Scarlet Letter Essay

Tahiya Chowdhury

Ms. Brannon

AP English

11 January 2014

Dimmesdale: A Lowly Coward

Arthur Dimmesdale, one of the protagonists in Nathanial Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”, is the most static character. He commits the sin of adultery in a theocratic Puritan society where sinners are punished with strict, biblical punishments. From his fall with Hester, he moves, in steps, reluctantly toward his public confession of his sin at the end of the novel. Throughout the story his confession remains an obstacle. Although Hester and Dimmesdale commit the same crime, there is a stark difference in the ways they approach their mistake. Hester confronts her sin with pride, while Dimmesdale does not even contain the courage to confront the possible consequences of his sin. Hawthorne characterizes Dimmesdale as a lowly coward who does not have the courage to tolerate the consequences of his sin and seeks to hide it under a mask of religion.

Dimmesdale does not have the strength to bear the punishment that could be thrust upon him and constantly avoids any opportunity of public confession of his sin.  He goes to the scaffold at midnight while everyone is asleep and attempts a vain confession. Even when no eyes were watching him “He felt his limbs growing stiff with the unaccustomed chilliness of the night… Morning would break and find him there.” (Hawthorne 131) Although Dimmesdale went to the scaffold with the intention to lessen his guilt of not confessing his sin earlier, he remains in constant fear of people finding out about his sin. He does realize that confession will bring him the inner the peace he has been searching for but he does not have the courage to bear the punishment he deserves. He does not stand beside Hester and Pearl when they face ignominy in public. However, at night when the whole town is asleep, he said, “Ye have both been here before, but I was not with you. Come up hither once again, and we will stand all three together.” (133) This is a clear example of Dimmesdale’s cowardice as he attempts to make up for his absence in Hester’s public condemnation by standing beside her and Pearl at the middle of the night when no eyes are there to witness. His fear also leads him to make false promises to his young daughter. When Pearl asks him to stand with her mother and her, he said, “I shall, indeed, stand with thy mother and thee one other day, but not tomorrow... At the great Judgment day!” (135) He does not even have the bravery to say truth to his own daughter. Dimmesdale tries to get away from confrontation by lying and consoling Pearl so he can save his cherished reputation.

Dimmesdale’s love for his reputation prevents him from publicly accepting his sin. He attempts to conceal his sin, like a coward, behind his false mask of a saint. Every time his secret gets a little closer to revealing itself, he delivers a sermon so powerful that wins over everyone’s heart. Describing Dimmesdale’s action in the day after standing on the scaffold, Hawthorne said, “The next day, however, being the Sabbath, he preached a discourse which was held be the richest and most powerful…” (137) After being so close to revealing his secret at the scaffold, Dimmesdale attempts to preach a powerful sermon and retain his place in the town people’s heart. By winning the people’s heart, he tries to avert any probability of them doubting him. Even after deciding to leave the town he tries to leave behind an impression on people through preaching and prevent them from judging him harshly. Hawthorne said, “That is most fortunate… It was because, on the third day from the present, he was to preach the Election Sermon…” (195) Dimmesdale wants to tries to maintain his reputation even before leaving the town by preaching a strong election Sermon and leave an impression on the townspeople.

Some may argue that Hawthorne characterized Dimmesdale as a sensitive saint. However, they are mistaken. Hawthorne portrayed his cowardice by using juxtaposition and creating a constant contrast between Hester’s and Dimmesdale’s action towards the sin that was equally committed by both. He portrays how Hester walks around publicly with the token of her sin, while Dimmesdale hides it under his garment. She admits her sin openly and never once tries to hide it. On the other hand, Dimmesdale perpetually conceals his sin. When a man asks him if had seen the bright light at the scaffold, he lies and says, “No, I had not heard of it.” (138) He lied despite if witnessing the light at the scaffold with his own eyes. Clearly, Hawthorne did not characterize him as a saint because saints do not lie. Hester also confronts the antagonist of the story, Roger Chillingworth, with bravery and challenges his actions.  On the contrary, Dimmesdale does not even dare to straightforwardly talk to Chillingworth about his evil deeds. When dismissing Chillingworth from his role as his physician he says, “I think to need no more of you drugs, my kind physician, good though they be, and administered by a friendly hand.” (196) Dimmesdale does not have the courage to talk about his sin with Chillingworth even after being aware of Chillingworth’s knowledge about it. Finally, he declares his sin immediately before his death, like a coward. Before dying he said, “For Hester, I am a dying man. So let me make haste to take my shame upon me.” (224) Dimmesdale confesses only before he knows he will die and will not have to face his share of due ignominy.

Hawthorne portrayed Arthur Dimmesdale as a man who lacked courage and inner strength.  He depicted his cowardice through his words and actions. He showed that Dimmesdale’s inability to confess is chiefly due to his fear, thus characterizing him as a coward. Throughout the novel, Dimmesdale continuously avoided every prospect of openly confessing his sin, whether it is by lying or making false promise to himself and his young daughter. His lack of courage is easily grasped through the hypocritical sermons he preaches and the manner in which he avoids confrontation of his sin. He lived the last few days of his life in fear and terror. Although he may have outwardly lived the life of a revered saint, deep inside he lived nothing but the life of a coward.  

The Metacognitive Peice

Dear Ms. Brannon,
         I am far from being the best writer in our class. In fact, I am fully aware of the fact that I do not have a strong control of the English language. There was one point when I felt I didn't even deserve to be in AP Language. However, I never gave up. Although the quality of my writing may not be as good as other students in our class, I have given my hundred percent completing each one of your assignments. Reflecting on my writing from this semester I feel that I have improved drastically. My essay from the summer assignment and my essays from now have a huge difference.

         English is one subject that never came to me very easily. I felt like English couldn't communicate with me as well as numbers could. Even the English teachers started intimidating me. This could be due to my lack of exposure to the language at an early age. To this day, I spend hours doing a writing assignment that someone else can easily complete in only a half an hour. However, I never let that demotivate me. I have completed all of your projects and homework assignments no matter how difficult they were or how long it took me to complete them.

           As for classwork, I was absent only once  and never late this whole semester( excluding PGC absences).I came to school even during the cold, snowy days just because of AP Lang. I knew I should not miss the class discussions.  I have completed every single classwork assignments and behaved throughout the class. I also participate almost everyday. I know I may not have the most spectacular responses, but I do try to participate in almost every class discussion.

            Two works that I am most proud of are the protest letter and the MLK essay. I believe they show the effort I have put into them. I wrote five drafts for the protest letter and four drafts for the MLK essay. I came to you after school to get feedback on them and also asked some of my peers to review it for me. My writing in these two assignments have evolved drastically from the first draft to the final draft.

           Based on the effort I have put in your class this whole semester, I believe I deserve an 85 in your class. Thank you!

The Singer Solution to World Poverty Response

Tahiya Chowdhury                                                                                                            09/16/13

“The Singer Solution to World Poverty” Response

                     In “The Singer Solution to World Poverty”, Peter Singer effectively uses counterarguments and refutation to strengthen his argument.  Singer makes the choice of acknowledging and addressing the opposing views of his arguments and then denying the validity of the opposing claims. When touching upon the topic of individual’s fair share, he considered the opposing claim, “If every citizen living in the affluent nations contributed his or her share I wouldn’t have to make such a drastic sacrifice…So why should I give more than my fair share?” By acknowledging this opposing claim, Singer appeals to logic. He proves that he understands a viewpoint other than his own, and he has knowledge about other evidences. Later he refutes by saying, “While the idea that no one need do more than his or her fair share is a powerful one, should it prevail if we know that others are not doing their fair share and that children will die preventable deaths unless we do more than our fair shares?” This refutation helps strengthen his argument by denying the validity of the counterargument and shows that he stands by his view. Singer’s farm grasp on the structural organization of the essay also serves as a logical appeal.  He also includes facts to logically support his argument and credibility of his argument.

          Singer’s use of the two theoretical scenarios greatly influenced the effectiveness of his argument.  It allowed him to invoke response from the readers and draw a parallelism between the characters of the two scenarios and Americans who do not donate. The comparison between the character of Bob and the people who do not donate,  is effective in portraying how those individual’s  determine whether a child lives or not. He also stressed the importance and the difference one can make by donating a small amount of their money which they spend on luxury. Singer used Peter Unger's theory that it would only take $200 to “help a sickly two-year-old transform into a healthy six-year-old.” This justification would make the readers want to donate money because it appeals to their emotion by making them feel sympathy for the sick children overseas, and portrays the difference they can make in a child’s life, by donating only $200.

           There are some parts of the essay when Singer’s argument loses its persuasion. At some points, Singer went to extreme measures to convince people to donate. He relied more on guilt-tripping the readers than persuading with justifications, which can ultimately cause the readers to feel accused and lose interest in the argument. Singer, in a sense, commands the readers to donate each penny they spend on luxury, “whatever money you're spending on luxuries, not necessities, should be given away.” This weakens his argument because earlier he asked people to donate just $200 dollars, but now he asks them to donate every cent of their extra money. The idea of giving up all of their extra money that they earned can cause people to feel irritated and object the idea. His continuing push to make people to donate can make some readers feel they are being pressured. 

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Journal Entry

Tahiya Chowdhury                                                                                                              11/13/13

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

July 8, 1741

            Being a member of Jonathan Edwards’ congregation today has enlightened me. Every word that he had uttered with his mouth has penetrated my soul and left me feeling ashamed of myself. His words have held a mirror in front of me and caused me to look into my own character like I have never seen before. For all my youthful time, I had forgotten the power of God and that the Day of Judgment awaits for me. He had reminded me of the power of almighty God as he said, “The strongest have no power to resist him…” He had illustrated the terrifying hell, where I am destined to be in if I shall not repent upon my sins, with his vibrant words. He stated, “…the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready o receive them…” Such vivid description of the hell made me shiver and fear the wrath of God. He has made me realize that everything that belongs to me at preset will not be able to save me just as “a spider’s web” is unable to “stop a falling rock”.

            At one point I had the urge to disbelieve all that he said, but my conscious gave me no reason to not believe him, for he only uttered the words of God and what is written explicitly in the Bible. Soon I came to realize that it must have been the devil attempting to persuade me in its way.

As he was alluding to the sinners present at the congregation, I felt as if he was speaking directly to me. Every word he uttered describing the future of the sinner allowed me to see my future under which I shall greatly suffer. However, he also opened my eyes toward the golden opportunity that I posses now to repent my sins. He said, “And now you have an extraordinary opportunity…” I shall now act according to the words of God and follow the teachings of our lord Jesus Christ. I shall now ask for forgiveness for all of my sins and start a new life following the teachings of the holy Bible.

            

MLK Analysis

Tahiya Chowdhury                                                                                                     09/12/13

“I Have a Dream” Speech Analysis

On August 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech to millions of supporters of the civil rights movement. Although his reputation as a civil- rights activist gave him an automatic authority, King further established his credibility by referencing historical sources. He made reference to the decree signed by Abraham Lincoln that freed all slaves. Mentioning the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in his speech, king said, “When the architect of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.” By alluding to these widely known credible sources, King established an authority on the subject of racial equality. It shows that he is a well- educated person who has a strong grasp on the subject of his speech.  He also makes numerous references to God and employs biblical allusions during his speech to use the common value of religion among his listeners and him to gain their trust.

King appealed to his listener’s emotions to make his speech more effective. Depicting his concerns for his children as an ordinary father he said, “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” Through this quote, King assured his audience that he is also a parent just like them who has dreams and hopes for a better life for his children.  This use of emotional appeal enabled him to connect with the listeners as an ordinary parent and reminded them of their children and their future. It prompted emotions of the people and encouraged them to hope for a better world for their children. King additionally painted a picture of the plight of the Negroes and thoroughly describes their condition, triggering emotions of the audience.

King also used logical appeals in his speech by providing the listeners with the reasons to seek racial equality. Portraying the mistreatment of the African Americans he said, “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.” This use of extended metaphor enables his listeners to see the logic behind his claim. It reminds them how they are being treated unequally due to their race. He also uses the logic that equality is essential in order for the African Americans to be happy. “This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.” said King. In this quote, King justified his call for equality with logical reasons. His reasoning that equality is the only solution to African Americans’ misery will provide his listeners with yet another reason to hope for racial equality.

            In addition to the rhetorical appeals, King also used different literary devices throughout his speech which made the speech more strong and persuasive. He made strong use of diction throughout his speech that creates the intended mood in the listeners. Word choices such as “Manacles of segregation” and “Chains of discrimination” make the listeners feel angry at the injustice done to them. On the other hand, word choices such as “Whirlwinds of revolt” and “Shake the foundation of our nation” make the readers feel hopeful and encourage them to fight for their rights. Throughout the speech King continuously uses the “we” to create a sense of unity and equality among his listeners and himself.  He also uses anaphora various times in his speech such as “I have a dream”, “One hundred years later”, and “We can never be satisfied”. These repetitions of the phrases put emphasis and show their importance while adding rhythm to the sentence. 

Letter of Protest

Tahiya Chowdhury                                                                                                              10/02/13

Dear Bennett,

I am reaching out to you because I wanted to address a major issue occurring throughout our school. Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister and Chanel are some of the major companies that have managed to brainwash our generation. They have stolen the attention of our students and managed to get them to focus on their outlook rather than focusing on more important matters such as, their education. I truly appreciate your open minded approach of giving us the freedom to wear anything we want to school. However, with this freedom, rise many problems that adversely affect the students at our school? It might be hard for you see the issues as a principal, but as a student who has experience of going to both schools where uniforms are mandatory and not mandatory, I can tell you, that the problems led by the lack of uniform outweigh the benefits of having the freedom.

Now, you may wonder what serious problems can arise from the privilege of wearing whatever one wants? To begin with, it may cause lack of self- confidence in some students and even lead to bully. While some students at our school have the financial support to afford fashionable clothes every week, others struggle to keep up with the trend due to financial inability. They feel insecure because they do not have the “latest fashion”. They feel they have low standards compared to their peers who can afford such clothing.  Those students are often being picked on by other students and they become a subject of gossip. The only solution to this issue is to enforce uniform in our school which will instill equality among all students.

This generation is growing up to be a very materialistic generation. Everyone wants the latest technology and fashion. This ultimately leads children to focus on the wrong values. Instead of valuing their education, they value people that dress nicely. Hence, in order to get students to focus on their education and other important things, school uniforms should be implemented so that the students focus, not on their fashion but on more important matters. Don’t you agree that the amount of time some students put into choosing the perfect outfit can be used to improve their grades?

In addition, the lack of uniform threatens the security and safety of the school. You may wonder how so? Well, not having uniform makes it hard to distinguish CPEHS students from an outsider. An outsider can easily enter our school through the yard door after lunch, and cause mischief in the school. It makes it difficult for the security guards to keep an eye on the High School students because there are two other schools in the building. I know you want to make CPEHS a safe environment for all of your students, and I trust that you are willing to do anything you can to preserve the safety. 

High School students often conduct in fights out of school, in the streets and subway stations. Having uniforms will make it easier for you to keep track of any mischief caused by the students from our school, outside of school. This way, you can take action towards the particular students to teach them consequence of their actions and instill safety in the school.

Uniforms can improve school spirit by instilling a sense of pride among the students. It can mentally prepare the students by serving as a constant reminder that they are in school, and the responsibility that comes with being in school. It can also positively impact how others view us outside of school.

Our parents will also thank you for helping them save the money they would otherwise have to spend to buy their children different clothes for school. Some may argue that buying uniform will also require spending extra money. Although this is true, buying uniform is a onetime matter. Once a student purchases a uniform, he or she doesn't have to buy anymore clothes for school the entire year, they can even reuse the uniform next year. Isn't it better to spend money once to buy a uniform than spending money multiple times throughout the year?

Now you may fear the opposition from some students that uniform will take away their self- identity and uniqueness from them. But does individual’s self- identity lie in their clothing? Isn’t it their character is what reveals their identity? Wearing uniform causes shift of values because students no longer have to worry about what is “on the outside”, but on each other’s characters.