American Lit Podcast #5 Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (3 of 4)

Literary questions aren’t really worth exploring
if there’s an obviously “right” answer, so let’s explore a thorny
question. Near the end of Chapter 13, in the third paragraph from the
end.  

Hawthorne tells us of Hester, “At times a fearful doubt
strove to possess her soul, whether it were not better to send Pearl at
once to Heaven, and go herself to such futurity as Eternal Justice
should provide.”

Now wait a minute… we learned from the meeting
with the governor that Pearl is the only think that keeps Hester from
chucking it all and heading to the midnight meeting in the forest. Why
does Hawthorne choose to tell us this detail?

Prediscussion Podcast 5.mp3

View Comments

Share
Published by
Dennis G. Jerz

Recent Posts

Another corner building. Designed and textured. Needs an interior. #blender3d #design #aesthetics #medievalyork #mysteryplay

Another corner building. Designed and textured. Needs an interior. #blender3d #design #aesthetics #medievalyork #mysteryplay

23 hours ago

There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Hollywood Writing Is Powering AI

Two years after the release of ChatGPT, it may not be surprising that creative work…

3 days ago

The complex geometry on this wedge building took me all weekend.  #blender3d #medievalyork #mysteryplay #cgi #aesthetics #design

The complex geometry on this wedge building took me all weekend. The interior walls still…

5 days ago

Sesame Street had a big plot twist in November 1986

My older siblings say they remember our mother sitting them down to watch a new…

6 days ago