NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE THE SCARLET LETTER

Transcription

1 NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE THE SCARLET LETTER Background Information Notebook: Notes Info in red And Pause/Reflect, Quick Writes MUST be recorded in notebook

2 His Life... Born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804 Ancestors were wealthy and influential Judge William Hathorne was a judge who persecuted the Quakers. (He came to Mass. Bay Colony 1630) Judge John Hathorne sentenced many to death in the Salem witch trials. Nathaniel was obsessed with his ancestors sins and may have changed the spelling of his name to distance himself from them.

3 His father, a sea captain, died when he was four and this created a series of unfortunate events for him...he had a lonely childhood. He graduated from Bowden [Bowdoin] College in Maine published Twice Told Tales national fame Edgar Allan Poe considered Hawthorne a genius. (Poe was a literary critic as well as an author)

4 He was close friends with Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick. They both reacted against the Transcendental movement of their time. While he did not approve of Transcendentalists viewpoints and optimism, he was friend with the two most famous proponents, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. His novel The Blithedale Romance deals with the disappointments in hoping for a Utopian Society.

5 Pause and reflect N. Hawthorne In your Notebook: Notes, record 3-5 facts about Nathaniel Hawthorne you just heard/read about.

6 His writing style... He is a Romantic author... Deals with the strange and mysterious Involves symbolic imagination Turns to the past for subject matter (Puritan N. England) Emphasizes nature He likes to emphasize the need for humans to connect to one another. NOT THIS!!!

7 He focuses his attention on the problem of evil and the nature of sin. Like a psychologist, he analyzes the inner world of the human mind and heart. His stories begin with a simple theme like guilt. He develops simple themes through complex character relationships and through heavy symbolism. He likes to probe the mysteries within the human mind.

8 The Scarlet Letter Published in 1850 Displays a formal use of language with precise word choice. His sentences are long and complex; however, they are logical and clear. He has excellent fluency.

9 The Scarlet Letter He uses images frequently to create the mood and emphasize his ideas. The narrator tells most of the story in the form of a summary. Dialogue between the passages of explanation by the narrator provide poignant, dramatic scenes. You have to hang in there with early American literature! It moves slower than modern fiction.

10 The Scarlet Letter Occasionally, Hawthorne interrupts the narration to give background information. Occasionally, Hawthorne speaks directly to the reader and lets the reader decide what is literally true and what is a device to create a supernatural or symbolic effect.

11 The Scarlet Letter This novel is a symbolic, semi-allegorical, historical fiction work. Setting: middle of 17 th century; Boston, Massachusetts *During this story, watch closely as the meaning and symbol of the A change for Hester and the other main characters. The Scarlet Letter has a unity of place. All action occurs in and around Boston. *Three important scenes occur at the scaffold; in each of these scenes the four main characters are present and the changes in each are shown.

12 The Scarlet Letter The narrator is an unnamed customhouse surveyor who writes some two hundred years after the events he describes. He is written as omniscient because he analyzes the characters and tells the story in a way that shows that he knows more about the characters than they know about themselves. He is also subjective because he voices his own interpretations and opinions of things.

13 Pre-reading Questions for The Scarlet Letter -Open a Pages document to respond to the next few questions. You will be given three minutes to respond to each question. -After responding to each question, please submit via ebackpack. Share, Open in Another App, PDF format, Choose App

14 Pre-Reading Question 1 How do we as a society label people? What are the effects of labeling? Give at least three different types of examples.

15 Pre-Reading Question 2 What is your definition of courage? Give some specific instances that would illustrate courage. Have you ever felt courageous?

16 Pre-Reading Question 3 To what extent would you go in life to protect someone you love? Would you go to the point of experiencing pain, humiliation, and the scorn of all who meet you?

17 Assignments Overview Vocab Study see next slide The novel is divided into four parts; each part has six chapters. We ll approach the novel in a similar way. Study Guide per part Assignment/Quiz per part Two Column Notes (1 text reference/quote per chapter) per part; submitted after reading each part submit to ebackpack Film and Viewing Assignment per part Character Study & Presentation Final Test/Response to Novel

18 The Scarlet Letter Vocab Study set up in notebook WORD (The Scarlet Letter, pg. #) ~Part(s) of Speech ~Definition ~Synonyms Sketch/Symbol Sentence #1 Sentence #2 (another form)

19 The Scarlet Letter Vocab Study 12 words The following words are required: Scaffold Chapter 2 p. 58 Ignominy (ignominious) Chapter 2 p. 62 Visage Chapter 3 p. 67 Retribution Chapter 4 p. 80 Emaciate(d) Chapter 9 p. 119 Malevolence (malevolent) Chapter 12 p. 151