E-C- 301. The Modern Literature

Name- Patel Payal G

Roll no- 16

M.A.Sem-III

Paper- E-C-301. The Modernist Literature.

Year- 2011

Topic- Critical Appreciation of “To The Lighthouse”

Submitted to Mr. Dilip Barad.

Department of English.

Bhavnagar University.

Bhavnagar.

Critical Appreciation of “To the Lighthouse”

Character Analysis:

Mrs. Ramsay:

E.M. Forster and other critics have expressed the view (about her art of characterization) that Mrs. Woolf fails to provide in her novels a memorable gallery of portraits such as we get in the works of other novelists. Her characters, it has been said, do not live long in the mind and soon forgotten. So, from this, it is clear that she uses conventional technique for characterization. We are told directly what a character looks like, how he/she dresses up, what are his oddities and what are the salient qualities of his/her head and heart.

Mrs. Ramsay is a beautiful and loving wife of Mr. Ramsay. The basic quality of Mrs. Ramsay is to keep people happy which is her philosophy of life. In this sense she is totally opposite to Mr. Ramsay. She is a dutiful wife but often struggles with her husband’s difficult moods and selfishness. She is the center character in the novel, but there are some other opinions of other critics about the central character of the novel. Some of them believe that Lily Briscoe is at the center, but it depends upon the situation and the perception of the reader towards the central character of the novel. She is a typical mother who cares for her children; she concerns for her children and tries to make them happy whenever she gets opportunity. She is having eight children. She is the pillar of the family, as she holds everyone together and it is said that bringing people together is her special talent. She is sensitive to everyone’s feelings. When Mrs. Ramsay is dead in last two parts of the novel, even we also miss her. Virginia Woolf has portrayed her as the embodiment of caring mother, understanding wife, faithful neighbor or friend.

Mr. Ramsay:

He is totally opposite to his wife’s looking at the things. He is well-known philosopher. Woolf uses his philosophy as a subtle irony. He is very realistic kind of character. If his wife makes other happy, he makes other aware of reality which is always bitter one. He believes in a philosophy that says the thing as it is, without mixing or removing anything. He looks beyond the horizons. When the novel opens the Ramsays talk to each other and when he predicts that the weather would be unsuitable and postpones the plan of visiting lighthouse, at that time his own son James has some kind of hatred towards him, as he is very harsh. But, we also sympathize with the same character when his wife Mrs. Ramsay is departed forever and he needs her company. But at last, he fulfills the wish of James of visiting the Lighthouse. He is a sincere father. But why he behaves in this way is because he does not want the people to be distracted by him. He wants to show other characters the world in its colors. So, he is not that much rude, rather he is a true seer of life.

James Ramsay:

He is the youngest son of the Ramsays. There are also other children of the Ramsays like: Andrew, Jasper, Roger, Prue, Rose, Nancy and Cam Ramsay. James loves his mother deeply and feels a murderous antipathy towards his father, here; we can apply the Oedipus Complex Theory through the character of James. When he was six years old, his father indirectly denied visiting the Lighhouse, but after ten years he is able to go to the lighthouse with his father Mr. Ramsay and with her sister Cam Ramsay. This is how his desired is satisfied by his lovable father.

Lily Briscoe:

She is a young and single painter, who becomes friend of the Ramsays on the Isle of Sky. She begins a portrait of Mrs. Ramsay at the beginning of the novel but has some trouble in finishing it. The people like Charles Tansley insist that women can not paint or write and he threatens her and tries to break down her confidence. She thinks that she will marry and give up her painting, but then she gives up the idea of marriage and carries on her painting. There is the question of her position in the novel, whether she is the central character or Mrs. Ramsay. It is bit confusing but generally readers think that until the decease of Mrs. Ramsay, she is the protagonist and then, after her decease, Lily Briscoe becomes the protagonist. Her character also shows the mindset or mentality of the Victorian people, that they believe, women are supposed to be the caretaker of the home and home-men, nothing beyond that. They cannot imagine woman as a professional person in any occupation except as a housewife.

Charles Tansely:

He is a young philosopher and student of Mr. Ramsay who stays with the Ramsays on the Isle of Sky. He is a very objectionable kind of personality. He often insults other people, particularly women such as Lily, so, he seems to be misogynist person. He is the representation of those who believe that women should not paint or write, they should be better housewives. So, this is how he represents the atmosphere of the Victorian society.

“To The Lighthouse” as a Stream of Consciousness Novel:

In simple words, What Stream of Consciousness is the thinking process of the character and at the same time he performs his speech as well. So, both these things are happening simultaneously in this novel. Because of the element of stream of consciousness it is added in the list of Modernist Literature. Another meaning of this term ‘stream of consciousness’ is to study the human psyche. The aim of the modern psychological novelists is to render the soul or psyche truthfully and realistically and for that they use the ‘stream of consciousness’ technique. The stream of Consciousness novelists are more concerned about the psyche of their characters and the inner process of their mind. But, here, there is one harmful point about this novel is the decay of the plot. Because of the use of this technique, the plot is not arranged logically. The actions move backward and forward in time. The novelist makes their character fly in different directions. There is a close confrontation of clock time, and inner time, and the transitions from the past to the present and from one conscious to another. With the help of this technique characters become more lifelike, because in Modern time, the lives of people have changed, they speak, at the same time, the process of thinking goes on in their mind, which play the duality of their characters. In this novel, Virginia Woolf has used brackets to show the process of Stream of Consciousness, had she not given the brackets, readers would have not understood it properly. The use and appearance of brackets is very decisive or symbolic.

The Narrator:

Like “The Scarlet Letter” this novel is having an unknown narrator. He is anonymous, who writes the inner psyche of the characters. Though he is a part of this novel, he is not involved in it. The narrator writes about the characters what he thinks, but there is a possibility that the next person may have different views or thoughts by the different characters. Whatever those views may be, but what here important is, Virginia Woolf in the form of that unknown writer, has uncovered the minds of the characters. The use of brackets, is here, very important because with the help of brackets, at least, readers can know, what the character thinks and what the narrator writes about their dialogues or conversations.

Time and Structure of “To the Lighthouse”:

One of the most striking features of “To the Lighthouse” is the unequal lengths of time covered by each of the three sections. The first and the third- ‘The Window’ and ‘The Lighthouse’ – each occupy less than a day. On the other hand, the middle section- ‘Time passes’ deals with a span of about ten years. In short, the treatment of time is having a double movement. One is a forward horizontal movement and the other is a vertical movement. The present movement is seen in relationship with the past and the past is constantly woven with the present in the mind of the characters. Elizabeth Drew writes about her treatment of time

“The inescapable forward movement of temporal progression is counter pointed against the inward and downward exploration of the psychic time of memory, introspection, association, sensation, day-dream, where hours or years can be collapsed to moments, events from past and present, or far apart in place, can be telescoped and folded into one another.”

Poetic Pattern in “To the Lighthouse”:

Virginia Woolf has very cleverly used poetical quality into her novel. In the very beginning of the novel, reader can see the use of poetic tone or quality. For example,

“To her son these words conveyed an extra ordinary joy, …” ( ‘The Window’)

Here, she uses the poetical tone, she could write “She conveyed her son these words and he became joyful”. But she is very careful about using the words in this poetical prose. There are many such examples would be found from the whole text as she has sprinkled the poetical lines in it.

Allegorical Element:

Each and every text is having allegory or symbols in it in one or another way, as it is incomplete without it. Here, in the novel “To the Lighthouse”, reader finds some allegorical elements like the lighthouse itself, it is the gap between man and woman, father and son, old generation and new generation. But, the characters try to bridge the gap and that is why they plan to visit the lighthouse which removes the gap between father and son. The second example is the use of brackets, which also shows the gap between thoughts and that is why the characters think in their mind. Different brackets in different parts give different interpretation. For example in second part “Time Passes”, the brackets symbolize the deaths of Prue and Andrew Ramsay. There are also such cryptograms in the novel.

Symbols:

Symbols give a new way of looking at the things or texts. There are many symbols in the novel like….

Lily’s Painting:

Lily’s paintings indirectly show the struggle against gender convention, represented by Charles Tansley’s statement that women cannot paint or write, shows the thinking of Victorian people. Virginia has broken that illusion by writing some superior works of literature. Her desire to express Mrs. Ramsay’s essence as a wife and mother in the painting mimics the impulse among modern women to understand the gendered experiences of women. Woolf makes Lily portrays the picture of Mrs. Ramsay, as she portrays the picture of her own mother. The painting also dedicated to feminine artistic vision, and at the end of the novel Lily is very satisfied with what she has portrayed, symbolizes her vision and with that the novel ends.

The Ramsays’ House:

The Ramsays’ house is a stage where Woolf and her characters explain their views, beliefs, observations and thoughts. During her dinner party, Mrs. Ramsay sees her house displays her own inner notions of shabbiness and her inability to preserve her beauty. While it is but obvious that each and every house speaks about the person live in like behavior. The house stands for collective consciousness of those who stay in it. For example, when Mr. Ramsay wants water, he raises his hand thinking that Mrs. Ramsay will give him a glass of water. So, the house becomes the memory of Mrs. Ramsay for her husband. Woolf shows the house from every angle which means whatever associated with house is revealed by Woolf.

The Sea:

The reference of sea occurs throughout the novel. The waves symbolize the inner waves in human mind; also show the forward moment of time and the change it brings. At the same time, sea also symbolizes the destruction, the destruction of human-relations day-by-day.

The Boar’s Skull:

The scene of boar’s skull occurs after the dinner scene. Mr. Ramsay finds that children are bothered by the boar’s skull that hangs on the nursery wall. The presence of skull always reminds that life is uncertain, and death is at hand always.

The differing behavior of Men and Women:

We get the idea of differing behaviors of men and women from very beginning of the novel. Even Lily Briscoe and Charles Tansley differ in their behaviors. So, the idea of extreme opposite behavior of men and women is based on the gender. The Ramsays differ from each other in their thinking. For example, Mrs. Ramsay makes other happy, but Mr. Ramsay does not believe in such a rubbish kind of thing. He wants to show the humankind as it is. He is rather a practical man in life. It also shows the idea of Victorian men and women. Perhaps, the women might not be looked the way men are looked by people.

Conclusion:

To sum up, for Virginia Woolf the novel is, “neither a criticism of life”, in the Arnoldian sense nor an entertainment in the popular sense, but a rendering of life in all its complexity and subtlety. The novel demonstrates how short and meaningless our life is! The breaking of the relations is portrayed. People have started understanding without speaking or listening to the person. It also presents the generation gap, men-women relationship and men and society.

E-C-302. Research Methodology

Name- Patel Payal G

Roll no- 16

M.A.Sem-III

Paper- E-C-302. The Research Methodology.

Year- 2011

Topic- “What is Research ? Discuss its Characteristics”

Submitted to Mr. Dilip Barad.

Department of English.

Bhavnagar University.

Bhavnagar.

What is Research? Discuss its Characteristics

                               Research is the sky for those who want to fly in the form of scholars. It is something novel and modern idea which now a days has been given much importance. The scholars can expand their knowledge and they can prove themselves the researchers. What is the simple meaning of research is to give any particular idea or work of literature, your own way of thinking, your views and opinions. Generally in research paper, the scholars write the abstract first, which is having all ideas but in compact or precise form with key words and which you elaborate in detail. Some of the research paper may have plagiarism and some of them may be extra supreme in its context. Research paper can be done by any student, teacher, doctor, lawyer, etc. the different researchers, through their different researches present different characteristics of it. If someone gets any survey for of various kinds of bikes, it becomes its research. But there are also some limitations for research. The revolution in the modern man in comparison to the ancient man, accrued because of research. They inclined towards scientific knowledge and it is nothing but the outcome of research.

                                   Man from very beginning strived hard to understand the nature and the universe. He observed the harmony everywhere in the universe and tried his best to find out the relationship underlying this harmony. This is how the scientific research was initiated. Therefore, perhaps, there is a close connection between research and invention but differs from discovery, which is also related with the research.

                                   Aristotle and Greek philosophers are the greatest researcher, as Aristotle has given his definition of tragedy and his views over it. So the researchers of that era opened up new directions of scientific methods for researchers. For example initially deductive method of logic came into operation and later on inductive method of logic came into practice. In order to eliminate the imperfection of these methods known as deductive – inductive method by combining these two. This is how a new era of scientific method was started. so from this we can say that the basis of scientific research lies in the deductive and inductive methods of logic. The intensive use of scientific research was initially made in physics and later on it was extended to natural sciences and social sciences. In this way the scientific research has played a significant role for achieving human progress. The advances in research in field of physics, biology, social sciences have largely contributed the creation of new knowledge, new inventions and new ideas as well as new methodologies to carry out further research in various fields. The modern research is not restricted only to the laboratories but it has reached to every part of human life. The scientific research has playing an important role in the progress of education and educational research.

Verbal meaning and definition of Research:

                                    

                              There may be different way of definition of research, but the meaning might be the same. One can, now, clearly understand the meaning of  research. The dictionary meaning of research is construed an invention or investigation or formal study or scientific enquiry or discovery. The formal meaning of research is invention or scientific investigation or scientific enquiry to extract truth. Standard dictionaries describe research as “Endeavour to discover new ideas by scientific way”, or “A course of critical investigation.”

According to Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, research means “ A careful investigation or inquiry specially through search for new facts in any branch of knowledge.”

                                   In short, what should we do first is to cultivate our mindset. We have to concentrate on text, event and all such things. The researcher should consider each and every text as an event. No writer writes in vacuum, so whatever he writes becomes his research, it may be right or wrong but what is more crucial is the writer’s own thinking behind his topic or subject. Ideal researcher must love literature for its own sake if the person wants to carry on the research in literature. It is said that there is total involvement but the researcher is having a kind of detachment from it. And his praising the subject is not appreciation but the researcher must prove it the way he writes his subject. Intellectual curiosity should be on the part of the researcher. His research should have precision of subject, and he should have the scientific bend towards looking at his subject. There is no margin of error allowed, so, the researcher should be very careful about this aspect. There is no need of drudgery but what is more valuable is a creative imagination of a researcher. He should have some knowledge of his subject so that he can give justice to his topic or subject. After all, it is said rightly that;

“Learning without wisdom is a load of books on an ass’s back.”

So, he should be well aware of his subject, and should apply his wisdom not the information which the researcher generally tries to apply to their subject. Research is like an occupation. It’s a neutral process. It’s a systematic and scientific process. The researcher comes to the solution or conclusion by the collections of data.

In research three words are important like ;(i) study

                                                                    (ii) Invention

                                                                    (iii) Discovery

The last two words require description.

(i)               Invention:

                 It is the application of an idea or thinking something new. For example, a new way of doing a task. It is an intentional activity, it a process behind any particular thought.

(ii)            Discovery:

                It is an accidental, unintentional and unexpected search for the first time without any problem.

Research:

It is the scientific study in order to discover new facts. It is correctly written,

              

               “Research is endless quest for knowledge or understanding

                search for truth. It brings to light new knowledge or correct

                previous errors and misconceptions and adds in an orderly

                way to exiting body of knowledge.”

         

                “The knowledge gained by research is scientific and objective

                and is a matter of rational understanding, common

                verification and experience.”

Some well-known thinkers have given different definition of Research, which are as under;

P.M. Cook-

e says that Research is an honest, exhaustive and intelligent searching for facts and their meanings and implications with reference to a given problem.

J.W. Best-

He writes that Research may be defined as systematic and objective analysis and recording of controlled observations that may lead to the development of generalizations of principles or theories, resulting in prediction and possibly ultimate control of events.

George G Mouly-

He writes that a systematic and scholarly application of scientific method, interpreted in its broadest sense to the solution of educational problems.

F.M. Kerlinger-

He says that scientific research is a systematic, controlled emparcical and critical investigation of hypothetical proposition about the presumed relations among natural phenomena.

So, formal the definitions, we can give a particular definition of research that it is a scientific and systematic method. There are some characteristics of research, as under;

·       Characteristics of Research:

(1) Research generates new knowledge-

                                        With the help of research paper, the researcher can enhance the new knowledge which he comes across for the first time even. It gives new idea and improve the thinking process, gives imaginative skill.

(2) Research is a skilful, systematic and accurate procedure of investigation-

                                      When the police come across some new inventions with the help of investigation, same as happens in the case of research area. That the researcher can have an accurate process of investigation and with the help of this, he may find his subject completely appropriate to the subject.

(3) Research is logical and objective-

                                     The researcher must take the comprehension of the subject into consideration. The thoughts or ideas should be logically connected and it is objective, means it is detached from the researcher, once his research is complete. He is no more emotionally attached with his research. So, the process, here, is about being neutral for research paper.

(4) Research is a sustaining and unhurried procedure of investigation-

                                        Extreme hurry is not appropriate for the researcher but he should wait until he gets his proper link to his subject. So, it shows that he should first collect the data and then should move further in that direction.

(5) Research endeavours to collect and organise a data in quantitative terms-

                                          As it is already written, it is the collection of organised data which makes the research more effective and full of information as well as knowledge.

(6) Research requires courage and entrepreneurship-

                                            The area of research is not a game of a child, but it is very difficult task to carry on a research. So, it requires courage and successful selection of the research work which makes the researcher feel satisfied with it.

(7) Research is highly objective or purposive-

                                            The research is no more attached with his research and it is rather an objective process as well as purposive.

(8) Research requires rigorous standards-

                                            As it is said, It requires very thoughtful or accurate in appearance. The rigorous standards are high according to the different level of research.

(9) Research is a procedure of carefully representing and recording documents.

                                            The researcher also very carefully represents his research paper and other related documents. Researcher should be very sincere in his presenting the research.

(10)Research aims is extracting and generalising common principles.

(11) Research is meticulously and carefully planned.

(12) Research requires perfect accuracy in collection, recording and analysing the data.

(13) Research is free from emotions.

(14) Research is an objective process.

(15) Research requires neutral and unbiased approach.

(16) Research is verifiable and amenable to testing.

(17) Research is an inquiry or investigation.

(18) Research involves clearly defined parameters.

(19) Research explains and generalises the problem under study and seeks its solution.

(20) Research predicts the phenomenon under study.

(21) Research is a critical, systematic and empirical inquiry conducted under controlled conditions.

Above all points are already discussed in one or another way. It suggests the chief or main characteristics which are needed for research. There are many other forms of research area which are as under...

·       Educational Research:

                          The scope of educational research is very wide and it is also very essential in teaching learning methods and techniques and other educational projects in the field of education. It is very helpful and plays very vital role in improving quality of education, and with its help the reforms can be done in examination and effective evaluation and in examination and effective evaluation and in studying changing patterns in the learning and teaching behaviours of student and teacher who are coming from different parts of the society. There is one researcher named C.R. Kothari, who gives the definition of educational research;

“Educational research means the systematic approach

               Concerning generalization and formulation of

                         Educational theory.”

                              Again, the systematic and scientific method is the same for all kind of research works. There are many persons like sukhia and Melhotra, Dr. Pande, and Fredrick L. Whitney etc. give their own definition of educational research. Because of educational research, students can improve their way of looking at any work of literature, they can improve their eagle-eye observation, even teachers are inspired by such research works, they can carry on the research work and this is how they can enhance their boundaries of horizons of knowledge.

The educational research is also having some similar characteristics to the general characteristics of research. Professor J. Lahiri explains the importance of educational research, as he writes that Research in education ensures economy in efforts and actions prevents waste and stagnation and increase efficiency of teachers and their credibility by bringing vigour in their performances. In a way it is very helpful to those students and teacher who are really interested in research work. It is very helpful to them in their future also. There are three main types of literature which are given below:

                                           Types of Research-

 

Basic or Fundamental          Applied Research                            Action Research

Research

       (1)Basic of Fundamental Research:

                         It is mainly associated with branches of basic   sciences like physics, chemistry and biology. Brus Tuckman writes it as nothing but the research which undertaken for enhancing scientific knowledge. Many others have also shared their views about this basic research. So, its main aim is to focus on the basic processes or phenomena of nature for more understanding. This research is having some characteristics as well as some limitations that it is very difficult to pursue in fields of education.

       (2)Applied Research:

                               This type of research is known as field research. There are less controls and not high standards of accuracy in this type of research. According to Dr. K.P.Pande “Applied research is mainly concerned with description and clarification of definite problematic situation and use of theoretical concepts for making predictions.” There are several examples of applied research, namely, school supervision and administration, class-room behaviour, education teaching oriented learning etc. Applied research is also having some characteristics and limitations like it is expensive in terms of time and money.

       (3)Action Research:

                                The idea of action research was put forward for the first time by Court Levin in 1946. The use of the word ‘action research’ was made by Stiefen Core in 1957. According to John Best, “The purpose of action research is to make improvement in schools and teaching procedures.” From this evidence, it is applicable that the action research is undertaken for teachers, principals or managements of schools. This research area is also having the characteristics and limitations like two others, and that is why these three types of research are related to one another. So, this is how research becomes the tool for the scholars in achieving some knowledge.

E-C-303. American Literature

Name- Patel Payal G

Roll no- 16

M.A.Sem-III

Paper- E-C-303. American Literature.

Year- 2011

Topic- Critical Appreciation of “The Scarlet Letter”

Submitted to Mr. Dilip Barad.

Department of English.

Bhavnagar University.

Bhavnagar.

Critical Appreciation of “The Scarlet Letter”

Character   Analysis:

Hester Prynne:

She is the protagonist of the novel “The Scarlet Letter”. She is mentally very strong as well as passionate, as she bears the scorn and criticism of public and does not reveal the name of her child’s father. She may be the purest woman in the town, but, she has done sin after all, and she also gets the punishment to stand on the Scaffold and bitterly criticised by the town’s people. She bears the scorn and condemns of people for very long period of time, until Arthur Dimmesdale confesses his sin before the people. Though she is the wife of Roger Chillingworth, she genuinely loves Arthur Dimmesdale, as he is pure by heart and the man of God. Here, Hawthorn not only presents the condition of Hester Prynne but of all women during his time. He portrays the actual picture of woman among his puritan society people. Women were not allowed to live alone in home; they were supposed to remain inferior to men. If they did something related to men they would be surprised and shocked. For example, when Hester Prynne rides the horse, people are not able to imagine this situation, and they cannot bear such things. Though women are given freedom, they are mentally chained by men. So, through her character, Hawthorn wants to depict the portrayals of Puritan women. When she was presented on Scaffold and insulted by the public, it directly symbolizes that it is the insult of whole woman space of that  town, as men are not be pointed but the women are. So, it is Hester Prynne whose journey starts as a sinner but ends as a saint. As a mother also she is very sincere.

Roger Chillingworth:

He enters in the novel containing fake name Roger Chillingworth instead of his real one Roger Prynne. His appearance at the initiative stage arouses curiosity among the readers by making them confused about who that man is! Why he signs Hester to keep quiet? He is very intellectual and knowledgeable personality. He is a doctor, cold-hearted doctor. He is just a leech, as he tortures Dimmesdale, his patient. He sent Hester to Boston and stayed in Europe. When he is captured by native Americans and when he comes to Boston, he identifies himself as a doctor and he is a great scholar who becomes well-known doctor in the town, and because of his this profession, he is able to meet Dimmesdale. When he comes across the secret of Dimmesdale’s being a father of Pearl, he dies to take revenge upon him. Though he is a doctor, gives mental torture instead of medicine. He is so clever that he finds no injury is deeper than the burden upon the heart, as Dimmesdale is suffering from that. He is the symbol of society, he is one among those who critically condemn Hester.

Tu Dian Liu (China) writes in his paper, “Chillingworth: The Wronged Husband and Criminal”, that Chillingworth is not at all evil kind of personality, and he is a man budding with love, so, can he endure to let his wife to be Dimmesdale’s love. He also writes that Chillingworth is also much tortured, as no one can bear that one’s wife has an illegal or illegitimate child. So, he is also mentally suffered. However, Lui favours Chillingworth and writes that all the characters suffer because of their actions of duality.

“......But actually, these characters all have their duality in their actions. Sometimes the duality consists of good and evil forces. Roger Chillingworth is no exception. We cannot conscientiously say that Chillingworth only intensifies the stuggle of the two aspects of his duality......”

But, here, what becomes more focusable is Chillingworth himself, he considers himself to be a cruel person, as he says for him, “It was my folly. I have said it. But, up to that epoch of my life, I have lived in vain”(ch.4.p.68). He believes that he had made mistakes two times, first was, he married Hester and smashed her life, as he is older than she is. He himself says, “Mine was the first wrong, when I betrayed thy budding youth into false and unnatural relation with my decay” (ch.4p.68-69). His second and most disastrous mistake is his friendship with Dimmesdale. Though he is a doctor, he does not treat him well and tries to dig out what secret lies in his heart and when he comes to know that secret, he decides to destroy him mentally. It is rightly said that everyone is evil but there are different levels of sin and evil.

Arthur Dimmesdale:

He is the man of God, which is said by the Boston town people. He is a good orator, as he gives speeches in the Church and the people feel themselves enough fortunate for having the minister like Dimmesdale. They enjoy his speech and take everything in a literary meaning whatever he speaks, not symbolical instead. For example, his conscience pains him for not accepting his sin before the public and that is why he tries to speak out those things, but people get it in an erroneous way. He punishes himself, as he cannot face the reality of life, and that is why when Pearl asks him to hold her hand the next day, he denies by saying that he would hold their hands on  the Judgement Day. That means he is ready to face God, but the society, and when the novel proceeds, his heart ache also rises. Whatever thing may be wrong about Dimmesdale but his love for Hester is genuine. Dimmesdale is punished much than Hester, as he gets mental pain much than Hester. Another thing is that his soul or conscience beats him every moment of life and that is why he died of this pain. No doubt, he is a noble personality as well as respectable human being but he did sin and got its punishment by getting decease.

Pearl:

Pearl, the daughter of Hester is very symbolic one here. She is presented as a sin of Hester and Dimmesdale as their illegitimate child. Though she is very young girl, she speaks beyond her age. It is said that Hawthorne has used this character very bitterly in the way to make the novel more effective. She is having very realistic point of views. Perhaps, whatever question she asks to her mother might be stupid, but also full of sarcasm and symbolism.

The Narrator of the Novel:

The Narrator is unnamed and he is not the relative of Hester or Pearl. He works in the Salem Custom House. There is the mention of the narrator’s basic information and he gets an old manuscript which tells the story of Hester Prynne and her life. The story took place before two hundred years. When the narrator loses his job, he decides to write the fictional article of the narrative. He is interested in American History and wants to write because he wants to sustain the religious and moral heritage of American society.

Themes and Background:

Sin: Knowledge and Human Condition.

The main theme of “The Scarlet Letter” is the effect of sin on the soul. Hester’s sin is discovered and she is punished to wear “A” forever on her dress and in her heart. She is rejected by the whole community. Dimmesdale is able to conceal his sin but the irony is that Hester is locked by the public and Dimmesdale is destroyed within. Pearl is the personification of sin. Hester and Arthur never wanted to hurt anybody. Chillingworth does not perform sin in the eyes of society, yet he does serious damage to those around him.

Sin and knowledge are interconnected when the earth was created, as Adam and Eve are the pioneers of these aspects. So, it is said that excessive knowledge is very dangerous if not for one’s own self then for others. Unless you do not commit sin, you do not get knowledge. So, this is the cycle of sin and knowledge. Chillingworth, being a knowledgeable doctor, takes full advantage of being a doctor and somehow he knows that his patient Dimmesdale is the criminal. They are crushed under the human’s situation and conditions they are just puppet and they have to play their roles.

Gender Equality:

The condition of women during his time was so serious. Hester, the woman is forced to display her sin, whereas Dimmesdale, the man can hide successfully, which is symbolical. But, Dimmesdale cannot hide to his own soul. Gender equality plays a very important role in this novel. In an age when women were considered to be inferior to men in many societies, it is remarkable that Hawthorne ends his novel with a favour for feminism. “One day”, Hester says, “When God is ready; there will be a new world- a better world for women. We will be the same as men.”

The Nature of Evil:

There is one debate which takes place in the minds of the characters like Chillingworth, Prynne, Dimmesdale etc. is about the “Black Man”, who is considered to be the embodiment of evils. No doubt, most of the characters are associated with the Black Man. For example, Mistress Hibbins, who is like a witch and a widower, lives with her brother Governor Bellingham, in a luxurious mansion. It is believed that she ventures in the forest with the Black Man, and she shows her hypocrisy and hidden evil in Puritan Society. Even Pearl is considered to be the Devil’s child. Different characters are having their own notions of the Black Man. For example, Dimmesdale is the Black Man for Pearl until at the end of his life Pearl believes him as an evil kind of person. In the same way Puritan society may be the Black Man for the persons like Hester and Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth is the Black Man for the tortures of Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. So, here, in one or another way the nature of evil changes according to the perception of the beholder towards it.

Identity and Society:

The question and problem of identity has been remaining the burning issue since the time of Adam and Eve. When the characters fit in the formation of the society, men and women are having different identities in society. In Puritan Age the women were not allowed to commit sin. If they committed it, that sin became their identity. In this novel the scarlet letter “A” becomes Hester’s IDENTITY which symbolizes her ‘adultery’.

Symbols and Motifs:

Hawthorne writes the things based on symbolism. This novel is full of symbolic events and characters. He has written in his “Young Goodman Brown”, “Evil is the nature of mankind”. It reflects his deep sense of symbolical meanings.

There are three characters who commit sin but the degrees of their sin are different. Hester is punished publically and other two characters Roger and Arthur are not. But what is more important here is, three are punished by destiny and they are punished by their innermost.

Civilization versus Wilderness:

In this novel, there is the reference of Puritan society who believes that the Puritan people are more civilized and that is why they consider Hester as a sinner. They make her stand on Scaffold, force her to wear the scarlet letter “A”, not even that, they imprison her with her child. So, the question, here, arises, who is civilized or who is wild in nature? Because Hester is perhaps, the most civilized kind of personality, as she does not reveal the secret of Dimmesdale to the public under their compulsion, and the example of Mistress Hibbins displays the wilderness of Puritan society.

Evocative Names:

This novel is having very suggestive names in it, as the names show somewhere the personality and nature of the characters. Hester Prynne’s name is rhymed with sin, as she committed sin according to the town’s people. Dimmesdale is a kind of Dim personality, who shows his dimness, weakness, lack of vision and lack of will power. Chillingworth is very chill kind of personality and also like a chilly, having a short tempered nature, especially for Hester and Dimmesdale.

Woman with PAST has no FUTURE:

It is said here that the woman who is having the past (illegal actions) has no future at all. In the Puritan time even in the present time or in any particular time woman with her past is never accepted by the society. They are forbidden for freedom. They are mentally tortured by them, if not by punishments then by derision of the society. Here, if we take the example of Sita, it would be better to understand the point that though she was as pious as mother Ganga(river), she was rejected by Rama because of the society, as the people believed that she had stayed with the Devil, Ravana. So, Sita’s unknown past is the destroyer of her peaceful future, and at last she had to suffer for that. But in this novel, Hester gets, at least, at the end of the novel, the respect of the people and she became a saint from sinner. Her grave is also buried next to Dimmesdale’s by the people who show their respect towards Hester. But the question here raises, if Dimmesdale had not revealed his sin at the end of his life, would have people buried her respectively?

Significance of the title:

“The Scarlet Letter” as a title becomes very noteworthy, as it draws the letter “A” in the mind of the reader. Hawthorne has given very suitable title to this novel, since everything causes because of this letter “A” which symbolizes ‘adultery’. All the characters, Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, Pearl, even the town’s people, etc. are associated with this in one or another way, and this letter “A” is the talk of the town as well as the burning or current issue in the society.

The Comparison between “The Scarlet Letter” and “Wuthering Heights” :

There are some similarities between both these novels in characters and some situations. Like “Wuthering Heights” (Emile Bronte) “The Scarlet Letter” is having the suspense, and fear, when this novel opens, readers are put in a situation that they become curious to know what happens next to Hester Prynne? Why is she imprisoned? Who is the husband of Hester? So, here, Hawthorne very cleverly creates the atmosphere of mystery and grasps the attention of the reader at the very beginning. “Wuthering Heights” starts with suspense, when Lockwood (the first narrator) comes to Heathcliff, he comes across the ghost of a lady. After Nelly Dean’s (the second narrator) explanation, he comes to know what happened to Catherine (the ghost). The characters are also somewhat similar, as Heathcliff  is Arthur Dimmesdale, though Arthur is not as cruel as Heathcliff  is, both of their love is genuine for their beloved Catherine and Hester respectively. Edgar Linton is Roger Chillingworth, who in “Wuthering Heights”, is the husband of Catherine. They both are very keen in their actions and are very chill. That is why Roger’s name is Chillingworth.

Next important thing is the pure love of Hester and Dimmesdale, as they are, at the end of the novel, after their decease, buried next to each- other. In the same manner Catherine and Heathcliff were buried. Catherine was sandwiched between Edgar and Heathcliff and in this novel “The Scarlet Letter”, Hester is passing through the same experience between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. Though there are many other differences, some situations are same in both the novels.

Conclusion:

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s real intention behind writing this novel is to demonstrate the condition of women during his time. The conflict between man and woman, conflict between man and society and the conflict between man and religion (sin), he shows through this novel. Perhaps, he is in favour of feminism as he portrays, Hester as superior to other two male characters, Roger Chillingworth and Arthur Dimmesdale.