
    Working of Dimmesdale’s mind

     Has a complex mind


     Oppressed by the wright of his crime
     Suffers an agony of remorse
     Does not have courage to make a public confession of his guilt
     Does mot wish to tarnish his iamge
     Calls himself “remorseful hypocrite”
     public calls him “miracle of holiness” (enhances his agony)
     Lover of truth but appalled by falsehood of his own life
     Tells people who he really is but people considers it his humility
     Loathes himself for his hypocrisy
     Undergoes a terrible penance in private
     Keeps vigil and fasts
     Flogs and scourages till bold oozes out
     Sees hallucination
     Hawthorne depicts the mind of a conscience stricken, hypocritical
    and cowardly individual.
     Narrator calls his action of coming to scaffold a mockery
    when the whole town is asleep
     Mixed feelings in him
     Haunting sense of guilt
     Desire to confess
     Fear of consequences of confession
     Anxiety to keep his public image intact
     Impulse to shriek and attract attention
     Bewitched by sensual beauty of Hester (second
    fall)
     No power to resist temptation (plan of escape)
     Hester’s plan opens a new possibility
     Later decides to make a public confession
    (conflicting situation)
    Conclusion

     Displays psychological sweep and depth through


    his characters.
     Has given a sufficient psychological material to
    digest.
     His central characters are the subjects of
    psychological analysis.

    You might also like