The Scarlet Letter Important Quotes Explained

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel  The Scarlet Letter  tells a story of love, collective punishment, and salvation in Puritan, colonial Massachusetts. Through the character of Hester Prynne, who has been forced, as punishment for committing adultery, to wear a scarlet â€Å"A† on her chest for the remainder of her days in the colony, Hawthorne shows the deeply religious and morally strict world of the 17th  century Boston. â€Å"But the point which drew all eyes, and, as it were, transfigured the wearer—so that both men and women, who had been familiarly acquainted with Hester Prynne, were now impressed as if they beheld her for the first time—was that  SCARLET LETTER,  so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself.† (Chapter II, â€Å"The Market-Place†) This is the first moment the town sees Prynne adorned in the eponymous item, which she must wear as punishment for having birthed a child out of wedlock. In the town, which is only then a tiny colony at the edge of the Western World in what was known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony, this scandal causes quite a to-do. As such, this token’s effect on the townspeople is quite strong—magical even: the Scarlet Letter had â€Å"the effect of a spell.† This is notable because it reveals both the group’s reverence of and deference toward higher, more spiritual and invisible powers. In addition, it indicates how much power this punishment has over them as a form of deterrence toward future transgressions. The item’s effect on its wearer is quite supernatural, as Prynne is said to be â€Å"transfigured,† and taken â€Å"out of the ordinary relations with humanity† and enclosed â€Å"in a sphere by herself.† This transfiguration then plays out over the course of the novel, as the town turns a cold shoulder to her and Pearl, and she is forced to earn her way back, to the degree that it is even possible, into their good graces through beneficial deeds. The letter itself, too, is of some note, as it is described as â€Å"fantastically embroidered† and â€Å"illuminated, a description that highlights the letter’s potent powers, making it clear that this is no ordinary object. Additionally, this focus on embroidery foreshadows Prynne’s eventual development of highly-regarded sewing skills. As such, this passage establishes from an early moment several of the book’s most prominent themes and motifs.   â€Å"The truth was, that the little Puritans, being of the most intolerant brood that ever lived, had got a vague idea of something outlandish, unearthly, or at variance with ordinary fashions, in the mother and child; and therefore scorned them in their hearts, and not unfrequently reviled them with their tongues.† (Chapter VI, â€Å"Pearl†) This passage provides a look into the highly moral world of Puritan Massachusetts. This is not to say that the Puritans actually had the most proper understanding of right and wrong, but just that they lived with a very strong sense of that distinction. For example, in the very first sentence, even, the narrator describes Puritans as â€Å"being of the most intolerant brood that ever lived.† This so-described general intolerance then leads the group down a rather nasty path when applied to the specific situation of Prynne and Pearl. As they disapprove of what Prynne has done, they find her and her daughter â€Å"unearthly,† â€Å"outlandish,† or otherwise â€Å"at variance† with the town’s norms. This is interesting in itself, as a window into the colony’s collective psyche, but also in terms of the specific word choice, as Prynne is, once again, placed outside the realm of normal human relations. From there, the townspeople then turned their disapproval into outright dislike, and â€Å"scorned† and â€Å"reviled† the mother and daughter.  These few sentences, then, provide a good deal of insight into the community’s highly self-righteous attitude in general, as well as their judgmental position on this issue, which really has nothing to do with any of them, in specific. â€Å"Hester’s nature showed itself warm and rich; a well-spring of human tenderness, unfailing to every real demand, and inexhaustible by the largest. Her breast, with its badge of shame, was but the softer pillow for the head that needed one. She was selfordained a Sister of Mercy, or, we may rather say, the world’s heavy hand had so ordained her, when neither the world nor she looked forward to this result. The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her—so much power to do, and power to sympathize—that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.† (Chapter XIII, â€Å"Another View of Hester†) As the chapter title suggests, this moment shows how Prynne’s standing in the community has changed in the time she has worn the scarlet letter. Whereas she was at first reviled and exiled, she has now somewhat earned her way back into the town’s good graces. Though her breast has a â€Å"badge of shame† (the letter), she shows through her actions that this denomination doesn’t really apply to her anymore. Interestingly, the narrator states that the letter was the â€Å"symbol of her calling,† a statement that is just as true now as it was originally, but for very different reasons. Whereas before it had identified her as the perpetrator of a crime—with the â€Å"A† presumably standing for â€Å"Adultery†Ã¢â‚¬â€now it is said to mean something quite different indeed: â€Å"Able,† a change that resulted from her having â€Å"so much power to do, and power to sympathize.† Somewhat ironically, this change in attitude towards Prynne stems from the same set of Puritan values that condemned her to this fate in the first place, although in this case it’s not the Puritanical sense of moral righteousness, but, rather, the respect for  hard work and good deeds. Whereas other passages showed the destructive nature of this society’s values, here those same values’ restorative powers are demonstrated. â€Å"If little Pearl were entertained with faith and trust, as a spirit-messenger no less than an earthly child, might it not be her errand to soothe away the sorrow that lay cold in her mother’s heart, and converted it into a tomb?—and to help her to overcome the passion, once so wild, and even yet neither dead nor asleep, but only imprisoned within the same tomb-like heart?† (Chapter XV, â€Å"Hester and Pearl†) This passage touches upon several interesting elements of Pearl’s character. Firstly, it highlights her not entirely normal existence, by referring to her as a â€Å"spirit-messenger† in addition to an â€Å"earthly child†Ã¢â‚¬â€an odd liminal state. This, that Pearl is somehow demonic, wild, or mystical, is a common refrain throughout the book, and stems from the facts that she was born out of wedlock—which in this world means out of God’s order, and therefore Evil, or otherwise wrong or abnormal—and that her father’s identity is largely a mystery. Additionally, her behavior cuts against the community’s standards, further highlighting her (and her mother’s) outsider status, as well as her distance and isolation. Also of note is the way the passage acknowledges Pearl’s double-edged relationship with her mother. The narrator states that Pearl’s duty is, or might be, to â€Å"soothe away the sorrow that lay cold in her mother’s heart,† which is a very kind role for a daughter to play for her mother, but is somewhat ironic since Pearl is the living embodiment of Prynne’s slings and arrows. She  is both the source and the salve for her mother’s pain. This passage is yet another example of the two-sided nature of many of this book’s elements, which shows that even for as antithetical and split as certain opposites—good and bad, religion and science, nature and man, earthly and heavenly—can be, they are also be inextricably intertwined.

The Road Not Taken By Robert Frost - 968 Words

Equating life with a journey is one of those most popular metaphors throughout literature. Going through a physical journey is full of twists and turns, much like personal exploration that leads to finding a person’s identity. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost, there is a definitive feeling that can be interpreted as remorse and nostalgia. Frequently, in literature regarding journeys, authors tend to use characters and objects as metaphors in order to show the reader that they are looking back, perhaps either at their life as a whole or defining moments. However, in this poem, Frost indicates that the speaker is standing at the figurative fork in the road and intends to one day look back on his life’s choices. The two roads in the first stanza are symbolic of two choices that could make themselves present in your life. The fork that Frost discusses means these choices cannot intersect and in the literal sense, this point in your life means that something must happen or a decision must be reached. As with any decision in your life, you cannot always see the toll it will take on your life down the line. It is simply impossible to understand every good and bad thing that came with a single choice. This is apparent in the verse, â€Å"And looked down as far as I could†, meaning that everyone has an idea in their minds of how an important decision could change their life, but it is impossible to understand all the repercussions that come with any choice. The speaker in theShow MoreRelatedThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost983 Words   |  4 PagesThe poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken was written by Robert Frost, a four-time Pulitzer Prize winner in poetry, and also a special guest at Presid ent John F. Kennedy’s inauguration (Robert Frost Biography). Frost was born on March 26, 1874 in San Francisco, California and he died of complications from prostate surgery on January 29, 1963. Much of Robert’s popularity was gained throughout Europe (An Analysis of Robert Frost’s Poem: The Road Not Taken). Frost became a poetic force, and the unofficial poetRead MoreThe Road Not Taken by Robert Frost764 Words   |  3 PagesWritten by Robert Frost, â€Å"The Road Not Taken† deals with about making choices in life and how those choices affect your whole life. The meter of this poem is iambic tetrameter, for the most part. In most lines, the meter follows the rule with four iambs, which means that there is one unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. But the meter is not normal since, in some lines, an anapest, which means there are two unstressed syllables followed by one stressed syllable, is substituted forRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By R obert Frost1173 Words   |  5 PagesRobert Frost, one of America’s well-known poets is highly regarded for his realistic illustrations of rural life and poetry which is still relevant in today’s society. After being honoured on numerous occasions, he became one of America’s most popular public figures. Frosts’ poems reflect his greatness and his life in a variety of ways after he was confronted with such despair and grief after the passing of his father due to tuberculosis at just eleven years of age and his mother who passed awayRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost995 Words   |  4 Pagesthey can only move forward hoping for the best. â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, Robert Frost, 1916. In â€Å"The Road Not Taken† a traveler is strolling through the woods and comes across two different roads he could take, and unable to travel both the poet eventually chooses which path to take. The theme conveyed is about making choices. Frost does this through the use of diction, the use of figure of speech, and the use of imagery. To start with, Frost displays the main idea of decision making by the wordsRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost1055 Words   |  5 Pagesago. Either way, if you admit it now or in the wee hours of the night, like most people, you will come across this question at least once in your life. Robert Frost was able to grasp this raw, vulnerable life changing moment in the palm of his hand. Then he beautifully laid it out in the form of words in the narrative poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken†. Frost is able to take you back to a time when you have been faced with a life-changing decision. Then, causing you to ask yourself â€Å"Did I make the right choiceRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost940 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Road Not Taken† was written by Robert Frost in 1916, and it was the first poem in the collection Mountain Interval (Shmoop). Even though it was written many years ago, people of all ages still study this enticing poem. Frost wrote about coming to a fork in the woods and examining which path he should take and whether he might ever come back; the speaker believes each path is fine to take, but he takes the less used path (line 6). He wrote about this decision in clear, standard English. â€Å"TheRead MoreThe Road Not Taken, By Robert Frost968 Words   |  4 PagesPersonal Response 3 Title: The Road Not Taken Text Type: Poem Author: Robert Frost The poem, ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost is about the â€Å"roads† and different paths we take in our lives. Frost wrote about a traveler who had to chose between two roads. He had to decide if he wanted to go down the well used or less used path. In the end, he went down the less used path. The theme of decision making and choices is shown in this poem. I think that this is a way of describing the choices we makeRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost863 Words   |  4 PagesThe Poem, â€Å"The Road Not Taken†, by Robert Frost is a detailed poem about a conflict in a person’s life, dealing with having to take the right path throughout life. The Narrator of this poem is faced with a predicament when he comes across two paths. The choices that he makes in his life, can alter the future for better or worse. This poem describes his attitude and emotion towards his choices as well as, shows examples of themes, mood, and different literary devi ces. The title of this poem canRead MoreRoad Not Taken, Robert Frost942 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 101 Burstrem October 7, 2009 The Road Not Taken Life is full of choices and decisions that could ultimately change the outcome of our lives. In the poem, â€Å"The Road Not Taken† by Robert Frost, a traveler is destined to make that decision. This traveler man has to decide which road to take, one that is frequently traveled, and the one that is not. After contemplating which road to follow, he comes to the decision to take the road less traveled because he doesn’t want to follow inRead MoreThe Road Not Taken By Robert Frost1100 Words   |  5 PagesRobert Frost reflects that poetry â€Å"begins in delight and ends in wisdom†¦.It runs a course of lucky events , and ends in a clarification of life—not necessarily a great clarification, such as sects and cults are found on, but in a momentary stay against confusion† (931). His poem â€Å"The Road Not Taken† is a clarification of life. This paper will analyze and evaluate the formal elements of â€Å"The Road Not Taken† and consid er how these elements work together to fit the author’s purpose and clarification

Report on Relationship Between Economic Growth and Stock Market in Bangladesh free essay sample

This paper examined the relationship between stock market development and economic growth of two Asian developing countries, that is, Pakistan and Bangladesh, after the liberalization period of 1990s. The relationship measured were in terms of size (market capitalization), liquidity (total value of stocks traded and stock turnover ratio) and volume (total number of companies listed in the stock exchange of each of the country). The study of comparative analysis was done with the help of tables and charts. The econometric results of the study by employing the regression analysis showed that Pakistan stock markets contribute to the economic growth in terms of the large size of its stock market whereas Bangladesh stock market contributes to the economic growth in terms of the liquidity of its stock market. Bangladesh economic growth was found to be comparatively better than economic growth of Pakistan. The study revealed that the stock markets in Pakistan and Bangladesh do not play a major role in the economic growth but rather, these financial institutions are the driving forces for the economic growth of the country. Stock markets play a crucial role in global economics and corporate finance where the financial markets generate finance for the economic growth of the country. Bangladesh has two stock exchange, that is, Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) Chittagong stock exchange(CSE). Stock exchange of a country is the financial institution that deals with financial instruments. It was important to answer the increasing number of the critical questions regarding stock market performance and economic growth, for instance, do the stock exchanges of the countries affect on the economic growth of a country, if yes then how? This study highlights certain factors that can be used to measure the stock market development and its effect on the country’s economic growth. Besides this, it was important to study. This study analyses the effect of Pakistan and Bangladesh stock market development on their respec-tive GDP per capita by considering three of the stock market indicators, that is, market capitalization, total value of stocks traded, stock turnover ratio and lastly total number of listed companies. Objectives ii. To examine the effect of stock markets development on the economic growth of Bangladesh. i. To compare the stock markets development and economic growth of the previous year. Numerous studies provided both negative and positive evidences of the stock market development and the economic growth. Mishkin (2001) stated that a well established, managed and organized stock market brings investment opportunities in the country by implementing the productive projects that ultimately results in the economic activity, mobilizing savings, diversifying risks and allocating effective capital. Liquidity measurement was defined as the measure to check the ability of the stock market to deal with the large number of stocks traded, irrespective of any drastic changes in price levels. Nowbutsing and Odit (2008) defined total stock value traded as the firm’s equity traded in an organized manner so that it would results in the national output. According to Kyle (1984) and Holmstrom et al. (1998), the more stock market is liquid the more it will be efficient in delivering the accurate and timely information to the inside and outside investors. According to Levine (1991), developed and organized stock market reduces the productivity and liquidity of the businesses. Amaral and Quintin (2007) argued that the stock market development enhance the economic growth by making capital productive, and ensuring its best use. According to Aysan (2006), high capital degree of undeveloped financial sector increases the growth volatility of a country. The stock market development is the most significant factor that leads to the economic growth (Shahbaz et al. , 2008). The endogenous economic theory states that improved policy measures with innovation, competition, changes, openness and research and development will lead to the long run economic growth of the country. Theory identifies the two major factors of economic growth, that is, human capital and technology. Specialization, training and experience increases the productivity of the country whereas, advanced technology and innovation reflect the structural changes in the system. According to Hansson et al. (1997), human capital and technology may depend on the function and structure of the financial institutions. Earlier, the stock markets of both Pakistan and Bangladesh were manually operated but currently they are electronically based and equipped with specialized human force that would result in the effective performance and added national output of the sector. Hypotheses H1: Stock markets development has significant effect on the economic growth of Pakistan. H0: Stock markets development has no significant effect on the economic growth of Pakistan H2: Stock markets development has significant effect on the economic growth of Bangladesh. H0: Stock markets development has no significant effect on the economic growth of Bangladesh The samples had been randomly selected and indicators for accessing the relationship between stock market and economic growth included one dependent variable, that is, GDP per capita growth in US$ (in millions) and four independent variable, that is, market capitalization in US$ (in millions) as a measure of stock market size, total value of stock traded (in percentage of GDP) and stock turnover ratio (in percentage) as a measure of liquidity of the stock market and volume of the stock market determined through the total number of listed companies. Log transformation with the stepwise method was applied on the independent variables of Pakistan and Bangladesh. GDP per capita is measured as GDP divided by the total population of the country. GDP measures the standard of living of the people in the country. Market capitalization is the value and size of the corporation or business, more productive capital in a country results into more economic growth will be resulted. It is measured by multiplying the outstanding shares of the company by their share price. Total value of stock traded referred to the total number of shares that is traded in the market, times their respective prices, and stock turnover ratio is calculated by dividing the total value of stock traded by market capitalization. Lastly, the volume of the stock market was examined by the total number of all the listed companies in Pakistan and Bangladesh over the period of 1990 to 2009. To collect the data, the supplement source used is World Bank Indicators. This study examines with an assumption, that is, the sample selected for the research is truly representative of the population. This research could be more refined if the quarterly data is used so that exact analysis can be done. Bangladesh economic growth analysis The results in Table 2 indicates that as total stock value traded increases by 1%, the estimated increase in the mean or average GDP per capita is about 114% points, and if the value of the total stock value traded in Bangladesh was fixed at zero, the mean GDP per capita of Bangladesh would be about 342% points, that is, GDP per capita of the country would be very high. The results shows that the Bangladesh stock market is small in size and is very liquid and deals with a fairly large number of stocks traded without any drastic prices affect. Moreover, total stock value traded and real GDP per capita of Bangladesh have a positive relation in between them. It has been evaluated that different countries with respect to their economic growth were influenced by different sector performances due to the difference in the economies of their country. Economic growth of Pakistanhas been influenced by market capitalization and Bangladesh by total stock value traded.

Separation of a Mixture of Solids Essay Example

Separation of a Mixture of Solids Essay The mixed solution contained benzene acid, iron, table salt, and sand. When separated using water, fuel, or a magnet, their characteristics and properties changed. The mass of the entire mixed solids was 6. 6 grams. When the magnet was used, the iron was immediately picked up. The mass for that was 1. 7 grams. The table salt was 1. 2 grams. Benzene acid mass was 0. 8 grams and the sand was 1. 4 grams after being separated. Introduction The objective of this lab was to separate and examine different solutions within a elution. In order to separate each element different methods and techniques were used. Separating the Iron filings wasnt difficult or lengthy; however It did require patience and a steady hand. Separating the benzene acid and the table salt took the longest because it needed to air dry causing the water to evaporate. Methods While the water was boiling with the table salt, sand, and benzene acid, the water got thick. It was difficult to separate the solids because they would get stuck to the bottom of the Styrofoam cup. In order to separate the iron flings a magnet was used. The solution first needed to be spread out on a piece of paper. As the magnet was ran over the solution, the iron filings were picked up. It took several tries to get all of the iron picked up. To separate the sand, the burner and distilled water was used. As it boiled, it had to be stirred to make sure it was completely dissolved. Having done this twice ensures that the salt and the benzene acid are completely removed from the sand. An Ice bed was necessary to observe the benzene acid crystallizing. We will write a custom essay sample on Separation of a Mixture of Solids specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Separation of a Mixture of Solids specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Separation of a Mixture of Solids specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Ice deed allowed the burning benzene acid to cool down and change appearance and texture. The sand had to be over low heat to be completely dry. No sand splattered which made it effective for the data. To separate the benzene acid, filtration was used. The mass of the filter paper was 1. 1 grams. The ice bath was used again to chill the distilled water in the cylinder. The table salt and benzene crystals were poured into the funnel filter paper. This had to be left to air dry overnight. To separate the sand, the Styrofoam cup had to also be left aside overnight for It to be completely dry. Results After each solid was separated, they were able to be weighted. The solids weighted were iron filings, sand, table salt, and benzene acid. Data Table: Experiment Data Grams Percent of mixture Iron flings 33. 3% Sand 1. 4 27% Table salt 1. 2 23. 5% Benzene acid 0. 8 15. 7% Total 5. 1 99. 5% Discussion This lab concluded that properties are contributory when it comes to separating solids. Using the magnet to gather all the iron filings was very effective, though it did take several tries. Solubility played a huge part in this lab. Each solid took a different amount of time and a different method to become separated due to solubility. This lab did bring up a few questions. For example, would the mass of the table salt or the benzene acid be different if it was boiled rather than air dried? What would happen if the sand was actually air dried rather than boiled? I wonder if their properties would have changed as well. The disadvantage with my data table is the totals. It does not equal 100, though it is very close. Solubility was definitely key in this lab.