The Scarlet Letter Essay Topics:

1.

Pearls Multifarious Roles

(a)
Voice of the author (Will you hold my hand?) throws the
prickly burrs at Dimmesdale
(b)
Sweet moral blossom? (how? Why? Authors suggestions
about this)
(c)
Example of Nature (fox, squirrel, etc.) She behaves according
to her own nature.
(d)
Imp product of sin? (townspeople view point)

2.

The Three Scaffold Scenes: Sin (or witness to the sinfulness),

Atonement (or concealment of the sin), Redemption
Hester: Saint or Sinner?
Saint: townspeoples view point of her.
Hesters viewpoint
Chillingworth / Mistress Hibbens
Puritanism: City on A Hill Or Hell on Earth?
(For Puritans, City on a Hill; for Dimmesdale and Hester, hell)
The Scarlet Letter A: Effective or Not?
(yes, for townspeople; no, for Hester)

3.

4.
5.

6.

Puritanism: Natural Law or a Beam in Your Eye?

(a)
Beam in your eye caused by (i) Divine Elect; (ii) the Divine
Elect interpret the scripture and tell the Puritans how to live;
(iii) remember Ann Hutchinson? Kicked out of Boston by John
Winthrop for those Bible studies and her belief that a person
got to heaven because of Gods grace and that nothing a
person could do was enough to get into heaven.
(b)
Natural Law: we should be able to behave according to our
God-endowed Nature.