The Symbolic Use of Nature in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter

The Symbolic Use of Nature in The Scarlet Letter In Nathaniel Hawthornes classic The Scarlet Letter, nature plays a very important and symbolic role. Hawthorne uses nature to convey the mood of a scene, to describe characters, and to link the natural elements with human nature. Many of the passages that have to do with nature accomplish more than one of these ideas. All throughout the book, nature is incorporated into the story line. The deep symbolism conveyed by certain aspects of nature helps the reader gain a deeper understanding of the plight and inner emotions of the characters in the novel. Hawthornes moods or prevailing feelings during certain scenes are revealed to the reader through nature.†¦show more content†¦Another example of Hawthornes use of nature to set the mood for a scene is shown when he describes the weather and conditions when Hester and Pearl secretly meet with Arthur Dimesdale deep within the forest. The day was chill and somber. Overhead was a gray expanse of cloud, slightly stirred, however, by a breeze; so that a gleam of flickering sunshine might now and then be seen a its solitary play along the path (159). Hawthorne describes a cold and gray day. This description gives the reader a sense of isolation as well as slight depression. However, the mention of a slight breeze that ruffles the canopy of the forest just enough to let in little flickers of sunshine conveys a fleeting ray of hope that seems to coexist with the gloominess in the scene. In many scenes during the book, moods or prevailing feelings are established through descriptions of the natural surroundings of the characters. This aspect of Hawthornes writing makes the book deeper and more emotional. Nature is often used symbolically in The Scarlet Letter to describe people physically, emotionally, and socially. Hawthorne uses this technique very effectively. He gives the reader a good feel for the true psyche of some of the characters during different parts of the story. An excellent example of how characters are revealed through nature is the description of the lone rose-bush. It symbolizes Hester and the strength sheShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Scarlet Letter 1516 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to Erich Fromm’s article, â€Å"The Nature of Symbolic Language,† the definition of a symbol is â€Å"‘something that stands for something else’† (121). Laurence Perrine adds his thoughts about symbols in Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, and states that in order to find out what object is a symbol, the reader must be able to â€Å"recognize, identify, percept, and tact [them]† (175). 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Symbolic relations between characters and objects A. Characters and the scarlet letter B. Characters and the scaffold C. Pearl and the forest Nathaniel Hawthorne used symbolism to bring meaning into his book The Scarlet LetterRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter864 Words   |  4 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, he thoroughly exposes the social depths of the Puritan society. As a Romanticist, his values and ideals go in line with nature and individualism, which is lucidly seen by the way he writes of the so called pious who contradict this and rather emphasize conformity. 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HawthorneRead More The Symbolic Nature of the Scarlett Letter Essay2416 Words   |  10 Pages The Symbolic Nature of the Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter introduces themes within the story that recur in several settings and serve as metaphors for the underlying conflicts. The trouble in interpreting The Scarlet Letter is the fact that the story is packed full of symbolism that can be either overlooked, or misinterpreted. From the actual letter ‘A’, down to the use of colors, Hawthorne wrote his story with the intention of making the reader work harder and read deeperRead MoreEssay about Symbolism Used in The Scarlet Letter1070 Words   |  5 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, symbolsim is constantly present in the actual scarlet letter â€Å"A† as it is viewed as a symbol of sin and the gradally changes its meanign, guilt is also a mejore symbol, and Pearl’s role in this novel is symbolic as well. The Scarlet Letter includes many profound and crucial symbols. these devices of symbolism are best portayed in the novel, most noticably throu gh the letter â€Å"A† best exemplifies the changes in the symbolic meaning throughout the novel. Read MoreSymbolism In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne825 Words   |  4 PagesThe Puritan era in New England was inundated with an atmosphere of righteousness and judgment. This culture spurned those who strayed from its religious codes. In his novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses multiple symbols to bring a deeper meaning to the society, his characters, and to adultery. One of the motifs used comes as the character Pearl, the daughter of the two adulterers. Pearl has multiple descriptions; physically, she is â€Å"a lovely and immortal flower,† yet also â€Å"an airy

Personal Development Group Learning Journal Summary Free Essays

Introduction The Personal development group I believe is to learn about yourself and be able to discuss with others and share ideas and advice; for me, i guess the assumption of individuality point out really many important concepts, which has made me indentify many issues within myself. I now realise that many experiences, which I had been through in life have been important in shaping my character. The exercises to increase myself awareness have extremely challenged the way I feel, think and respond to others; for example where I may not have given someone a chance previously due to the way they present themselves, I have now learned not to judge based on first impressionsto the extent that for my personal development to grow I needed to gain further insight of myself to understand my responses. We will write a custom essay sample on Personal Development Group Learning Journal Summary or any similar topic only for you Order Now Communication plays an important part in a learning experience. I believe we can communicate through words and body language. Within the group sometimes i felt and sense hostility in a level where, at times when I felt like some comment weren’t appropriate or misunderstood I felt powerless to speak my mind. Robinson et al (2005) states that â€Å"status can cause distress within the team; in the group, members have different skills, experience and opinions, which we were always expected to respect†. From the start of the PD group, I didn’t feel that my arguments were listened to by some of the group members. I felt like people were inconsiderate and difficult in their responses and feedbacks however, my stubbornness and persistence in the group strengthened me and enabling my involvement in the group to grow considerable in the topic discussed regardless as the weeks went by. Also my listening skills and the use of silence improved because these were the counseling skills areas that I was finding difficult to use. I have learn to open myself to others and allowed them to give me feedbacks which mean I did put myself sometimes in a vulnerable position.To illustrate this I felt betrayed by a friend in a personal issue during this course. My immediate reaction would have been for that person not to be part of my study life but due to skills I’ve learned from this course such as active listening, reflecting, self challenge of my behaviours and responses this did not happen. This means that because I allowed someone to show me my blind self, my unknown self became smaller. I accepted the person’s criticisms about me but do not feel responsible for that person’s behaviour. What I have learnt during this course alongside further reading is a more competent understanding of the signals. I now feel more secure in my interpretations and acknowledgment of my body language. I feel these skills that I’ve learned and body language are beneficial to the extent that I can keep myself safe by noticing my own intimacy and interpretating it for what it shows. Due to my initial difficulties settling into the first personal development group, I used meditation often for relaxation prior to attending the group; a benefiting skill l have acquired during the course of my studies which has helped me in continuing and focusing on this course. My approach to teaching meditation to prisoners was to treatthese men the way l personally would like to be treated regardless of my crime that is, to regard them first as human beings and individual, then as clients which l tried to share with the group. One reasonfor this success is based on my approach to backgrounds. When communicating within the group I have learnt over the period to rephrase my sentences and asked questions to make better understanding of what have been said. I felt taking turns when giving feedback was beneficial and it had prepared me for my placement practice in improved communication. I have gain better understanding of my experience in my group; I have not only recalled my experience but made decision on what I am going to do to improve my interprofessional skills. During my time in the group, I have gain better understanding of what group work is about. Through my experience, I feel that I have learned how to relate better to other members and how to respond in a professional manner. I now feel that the facilitator was attentive and easy to communicate with. She was quite observant of what was happening in the group. I am happier as I believe the group has moved forward and I have learnt so much. As being from African ethnicity fluent in French language rather than English, I have since living the UK, grown in an environment where people are treated differently. The PD group as I saw it was a diverse group; we all come from different backgrounds with different beliefs and values; I have over the years and in the course of my studies experience different types of treatment and discrimination to say the least. I have always been fully aware of people’s individuality and treated it with respect as I know how this feels. Throughout this course I have challenged my behaviour and responses in professional and personal relationships and I have raised myself awareness and will continue with this learning process. These skills I have gained will be the roots of further learning in any other counselling courses I embark on and also in life as whole. RESPONSE TO PEER APPRAISAL OF KATHRYN AND LISA Kathryn mentioned in her peer appraisal that I don’t take feedback; I disagree. I have always been able to take constructive feedback not feedback based on my person but on my contributions in the group regardless of my limitations. I might appear to take my feedback wrongly; this is due to lack of clarification and misunderstanding in communication from me and the group. Everyone in the group had noticed and mentioned changes and improvement in me. It is a pity that there was a personality conflict within the group, but this If I may allow myself to believe, has brought some positive changes within each and every one of us in this group. References Robinson M. and Cottrell D. (2005) Health professionals in multi-disciplinary and multi-agency teams: changing professional practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care. Vol 19(6) p547-560 How to cite Personal Development Group Learning Journal Summary, Essay examples

Humanitarianism and Politics

Questions: 1.) Summarise Mukhopadhyay's statements about the shift of the humanitarian discourse: As a consequence of this shift, which changes and challenges have evolved for the aid-receivers and aid-providers (humanitarian aid context)? 2.) In your opinion, can and should (humanitarian) aid be separated from politics? Provide critical arguments, where relevant with reference to specific theories/authors that support your position. Answers: 1. Summarization of Mukhopadhyays statement According to Mukhopadhaya, the humanitarian discourse has taken a leap over the years. The humanitarianism has arrived into global and political scenario as the world around us has significantly changed. In the context of humanitarian, the person that need aid service and the provider of aid service has politicized the activities of humanitarian (Duffied et al. 2001). Therefore, humanitarianism has been refined by the political invested interest. On the other hand, the organization decides which people should be provided aid and they work on the assumption that all requirements of the people can be fulfilled by universal solution (Piedagnel, 2002). The humanitarian aid has been shifted due to engagement of governments and supply of basic humanitarian need has been affected. The humanitarianism shift has delivered significant changes in the aid receivable and aid delivered. The shift has benefited in the way of promoting human right and battle social injustice to provide better right to people. On the other hand, new humanitarianism is effective in developing social inclusion and advocacy for the aid receivers (Ife, 2007). Therefore, it can empower the aid receiver to have an ownership right on their community. Further, the aid receivers can as a witness for the people that are suffering by employing themselves in advocacy on behalf of the people suffering. Apart from that, the humanitarianism shift also include negative points such as, it can march to big countries over the small nation by using the strategy of humanitarian aid and human right promotion (Fox, 2001). Therefore, it can increase the suffering of the people as humanitarianism can be politically stimulated by the aid providers self interest. Therefore, it can lead to chaos and violence. 2. Opinion regarding humanitarian aid According to me humanitarian aid has to be segmented from politics and further it should be neutral, impartial and independent. I think that the changing environment of humanitarianism, the aid receiver and aid providers task has become tough. Moreover, the government is employing the humanitarian aid for the purpose of military conflicts or gain so that crisis, if arises, can be met (Verdirarne et al. 2005). On the other hand, the humanitarian workers are being attacked which shows that they are not able to follow neutral work as they used to. Apart from that is can be also argued that, humanitarian aid donor also fulfill their own interest first (Duffied et al. 2001. Therefore, from my point of view, the humanitarian activities has to be first for the receiver and then for the provider. Moreover, if humanitarian aid is bounded by political then right justice may not be provided to the aid receiver and they may need to suffer. The government can be using the humanitarian aid to sati sfy their own interest primarily and the interest of the people can be sidelined (Piedagnel, 2002). Apart from that, the politics on humanitarian aid can result in conflict and it can increase the trafficking of drug that can increase the price of drug and on the other hand, people may not be able to receive drug on time. References Duffied, M., Macrae, J., Curtis, D. (2001) Politics and Humanitarian Aid, USA, Blackwell Publishers Ife, J. (2007). The new international agendas: what role for social work?.Modified version of the Inaugural Hokenstad International Social Work Lecture. San Francisco: Council for Social Work Education. Piedagnel, J.M. (2002) Separating Humanitarian aid from politics, Vol. 324 retrieved from www.jstor.org.ezproxy.cdu.edu.au/stable Verdirarne, G. and Barbara H. B. (2005). Rights in Exile: Janus-faced humanitarianism. New York: Berghalm Books.