As i read the Scarlet Letter, I discovered that although I wasn't always sure what little things were happening with the characters, I always knew the relationships between them. In the end, I found that that was really all that mattered.
One of the most significant relationships was between Reverend Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth; Hester's husband, and Pearl's (Hester's baby) father. The relationship between these two men is a huge part of the story - it affects the majority of Hester's decisions (such as her choice to keep Chillingworth's true identity a secret) and leads to the dramatic conclusion.
Chillingworth appearing in town was the first big surprise in the story. It also created the first lie and introduced me to the deceit that happens throughout the plot. Everything that Hester does throughout the novel is affected by his complex relationship with Dimmesdale. From the townspeople's perspective, Dimmesdale is just the reverend, and Chillingworth is just the doctor. From the inside, it is definitely more complicated than that.
It is quite sad to see Hester's life turn into what it does just because of the relationship between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. For the first seven years of Pearl's life, having both of them in the same town is extremely stressful for her, because Hester knows that Chillingworth wants to seek revenge on her lover. Because Hester has nobody she can rely on, she has to stand by and watch everything happen between the two men. The lack of relationships in this novel is as important to the plot as the existing relationships.
My conclusion is that the relationships in the Scarlet Letter make the story, and without the drama involved in each one there would be no plot. The complexities demonstrate human nature at its finest and worst, and that's what helps make the Scarlet Letter a classic.
You have identified that without the relationships and the drama involved in each one there would be no plot. That is true, but it is not really a deep analysis. The entire premise of the book is based upon a relationship created inside another relationship, so what you are saying here is not really that alarming.
ReplyDeleteInstead ask yourself: What is it about Hester's relationship with her husband that causes her to venture into another relationship in the first place? How is Hester's relationship with her daughter affected by what is going in her setting? How does the reverend maintain a relationship to his faith knowing what he knows about what he has done? Those are all better questions that will lead to a deeper understanding of the impact that the relationships have on the text and the reader.