The repetition of question marks and dashes illustrate the confusion and frustration witnessing Owens fellow comrades, it is a demanding tone begging for explanation for the entrapment of victims. And as a result, it encourages the reader to consider the impact the war had on both, the soldiers who survived, and those who didn’t. Dulce et Decorum Est brings to reality that war is not what people say it is. Given by its very title, ‘It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country’. Although, it only an illusion reinforced throughout the poem, along with its irony and sarcasm that is ‘The old Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori’, it is not sweet and fitting to die for ones country.
It felt to Hester as though the red cloth emanated a “burning heat; and as if the letter were not of red cloth, but red-hot iron” (30). As beautiful and as ornately designed as the letter was, it was created as a symbol of shame to be worn by Hester and to be seen and condemned by everyone in the town. Hawthorne’s decision for the letter to be red can be seen as symbolic, as the color can represent the pain that Hester has with the situation. It can also be seen as the death of her innocence as she is judged by society. Later in the novel the color red is used to describe Pearl, called a “scarlet vision” by the narrator (101).
The turning point of this chapter would be that Dimmesdale confesses to being Pearls father. But the congregation does not believe him; they think he is just portraying his holiness. As a punishment for his sin Dimmesdale whips himself. What are the chapters ruling images? The ruling images in this chapter are the sorrow and hatred that Dimmesdale has for himself and beating himself with a whip.
Trying the fight through this deception his illness becomes more apparent and Dimmesdale begins to see that a confession is eminent. In addition to his chicanery he also begins to feel guilty about the situation he is in. While the deceiving members of the community played a role in his confession, his personal guilt was more of a factor leading to this occurrence. For example “His inward trouble drove him to practices more in accordance with the old, corrupted faith of Rome, than with the better light of the church in which he had been born and bred. In Mr. Dimmesdale’s secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge” (Hawthorne 133).
Examining Inherent Sin in Hawthorne’s Short Stories Nathaniel Hawthorne often presents his readers with myriad references to hidden sin in both his short stories and novels. In his short stories, protagonists Mr. Hooper in “The Minister’s Black Veil” and Georgiana in “The Birthmark,” experience the negative social gaze of those around them. For Reverend Hooper, it is his congregation that views his black veil as the symbol of sin or imperfection – there is something abnormal about his wearing of the veil. In Georgiana’s case, her husband, Alymer, views her birthmark as an unnatural imperfection which has manifested itself into the shape of a hand on her cheek. Both stories arguably demonstrate the idea of unnatural, abnormal objects overpowering
One of Edwards more effective strategies was to paint a picture through words of the horrific nature and eternal suffering for souls that went “unsaved”. He really reached his audience effectively by using graphic descriptions to describe the torture that awaited sinners in hell. Even though the concept of hell seems so far fetched and unreal, Edwards delivery of his sermon scares his listeners into believing what he is saying, thus prompting them to follow his step by step plan for them to be saved. Later into his sermon, Edwards paints a beautiful picture of god dangling sinners above the fiery volcano known as hell. But just when you think there’s no way out of this ill-fated encounter with fire, Edwards shows his congregation the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, and explains that through gods mercy and forgiveness one could be saved.
His self-torture leads him to walk “under the influence of a species of somnambulism”, thinking irrationally in a way not like himself. His pent up agony causes Dimmesdale to act out in ways like this that could reveal his secret. Dimmesdale’s psychological agony partly stems from a form of spiritual alienation. As a minister, he has a close relationship with God and has a strong sense of spirituality. Due to his sin, his relationship with God suffers in the way that his sin separates him from the teachings of Jesus.
Yellow, or gold, is an archetype that in a room is commonly the first color to be noticed. The gold around the red letter draws the attention of the public towards her scarlet letter, thus drawing attention to her sins. This shows her truth cannot be kept a secret. Lastly, as the novel is coming to a close, the narrator is describing the burial place and headstone of Hester Prynne. He describes that upon the tombstone, there appears to be a coat of arms that has inscribed on it, “On a field, sable, the letter A, gules.” Red is used to represent sin or passion.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, allows the reader to interpret the scarlet letter in his novel in many different ways. Hester Prynne’s scarlet letter was meant to be worn as a symbol of shame but as the novel progresses it is a powerful symbol of Hester’s identity, which is ultimately beautiful. Hester was punished by wearing the scarlet letter but even with removing the scarlet letter Hester would not be able to escape the shame. Hester was punished by wearing the scarlet letter but even with removing the scarlet letter she would not be able to escape the shame. The townspeople were very cruel and harsh to Hester for committing a sin.
Because the poem places a large emphasis on Satan and the fall of man, it could give a sense of rebellion to an uneducated reader, which it certainly did with the monster. However, if Paradise Lost was replaced with the Bible, this influence would be reversed with many positive influences, including “Thou shalt not kill,” and “Love thy neighbor as yourself.” Plutarch’s Lives is a collections of historic retellings of the lives of famous Greek and Roman figures. While there are many positive stories, there are also many negative influences. Many tales of betrayal create negative precedents that the monster followed. However, if a different selection of Lives were chosen, then the monster could have learned of valor and honor.