Difficulty Paper

I finished reading the Scarlet Letter a couple of days ago, and I already feel like I've forgotten what I've read. I had difficulty reading the whole book, so I guess I could write about anything. I'd like to focus this difficulty paper on the last chapter, XXIV. Conclusion, since it's the last thing I've read from the Scarlet Letter (aside from skimming through some of the essays). So basically the chapter starts out with Nathaniel giving a few explanations of what the interpretations of the townspeople were from the scene they witnessed on the scaffold. These interpretations or testimonies included: having seen the symbol of the scarlet letter imprinted on the ministers bare chest, in which the implication of origin of it's application were varied. One side of the stories has you to believe that the minister had inflicted, "a hideous torture on himself" by taking some of the burden of penance from Hester Prynne from the dreadful day she was sentenced to wear her ignominious badge of the scarlet letter! Others believed that the minister was haunted by remorse which gnawed away from his innermost heart outwardly onto his flesh, which is what I believe as well, by the visible presence of the scarlet letter. "ON A FIELD, SABLE, THE LETTER A, GULES." On a black background, the letter A in red. The book ends with this quote which is what is engraved on Hester's tombstone. "One ever-glowing point of light gloomier than the shadow." I believe that these quotes along with Hester being buried next to an old sunken tombstone are important aspects of the conclusion. It also says that there was a space between the two graves, "as if the dust of the two sleepers had no right to mingle." This quote especially leads me to believe that Hester had been buried next to the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. There was only one tombstone placed for both graves. The black background has to be referring to the deep dark scandal that had withered away at the hearts of the two scoundrels involved in the affair. The affair being the letter A (which stood for adultery) in red which was engraved on the chests or bosoms of those involved in the affaire d'amour. Hester having the scarlet letter sewn onto her dress, serving as a visible brand of sin whose brand burned from the exterior through the chest cavity which lead into the heart; while, Mr. Dimmesdale's affliction yearned to escape from the lurid indentation of his sin which he held captive within his edifice.
            I now believe that the single tombstone placed for both graves bears the significance that Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale's lives were and forever will be defined by their shameful act. It's interesting to think of who they've betrayed. The reverend no doubt betrays his relationship and devotion to God by interfering with the sanctity of marriage between the Prynnes. While Hester, betrays her devotion to her husband and her vow. Roger Chillingsworth is perhaps the most perverted. He didn't make any attempt to please his wife before her affair, and after he found out about it, he still continued to follow his own ambitions. Chillingsworth betrays his wife in not working on pleasing her. He was a lot older than Hester when they married, and I believe this is were his betrayal started. It didn't say so in the book however, I believe Chillingsworth must of made some kind of promise to Hester that had to do with her being happily married to him. He didn't go through with his promise. He wanted to be happy, and sort of attempt to turn back the sands of time by marrying a young woman that would make up for the time he wasted burying his nose in books. I don't believe love ever existed in their relationship, and I would of liked to have read that Hester had run away with Dimmesdale like they had dreamed. However, in the world that the two lived in, such fancies would of been impossible or maybe highly plausible? None of the townspeople could of possessed any ability to follow or even hear of any information about the whereabouts of the two lovers. They would of been successful in their escape. The only question would be if they would of been able to live with themselves with that decision. Reverend Dimmesdale would of been unfaithful to his religion, as well as Hester because they mingled with the sanctity of her marriage vow. They might of written of their names in the book of the Black Man, if they wished to take the ferry across the sea of fire.
              This is the third time I'm going over this post, which exemplifies how difficult the final passage of The Scarlet Letter is. Another interpretation of the final passage is that the grave Hester is buried next to can be that of Roger Chillingsworth aka "Master Prynne." How could the townspeople have buried Hester next to anyone but her husband? The townspeople continued to refuse to want to believe that their reverend had been involved with Hester Prynne, and I don't think they would of allowed the two love birds to be buried next to each other even though there was some separation between the two graves. The body must of been that of Roger Prynne. "Yet with a space between, as if the dust of the two sleepers had no right to mingle." This last passage is very ambivalent, and the argument could go both ways. It seems like all three of them had no right to mingle in the entanglement of their manage a trois. Rereading the final passage a couple times, as well as reading Bethany Reid's essay towards the back of the book, "Narrative of the Captivity and Redemption of Roger Prynne: Rereading The Scarlet Letter" I have more questions as well as multiple answers to the subject that confused me. Bethany proposes that perhaps it doesn't matter which body was buried next to Hester's and that perhaps Nathaniel purposefully left it ambivalent (after examining his biography) as to whose body it was and what that body represented. Nathaniel had his own ambivalence towards who his own Father was, and some people have suggested that Nathaniel might of symbolized away to bring his Mother and Father closer to each other through this scene. It seems that it will remain a mystery, as we all know Nathaniel is long gone and we can only speculate what his intentions were.

Difficulty Paper

I had difficulty understanding what was going on during the beginning of the Scarlet Letter. The language is what initially threw me off. I was having trouble understanding the meaning of what was going on, and I would often catch my mind wandering off onto other thoughts. From what I can deduce, Hester Prynne was being held imprisoned for committing adultery. That part I understood. The part I had trouble visualizing was the very first scene in which Hester's cell mates were talking. I read trough this scene, and continued to read on, and I now possess an understanding and familiarity with the way Nathaniel writes. I'm sure all I have to do is re-read this scene and I'd get a better grasp of what was going on. I still find my mind wandering off when I'm not engaged in the reading. I have to be carefully reading along and re-reading sections to understand whats going on, I also find that there is a lot of hidden meaning going on, and have found similarities with the Scarlet Letter and his short story Young Goodman Brown. I want to continue my close reading and begin annotating the text, however I'm not sure exactly what to write down. I'm on p. 92 and about to begin XI. The Interior of a Heart. I read through the first part of the book titled "The Custom-House" and I found that to be a more difficult reading than the actual story. As far as difficulty, I found Chapter II. The Market Place to be especially confusing.
             Upon a second reading, I understood that there is a gathering of people waiting for Hester Prynne outside of the jail house, so that they may watch her punishment of standing at the scaffold for three hours for her act of adultery. Nathaniel notes that the Puritans were known for giving harsh punishments. I originally didn't understand what was going on with the women that were talking during this scene. I thought they were being held prisoners as well with Hester the first time I read it. On my second reading I can see that they were standing outside by the scaffold waiting for Hester's entrance. Nathaniel describes them in a negative light, saying their ugly and man-like, the contrary of Hester's appearance. One of the women says to the townspeople that Reverend Dimmesdale gave Hester a kind sentence, and says that she would of given her a harsher punishment. The ugliest of the women goes as far as saying that she should be killed for her actions. I found it interesting that one of the footnotes describes a real life person as having the name Hester Craford (1688) who was to be punished for the same crime by being "severely whipped" by none other than William Hawthorne. Hester Craford was also expecting a child which coincides with Hawthorne's character of Hester Prynne. The rest of the scene goes accordingly.
           "The women who were now standing about the prison-door stood within less than half a century of the period when the man-like Elizabeth had been the altogether unsuitable representative of the sex" (p. 38). I found this line to be really funny, especially after looking up a picture of Queen Elizabeth I.