the scarlet letter :: essays research papers

The blood-red LetterBy Nathaniel HawthorneThe Scarlet Letter is a story that shows a love that digestnot be. Mother, said little free fall, the sunshine does not love you. It runs onward and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. It will not flee from me, for I give modal value nothing on my bosom yet This quotation is how I bring out the love that cannot be. The sunshine is the love of a man (Arthur Dimmesdale) and it does just what Pearl says - it runs and hides itself from the scarlet letter. This love must be hidden because of practical reasons much(prenominal) as Roger Chillingworth who is her husband is still alive. He knows about his wife and Arthur and he is plotting revenge on Arthur. With Roger in Boston he would get in the way of them having an open relationship and he would destroy their true love.Arthur and Hesters love cannot exist because of personal reasons as well. Hester wears the scarlet letter, so Arthur cant be with her or it might destroy his reputation. Also, if he were to be with her, the people of his church could not look up to him for their spiritual guidance.The final reason to keep these lovers apart is societal. The Puritan belief in saucy England during the middle of the seventeenth century would not have tolerated any image of union between Arthur and Hester. The strict codes of conduct would destroy any way for them to be alone. Their only opportunities to be alone are chance encounters in the forest, but then it would seem as if they were going to see the black, gloomy man that represents evil in this book.Because of all these reasons, The Scarlet Letter is a story about a love that could not be.