Is the knights tale a misogynistic story?

Through a historical perspective the knights tale is a not misogynistic story. The island of the amazons in an infamous story and is one of the most important stories in ancient Greek culture. The amazons were a band of women warriors who had never truly tasted defeat. According to the knights tale; " He [Theseus) had subdued the Amazons by force [...] their queen he took to wife, and, says the story (Chaucer 26). This time period, placed a heavy emphasis on chivalry, which Theseus demonstrated by treating this prisoner of war with utmost respect and offered for her hand in marriage. He could have easily slaughtered her and married a different woman. Also, Arcite and Palamon fought vigorously for Emily's love. Those who favor a misogynistic view typically claim that they fought over her like she was an object which is not a fair representation of women. This is untrue however, because the two men were willing transcend historically practices. Typically it the king would not only marry off his daughter, but also pay a dowry to the suitor. These two men had so much respect for Emily that no even an army, or brotherly love could stop them from winning her heart.

Final “Perfect Society” Write Up

Michael Rossi
November 25, 2010
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Final “Perfect Society” Write Up

While it was tempting to swap my trading cards, I was able to refrain from doing so, as it better catered to the goal of the assignment, to create our own ideal society. It was suggested that perhaps we could have made a poor choice and should look to rectify it through swapping with another. The only problem with this is that I actually took great care in the selection of my society’s members and felt extremely reserved about relinquishing any of my elite five. Mrs. Turick made the point that trading, “was all in good fun”, so I honestly did not wish to be stick in the mud, so to speak, so I rifled through my cards to determine the most disposable of the bunch. This was painfully difficult as I was not trying to determine who to trade, but whose departure from my society I would be the least disturbed about. Determining this proved to be a challenge as my mind was overwhelmed by each of my member’s positive attributes instead of their potentially negative qualities. Nevertheless, I turned around and offered Tim Rezendes my Muhammad Ali for his Chuck Norris card. With a perplexed look strewn across his face, he calmly responded, “no thanks, bro Chuck was my first choice” in a most polite manner. Through this interaction I realized that the warrior whom I had considered most disposable was Tim’s first choice. Tim had chosen Chuck Norris just as carefully as I had chosen Muhammad Ali and we were both looking to keep our society’s intact. Why fix something if it isn’t broken, especially if you just built it?

Choice rationale For the Perfect Society: What do you value in society and how does your construction reinforce those values?

Michael Rossi
November 20, 2010
Advanced Placement British Literature/ Mrs. Turick
Choice rationale For the Perfect Society: What do you value in society and how does your construction reinforce those values?

My perfect society would consist of Scott Brown, Muhammad Ali, Sandy Cheeks, Mother Mary, Lewis Black as they would each be key societal contributors, in their own right.
Scott Brown serves the role of leader and representative of the society. Scott brown is a very versatile political leader whose dedication to the good of his people supersedes his dedication to his political party. Brown voted for his party’s line only eighty percent of what he did in the senate, but broke with the GOP on voting for an early version of the democrats banking reform bill, but forced them to drop a tax clause which would harm our local economy. Also, it is unlikely that Brown’s leadership would be contested as he holds a fifty five approval rating, compared to Barrack Obama whose approval rating is at fifty four percent.
Muhammad Ali is a the first three time Heavy Weight champion. He is known for his boxing proficiency and strength. He is the protecting and military of the society as he is a virtually undefeated warrior. His strength could also be used for labor.
Sandy Cheeks is a main character in the television program, SpongeBob Square Pants. She is known as an inventor and scientists in the series as she has created: A teleporter, spaceship, cloning machine, and so much more. Also, she has undergone many adventures with SpongeBob exploring the depths of their underwater town, known as bikini bottom. She can put these adventuring skills to use as the society’s explorer.
Mother Mary is a divine addition to an ideal society. Mother Mary is a nurturing mother figure who would have no trouble nurturing the other members of society, as she had the challenge of nurturing Jesus, the son of God. In stories such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Mother Mary’s image was put on a shield, emphasizing her worth as a protector. Naturally she would be society’s healer as she would protect everyone’s health.
Lastly, author and comedian Lewis Black is a comedic necessity for an ideal society. Black has hosted the laugh Detroit comedy festival, and is famous for many comedy acts of his own such as: “Red, White, and Screwed”. Black has a unique and an uncanny talent for satirical comedy covering many current topics from Gay marriage to his opinion on social networking sites. Also, Black is an intellectual who has written many books such as Me of Little Faith and Nothing’s Sacred. These books offer entertaining insight to some of life’s most peculiar dilemmas and trivialities and demonstrate Black’s talent as an enlightener.

Create your own chivalric code with ten steps

1) A man in the military should always defend their country and be willing to sacrifice his own life.

2)A man in the military should always treat prisoners of war with respect.

3) A man in the military should never allow a fellow woman solider to enter a dangerous environment before himself.

4) A man in the military should share his income with his family.

5) A man in the military should never leave a fellow comrade behind to preserve his own safety

6) A man in the military ought to kill an enemy in order to protect his own men.

7) A man in the military should never loot enemy houses for spoils of war.

8) A man in the military should never kill unarmed civilians even if they support the opposition.

9) A man in the military should never except a bribe in any form.

10) A man in the military should retreat with honor when a battle is lost.

Essential Question #4

Hrothgar's parting words to Beowulf attempt to remind him to stay away from one particular vice: arrogance. Hrothgar claimed, "He suffers no setbacks until the seed of arrogance is sown and grows within him, while still the watchman slumbers; how deeply the soul's guardian sleeps when a man is enmeshed in the matters of this world; the evil archer stands close with his drawn bow, his bristling quiver" (Lines 1702-1708). Here Hrothgar claims that arrogance is the root of setbacks and avoiding life's inconveniences is as simple as remaining humble. Hrothgar similarly commands Beowulf to be weary of his pride: "Arm yourself, dear Beowulf, best of men, against such diseased thinking; always swallow pride (Lines 1742-1743). This once again reinforces the necessity that Beowulf's self esteem is kept at a healthy murmur. Due to the nature of Beowulf, I believe this speech by Hrothgar is foreshadowing the very downfall of Beowulf. So far, Beowulf has slain numerous sea dwelling creatures and all of Cain's demonic lineage. Any physical adversary has proven insufficient to bring about Beowulf's downfall. The author would need to make Beowulf physically weaker in order to have him defeated. If Beowulf were to become arrogant and lose the will to train, another opponent who has been diligently training could potentially defeat him. A death of such a seemingly unbreakable hero would serve as the ultimate warning from the author to help his reader understand just how important Christian virtues are.

Essential #3: How is Wealtheow portrayed? What does she do? can we expect of Anglo Saxon Women

Wealtheow is like high ranking slave. The fact that she serves the king his mead demonstrates her secondary nature.The author refers to her as, "excellent in mind" (615). In other words, a woman who serves a man is the ideal anglo saxon woman. We can expect very little from her due to to her subservient nature. We discussed in class, that a large part of being a hero involves gaining respect from others. The food and drink that she provides for Beowulf and his men are a token of her respect demonstrating that all women ought to offer tokens of their gratitude to men who look to protect them.

What are the social obligations of a hero?

The social obligations of a hero are to weed out injustice where ever it may lie. The difference between a true hero and a good person is the manner in which they go about dealing with this injustice.In the story of the good Samaritan, a man was robbed and badly beaten, left to die by his aggressor. Men of high credibility who were particularly good in speaking what they believe were simply unwilling to aid a dying man. A priest and a Levite pass the man while a socially shunned Samaritan finally resolves to help the dying man. Here in the gospel of Luke, we are given a demonstration of the hypocrisy that can occur when believes do not coincide with corresponding actions.This would be an example of a good person who gives charity to the poor. While Jesus would be the Christian hero as he died to eliminate structural sin within the hearts and minds of the romans. Jesus's death gave way to the catholic as he died in the hopes to bring justice. In other words, Heroes are required to pluck the roots injustice rather than simply trim its branches.

How do we create division in our society?

Michael Rossi
September 9th, 2010
Advanced Placement English Literature
How do we create division in our society (Respond in 15 sentences)


Division occurs on a small level, within the educational system. Students often organize themselves into cliques that share a similar interests or physical features such as the nerds, jocks, Blacks, Caucasians, Hispanics, Skaters, or any other kinds of cliques. Each of these groups are different organs in the student body that are magnificent on their own, but ultimately exist to give life to the student body. Just as an animal cannot survive with only seventy eight of any one organ, a student body would perish without variety. The more these groups try to focus on the differences between each clique, the more difficult brotherly unity becomes and the cancer of disunity begins to eat away at the student body clique by clique.
On a larger scale, countries are often guilty of spreading this cancer through foreign policy. A supreme example of this would be the tension that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union during the cold war. The United States government felt the need to contain communism as they considered it a grave threat democracy worldwide. The government portrayed communists are grotesque looking men whose heads were as blank as their hearts. America was thrown in to such hysteria that (for a short time) they began the red scare, hunting communists as puritanical Massachusetts had hunted witches.
Both large scale and small scale division often call for those who alien others to first dehumanize them. Rather than think of the soviets as our brothers from Russia or Kazakhstan, we were first ready to call them communists. Rather than recognize our peers as a community as brothers and sisters, one is often quick to categorize outsiders at school into a stereotype or clique, rather than try to welcome him or her as a brother. This connection emphasizes the fact that even modern world leaders are not exempt from a childlike form of alienation against their foreign brothers and sisters. If not put in check, a rugged sense of individualism can result in individual insanity or give rise to tyrannical rulers of an entire nation.

Use a character to reveal the writer's feelings about a place or a group of people.

Michael Rossi
May 17, 2010
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition

My Front Is On Fire, I’d Better Stop, Drop, and Roll

My first week of high school started with a bang and ended in flames. All of the fellows from my old school had abandoned me to enlist in upper echelon schools, while I had attended a small school in Newton, expecting everyone to be Newtonians whose wealth is exceeded only by their intelligence. I had imagined that the student body’s most common names would include Charles and Darwin. I waited to be woven into the aristocratic fibers of Newton’s tapestry, however my imaginative tapestry was chewed to shreds by the infestation of hood rats.
A hood rat was the title that many of the inner-city student body labeled themselves as. The term stuck the moment that I heard it. As the year progressed I found hood rats to be an appropriate title as poison kills rats, and this brand poisoned themselves. I recall a group viewing a disturbing collection of photos and them shrieking like rats when they noticed the face of an educator lamely peering over their shoulders. The corner on the upper floor of the building reminded me of the arched hole that rats are often shown living in. Little did I know, in this playful analogy I was the rat food.
Within the first month I worked like a slave, and I treated my academics as if it was manual backbreaking labor. I was furious that I had not been placed in honors English so I figured I could do one of two things to demonstrate my protest: First, I could either do no work in order to demonstrate that I did not accept the class as my own. Second, I could do everything to absolute perfection, and read all my books ahead of time so that when the teacher went around asking us our initial thoughts about the book I would demonstrate a deep literary knowledge down to each book’s most subtle nuance. I chose the latter, as I felt it emphasized my class placement as their mistake, not mine. While I excelled academically, my social life was largely neglected. This never really struck me as a problem, until English class, where my class was reviewing vocabulary words for the weekly quiz. The teacher was reviewing the vocabulary, I guess to ensure that we were mentally capable of typing words into Google. As I had completed the assignment a day or two in advance, (and fairly confident in my ability to use Google) my mind was adrift in some far off land: “What class did I have next?”. I saw my classmate named Kalie turn to me and whisper, “Hey mike what was the last word”. I lunged for my paper underneath my chair and read the word that I had thought we were on, so as to seem like I had been following along the entire time. I said, “Commemorate means to observe semicolon (yes I actually said semicolon) to respond to memory” at the exact same time as the teacher. It sounded like a horrible duet. Kalie simply glared at me in astonishment so as to say, “Are you fucking serious?”. Apparently, I had said this a tad louder than a whisper, and the entire class was glancing to the back of the classroom where I had been sitting. After a dreadfully long wide- eyed pause of blankly starring at me, Kalie simply let out a languid, “Damn”. It was as if the verbatim recitation had sapped any fun she was having right out of her day. I actually felt quite badly and realized that a social life would do me quite a bit of good.
Later that day there was a boy named Sammy whose locker was directly next to mine. I decided to step outside of my comfort zone. He dropped a black pen behind him where I was following. He had absolutely no idea that he had dropped it as he had been storming towards our history class. “Hey man! You dropped your pen”, I said. He turned to face me as I handed him a pen. He did not extend his hand to withdraw the pen, but rather he stared at it and looked at me as if I had three heads. I looked at the pen I was handing him and it was blue. I laughed at the stupidity of the situation, as did a few bystanders. Apparently Sammy did not take it this way. He believed that I was laughing at his ability to distinguish his own black pen from the random blue one. Hey closed the proximity between his face and mine and yelled: “Step off dog, you’s fronting”. I was fronting? What the heck was fronting. I examine the shirt on the front of my body, It was immaculately clean. What else was wrong with my front? I looked a tad lower than my shirt and noticed that the metal part of my zipper protruded into the cloth part of the pants. Did he mistake this for an boner? That must be what fronting is! I cleverly responded, “No it’s actually just my zipper”. The peanut gallery behind me chimed in with a hysterical laugh, followed by numerous finger points in my direction. Sammy apparently deduced that I was not through with my verbal assault. He grabbed me by the collar of my polo and flung me up against the locker. The sharp pain in my neck set off waves of adrenaline and I was shaking with rage. My mind went wild with an infinite number of ways I could free myself from his clutches and use my knowledge of karate to make him beg for mercy. I resisted my bestial urges and simply uttered a barley audible, “sorry” through my teeth.
As the late bell rang Sammy issued a punch to my chest and ran into history. I hobbled closely after him only to have a door shut in my face. After the teacher let me into the classroom, I took up my seat in the front of the class only to be greeted by Sammy, who decided that his seat was not nearly as comfortable as the one right next to mine. Mr. Salvato resumed his discussion of World War II. Mr. Salvato asked if anyone knew the location where the atomic bombs were dropped. Without missing a beat I raised my hand answering Hiroshima and Nagasaki. I had not learned a thing from English class. Sammy recognized this display of historical knowledge as a challenge. Mr. Salvato resumed and spoke of the inescapable destruction of the atomic bomb. The atomic bomb was known to leave entire cities in smoking craters, leaving absolutely no life left in its destructive path. The atomic bomb would obliterate anything in a split second and reduce a victim to atoms. Trying to exceed my level of intellectual contribution, Sammy felt the need to question anything more impressive than himself when he cried out and the atomic bomb certainly stole the spotlight:“Wait couldn’t you just stop drop and roll!?”. The whole class roared with laughter. I did not even chuckle. I was shocked. Was that really a question? Mr. Salvato dully responded, “You can’t stop drop and roll if you’re completely incinerated”. Awakening from my stupefied comma I broke out in laughter based solely on the seriousness of Mr. Salvato’s response to such a ridiculous question. I was in for quite a year.

AP 40 minute timed essay: Report: China to Overtake U.S. As World's Biggest Asshole by 2020

Michael Rossi
April 29, 2010
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition
40 Minute Timed Essay AP Test Practice: What is the author's message, and how does he use diction and syntax to achieve that goal?

This Town Ain’t Big Enough for the Both of Us

The United States lost its touch as being the most hated country in the international community, and the torch of despicable public opinion has been handed to China. The author utilizes aggressive messages, diction, and syntax to make for an unreserved, satiric work.
The author questions the significance in which the media and society place in attributes that make up a strong nation. Economic, financial, and political assertion is the stem of national progression in which China paints as positive. The Author’s main message, through syntax and diction, is to demonstrate his biased belief against the commentary in most articles.
The author’s clever us of utilizes syntax lays the censorious seed that eventually blossoms into full blown satire: “It’s the dawning of a new huge bastard era” (Article 1). Here the author weaves vulgarity into an otherwise orthodox editorial paper. Doing this exposes the ridiculous nature of China’s so-called progression. Replacing a vital part of the sentence with bastard shows how disposable and empty the sentence is as; anything could be put in front of it and have read almost exactly the same.
The author further waters his satire with the spring water of well placed diction By adopting the stylistic choices of commonly positive works, the author is able to attribute the written positive connotation into a vulgar denotation. An excellent exhibition of this concept can be seen as the other claims, “A country like Iran is obviously a pretty big dick, but ultimately it lacks the resources to be a truly world-class asshole” (Article 1). Pretty big dick and world class asshole could easily be replaced personify Iran as possessing it with insults that typically pertain only to humans. Through diction, the author is able to simplify the complicated national issues as childish insults, in order to expose the childlike values that some countries posses.
The author utilizes aggressive messages, diction, and syntax to make for an unreserved, satiric work. In the end, the author was forced to plan his satiric work with the hope that he could help revive from society from the fire of immorality that swept the political spectrums of the international community. The tree of knowledge starts stems from the nurturing of satire.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Michael Rossi
April 3, 2010
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition
The Picture of Dorian Gray Essay Topic #1

Study Up

Adhering to the conscience is God’s test. The notes of public redemption are the methods of studying test. One ought to treat society as a means of preparation for the most difficult test possible. If one cannot please his countrymen with his repentance how can he hope to please God? The characters from the texts: The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, and The Picture of Dorian Gray had wildly different approaches to such an exam. In The Crucible, Abigail flunked the test by trying to cheat Salem’s court while Proctor simply did not study. In the Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale crammed just before the test, while Hester passed with the flying colors of repentance after years of study. Dorian, from The Picture of Dorian Gray, simply refused to take the test.
In The Crucible, Abigail attempted to lean away from her conscience in order to peer over the court’s shoulder to exploit its knowledge. A fatal problem with private redemption is that it relies on the moral perfection of an individual to actively pursue self-improvement, while too many simply offer no room for self-reflection. Abigail is a perfect example of one who would exploit such a system. Abigail perfected the art of manipulation, enabling her to take the quiet insecurities of Salem and brazen them with color: “Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty that the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it!” (Miller 108). Abigail never ceased painting her evil through the town, and never once allotted herself the time to reflect upon what she had created. Abigail is forced to pathologically lie in order to prevent Salem from learning of the threads of lechery that existed within the cloak of secrecy that shrouded them from Salem’s view. In the shallow confides of Abigail’s mind she never once considered the morality of her actions, because she never had to. There was no publicity to slow her down and remind her of sins. Abigail was caught up in her conquest of the people of Salem for any sort of reflection. Although Paris told Abigail, “your punishment will come in its time,” (10) one must consider the purpose of punishment, reform. Abigail became a prostitute and led a wretched life, however her punishment was worthless. The loose grasp of private redemption allowed Abigail to escape from her problems without addressing them, while public shaming at the gallows would have done well to ensure the she could never forget her trespasses.
Private redemption is not only a flawed system for cheaters, but also those simply do not know how to go about studying. One will seldom find serendipity of any kind if they refuse to confront repressed feelings. In The Crucible, Proctor’s lechery with Abigail was profoundly responsible for the witch-trails. Since Proctor could not reveal his sin to Salem, (because he would be hanged) he strived to cope with his sin by ignoring his sin in private. The only reason why Proctor was redeemed is because he was on trial by Salem. Although they were trying him for the wrong reasons, the trial taught him the fortitude and selflessness necessary to truly be redeemed in God’s eyes: “Because it is my name! […] How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Miller 143). This demonstrates that no matter how erroneous a society is, so long as it forces some degree of public redemption, a better end product is produced. Proctor conducted himself as a bright man in the community who was capable of carrying out much of his redemption; however, he needed to be spurred by an outside influence. Imagine that The Crucible’s court is an awful parent and Proctor is its child. Although a parent may mistakenly adopt a parenting route that consisted only of public punishments (such as making the child stand in the corner) instead of afflicting his child with shame, the parent is still punishing the child for the right reasons. The child, whether he cares about his actions or not, will come to hate shame and develop a fear of punishment. The child will naturally try to bring about an end to shame in the future and will think about the actions that could potentially be the cause of his punishment. Eventually the child will adapt to their parents’ whims, and in doing so, the child will be forced into self-reflection. Thus, Proctor was forced by the results of the trial to be introspective and seek public redemption. With the town standing over him, he reviewed the class notes of public redemption and gave everything he had to pass the test (quite literally).
Proctor actively sought well, but was still largely spurred by external factors. Dimmesdale on the other hand, demonstrated altruism after his affair with Hester, but suffered at the neglectful hands of his private redemption. Dimmesdale was trapped in a vicious cycle. Dimmesdale sinned. He cannot stand his sin and feels the need to repent. Dimmesdale, bound by his responsibility to the community, could not repent, for he believed that his people would lose faith in God and be led astray. He cannot openly discuss his sin because he believes he will be harming his followers’ faith, so he only speaks of how wretched he is. The people love him even more as they view his self loathing as simply humbling himself: “He had told his hearers that he was altogether vile, a viler companion of the vilest […] They heard it all, and did but reverence him more” (Hawthorne 131). As the people’s love for Dimmesdale increases, his guilt and self hatred are only intensified. As a result, he punishes himself by flogging (which he believes is God’s will). Dimmesdale was struggling so intensely with his atonement because there was no clarity upon which he could draw his guidance from. Private redemption automatically assumes that since the redemption is done in solitude, so must come the all answers. The only problem was that Dimmesdale was stuck and could not figure a way out. Public redemption would have allowed Dimmesdale to atone for his own sins while still appearing as a hero to his people who would learn from him the rugged commitment of self-improvement.
Hester demonstrated what it means to take advantage of public redemption. Early in the The Scarlet Letter, Hester was branded with a scarlet A. Later on, Hester was able to change the meaning of the scarlet letter: “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able;” (Hawthorne 146). Public redemption transformed Hester from a whore into a, “living sermon against sin” (Hawthorne 59). It was the notes and guides of public redemption that forced the impetuous upon Hester to reflect upon her sins and flee from the failure of lies.
In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian had no room for public or private redemption. He was far too busy absorbing and living Lord Henry’s witticisms. One of those witticisms happened to deconstruct the holiness that one typically considers as the nature of a conscience: “Conscience makes egotists out of us all” (Wilde 106). Even if one does not believe in a conscience or governing presence outside of one’s body, one must still chronically undergo self-improvement. If one does not, one is accepting iniquity, which does not satisfy even the most selfish beings on the planet.
Dorian’s fall from grace is far worse than any of the characters in The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. Dorian’s fall emphasizes the need for public redemption as he received the least amount of societal pressure. While Hester succeeded in her redemption, Abigail, Proctor, and Dimmesdale ultimately failed in utilizing public redemption. Dorian was engaged in situations similar to those of Abigail, Proctor and Dimmesdale, yet he fared far worse and could not attain redemption.
Dorian does not run from his society like Abigail, but rather he wars against it. When Abigail’s plan was challenged, she ran away steaming with rage. Basil risked his good favor with Dorian in order to warn him of what he is becoming: “Then there are other stories-stories that you have been seen creeping at dawn out of dreadful houses and slinking in disguise into the foulest dens in London” (Wilde 156). Dorian did not simply run as Abigail did, but rather he cut Basil to ribbons. With no one around to help police him, Dorian in his naivety, did not possess the mental capacity to appropriately reflect and repent for his actions. Instead of reflecting upon his actions, Dorian simply had the body destroyed, in the hopes that his guilt would accompany it.
In The Crucible, Proctor took up private redemption in the hopes that his lechery would be forgotten. In the end, Proctor was forced to repent and he died in the name of his pride. Dorian never once sought any form of redemption, public or private. Proctor never had the luxury of having a picture that showed him his soul with which he could use as a stimulus for change.
Dimmesdale had a bout with his conscience and was being tested without studying. Dimmesdale’s vicious cycle of sin was only so devastating to him because he did not have the slightest drop of apathy in the sea of his mind. Dorian did not even know how to care. Since Lord Henry taught Dorian that his conscience would make an egotist out of him, he knew not what to attribute his feelings of guilt or a moral nudge to: “‘Good heavens! I have hit a beater!’ “[…] ‘ I wish it were stopped forever, Harry,’ he answered bitterly. ‘The whole thing is hideous and cruel’” (Wilde 207-208). If Dorian listened to his conscience, he would have stepped in to help the injured man instead of complain about what happened to him. In order to save himself, Dorian needed to publicize his problems and seek help from the community. Towards the novel’s end Wilde endorses public redemption when he claimed, “Yet it was his duty to confess, to suffer public shame, and to make public atonement.” (Wilde 228). Doing this would have been enough to change Dorian for the better. Dorian was not completely evil, only extremely ignorant, and education can always cure a misguided soul. Dorian turned to opium in order to suppress his problems: “To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul” (Wilde 189). Curing the soul is done through meditation and centering oneself, in order to find peace and determine what must be done to fix life’s problems. Opium and other drugs only distract one from the chronic problems that only tend to worsen from neglect. Looking inward is the first step to fixing internal problems, not the conclusive one. After one is able to focus his thoughts, one ought to refer his ideas to a neighbor in order to insure the right path is chosen and one’s conscience is in check.
Adhering to the conscience is God’s test. Studying the notes of public redemption is the only way to pass the test. Dorian was once as pure as a fresh blanket of snow, until he stopped reviewing his conscience altogether. In Dorian’s eyes, Lord Henry became Dorian’s God and Lord Henry’s witticisms became Dorian’s conscience. Dorian’s failure is a message to the reader. Humans must never lose sight of what their test will be about; they must study by following their consciences. In the end, the conscience is God’s test and Dorian failed his test so that Wilde’s readers may pass theirs.








Works Cited
Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Barnes & Noble Classics, 2003.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1986.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin Group, 1976.

Lord Henry Character Descriptions

Rossi, 1
Michael Rossi
March 28, 2010
Advanced Placement English - Mr. George

Morally Bankrupt

Lord Henry is unwilling to acknowledge the thread of morality as a part of the fabric in the tapestry of life.
Lord Henry is not morally neutral, but morally askew due to his responsibility for Dorian’s corruption. Lord Henry is to be held responsible for manipulating Dorian. While Dorian is a fool, someone as intelligent as Lord Henry is capable of being mindful of their audience and ought to exercise prudence. When Lord Henry advocates that Dorian, “cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul” (Wilde 189), Lord Henry is offering a tantalizing (for interpretation) concept. Dorian would naturally turn to the most obvious form of emotional suppression, drugs. Peoples’ environment must always be kept in mind. Lord Henry’s influence over Dorian is similar to the influence of father over a young child; his word is law.
Lord Henry is luring Dorian to his own grave. Each one of Lord Henry’s witticisms is a fresh pile of dirt that traps Dorian in a grave of confusion. Lord Henry’s influences over Dorian are the screws of self-destruction which found a home in the boards of Dorian’s coffin. Dorian is slowly being buried by Lord Henry’s tantalizing suggestions.
Lord Henry and Adolf Hitler both exerted their influence over a desperate group of people whom they led down the dark path to iniquity.







Rossi, 2
Works Cited

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2003.

Dorian Gray Character Description

Rossi, 1

Michael Rossi
March 28, 2010
Advanced Placement English/ Mr. George

No Love from Lady Luck

The beauty and opportunity that the world had given to Dorian proved to be a fool’s gamble.
Dorian Gray has exhibited only stupidity and imprudence with his beauty and position of aristocracy. Dorian was blessed with the opportunity of having Lord Henry around who could aid Dorian in his intellectual development. A master’s teaching is ultimately adopted or denied in relation to a student’s understanding. Dorian blindly accepted almost every word that escaped from Lord Henry’s mouth: “Pleasure is Nature’s test, her sign of approval” (Wilde 82). Dorian did not even analyze his new mantra before assimilating it into his own philosophy: “I have never searched for happiness. Who wants happiness? I have searched for pleasure” (Wilde 202). Lord Henry never acted upon his witticisms, but was rather fascinated by them in their emptiness. It was Dorian who had put this ideology to the test by lusting after opium only to brush shoulders with death.
Dorian is as worthless as a gamble. Dorian rolls the dice of destiny and blindly continues gambling away his innocence, ignorant of the fact that the three dice landed straight sixes. Dorian flushes every penny of his soul down the toilet of self-destruction and is drowned in debt. In the end, Dorian did not have enough moral capital in the bank to make a life saving withdrawal and suffered from his moral insolvency.
Dorian and Paris Hilton both abused their beauty and wealth throughout life only to lose their innocence in the process.
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Works Cited

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2003.

Witticisms

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Michael Rossi
March 28, 2010
Advanced Placement English/ Mr. George

Witticisms

1: Emptying a woman’s mind of all suffering, results in the emptying of a husband’s pockets.
2: I will not stand for women’s suffering, so let us not give them suffrage.
3: A servant is the best kind of friend. A normal friend will support you as you carry life’s burdens, while a servant will carry them for you.
4: I do not participate in sports because I am an excellent critic.
5: You say Dorian fell into moral darkness, but perhaps he never fell. He remained true to himself no matter what personality he wore.
6: Do I blame God for suffering? Of course I do not. I am a tad perturbed, that he refuses to
reveal himself to me, but since he does not exist I cannot blame him. Do you ask a ghost to come out of the closet?
7: Faith (in God) is the chain and lock that binds a life of intellectual growth. Thoughts are the key that shatter God’s shackles.
8: Learning English does not birth new knowledge. It simply teaches one to read what life has already written.
9: My synapses demonstrate their fitness as I turn lap after lap while your synapses exhaust themselves just stretching.
10: My wife looked forward to marriage because she looked forward to continuing her intellectual exploration of me, little did she know I looked forward to marriage under the impression that such development would stop.




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Works Cited

Wilde, Oscar. The Picture of Dorian Gray. New York: Barnes and Noble, 2003.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapters 19-20

"' But then one regrets the loss even of one's worst habits. Perhaps one regrets them the most. They are such an essential part of one's personality.' " (Wilde 218).

A renowned, ancient Chinese proverb claims that once one stops changing one start to die. A goal of life ought to be chronic self improvement. Once one is able to realize their poor attributes and accepts them, one is taking the first steps to iniquity. This is so because if one accepts a single vice,(which will lead to sin) then one learn to accept sin as a value effectively stripping one of any sense of morality. If one does not realize his sin it may be to quiet a thing to realize, like a cancer withering away at one's core. If one realizes one's sin only to thumb one's nose at change, it is like one simply refusing to step off train tracks. It is a small way to avoid a large problem. The train tracks of iniquity mark the path upon which one must step out of if they wish to avoid the sin steaming and chugging down hell's tracks.



"It would kill the past, and when that was dead he would be free. It would kill this monstrous soul-life, and without its hideous warning he would be at peace. He seized the thing, and stabbed the picture with it"

Throughout Dorian's life he dealt with an affliction of the soul. Since confession was out of the question for Dorian, he need a way to cope with his withering soul. He needed, " 'To cure the soul by means of the senses ' " (Wilde 189). In his past, Dorian simply refused to acknowledge his sins for repentance. Rather than acknowledge and atone for his sins throughout his life, he waited for a single moment to soak in the acidic liquid of sin. The sponge of Dorian's mind was useless when tainted by such a toxic chemical and Dorian realized it need to be wrung dry. No drug on earth could suffice to appease one so emotionally distraught. Through death did Dorian no longer have to worry about stimulating his senses. Instead he destroyed them entirely.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapter 16-18

" 'To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul' : [...] "The hideous hunger for opium began to gnaw at him" (Wilde 189-190).

Intoxication often expedites the path to hell especially if one is already treading its way. In the Homer's Odyssey Odysseus encountered a island of lotus eaters where many people fell to its seductive grasp never to leave the island. Opium is a example of a present-day lotus eater. Dorian tries to cure worldly problems. Drugs only blind one to chronic problems, poisoning them. Yet, Dorian surrendered to his poor judgement and wanted an over stimulation of the senses only to meet another broken soul (James Vane) who had almost taken his life. Life is a workout. In order to become stronger, one must climb the stairs of life and not take opium's elevator for weak muscles and a quick high.



" ' I have never searched for happiness. Who wants happiness? I have searched for pleasure. ' " (Wilde 202).

Life is a gift. The bows of life's high points produce a smile of satisfaction when looked upon its aesthetic pleasure. Dorian claims that he replaces happiness with pleasure. Pleasure is immediate gratification and must be repeated. Happiness is a complex conglomerate of emotions converging upon the overarching disposition of one's life. Replacing a long term, deep happiness with short-lived pleasure is like using a relationship with a partner for sexual intercourse rather than mutual growth. One will leave one satisfied for a life-time, while another will satisfy someone for the afternoon and harm them later. Drugs are the step in which Dorian turns to in order to stimulate his pleasure. In the long run, his body will exhibit adverse consequences to his short sighted attempts to remedy life, ultimately expediting his death. The wrapping papers of pleasure are not enough to substantiate the gift of life made whole by the present of happiness beneath the thin layer of pleasure.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapter 15

" 'A Man can be happy with any woman, as long as he does not love her' " (Wilde 184).

The rejection of love is the exact reason that Lord Henry cannot find happiness in marriage. Overcoming difficult internal obstacles yield far greater internal rewards, then simple ones. Lord Henry does not acknowledge that the goal of marriage should be love. Instead Lord Henry strives to resist love. The rejection of love is emblematic of the rejection of goals. Lord Henry has no goals so he cannot be disappointed. It is a juvenile psychological coping mechanism, that stems from a low self esteem. The thick shell of Lord Henry's feinged indifferance indicates a fear of being cracked.



"How inquisitive you are, Harry! You always want to know what one has been doing". (Wilde 186).

Dorian has been wary of Lord Henry's ever prying eyes. Dorian has not been talking to Lord Henry as frequentely ever since Dorian has acknowledge Lord Henry's influence. Dorian has effectively disconnected the communication's lines with which they have been speaking. Dorian is been expedentally selective with the information which he shares with Lord Henry. The problem is that Dorian is blaming Lord Henry for the disconnect. This situation shares many parallels with a child who becomes flustered at a parent who beset them with insistent request as to what they will be doing. In the child's eyes, the trust he believes that his parents hold for him would be questioned. In actuallity, the parents have to infer upon the side of their child which the child had not selected to show to them. The flame of Dorian's anger blames the kindling of Lord Henry questioning for the fire, which Dorian himself hadresolved to start.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapter 14

"But youth smiles without any reason. It is one of its chiefest charms" (Wilde 166).

The youth's glimmering smiles belie a suppressed emotions. One does not smile out of instinct, but out of an emotion. If friends or family members see a loved one smiling it could never hurt as to inquire why, because it may be for a dangerous reason. In Dorian's case, an aimless smile was a hysterical smile which foreshadowed the destruction of Basil's corpse upstairs. Psychologically sound individuals often have little difficulty expressing their emotions. Stress ventilation is extremely important in some way. If one cannot displace their thoughts they are destined to think inwardly about them and eventually act upon them. Dorian does not have anyone with which he can freely and safely relate his feelings. Basil does not want to believe Doriah's poor qualities while Lord Henry simply hear everything through policital ears in which he wishes to gain control of the inter workings of Dorian's mind. Expression is the water of an intellect with constant thirst. Allow the lack of expression to continue and the tendrils of the mind will whither and die.



"Poor Basil! What a horrible way for a man to die!" (Wilde 169).

Haphazard ideology is the cancer of society. If everyone in modern day society lived life as Dorian does, the world would be a perfectly dis-topic. Dorian apologizes and retreats from his own thoughts and will not confess to his crimes. In the Middle East, war is difficult because the United States has difficulty identifying and locating its enemies. When there was a military to face the United States quickly defeated its enemies in the coalition of the willing. Now war is more difficult because we are not fighting organized ranks of men, but a concept of anarchy and hatred hiding under the skirts of the average citizen. In the same way, Dorian would be easier to stop if he was open about crimes and not cower before the punishment. If the waters of duplicity ran as fiercely through the rivers of society as much as they do Dorian, then the world is doomed (with no one to blame).

The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapters 13-14

"The wind had blown the fog away, and the sky was like a monstrous peacock's tail, starred with myriads of golden eyes" (Wilde 163).

The fog is a metaphor for the discrepancy in Dorian's actions. He berated Sibyl Vane to the point where she took her life. He then decides to make amends for his scoldings by writing her an apology letter. Early on, Dorian fluctuated between darkness and light as frequently as the moon changes the tides. Ultimately, it was Basil who kept the tide of Dorian's emotions receding towards goodness while Lord Henry had his emotions flow towards evil. Dorian's fancy towards lord Henry whipped up an evil storm that is sure to have devastating consequences. Now that Basil has been murdered, there is no one who can keep Dorian's emotional tides at bay.



"No! don't think of that. Look at the matter purely from the scientific point of view" (Wilde 174).

Dorian flaunts his stupidity by exhibiting a misunderstanding of science. In humanity's very nature we are bound to question life. The very definition of science is the separation between knowledge and ignorance.The Scientific point of view entails the exploration of all the matters of an issue. For years Scientists believed that there was no definitive maximum speed in the universe. Albert Einstein set them straight. Einstein demonstrated that time is in fact relative. In his younger years (on route to work), Einstein, while riding a train, wondered if light reached if time was relative. Einstein taught that time is relative to the speed in which one moves. Nothing is truly at rest unless they are at rest relative to another object. What this means is that the concept of time as humanity knew it, was merely an illusion. Asking a scientist to employ science and not to analyze is like shooting someone at point blank range with a shot gun and asking them not to die. The request is unnatural and utterly ridiculous. In the sense of the definition, Dorian did help the reader experiment with the definition by helping them to organize Dorian into the ignorant section.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapters 11-12

"It was rumored of him once that he was about to join the Roman Catholic communion; and certainly the Roman ritual had always a great attraction for him. The daily sacrifice,more awful really than all the sacrifices of the antique world," (Wilde 135).

The artists and sculptors who crafted Catholic art did not do so so others would worship what the statue looks like, but what the figure represents. Dorian wish join Catholicism because of sheer aesthetic pleasure is almost feral. Wishing to be a part Catholicism automatically evokes the endorsement of the message that it is trying to proclaim. Dorian's whimsy demonstrates his inability to bear true artistic wisdom. Catholic art is based on the advocation of morals, while Dorian embodies the artistic uselessness that Wilde proclaimed in his preface. Dorian's tanning rays of aesthetic acceptance externally beautify the body of Catholicism, unaware of the sheer cancerous malignancy being embedded in the core of its message.



"Dorian had been poisoned by a book. There were moments when he looked on evil simply as a mode through which he could realize his conception of the beautiful" (Wilde 150).

Art is aesthetic work which exceeds ordinary significance. The intentionality of the artist is factored into the value of art. Lord Henry's book was not given out of the hopes to artistically inspire Dorian but to control him. People may say that it is Dorian who makes the decision to act upon Lord Henry's influences, but it is Lord Henry who realizes the damage that the book will cause Dorian. Lord Henry's values are the hunger that Drives Dorian to indulge himself in every fantasy that his mind fabricates. Humanity extends its hands to accept art. It is the hot whips of evil that that burn art into an elusive vapor that flees from humanity's grip. One cannot appreciate the last glimpse of art as they are distracted by Lord Henry cynically clutching a match.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapters 9-10

"Don't leave me, Basil, and don't quarrel with me. I am what I am. There is nothing more to be said" (114).

I am what I am. That is quite an interesting way to make a defense. Dorian implores Basil to ignore his actions and blindly accept him? Doing what Dorian asks will afflict Basil with the mark of a disloyal friend. An individual's identity is constantly changing. An ancient Chinese proverb (with no definitive author) once said that once one stops changing, they start dying. This could not be closer to the truth. An ideal friend would actively pursue the goodness in another, regardless of the personal risk. Imagine if the parchment of Dorian's philosophy was woven into the bills of legislation that is issued by our modern day government. The government could hostilely strip America of its rights, leaving our civil bodies exposed and open to abuse. The violation of our rights could be justified under the farce that government is taking the necessary steps in order to preserve its identity.



"His own soul was looking out at him from the canvas and calling him to judgement. A look of pain came across him and he flung the rich pall over the picture" (123).

The author makes the role of Basil's painting remarkably similar to the role of one's conscience (which is to act as an internal system for determining right and wrong). One's conscience screams like a banshee whenever an objectively wrong act is committed. The deafening blast is inescapable regardless of apathy's earplugs that vainly struggle to quell the noise. Dorian's conscience was replaced by a visual personification of his actions. Rather than constantly clench his ears in the hopes of drowning out his guilt he moves the source of his problems into the virtually soundproof realm of his old playroom. One's conscience calls from deep within us, immune to all riddance. Even if Dorian did not stow the painting away, but use it like a conscience, he could only reference the painting after he has committed the act. Dorian can only hear the echoes of the painting while his dead conscience screams in silence.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapter 7-8

"The picture had not changed. It was a folly to think so" (Wilde 96).

The art itself did not change. It was Dorian's perception of art that was warped. When most people think of art, they think of an abstract criteria that man's aesthetic creations meet. Early in the text Dorian blindly accepts everything he is told and is happy. Now that Dorian has tried to uphold a certain criteria for art, his innocence has vanished. Originally Dorian consumed all beauty as artistic rendition. Now Dorian accepted very little and is beginning to starve his conscience of objective goodness.

"When we blame ourselves we feel that no one else has the right to blame us. It is the confession, not the priest, that gives us absolution" (Wilde 100).

In The Crucible, the townspeople made the fatal error of valuing the publicity of a confession over its purpose to cleanse sins. This has existed as a serious problem for the haughty man in the bible to the haughty ones in the white house. The Speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi frequently spends large sums of tax payer dollars on military transportation and airline luxuries. The Military she used cost about sixty thousand dollars one-way. Some politicians pretend to carry a tired America on the backs of outward charity. They pat us on the leg with their promises of change, but when the burden becomes a tad difficult, America is abandoned only to find a violated pocket of American trust and the absence of the wallet of taxpayer dollars.

The Picture of Dorian Gray Chapter 4

1)"You will always be loved, and you will always be in love with love" (Wilde 53).

This statement bears a strong parallel to the pointlessness of some analysis pointed out in the Abolition of man. C.S. Lewis claimed that a waterfall can be objectively
sublime. Gaius and Titius falsely purported that the waterfall was not sublime, but that the description was speaking towards the speakers own feelings. In the same way, one cannot be in love with love. The impetuous for love is the feelings towards another human. One may say that another is simply in love with those feelings, but in doing so one rejects the idea of love as a concept of selfless devotion and ineffable feelings of attraction. In doing so, one's entire basis for argument is striped from under his feet.


2)"You said to me once that pathos left you unmoved, but that beauty, mere beauty, could fill your eyes with tears" (Wilde 54).

Dorian and Harry both have trouble seeing things clearly. Dorian blindly accepts anything that appeals to him by its face value. Harry on the other hand, accepts nothing. Dorian cannot see through deception while Harry can see nothing but deception. The concept of Wilde's personality division within his characters is brazenly obvious and is once again demonstrated within the text. What makes this example, stand out is the fact that Dorian remarks upon Harry's views this time. Dorian is demonstrating growth towards his intellectual side. It leads the reader to believe that perhaps Dorian may be a dynamic character in the making. If Dorian can stay on the path of intellectual growth, he will be able to equip the eyeglasses analysis that will help to open his eyes to potential deception coming from his two closest friends. If Dorian regresses back towards his stupidity he will not be gifted with the clarity to prevent him from walking headfirst into a wall of deception.

Picture of Dorian Gray Chapter 3

1)"What a pity it was that such beauty was destined to fade!" (Wilde 39).

Lord Henry is highly proficient in offering subjective conjectures that he does not necessarily believes. Psychologically, this is emblematic of a fear of intimacy. If one never speaks, no one can ever learn one's true thoughts. Similarly, if one is constantly speaking and they may say things that they do not believe, then how is one supposed to determine what the speaker truly believes? Basil, Lord Henry, and Dorian each represent individual parts of Oscar Wilde. Lord Henry happens to embody the insecurity of the intellectual part of him that is so lost in the woods of thought that he can never find action. This novel is a large wood where Wilde is hiding, confusing us with paradoxes and enthralling us with romance. It is only after the fires of clarity burn through Widle's the thicket of deception that the Wilde has beset us through his quirky set of characters.



2)"If the caveman had known how to laugh, History would have been different" (Wilde 44)

In societies all across the endless spectrum of history, stress has been chronic. Stress is chronic on a personal as well as a social level. On a personal level there are hobbies and other forms of methods that can help displace one's stress. For a society prayer and faith are two components that people have heavily relied on in order to alleviate stress. Personal distractions bring about an apathy towards the object of stress while religion claims that stress will be rewarded in the afterlife. These methods of stress relief (or others similar to them) and crucial to a society, however they pale in comparison to humor. Laughter (in the form of mentally sane humor) is the perfect method of coping. Laughter only exists in short blips that kicks stress down to a tolerable level. Also, without laughter, apathy and religion are worthless. If apathy is always called upon, one may come to habitually lose sight of one's problem's. If one only focuses in a strict religious manner, then radical groups develop. Look to our enemies in the middle east. The terrorist organizations put worldly emotions so out of sight that they have abandoned all laughter,save for one derived almost entirely from cynical hysteria.

The Picture of Dorian Gray chapters 1-2, 1 blog

"Now the value of idea has nothing whatsoever to do with the sincerity of the man who expresses it. Indeed, the probabilities are that the more insincere the man is, the more purely intellectual will the idea be," (Wilde 11).

This statement is the art that Wilde referred to in the Preface. Statements,ought to be appreciated for their objective value. They ought not to be ignored because of their questionable source. The infamous artist Vincent van Gogh, produced a plethora of artistic masterpieces. He was emotionally and intellectually distraught in such a way that he sliced off his own ear and sent it to his girlfriend. On a personal level many critics laughed at his lunacy, however history has made a joke out of them. Van Gogh's Starry Night is one of the most valuable paintings on earth, in spite of his peculiarity. In retrospect, Van Gogh's insanity is, but a hint of dust on one of the stars in the Starry Night. Its unimportance remains unseen to the preoccupied eyes of the awestruck museum-goer.

The Picture of Dorian Gray -Preface Analysis-

Wilde utilizes the artist as a metaphor for all people and art as a metaphor for all action. Happiness and sadness can be viewed as metaphors for right and wrong in terms of morality. Wilde claims that, "No artist is ever morbid" (Wilde 1). When this viewed metaphorically, Wilde is claiming that no person is ever wrong. Wilde is using the analogy of art and artists to plead ethical relativism. Through his metaphors Wilde claims that actions are simply actions and they cannot be judged objectively, but subjectively depending on the critique. Wilde claims, "All art is quite useless" (Wilde 2). In other words, morality is useless, the words of a true ethical relativist.

5-7 page; Public and Private Redemption

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Michael Rossi
February 22, 2010
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition

Keep It Down, I’m Trying to Repent!

Is repentance a duty best undertaken publically or privately? The Catholic Church raises its members to repent with an audience only consisting of God. The Catholic Church teaches not to treat repentance as a performance to gain the attention of others. The Church is apt to point out that God is the only one who ultimately chooses to forgive or condemn, however, the Church neglects the possibility that a supportive community may help to cultivate a proper redemption. According to C.S. Lewis, one ought to ignore Church teaching if one’s conscience sings a different tune. Thus, public redemption ought to be societies’ methods of dealing with sin. Abigail, Proctor, Dimmesdale, and Prynne have demonstrated how private repentance can develop into neglecting faith altogether, while Prynne exhibited just how a social nudge can lead to genuine self-improvement.
Private redemption and public redemption are both equally important, as they are two steps towards a final goal. Redemption is usually forced upon an individual and then one reacts to it privately. The process of being fully redeemed is a lot like the process of a maintaining a plant. Public confession is the water that provides nourishment to keep the stem of redemption strong. The dormant seeds of privacy lay incomplete and worthless without the water of public redemption. Redemption requires the cleansing waters of confession.
In life, it is the internal victories that yield the greatest rewards. It is often argued that penance should follow this lesson as well, only without another’s help because it cheapens the victory. While this statement is not completely unfounded, it is rather incomplete. It does not
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consider the outliers that may be defeated from their own internal conflict. Abigail from The Crucible is an excellent example of this. When society is ignorant of her lechery she does not acknowledge her responsibility to repent. Instead, she simply tries to evade the repercussions for her sin. The purpose of shame is to bring about a sense of remorse to help its victim develop a commitment to self improvement. Abigail needed to experience shame in order to motivate her to change. In its absence, Abigail grew even worse and misused Danforth to punish certain members of the town: “Let you beware, Mr. Danforth. Think you to be so mighty the power of Hell may not turn your wits? Beware of it!” (Miller 108). When Danforth hinted at the possibility that Abigail may be to blame, Abigail stormed out of the court and out of the town. Abigail was not only running away from Danforth, but she was also running away from the shame that she dared not face. Rather than have society help her to work out her sins, Abigail misinterpreted this shame as a threat. The internal victory left Abigail with many people’s blood on her hands, and a job as a prostitute in the slums of Boston. In the end, Abigail was not defeated by her internal challenges because she officered no struggle.
Proctor, in The Crucible, is a perfect example of how private redemption can be misleading. Proctor’s main issue when it came to sin was denial. Proctor’s denial was not as chronic as Abigail’s, however it was there. Whenever Elizabeth challenged Proctor, he would resort to anger and aggression in order to protect this ego: “Woman. She turns to him. I’ll not have your suspicion any more” (Miller 54). Originally, Proctor was not looking for redemption, he was looking to have his wife forget the incident. Elizabeth demanded that Proctor
seek God’s forgiveness before he sought hers. Internally, Proctor was not urged to be forgiven in God’s eyes. Virtually the only reason why Proctor was redeemed is because he was on trial by
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Salem. Although they were trying him for the wrong reasons, the trial taught him the fortitude and selflessness necessary to truly be redeemed in God’s eyes: “Because it is my name! […] How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!” (Miller 143). This demonstrates that no matter how erroneous a society is, so long as it forces some degree of public redemption, a better end product is produced (as demonstrated through Abigail and Proctor). Proctor conducted himself as a bright man in the community who was capable of carrying out much of his redemption; however, he needed to be spurred by an outside influence. Imagine that The Crucible’s court is an awful parent and Proctor is its child. Although a parent may mistakenly adopt a parenting route that consisted only of public punishments (such as making the child stand in the corner) instead of afflicting his child with shame, the parent is still punishing the child for the right reasons. The child, whether he cares about his actions or not, will come to hate shame and develop a fear of punishment. The child will naturally try to bring about an end to shame in the future and will think about the actions that could potentially be the cause of his punishment. Eventually the child will adapt to their parents’ whims, and in doing so, the child will be forced into self reflection. Thus, Proctor was forced by the results of the trial to be introspective and seek public redemption.
In The Scarlet Letter Dimmesdale exhibits that private redemption can backfire even if one genuinely strives to fulfill its duties. The process in which Dimmesdale attempted to fulfill his penance trapped him in a vicious cycle. Dimmesdale sinned. Dimmesdale cannot stand his sin and feels the need to repent. It is understandable that any minister would have a problem with sin, however in Dimmesdale’s unique circumstance, he cannot atone for his sin. Dimmesdale believes that it will ruin the entire Christian faith in his colony. He is looked upon as an ideal
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individual. If Dimmesdale cannot remain true to God, how can anyone else? Dimmesdale’s faith is the most important aspect of his life, so he feels that he must speak to his people. However, he cannot openly discuss his sin because he believes he will be harming his followers’ faith, so he only speaks of how wretched he is. The people love him even more as they view his self loathing as simply humbling himself: “He had told his hearers that he was altogether vile, a viler companion of the vilest […] They heard it all, and did but reverence him more” (Hawthorne 131). As the people’s love for Dimmesdale increases, his guilt and self hatred are only intensified. As a result, he punishes himself by flogging (which he believes is God’s will). Dimmesdale is thus stagnated by two major obstacles. First of which is Dimmesdale’s inability to seek progression through penance. When one sins, the object of repentance is not only to demonstrate how remorseful one is, but also to bring about a change in one’s life. If one does not feel the need to change, then one will be perpetuating his personal injustice, by becoming mired in one’s feelings with a euphoric sense of self redemption. Consequently, Dimmesdale overlooks a second element of his redemption. Physical punishment is a selfish does not replace the justice that is due.
Prynne demonstrated what it means to take advantage of public redemption. Early in the The Scarlet Letter, Prynne was branded with a scarlet A. Prynne’s community utilized shame in its ideal form by utilizing the letter to change Prynne. Later on, Prynne was able to change the meaning of the Scarlet Letter: “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able;” (Hawthorne 146). It was the mirror of public redemption that provided Prynne with the impetuous to reflect upon her sins and change the parts of her that she could not stand.
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A sublime out of text example is the Japanese soldiers during World War Two. Throughout history the allied powers in Europe had grown used to the style of warfare where each side would fight until a decisive victory had been won. Japanese soldiers fought until death. If lost or were unable to fight to the death for any reason they would commit mass suicide by cutting their stomachs open and removing their entrails in the hopes of regaining their honor. In a broader sense, this is utterly selfish, because Japan lost the war mainly because they lacked experienced Generals due to mass suicide. Thus, no one could learn from their defeats how to lead properly, which would then create more losses and throw Japan in the same vicious cycle that Dimmesdale was bound to. Both Dimmesdale and Japanese soldiers placed individual honor over the honor of their society’s who they were striving to protect. In the end, Dimmesdale and Japanese soliders spilled out their organs of cultural beneficence only to be awarded with the mind numbing pain of self righteous honor.
Abigail, Proctor, Dimmesdale, and Prynne have demonstrated how private repentance, can develop into neglecting faith altogether, while Prynne exhibited just how a social nudge can lead to genuine self improvement. Penance is a musical performance with God as its judge. The guitar of redemption is able to be played by many, but few are masters of playing both the simple notes of private redemption and the complex chords of public redemption. Private redemption is simple string plucking that even a novice could master in a short amount of time. Public redemption is a medley of strenuous difficulty. At first the mere thought of a medley makes one’s wrist ache and their fingers cringe. When the time for a performance rolls around, the notes of private redemption are the quieter notes that may be unnoticed in the event of an error. Public redemption is difficult, but if it is played with meaning, the judge will be left with a warm feeling
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in his heart and the performer with a gold medal in his hand. While both the quiet chords of private redemption and the brazen chords of public redemption are both key components of a performance, the loud chords are always the most reliable as they always enthrall an attentive audience, while singular quiet notes may fall on deaf ears.


















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Works Citied

- Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam, 1850.

- Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin, 1976.

Pearl Character Description

Michael Rossi
February 20, 2010
Advanced Placement English Literature/ Mr. George
Pearl Character Description

Click Here For A Free Pearl!

Pearl is a signal in Prynne’s life who takes on different meanings at different instances in Prynne’s life.
Hester originally considered Pearl as a gift sent from God to alleviate some of her sadness: “But she named the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price” (Hawthorne 81). While Dimmesdale and Hester kept their sin a secret, Pearl would constantly serve as a reminder of their folly. As Pearl grew into a toddler, she encumbered her mother with the responsibility of policing an unruly child. After Dimmesdale liberated his sin that Pearl was able to alter her emblematic status and exude the profits of leading a truthful life: “Pearl was not only alive, but married, and happy,” (Hawthorne 234).
Pearl is like an internet pop up. When an individual first notices a pop up they are usually excited as a flash of light and color decorates their screen proclaiming a free item. When Prynne was first given Pearl, she thanked God for her gift of a daughter. A few moments after the original shock the brain receives, the synapses recovers and begin to fire and remind one of the bad stories of viruses that their peers had received from clicking into one of these alluring messages. Similarly, Prynne was quick to denounce Pearl as the Devil’s child when Pearl disobeyed her. Some pop ups are true phenomena. Like a man who minimized a pop up only to have his roommate come and claim its bounty, Prynne was mistaken about Pearl who grew to lead a rich and happy life.
Pearl and Galileo Galilei were both brazenly criticized early in their lives, but were later appreciated by society.

Chillingworth Character description

Michael Rossi
February 18, 2010
Advanced Placement English Literature/ Mr. George
Chillingworth Character Description

Directions: Taint Soil and Keep Far Away From Sunlight

Chillingworth is an ideal villain.
Chillingworth realizes that he can wreak greater havoc on Dimmesdale by avoiding direct confrontation and exercising patience. As the Devil persuaded Adam and Eve to bring about their own undoing, Chillingworth strive to have Dimmesdale poison his own life: “Roger Chillingworth […] strove to go deep into his patient’s bosom, delving among his principles, prying into his recollections, and probing everything with a cautious touch, like a treasure-seeker in a dark cavern” (Hawthorne 113). Chillingworth’s willingness to attack Dimmesdale mentally demonstrates how a more complex crime must come from a more complex criminal.
Chillingworth is like an Akai Ryu (which means red dragon in Japanese) Venus flytrap. Chillingworth seems to offer Dimmesdale the most kindness out of anyone in their community. In the same way, the Akai Ryu is the most decadent plant in the Japanese swamplands in which they reside. Like most skilled villains, Chillingworth relies on his wit as he advertises his skill with herbs and chemicals in order to attract Dimmesdale’s attention. In a like manner, the Akai Ryu releases an enticing aroma that attracts small insects into its seemingly harmless trap. Chillingworth does not deliver any overt singular blows to Dimmesdale, but subtly wears Dimmesdale down over time. In the same light, the Akai Ryu slowly constricts its prey in between the two lips of its trap rather than swiftly clamp its lips closed.
Chillingworth and Adolf Hitler both hid behind their outward charity while they perpetuated injustice that stems from their own personal vendettas.

English Essay The Scarlet Letter

Michael Rossi
February 10, 2010
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition
Compose a paper no longer than 3 full pages relating to why Dimmesdale’s torment was especially poignant for him, and why he believes it is a blessing from God. Begin with his original sin and take us all the way to his end.

Officer Dimmesdale

In The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale was tormented by religion more than any character in the entire text. He was forced to live an entire life of impiety and he punished himself for it. The sin he originally committed grew too large and unruly for him to police. What made Dimmesdale’s torment more severe than those of the other characters within The Scarlet Letter? The answer is simple; Dimmesdale believed he deserved his suffering, which was not only just, but was also God’s will.
The reader is like a detective who seeks to find the reason for one’s pathological lying streak, only to blurt out the truth before his untimely death. From the first glimpse, Dimmesdale’s motive seems to be denial in order to avoid punishment. When the reader adjusts his lens objectively, the writing on the wall becomes clear, and Dimmesdale’s true motives are revealed.
Dimmesdale’s process of sin was complex and trapped him in its vicious cycle. Dimmesdale sinned. Dimmesdale cannot stand his sin and feels the need to repent. It is understandable that any minister would have a problem with sin, however in Dimmesdale’s unique circumstance; he cannot atone for his sin. Dimmesdale believes that it will ruin the entire Christian faith in his colony. He is looked upon as an ideal individual. If Dimmesdale cannot remain true to God, how can anyone else? Dimmesdale’s faith is the most important aspect of his life, so he feels that he must speak to his people. However, he cannot openly discuss his sin because he believes he will be harming his followers’ faith, so he only speaks of how wretched he is. The people love him even more as they view his self loathing as simply humbling himself: “He had told his hearers that he was altogether vile, a viler companion of the vilest […] They heard it all, and did but reverence him more” (Hawthorne 131). As the people’s love for Dimmesdale increases, his guilt and self hatred are only intensified. As a result, he punishes himself by flogging. To add insult to injury, Dimmesdale believes that all of his punishment is the will of God: “He is merciful! He hath proved his mercy, most of all, in my afflictions. By giving me this burning torture to bear upon my breast!” (Hawthorne 229). Dimmesdale believed that he could no longer influence his fate and he was forever bound to this cycle of torment. Unlike Hester Prynne, Dimmesdale had no safe means of repentance, and in the end, Dimmesdale’s repentance cost his life.
Dimmesdale is a police officer who works in solitude for the good of his town. Dimmesdale caught many criminals and for that he was praised, although his town was becoming a dangerous place dangerously fast. The only trouble is that he had stolen from the town early in his career. Dimmesdale passionately values justice and he would like nothing more that to rot in prison and pay for his crime. Dimmesdale however, is unable to because with him in jail, he will be leaving his abandoning his town and leaving it unprotected. Dimmesdale’s mind is constantly searching for a way to fix the situation, but in doing so, his mind is distracted and it has an adverse effect on his ability to keep the town safe. Dimmesdale painfully trudges through this process day in and day out until one day, he finally snaps. Tears well in his eyes and sweat drips from his palms. Dimmesdale runs to the town square where all the townspeople are gathered, snatches his gun from his holster, and shoots into a crowd. The shot sends frightened women and children running and screaming into the opposite direction while irate men take up arms and run in Dimmesdale’s direction, shooting at him. When all was over and done with, Dimmesdale was dead, and so was the townspeople’s complacence. They erected a citizen run police department and learned how to defend themselves. Dimmesdale sacrificed
himself to bring about a much needed change in the rapidly declining safety of the town. People let their guard down because they saw the cells were full. Dimmesdale showed them how to grow and learn while still allowing himself to be brought to justice.


















Works cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1986

The Scarlet Letter blog #9

Quote 1:
"After exhausting life in his efforts for mankind's spiritual goo, he had made the manner of his death a parable, in order to impress on his admirers the mighty and mournful lesson" (Hawthorne 231).

Analysis 1:
The main reason why Dimmesdale did not admit to his adultery with Prynne was because Dimmesdale believed that he would demoralize his followers by showing them that Dimmesdale could not lead by his example. This fear, however was proven to be unfounded. By dying in front of the crowd, Dimmesdale showed everyone how painful the sin was for him to endure. Dimmesdale also showed little indication of dreading his death. Few people would want to commit a sin that makes them welcome death with open arms.

Quote 2:
"Pearl was not only alive, but married, and happy, and mindful of her mother, and that she would have most joyfully have entertained that sad and lonely mother at her fireside" (Hawthorne 234).

Analysis 2:
Before Dimmesdale admitted his sin, Pearl acted as an emblem that represented the punishment that Prynne and Dimmesdale ought to have endured our their years of secrecy. Pearl was a burden to Prynne and Dimmesdale when they deserved to be inconvenienced. When Dimmesdale was cleansed of his sin, Pearl's cumbersome duty enforcing punishment was alleviated and she was free to enjoy her life. With parents such as Prynne who understands what repentance is and Dimmesdale who dies for his sin, Pearl lived a prosperous life, obviously learning from her parents sins.

The Scarlet Letter blog #9

Quote 1:
"Children will not abide by any, the slightest, change in the accustomed aspect of things that are daily before their eyes. Pearl misses something which she has always seen me wear" (Hawthorne 189).

Analysis 1:
Prynne has always regarded Pearl as a reward sent from God. The way in which Pearl has acted thus far, would demonstrate otherwise. Pearl was not given to Prynne as a reward, because the only action that Pyrnne has committed that would warrant her a reward would be her penance. Pearl however, was bestowed upon Prynne before Prynne underwent repentance. Hawthorne uses Pearl as a means of policing the punishment that Prynne is entitled to. In puritanical Massachusetts, people took it upon themselves to enforce their own punishment. When Hester literally removes the scarlet emblem from her bosom, it symbolizes the disregard for punishment. Pearl loses her mind when Pynnne does so and regains her composure when the embroidery is properly replaced. Small children who are punished and banned from the television, often try to watch it anyway in order to test and see whether their parents still care about the restrictions that they had set. In the same way, Prynne is reminded by Pearl that the world still cares about her punishment and there is erasing punishment (wearing the letter) even through strict penance.

Quote 2:
"But here a sunny day, and among all the people, he knows us not; nor must we know him!" (Hawthorne 205).

Analysis 2:
Pearl points out duplicity in the innocent way that children often do. When an adult is smoking and tells the child never to smoke, the child ask why the adult is smoking. The only reason the reader interprets this as ill-will is because the reader understands the just secret that Prynne and Dimmesdale are trying to preserve. Pearl is only a child, as much as her mental astuteness would demonstrate otherwise. Pearl is only as much to blame as any other child would have been. In a modern day court of law, anyone seventeen and under is typically subjected to less severe punishment than those over the age of seventeen. Age is a basis on which judgement is cast. Those who are considered intellectually superior (excluding outliers, such as the mentally handicapped) are not treated with less tolerance.

The Scarlet Letter blog #8

Quote 1:
"Yes, I hate him!" repeated Hester, more bitterly than before. "He betrayed me! He has done me worse wrong than I did him!" (Hawthorne 159).

Analysis 1:
Hatred is an emotion is that requires a constant stimulation. It is difficult to maintain hatred unless someone is constantly prodding. Prynne is unable to relinquish her hatred of Chillingworth because the Chilllingworth has not relented for even a moment in his quest for revenge. Pyrnne has watched Chillingworth become swallowed by his campaign for vengeance. It has not only become the dominant activity of his life, but it has also become the only activity in his life. Rather than try to resolve the problem by formally shaming Pyrnne and Dimmesdale (and moving on to new love) he is stuck in the past trying to hurt Dimmesdale in the vain hopes that time will tick backwards.

Quote 2:
"So strangely did they meet, in the dim wood, that it was like the first encounter," (Hawthorne 171).

Analysis 2:
What makes some people more deeply in love than others? The answer is a simple one, friendship. In the novel Pride and Prejudice Jane and Bingley's love did not compare to the true love of Elizabeth and Darcy. Jane and Bingley awkwardly stumbled past the stage of intellectual bonding and advanced -quickly towards the stage of over-infatuation. What this does is narrow the potential for love. Bingley and Jane could only love on a romantic level, while Darcy and Elizabeth could love on a romantic and intellectual level. In the same way, Dimmesdale and Pyrnne (should they choose to rekindle their love for one another) are able to bypass the awkward phase of courtship and engage on a level of understanding that no one else in the world can share with them.

The Scarlet Letter blog #7

Quote 1:
"She was self-ordained a Sister of Mercy; or, we nay rather say, the world's heavy hand had so ordained her, when neither the world nor she looked forward to this result" (Hawthorne 146).

Analysis 1:
Prynne emphasises just how perfectly a punish can do. A scandalous adulteress is dead and a pious nun is born. When Prynne was first branded with the scarlet "A" one is left to wonder, what shred of happiness could still exist that provided Pyrnne with the drive to craft such a decadent embroidery? Prynne's adherence to the rules and her conscience has purged her character of sin. Perhaps Prynne knew that she had to be strong for her, Pearl, and Dimmesdale who depended on her. The embroidery was a small ember of hope which Prynne cultivated into a blaze of reformation and penance.

Quote 2:
"Individuals in private life, meanwhile, had quite forgiven Hester Pyrnne for her frailty; nay, more, they had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, not of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance," (Hawthorne 147).

Analysis 2:
Prynne has made the Scarlet letter an emblem of success. Objects by themselves are not automatically accepted or rejected by society. Influential members of a social group are what is required to integrate certain emblems into society. By accepting the scarlet "A", Prynne carries a negative denotation,depicting her as an adulteress. By seeking penance and becoming an ideal woman in society, Hester Pyrnne has attributed a sense of honor to the scarlet "A". Michael Jackson was able to socially integrate the style of wearing a single glove. Without Jackson, this style would not be a style, but a social abnormality. In the same way, Pyrnne takes a mark of shame and transmutes it into an emblem of fame.

The Scarlet Letter blog #6 (1 blog)

Quote:
"In Mr. Dimmesdale's secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge" (Hawthorne 132).

Analysis:
As a transcendentalist, Hawthorne sees God in everything and uses Dimmesdale to make a critique of Protestantism. When one sins, the penance he or she endures is to be done in order to reinforce the mind that the sin was wrong and it never again should be committed. Dimmesdale is carrying out penance,but not being open with his sin and therefore, he is defeating the purpose of repentance. Through Dimmesdale, Hawthorn demonstrates how some Christians become so entangled in the actions and rituals of their religion, that they lose sight of what truly matters.

The Scarlet Letter blog #5

Quote 1:
"[Dimmesdale] besought his friend to continue the care, which, if not successful in restoring him to health, had in all probability, been the means of prolonging his feeble existence to that hour" (Hawthorne 125)

Analysis 1:
Chillingworth has completed his mission to gain complete control over Hawthorne's life. Dimmesdale would like nothing more than to die and forget his sin, however Chillingworth is prolonging his miserable existence. Admitting his sin is a fate worse than death for Dimmesdale. Chillingworth is pushing Dimmesdale's buttons by attempting to make his sin the topic of conversation. One can logically predict that this will become expeditiously easier as Chillingworth has linked Dimmesdale physical illness to his mental anguish. Chillngworth is simply waiting for a formal confession of Dimmesdale's sin before he can cast his final judgement. Chillingworth is like a teacher who had just been pricked by a pin he had sat on. Who saw his student (Dimmesdale) walk into class earlier that day with an excessive amount of pins and a smirk on his face. Chillingworth has the probable cause to suspect Dimmesdale, but he is still awaiting a verbal confession.

Quote 2:
"Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom" (Hawthorne 126).

Analysis 2:
What makes Chillingworth such a dangerous villain? The answer is very simple, it is his reason for originally seeking vengeance. Chillingworth has a legitimate reason for extracting vengeance. His wife was successfully wooed by another man who only sought to sweep the incident under the rug and leave the incident Scott free. In the play Othello, Iago was almost a perfect villain. He was intelligent, duplicitous, and fought most of his battles through mental warfare. His one great downfall was the fact that he was without a motive for tormenting Othello. He was evil for the sake of being evil. Consequently Othello showed him no mercy in the end. In contrast, Chillingworth has a motive which Dimmesdale cannot question him on. Compared to the Brave Othello, the frail reverend Dimmesdale does not have the ability nor the right to defend himself against Chillingworth's vengeance. Most people can empathize with Chillingworth in the sense that most have experienced some form of betrayal. In short, The reader does not hate Chillingworth as much as Iago.

The Scarlet Letter blog #4

Quote 1:
"She resembled, in her fierce pursuit of them, an infant pestilence, -the scarlet fever, or some such half-fledged angel if judgment,-whose mission was to punish the sins of the rising generation" (Hawthorne 93).

Analysis 1:
Chillingworth is using Pearl as a medium with which to inflict his vengeance upon Dimmesdale. The manner in which Chillingworth is pursuing his vengeance sharply resembles the tactics of Iago in the play Othello. Iago pretended to befriend Othello only to play upon his insecurities and fool him into his downfall. In the same way, Chillingworth, is seen in Dimmesdale's social ring at the Governor's house remarking upon the overly concerned manner in which Dimmesdale treats Pearl.

Quote 2:
"Therefore it is good for this poor, sinful woman that she hath an infant immortality, a being capable of eternal joy or sorrow, confided to her care [...] that, if she bring the child to heaven, the child will also bring the patient thither!" (Hawthorne 105).

Analysis 2:
One is easily swayed into feeling sympathy for Prynne. She has lost her honor and does not allow herself to rejoice in anything that brings her happiness, because she regard it as sin. Curiously enough, Pearl brings Prynne felicity, yet Pyrnne feels no guilt. Pyrnne is rather self critical and she still feels that the happiness Pearl gives her is righteous. Pyrnne's conscience screams for justice and forgiveness for the sin that Pyrnne has so heavily repented.

The Scarlet Letter blog #3

Quote 1:
"It is probable that there was an idea of penance in this mode of occupation, and that she offered up a real sacrifice of enjoyment, in devoting so many hours to such rude handiwork" (Hawthorne 77)

Analysis 1:
The embroidery upon Pyrnne's chest has penetrated deep into her soul. The style of punishment in which has been cast upon Prynee has worked ideally. Not only is she feeling the shame that she ought to, but her reflection on her shame has also driven her to committing good works. Also, Pyrnne has accepted her fate as a sinner. She does not try to hide her embroidery, but rather she openly presents it knowing that a pang of shame with be following closely behind. Chillingworth ought to use this towards his advantage. He should try to convince her that only way that she can truly be absolved from her sin and escape its shame would be to reveal her lover.

Quote 2:
"Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world. An imp of evil, emblem and product of sin, she had no right among christened infants" (Hawthorne 85).

Analysis 2:
Pearl's story bears a strong resemblance towards the story of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve were initially pure, as they were the first to be created in God's image and likeness. In the same way, Prynne was the innocent and most beautiful girl in her town and Dimmesdale was quite the Renaissance man and an ideal pastor. When Adam and Eve sin they lose God's good favor and are removed from the Garden of Eden, giving all of humanity original sin. Prynne and Pearl have been made outcasts in their society and Pearl has received her original sin from the follies of Dimmesdale and Prynne.

The Scarlet Letter blog #2

Quotation 1:
" 'Thus she will be a living sermon against sin, until the ignominious letter be engraved upon her tombstone" (Hawthorne 59).

Analysis 1:
The townspeople have taken a remarkable approach to enforce their punishment. Throughout history rebellions and war have taken place in spite of a government that unjustly punished people. During world war two, the allied powers were too easily provoked by anti-Zionist Germany and fought arduously to defeat the injustice the Nazis upheld. In The Crucible, society toppled their government because martyrs were being made out of a large portion of the townsfolk. The government in The Scarlet Letter have taken a route much like the central government of 1984. Rather than blindly kill the opposition, the rebels are converted and are forced to realize the shame that they previously shut their eyes to.

Quotation 2:
" "Not thy soul,' he answered, with another smile. 'No not Thine!' " (Hawthorne 72).

Analysis 2:
Chillingworth's attitude is a frightening one. He has taken on a God complex and bears a strong resemblance towards Danforth in The Crucible. Chillingworth has offered of forgiveness when he ought to be anger. He indirectly threatened Pyrnne's lover and is completely sure that he will discover who he is despite the substantial population. Ever since he walked in the Pyrnne's cell he began to talk of what he can do, from alchemy to murder.

The Scarlet Letter blog #1

Q1:
" 'People say,' said another, 'that the Reverend Master Dimmesdale, her godly pastor takes it very grievously to heart that such a scandal should have come upon his congregation" (Hawthorne 48-49).

A1:
It is plausible that Reverend Master Dimmesdale would be the father of the Prynne's child. This is so because Hawthorne is a transcendentalist and would be making discreet critique of the Congregational church through the result of its teaching in its ministers. Specifically, the critique would be of the frailty of an organized church system. It calls people to appreciate God in church and act out lustfully (or in another negative way). Where as transcendentalists, in theory, are constantly surrounded in God's goodness and never lose sight of it.

Q1
" 'She hath good skill at her needle, that's certain,' remarked one of her female spectators; 'but did ever a woman before this brazen hussy, contrive such a way of showing it!" (Hawthorne 51).

A1:
The artistically sewn A is strange for someone who has been locked away. Usually, artistic expression is an expression of happiness, especially the way it has been described within the text. Prynne does not seem like she would have much to look forward to that would inspire such an elegant embroidery. Perhaps she believes that the man who has impregnated her will stay true to her and still love her in the midst of her predicament, however society's harsh treatment of such adulators would suggest otherwise.

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Michael Rossi
December 31, 2009
Advanced Placement English Language
Crucible Long Papers- Prompt One

Proctor’s Garden

Proctor led a fateful life in a twisted society. In Salem, it was understood that sins left a stain so dark that no holiness could ever again prevail within the sinner. Proctor’s soul was black with adultery and admitted he was the Devil’s man, but in reality Proctor was achieving redemption. The residents of Salem took a very teleological approach to making sure the Devil was purged from their society. In the process, they ignored forgiveness, which is one of the chief tenants of Christianity, and embraced pride. The Devil was loose in Salem, but not in John Proctor or Goody Nurse. Throughout the course of The Crucible, Proctor earned redemption through improving his understanding of his society.
At The Crucible’s opening Proctor is vexed by the fact that he could not earn Elizabeth’s forgiveness for his affair with Abigail. Proctor attempted to alleviate his guilt by coaxing Elizabeth to allow his lechery to escape her thoughts. This approach in itself is unworthy of forgiveness. Proctor’s initial goal is not to have Elizabeth forgive him, but to have her forget about the entire incident. This is best exhibited when Proctor declares, “You forget nothing and forgive nothin’. Learn charity, woman” (Miller 54). This is a serious problem not only for Proctor, but for relationships as a whole. When any group has an argument over a matter that they do not wish to negotiate, fighting takes place. Any war in the history of man can be looked to for reference. Proctor is ignoring the crucial fact that love requires two people. Elizabeth has dealt with Proctor’s dishonesty and he now demands that she also comes to peace with it.

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Elizabeth made this lucidly clear when she said, “I do not judge you. The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you” (Miller 55).
In the beginning, Proctor was swallowed by the lecherous evil that Abigail exposed him to. He demanded that Elizabeth extend her arm and hoist him from it, but he was unable to extend his own as it was heavy with lies and selfishness. When Salem decided that Elizabeth was a witch, Proctor learned that by burying the truth he not only blinds himself, but the very court who is judging his wife. When Proctor admitted to the lechery, he soiled his good name and admitted his flaw not only to the court but to himself. When Proctor buried the truth, and all the weight it carried, it was far too difficult to dig himself out. Like any relationship, one has to truly realize the offense before they can seek forgiveness for it. Understanding the problem was proctor’s first step toward redemption.
The author, Arthur Miller, made it effortless to empathize with Proctor, as repression is a common and negative coping mechanism that everyone has experienced. Utilizing the witch hunt, Miller demonstrates how repression can be harmful to an individual and the individual’s society. Any unchristian man, with no remorse, who was open about the affair, would have received a few whiplashes. By characterizing Proctor as the strong silent type, he demonstrates how even a devout Christian man can adversely affect society with nothing more than a repression of emotion, even if he is sorry. Miller shows that if Proctor was more in touch with his feelings, his proactive confession could have quelled the hysteria and exposed Abigail as no more than a lying strumpet. If Proctor had been more in touch with his feelings, he would have been able to testify in court instead of taking that time to first testify to himself. Miller makes it lucidly clear that tough guys create a tough guise, which in Proctor’s case, leads to the near
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destruction of his relationship with himself, his wife, and the Court. Overcoming this state of mind and rapidly striving to understand things as he should for the sake of his wife, allowed Proctor to grow even closer to redemption.
Proctor was ultimately redeemed when he resolved to die in the name of those who were hanged. Proctor realized hysterical state that Salem was immersed in and the honorable nature of those who were hanged in the name of truth: “Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang!” (Miller 143). Proctor relinquished the last of his ego when he would not agree to the singed confession. Miller facilitates the reader’s ability to empathize with Proctor because Proctor’s last minute regression towards selfishness exhibits tendency that most people experience at some point in their lives. Proctor conquered his human instinct of self preservation in the name of truth and honor. This is a natural fear which most people will never conquer. Proctor was coming to grips with the fact that he was singing his death sentence by shredding his confession. Thoughts of fear and sorrow sped through his mind and left logic in the dust. Nevertheless, Proctor was able to gather his thoughts and be selflessly martyred. Proctor finally gained redemption because in the eyes of the reader, God, and Elizabeth because he ended the very witch hunt that he could have prevented. Proctor makes made amends to Salem by hanging alongside those who were hanged and destroying the court system which was responsible for advocating the witch hunt.
Throughout the course of The Crucible, Proctor earned redemption through improving his understanding of his society. Salem is like the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were negatively influenced by the devil and misused the tree of knowledge in order to try to compete with God’s knowledge. In the same way, Abigail fooled the residents of Salem to preserve the community.
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In doing so, Salem ignored the fact that a community cannot be a community without people. Whimsically killing cast numbers of people defeats the purpose of having an organized community, whose goal should be to protect people in the first place, and is the wrong approach to trying to preserve its members. Abigail tainted Salem. Similarity, God punished the devil and removed Adam and Eve from the garden. By acting selflessly Proctor became symbol of Christianity. In life, Proctor was a lecher who was partially to blame for the witch hysteria in Salem. In death Proctor was a martyr who demonstrated what it means to selflessly die for an injustice.