Choose one of the following essay topics and write a well-organized, well-supported, and insightful essay.
1. Discuss Hawthorne’s use of foils and opposition in The Scarlet Letter. Analyze the relationship between Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth through the foils formed between them. In addition to character foils, discuss Hawthorne’s use of opposition (i.e. the outer scarlet A vs. the inner A). How does Hawthorne’s use of foil and opposition contribute to the novel as a whole?
2. Analyze the symbolism of the scarlet letter in Hawthorne’s novel. Discuss how the symbol frames the novel, how the symbol develops throughout the novel, and the impact of the letter on the characters in the novel. Discuss the relationship between Hester’s identity and the scarlet letter. In addition to Hester’s fabric A, be sure to discuss the meteor, Dimmesdale’s mark, and the personified A, Pearl.
3. Analyze Hawthorne’s theme of sin, knowledge and the human condition in The Scarlet Letter. Discuss how sin destroys the lives of Hester and Dimmesdale and, in a sense, how it forces them to improve their lives. How does knowledge, gained after sin, help or harm the characters in the novel? Discuss the Puritan conceptions of sin and the human condition. In the final scenes of the novel, do Dimmesdale’s actions show that all humans have the potential to sin so must we punish sin severely and repress sin, or is sin inherent to human nature so must we reconcile our sinful actions with more righteous actions and strive to live a better life?