The Scarlet Letter: Part 1

FINALLY! The introduction is done and we are heading into one of my favorite books of all time.

Coming from a small town has given me a connection with Hester Prynne. Much like what she experiences, being in a community that knows everything about everyone is less than enjoyable. In fact, it can be very stressful. Whether you like it or not, you are constantly being judged by people you may not even have a relationship with. If you have just one fault, everyone seems to notice and many even condemn you for it. This is the case with Hester. She has to suffer the criticism of those around her.

What I love most about Hester is her ability to remain strong and individualized. She has the strength that I think most people would only be able to dream of in this situation. I would like to think that I could do as Hester did, but chances of that are very slim.

One of my favorite quotes comes from the beginning of Part V. I love Hawthorne's attention to detail and description. He leaves nothing out and nothing to the imagination. As the reader, I can picture what Hawthorne must have been imagining while writing the story. That is just one of the many reasons while I love him and this novel. Here is the part I am specifically talking about (there are many more examples that can be found on nearly every page):

"Hester Prynne's term of confinement was now at an end. Her prison door was thrown open, and she came forth into the sunshine, which, falling on all alike, seemed, to her sick and morbid heart, as if meant for no other purpose than to reveal the scarlet letter on her breast."

That certainly sounds a lot better than simply saying Hester walked out of the prison with the sun beating down on her scarlet letter. I could show many more examples of where I think Hawthorne's attention to detail has made the story significantly more impactful, but this blog would never end. I don't really need to expand on the passage about the rosebush as we already talked a great deal about it in class, but I will say that this is another one of the passages I vividly remember from high school.

Well, that's it. Until next time......

The Beginnings of The Scarlet Letter

Let me start by saying I was very excited when I saw this novel on the list of books to purchase for the class. I first read The Scarlet Letter as a senior in high school. With a disappointing instructor the first time around, I was excited to get another chance to discuss the novel. I absolutely LOVED The Scarlet Letter when I first read it. I have no doubt that this feeling will continue if not even expand upon reading it for the second time.

Despite my love of the book, I was quickly reminded of how BORING the introduction is. I'm not exactly sure why Hawthorne chose to include it. When I first read it as a senior, I remember being terrified that this was going to be how the whole novel was laid out. I was able to comprehend very little of what Hawthorne had to say. I will admit, I had some of the same problems this time as well. While there were some parts that I was able to understand better, the majority of it went straight over my head. I was able to appreciate the references to Thoreau and Chaucer. Back in high school I'm not sure I had ever heard of either of the two authors.

When we talked in class, there appeared to be an agreement that the only part of the introduction that served any real purpose was the section where Hawthorne told of how he discovered the story of Hester. I would have been satisfied if this would have been all Hawthorne included. The whole first part of the intro felt like many of the other readings we have done in the class thus far. Honestly, I don't respond very well to the style. It had the same feeling as some of the sermons, autobiographies, etc. I am much more of a narrative/fiction type of person. While I appreciate all types, I respond much better to the latter style of Hawthorne. 

With that being said, it is time to really dig into The Scarlet Letter.......

Walden Part 2

Ok, I marked more in Thoreau than I would have guessed. Does this mean progress is happening?

Here is another one I allowed my pencil to underline: "Most men appear never to have considered what a house is, and are actually though needlessly poor all their lives because they think that they must have such a one as their neighbors have."

If anything stuck out to me the most in the reading, this would be it. I have never really thought about life and possessions this way. In class we talked about how our possessions enslave us. This couldn't be more right. Paying for a car, an apartment, a cell phone, etc. can cause someone to take on stress and work more than would otherwise be needed. I know it does for me. In reality, I don't need many of the things I buy, yet I drive myself crazy trying to pay for it all. If only I could simplify my life, I would be able to live more freely.

Thinking about the cost of things in the way Thoreau does actually makes the whole thing more depressing. For example, if I buy a meal at McDonald's it will cost me almost a half of an hour of pay. WHAT?! Putting it that way really makes all the purchases I make on a daily basis seem absolutely ridiculous. How much of my life have I wasted on paying off my debts? How much more will I waste?

I also found it insightful to look at the cost of things not only in terms of work/time, but also in terms of energy. Think about all the times you've been exhausted, tired, etc. How many times was it worth it? For me, this is almost a daily occurrence and it is 90% of the time not worth it.

With that being said, I am going to take Thoreau's advice. I am ending this blog to go enjoy life and this weather. I am putting my energy into something else for a change......

Walden Part 1

Thoreau grabbed my attention right away. I am the type of person with extreme OCD and absolutely HATE when there is writing, marking, etc in my books. Now if it is a book that I don't care about for a class that I don't really want to take, then it is ok, but for the majority of my textbooks, I refuse to put any sort of marking in them. I made an exception for Thoreau. I really had to stop myself and question why I was willing to put pencil marks on the pages of this reading. My only explanation: there are just too many good quotes I don't want to forget.

The first one that I marked was right away in the second paragraph. "I trust that none will stretch the seams in putting on the coat, for it may do good service to him whom it fits." This quote reminded me not only of the times where I am trying to squeeze into a cute pair of jeans when I should really just let someone buy them who they actually fit, but it also reminds me of the times where I take on responsibilities that are better fit for another individual. In life, it is better to do what you can do and let others do what they can do. For me, I am constantly battling myself with taking on too much and not letting someone else do some of the work. This quote serves as a reminder that there are people who will succeed and enjoy doing something that I may stress over.

Another aspect of Thoreau that I enjoyed was the idea that we live our lives going about our day-to-day business and living like a machine. I can't think of anything else that better describes me! A lot of the readings we have done in this class have been reminders for me as far as trying to really enjoy life and "stop to smell the roses." I wonder how many times I need to be hit over the head with this before it will actually sink in?? Shall we take bets..... :)

I am willing to let go of my OCD a little bit and possibly mark more in my book as the semester continues.

The American Scholar

Well, we have definitely switched in terms of style in what we are reading. I found myself really enjoying "The American Scholar" despite my hesitation to Emerson's writing style. Once I was really able to consider what Emerson was saying, I began to appreciate this reading more. He made some very good points as to how one should look at life, the individual, and what it means to be a scholar.

One of the biggest take-aways for me came from the notion that life should be lived rather than focused on following others. In too many situations it is easier to just do as everyone else does and follow in the footsteps of others. In order to truly live life, one must be willing to step away from the shadows of others and step into the sunlight. It is only then that life can really begin. When I think about this, I think about all the times in my life that I have done what my friends do rather than what I really desire to do. I do believe that it is impossible to always live without following others, but I do think that we should all make a more conscious effort not to get stuck in the shadows for too long.

I also really liked how Emerson approached individuality. The idea that we aren't simply what we do is very relatable to my life. When people ask me what I do or question me about who I am, my response is almost always that I am a student. Who am I? A student. What do I do? Go to school. HOW BORING IS THAT! Emerson's argument that we are not just what our occupations are sparked a great deal of thinking in me. I have to reevaluate who I am as a person aside from going to school.

The "Influences of a Scholar" are not something I have ever thought about before. I really like how he breaks them down and addresses each one. Once again, Emerson made me think. I thought about each of these influences and was able to make them applicable to my life. Maybe this is why I am willing to look past my dislike for this writing style; Emerson requires one to think and reflect making the reading relatable.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
"Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the worst.

A Happy Surprise

I was a little surprised that we were reading something other than a poem or sermon or anything else where it has the "lecture" feel to it. Washington Irving was a pleasant interruption to some of the previous readings. I have heard of "Rip Van Winkle" before, but I had no concept of what the story was going to be about. In many ways, I was reminded of a fairytale (a bit more twisted perhaps). Irving has included a childlike sense of magic embedded with humor and an overall moral of the story.

I can see why the story is liked by children because I felt like a child when reading it. There was a point where I had to remind myself that this is just a story and very much made up. I think as children, we tend to get so involved in a story that we forget it is in fact just that, a story. Clearly one does not just randomly wake up and find themself awake years later. It just isn't possible. However, I do think there were many truths to Irving's story.

Even though we can't time travel, I do believe in the notion that one can wake up one day and realize that their whole life has passed right by them. There are times when i have this feeling. I can get so caught up in the moment and stress of life that I forget to really live. Eventually I look back and wonder why I spent so much of my time worrying about one little thing. For me, this is a constant struggle.

I also liked Irving's critique on political life and how the Revolution did not change much about typical life for the typical person. He did a nice job tying this into the story without being abrupt about it. Irving's humor also entertained me. I can't help but laugh when I think about the comments made about his wife. I can just picture an Rip Van Winkle sighing from relief when hearing of his wife's death. For some reason, this image just cracks me up. Irving definitely knew how to keep the audience involved and knew when humor would be useful.

This reading was a very happy surprise, and I hope to read more stories like "Rip Van Winkle."

Carnival Post

Over the past two weeks, our class has tackled a number of authors and a number of topics. Each blog is definitely worth reading because each person has a different perspective, but for the purpose of this blog I will give you some direction of where to head if you are interested in a particular author or topic.

Jonathan Edwards

Edwards is one of those people who is typically either liked or disliked and not much in-between. His sermon was full of passion and feeling, as were the blogs written about him.

As a whole, most people agreed on the idea that Edwards appeared to be trying to scare people into Christianity. Overall, this was not the most effective aspect in his sermon, but he must have had some point behind it.

For those that liked the tone of Edwards, Lindsey’s blog would be a good place to go. Here, she talks about giving people the harsh reality. She found Edwards honest and emotional. “The harsh tone that is carried out during the sermon is needed I think in order for the listeners to understand the seriousness of Christianity.”

Dan and Nicole’s blogs share the opposite feelings of Edwards. Dan said, “I felt as though if i had attended his church and if he preached this kind of message I would find myself going to a different church.” Dan wasn’t the only one that felt this way. Nicole expressed her concern about not feeling motivated by a preacher like Edwards. Both blogs are a great place to go to see this side of Edwards.

Benjamin Franklin

Many people commented on the fact that reading Franklin’s work opened them up to a different side of him. It is common to see historical figures as just that, historical figures. Ben’s blog and Nikki’s blog both share how their understanding of Franklin changed. If you had this same feeling, check out these blogs to see what they said.

Some of the words to describe Franklin after reading were: passionate, thinker, businessman, intriguing, “self-made,” and impressive. If you want to learn more about Franklin as a person rather than just someone pictured in a history book, I encourage you to read the blogs and read him for yourself.

 

John and Abigail Adams

People really liked reading the letters between John and Abigail. Julia’s blog is a great place to start looking at Adams. Like others in the class, she expressed a likeness for the actual letter writing. In fact, she went as far as to say she detests digital communication. She does a nice job of talking about the importance of writing letters.

After reading what Julia has to say, I encourage you to check out Esther’s blog. She talks about how real the letters were and what kind of impression they gave her. Esther says it well when she states, “There were few terms of endearment and no passionate declarations of love. But it was the very simplicity of their affection that appealed to me.” The letters did not scream “romantic” but if you read closely, you can see the pure love between John and Abigail.

De Crevecoeur

Not a lot was said about De Crevecoeur. Andrew and Nikki were the only ones to write about this author (so far). Nikki has some great comparisons to John Smith that are worth taking a look at. Andrew has a discussion on identity and what role American plays in that.

Olaudah Equiano

In Ben’s blog he talks about his fascination with Equiano becoming a Christian as a result of his enslavement. This topic is one we talked about in class and seems to be on everyone’s mind. Sarah’s blog also touches on this idea and she says, “His faith is something else I think is very unique.  He believes in Christ, but was introduced to Him by these people who kept him bound in this position. I find it interesting how he still finds that faith.” There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Equiano faced a remarkable hardship but had such a positive outlook.

 

Phyllis Wheatley

Julia’s blog is where you will need to go if you are interested in hearing someone’s thoughts on Wheatley and poetry. Julia’s honesty about her experience with poetry is one that many people can relate to. As she points out, Wheatley is one that is best understood after a great deal of re-reading. Her following statement sums it up perfectly:  

“Phyllis Wheatley was a brilliant poet. The majority of her organized thoughts are overlooked unless you re-read and re-read some more.”

If you are interested in reading about Wheatley or have the same experience as Julia with poetry, this would be a great place to go!