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.