The Scarlet Letter Scaffold Scenes Essay Example for Free

The Scarlet Letter Scaffold Scenes Essay The Scarlet Letter Interpretive Essay In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the Reverend Dimmesdale is the central conflict of the story. He is torn between his need to accept and pronounce his sin and Pearl as his daughter and his love of freedom. His demeanor drastically changes from the first scaffold scene, where he is seen as a two-faced criticizer to the third and final scaffold scene, where he humbly repents and acknowledges his sin publicly. The three scaffold scenes in the book are very important, as they portray Dimmesdale’s gradual advancement from total hypocrite towards complete atonement for his sin. In the first scaffold scene, Hester Prynne is seen on the scaffold, holding Pearl in her arms, unwaveringly acknowledging her sin. The Reverend Dimmesdale is there as well, taking on the role of her accuser and demanding that she reveal the person with whom she committed the adulterous act. Hester Prynne absolutely refuses to name the father of her child and declares. I will not speak, and my child must seek a heavenly Father, she shall never know an earthly one! † (Page 60) This scene shows Reverend Dimmesdale as a sheer hypocrite and, while he persists in having Hester name her lover, he secretly prays that she maintains her silence in order to keep his reputation immaculate. At the second scaffold scene, Dimmesdale, who is still maintaining his position as Hester Prynne’s accuser and a hypocrite, is suffering with the struggle of his perfect reputation battling his real self. During the middle of the night, while the townspeople are all asleep, Dimmesdale makes his way to the scaffold, holding a silent vigil. He cries out in physical and mental pain. Hester and Pearl hear his crying as they are on their way home and go to him. There, at Dimmesdale’s request, that they join him on the scaffold where they stand in the darkness, holding each other. Pearl then asks Dimmesdale if he would stand with them at noontide the next day and he refuses, saying that instead, they will stand together on the great Judgement Day. During the third and final scaffold scene, Dimmesdale is finally seen as humbly repentant for his and Hester’s sin. Immediately after his Election Day sermon, which makes him even more popular among the townspeople, Dimmesdale, leads the procession of people towards the town hall for a banquet. As he nears the scaffold, he calls for Hester and Pearl to help him up the stairs and asks them once again to stand beside him. At this moment, Dimmesdale confesses to the whole town, pronouncing his guilt but yet, at the same time, was able to salvage his soul. Dimmesdale is finally able to free himself of all anguish and die with an open conscience. This is the only moment of pride for Dimmesdale throughout the entire book. He then dies, knowing that he will be warmly welcomed into God’s Heavenly Kingdom. Through the three scaffold scenes, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows the increasing mental and physical pain the Reverend Dimmesdale experienced by trying to hide his sin from the townspeople and God Himself. In the first scaffold scene, he is Hester’s two-faced accuser; in the second scaffold scene, he displays unbearable bodily and psychological pain. Finally, in the third scaffold scene, he is publicly and humbly repentant for his sin, liberating not only himself, but also Hester and Pearl. Although one could say that he dies in shame in the eyes of the townspeople, because of his willful public confession, he is actually given a gracious acceptance into Heaven, where he will live with eternal happiness and completely free of any torment or anguish.

Individiual Understanding :: essays research papers

Individual Understanding I agree with functionalists, specifically the strong Artificial Intelligence (AI) camp, concerning the concept of understanding. While John Searle poses a strong non-functionalist case in his AChinese Room@ argument, I find that his definition of Ato understand@ falls short and hampers his point. I criticize his defense that understanding rests on a standardized knowledge of meaning, but not before outlining the general background of the issue. Functionalists define thought and mental states in terms of input and output. They claim that what we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch (input) creates a mental state or belief, and that particular mental state in turn creates our reaction (output). If I see it=s raining outside, I believe that if I go outside I will get wet, and therefore I take an umbrella with me. The functionalists define a mental state strictly through its cause and effect relationships, through its function. This thinking leads to the conclusion that the human brain is little more than a big, complex computer. All we humans do is take input, process it, and accordingly create output, just like a computer. In fact, functionalists who support strong AI go so far as to say that an appropriately programmed computer actually has all the same mental states and capabilities as a human. In AMinds, Brains, and Programs,@ John Searle outlines this argument: AIt is a characteristic of human beings= story understanding capacity that they can answer questions about [a] story even though the information they give was never explicitly stated in the story. . . . [Strong AI claims that m]achines can similarly answer questions about [stories] in this fashion. . . . Partisans of strong AI claim that in this question and answer sequence the machine is not only simulating a human ability but also (1) that the machine can literally be said to understand the story . . . and (2) that what the machine and its program do explains the human ability to understand the story and answer questions about it@ (354). While strong AI claims that a machine can understand just as a human understands, Searle himself disagrees. He claims that a strictly input-output system, such as a computer is, cannot understand anything, nor does it explain humans= ability to understand. In criticizing strong AI, Searle creates his famous AChinese Room@ argument: suppose that Searle was locked in a room with a large batch of Chinese writing.

A Poet Portfolio of James Joyce

James Augustine Joyce was born on the 2nd of February 1882 to a couple in Dublin. Two of his ten siblings died young from typhoid. As a boy, James studied at a boarding school in County Kildare.When his father could no longer pay the fees, the young Joyce transferred to a Christian Brothers school. However, Joyce rejected Catholicism in 1898 although philosophies of St. Thomas Aquinas became a strong influence in him even after he had left the brothers (Bradley 23).He studied modern languages at the University College Dublin in 1898. His first published work was a review of Ibsen's New Drama in 1900 which resulted in a letter of thanks from the Norwegian dramatist himself (Ellmann 13).Joyce left for Paris immediately after graduating. Unfortunately, he ended up squandering what little fortune his family still had. He returned to Ireland shortly after only to witness the final days of his mother who died of cancer in August 13, 1903. James resorted to heavy drinking after his mothers death, at the same time trying to make a meager living out of reviewing books, teaching and singing (Ellmann 15).In 1904, he met a young woman from Connemara by the name of Nora Barnacle who worked as a chambermaid who later on became his wife. The couple moved from Dublin and James experienced a great deal of trouble in finding work (Ellmann 16).James’ two major contributions to poetry are the books Chamber Music which is his first full length collection composed of 36 short lyrics published in 1907 and Pomes Penyeach which was published in twenty years later. (Ellmann 25)James’ works have been highly scrutinized by several well known personalities in their own right such as Mà ¡irtà ­n Ó Cadhain, Jorge Luis Borges, Flann O'Brien, and Samuel Beckett.He died on the 11th of January 1941 following complications after surgery for a perforated ulcer. James Joyce’s life is annually celebrated as Bloomsday every June 16 in Dublin and in other cities around the w orld. (Ellmann 20)

Media s Effect On Teenage Girls - 1196 Words

Pressure to Look Perfect Growing up surrounded by media brings pressure to teenage girls to have what society defines as the ideal body. As a teenager one wants to fit in with the most popular group. Recent movies like â€Å"Mean girls† and â€Å"16 wishes† have shown the role of the popular girl to be thin, beautiful, and smart. As a media consumer, females assume that if they achieve this look they will become popular as well. Many teenagers go through stressing situations in order to accomplish the ideal body image. For instance, many teenagers develop eating disorders or go through plastic surgery. Today in social media, we see celebrities going through dramatic changes; like lip injections, face thinning, hair/eyelash extensions, tummy tucks, breast enlargement, etc. Now everyone uses social media in order to see each other’s life, and one tends to follow their favorite celebrities. By following these celebrities, one sees their changes and wants to go thro ugh the same procedures in order to fit in to what society defines beautiful. Teenage girls are pressured from the media to have the â€Å"ideal body.† Eating disorders have been going on since centuries ago; however women started becoming self-concerned with their body starting in the 1900’s. In the article â€Å"Distorted Images: Western cultures are exporting their dangerous obsession with thinness† Joan Jacobs mentioned â€Å"A man was seen as a good provider when his wife was larger.† This means that he, the man, has money to feedShow MoreRelatedThe Influence Of Media Reporting On Society s Perception Of Beauty1730 Words   |  7 Pagesnumber). It is evident that over the last decade the media has created an image that is unrealistic and unattainable for teenage girls. As such, based upon a macro perspective, the societal roles, status and expectations of young women have been impacted negatively. 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According to Elizabeth Schroeder’s article Blaming TVRead MoreTeenage Pregnancy : More And More Teenagers Are Becoming Pregnant Nowadays?1487 Words   |  6 PagesAnnamarie Harrell English II Honors Ms. Vandeusen April 13, 2013 Teenage Pregnancy More and more teenagers are becoming pregnant nowadays. Could it be because of the multiple television shows they could be watching about Teenage Pregnancy glamorizing the idea? Is the media suggesting to young adults that it is okay to be pregnant at a young age? Throughout the years, teenage pregnancy rates have increased due to the influence of mass media and the peer pressure teenagers are faced with every day; howeverRead MoreSocial Norms Of A Female s Beauty And Body Image1234 Words   |  5 Pagesstandards of a women s beauty and body image has a direct effect on teenage girls, leading many to develop eating disorders such as anorexia. There are two main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Both of these types are characterized as a major concern about one’s weight and shape in a negative way. Bulimia is categorized as binge eating or excessive consumption of food. What tags along with bulimia is aggressive and short tempered side effects. Of the two, anorexiaRead MoreSocial Media and Society Negatively Influence Gender Roles1376 Words   |  5 Pages Social media and society negatively influence gender roles and perpetuates stereotypical gender behavior. These influences can be found in sports, school, the arts, and the workplace. No matter what stage of life a person is in they will continue to be bombarded by the harshness of stereotypes. However, between the ages of 9 and 15 people are at their most vulnerable state because they are evaluating the people around them and are able to see how media perceives gender roles. Although, men are affectedRead MoreThe Social Acceptance of Teen Pregnancy1006 Words   |  4 Pagesform of societal acceptance. Amongst the ages of 15-19 three quarters out of a million of them ended up pregnant, while only a few of them had planned it. Because of hit television shows like 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Teen Mom 2, and Teen Mom 3, media has made it acceptable for teens to attempt motherhood. In this case, teens are not taking in account the associated health risk and related issues like abortion, lack of care, and mental trauma. The children of teen mothers consequently suffer fromRead MoreThe Fire Service1196 Words   |  5 Pagesrole of mentors to their women counterpart. Answer -2 The media is considered to be a medium for change, although it generally refers to a medium that spreads and forms norms and ideologies. The media makes use of various words, images, personae or characters for conveying their own values and ideas. Thus it can be safely assumed that the representations by the media are neither objective nor neutral in nature. 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The adolescence stage usually starts occurring in between the ages of 10 and 19 in which boys and girls hypothalamus and pituitary glands begin to become active and start hormonal changes. Children going through puberty normally will experience