What is the message of the scarlet letter?

The major theme of The Scarlet Letter is shaming and social stigmatizing, both Hester’s public humiliation and Dimmesdale’s private shame and fear of exposure.

Why is Hester scared of her husband?

Hester is afraid of Chillingworth because she knows what he is capable of doing. He is a learned man and has devoted his life to the healing arts. She knew it would be, and so her fears are founded. This is why she goes back on her agreement not to disclose his identity to Dimmesdale.

Is the scarlet letter A banned book?

One isn’t surprised by the moralist outrage the book caused in 1852. But when, one hundred and forty years later, the book is still being banned because it is sinful and conflicts with community values, you have to raise your eyebrows. Parents in one school district called the book pornographic and obscene in 1977.

What age is the scarlet letter appropriate?

The Scarlet LetterInterest LevelReading LevelATOSGrades 7 – 12Grades 2 – 54.2

Why should the scarlet letter be taught in schools?

By teaching The Scarlet Letter, I realized the underlying themes, not the supernatural elements that had enthralled me, are what make the story so powerful. Sin, forgiveness, and redemption are timeless ideas. Just like Hester Prynne, young people struggle with the consequences of bad choices.

Why the Scarlet Letter was banned?

While the book was controversial upon its release in the 1850s (it was banned by the Russian Czar at the time) due to Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester as a whole person with desires and feelings, you might not expect people to take the same tack so these days.

Is Scarlet Letter hard to read?

The Scarlet Letter can be a difficult read even for advanced students, due to the vocabulary level and the allegorical nature of the story being told in the novel.

How does Dimmesdale die?

Opening his clothing, he reveals the scarlet mark on his chest, over his heart—the mark of his sin, a letter A. With this, Dimmesdale dies, but not before telling Hester that this is the mercy of God—that God would not let him die an unrepentant sinner but has been after him for seven years to confess.

What sin did Chillingworth commit?

deceit