, Research Paper
ATROPINE POISONING: WAS IT THE CAUSE OF DIMMESDALE S DEATH?
In an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Jemshed A. Khan claims that Roger Chillingworth poisoned Arthur Dimmesdale with the drug atropine in Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter. Certainly, Chillingworth was a man of skill in all Christian modes of physical science (Hawthorne 65) and was very knowledgeable about medicinal roots and herbs (Hawthorne 65). Undoubtedly, he could have been aware of how to poison Dimmesdale slowly. Although Khan s line of conjecture is somewhat persuasive and seemingly well supported, it does not hold up under intense examination. There is much support in The Scarlet Letter to prove that Dimmesdale did not die from atropine.
The main point of Dr. Kahn s article is to prove that Chillingwrorth wanted to kill Dimmesdale through the use of atropine poisoning, but there are many parts in the novel that suggest Chillingworth wanted to keep Dimmesdale alive to suffer through his own guilt. Evidence exists very early in the novel that deems Dr. Kahn s theory untrue. During Chillingworth and Hester s talk about who had wronged whom. Chillingworth says I shall contrive aught against his life (Hawthorne 70). Speaking of Dimmesdale, Chillingworth goes on to say, he be a man of fair repute (Hawthorne 70). This passage alone shows that Chillingworth did not want to kill Dimmesdale, but would rather let him suffer through what he had done because after all he was suppose to be the epitome of puritan society and Chillingworth knew he would be grieving because of this. Another part in the novel that supports the idea that Chillingworth
wanted Dimmesdale to suffer from guilt is when the author, Hawthorne, explains Chillingworth s motives in becoming Dimmesdale s physician. Hawthorne says that Chillingworth, being a man of skill, dove into the intellect of Dimmesdale looking for secrets and precious thoughts that might help him in the magnification of Dimmesdale s guilt (114). The passage on 114 says nothing about Chillingworth wanting to kill Dimmesdale. Another part in the novel again suggests that Chillingworth had no intentions of poisoning Dimmesdale. During the last scaffold scene when Dimmesdale finally resolves to let his guilt be known to the town, Chillingworth says, There was no one place so secret where thou couldst have escaped me, –save on this very scaffold (Hawthorne 230-231)! If Chillingworth were in fact slowly poisoning Dimmesdale to death, there would have truly been no place in the world where Dimmesdale could have escaped from Chillingworth not even on the scaffold.
There is even more evidence in the Scarlet Letter that reputes Dr. Kahn s idea of atropine poisoning as the cause of Dimmesdale s death. If Chillingworth were chronically poisoning Dimmesdale, how would he have received a sudden burst of energy late in the novel as he did after is einghis meeting with Hester in the forest? Dimmesdale came back into town rejuvenated and thinking about his and Hester s plan to escape to Europe, showing none of his signs of his recent faint-heartedness and feebleness (Hawthorne196-197). If Dimmesdale were in fact being chronically poisoned by Chillingworth, energy bursts, like the one he experienced after his meeting with Hester, would not be possible (196-197). In addition to Dimmesdale showing no signs of his recent illness, he starts to view the town and its people in a different way. This new way was a sort of evil enlightenment (Hawthorne198). Now here again if Chillingworth were poisoning Dimmesdale there would be nothing of a natural origin that would save him from death not even if he had made a pact with Lucifer himself.
Dr. Kahn s theory of atropine poisoning does not hold up well under intense scrutiny, and would only be true through the eyes of a person who started reading the novel looking for signs of atropine or some other kind of poisoning. To a person who starts reading the book with no preconception as to what caused Dimmesdale s death, the valid references in the novel that support the idea of some sort of poisoning are just coincidental; and the true reason of Dimmesdale s death is shown through his overwhelming since of guilt.
Другие работы по теме:
Scarlet Letter 2 Essay Research Paper Scarlet
Scarlet Letter 2 Essay, Research Paper Scarlet Letter – Punishment and Death Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter deals with many themes, among those including punishment and death. Utilizing the theme of punishment, the
The Scarlet Letter Review Essay Research Paper 2
The Scarlet Letter Review Essay, Research Paper Adultery, betrayal, promiscuity, subterfuge, and intrigue, all of which would make an excellent coming attraction at the box office and probably make a really good book. Add Puritan ideals and writing styles, making it long, drawn out, tedious, wearisome, sleep inducing, insipidly asinine, and the end result is The Scarlet Letter.
Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper The Letter
Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper The Letter A The novel The Scarlet Letter was set in the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 17th century. Hester Prynne, her illegitimate daughter Pearl, her ex-husband Roger, and the
The Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper
“The Scarlet Letter” was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1828. “The Scarlet Letter” portrayed the punishment suffered by two individuals who committed adultery in a Puritan society and their struggle to deal with their sins. Throughout the novel Hawthorne uses Pearl to serve as a constant reminder to Hester and Dimmesdale of their sin.
Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper I read
Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper I read The Scarlet Letter and I failed the Accelerated Reader test. It was worth __ points and the reading level was ___. In this story Hester was an adulteress and had to wear a scarlet letter because she wouldn?t admit to whom she had the affair with. Her daughter was Pearl and her father was Dimmesdale.
Scarlet Letter 2 Essay Research Paper Timelessness
Scarlet Letter 2 Essay, Research Paper Timelessness is what separates masterpieces from the rest of literature. Classics like The Scarlet Letter transcend time, and that’s why this book is as relevant in today’s society as it was in the mid-19th century. Today’s teenage parents are often faced with the same problems that plagued Hester and Dimmesdale.
Scarlet Letter Themes Essay Research Paper Nathaniel
Scarlet Letter Themes Essay, Research Paper Nathaniel Hawthorne was a truly outstanding author. His detailed descriptions and imagery will surely keep people interested in reading The Scarlet Letter for years to come. In writing this book he used themes evident throughout the entirety of the novel. These themes are illustrated in what happens to the characters and how they react.
Changing Views Of The Letter A Essay
, Research Paper The perception of Hester’s A has changed throughout the novel. In the beginning, the scarlet letter on her chest was a symbol of her sin. It was intended to be part of her punishment by providing her
The Scarlet Letter Colors Essay Research Paper
Essay: The Scarlet Letter-Colors Throughout the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates the themes with various dramatic colors. Of the array are the colors green and gold, where green symbolizes different aspects of nature such as tranquility, security, and gloominess, whereas gold represents all that pertains to luxuriance, serenity and goodness.
Symbolisim The Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper
In the Scarlet Letter, the author uses many different types of symbols. The different settings of the story are ways in which he describes his environment and how it has treated him as a child. One symbol he uses a lot was the scarlet letter. The scarlet letter takes on different meanings as the course of the story progresses.
Scarlet LetterChillingworth Essay Research Paper The Scarlet
Scarlet Letter-Chillingworth Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne uses several dynamic characters to develop the plot of the novel. A dynamic character is a character that changes or evolves through the course of a story. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth were all dynamic characters.
The Scarlet Letter Puritans Vs Hester
Essay, Research Paper The Letter A is a mark of punishment and humiliation. However , Hester Prynne carries the symbol upon her with a very different out look than the puritans intended. Hester and the Puritans both have strong feelings for this Scarlet Letter but both will not come to terms and define a universal meaning for this strong symbol.
Tragic Hero Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper
A Tragic Hero A tragic hero displays many specific characteristics. Many of them are displayed by Arthur Dimmesdale in novel The Scarlet Letter. Arthur Dimmesdale is a tragic hero because he suffers beyond the depths of despair, and then comes to a moral resolution.
Lead By Example Essay Research Paper Lead
Lead By Example Essay, Research Paper Lead By ExampleEdmund Burke once wrote, “Example is the school of mankind, and they will learn at no other.” This explains how The Scarlet Letter,The Scarlet Letter’s example will greatly benefit teenage parents to overcome their circumstances. Before one can learn how Hester Prynne overcame her problems in The Scarlet Letter, it is helpful to know what she went through.
Able Essay Research Paper Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet
Able Essay, Research Paper Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter is a book that I enjoyed. It taught me to fight for and accomplish what I believe in. The book is very relevant to today’s society. People tend not to do things that they want to do because of what people might say or do. This book teaches teenage parents to follow their own heart and feelings, just like Hester and Pimmisdale.
Hester Prynne In
‘the Scarlet Letter’ Essay, Research Paper In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne and her daughter Pearl are isolated from society; this is shown by where they live, the action from people toward
Scarlet Letter Who Should Punish A Sinner
? Religion, Society, Or Individuals Essay, Research Paper Scarlet Letter: Who Should Punish A Sinner? Religion, Society, or Individuals Who should punish a sinner? Should it be religion, society, or the
Th Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper The
Th Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the heroine is admired becuase of her strong will, and disregard for other’s views of her.
Scatlet Essay Research Paper The Scarlet Letter
Scatlet Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter Argumentative Essay Nathaniel Hawthorne found a scarlet letter in an old custom house. This is where he came up with the idea for The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter caused much greif for each of the three Characters: Hester Prynne, Author Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth.
The Scarlet Letter 4 Essay Research Paper
The Scarlet Letter Hyatt Waggoner, a noted Hawthorne scholar, says, “The Scarlet Letter is Hawthorne s most widely read and admired novel and is also the one that has inspired the most inconclusive debate . . .” (Waggoner 118). Much of the trouble in interpreting The
Pearl As A Symbol Essay Research Paper
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s the Scarlet Letter, Pearl, is a symbol of sin and adultery in the sense that she leads Dimmsdale and Hester to their confession and the acceptance of their sins. A beauitful daughter of the towns adulturist has somtimes demon like traits. She is also the only living symblol of the scarlet letter “A”.
The Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper Throughout
The Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper Throughout The Scarlet Letter, the author Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many literal and figurative items to illustrate the significance of various characters or themes. Coupled with the tangible evidence given, the reader can make many miscellaneous assumptions of the importance of these items to directly and indirectly contribute to the issues of the novel.
Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay Research
Paper The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is, on many levels, a struggle between good and evil. Each character falls on the spectrum of good and evi. Arthur Dimmesdale, an agent of God, is the town’s most respected reverend. He is a deeply moral man who regrets the sins he has committed. He practices self-mutilation to punish himself for an affair with a married woman, Hester Prynne.
Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper The Irony
Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper The Irony of the Letter ?A? In the book ?The Scarlet Letter? there is plenty of irony. Irony is real important in any book. It?s one of the main components which makes a book come to life. If there was not irony the complexity of a book would not be the same it would be very dull.
The Symbolism Of The Scarlet Letter
’s Pearl Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter is a book of much symbolism. One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic symbol – one that is always changing. In the following essay, I will explore some of the symbolism which Pearl came to represent throughout the novel.
Scarlet Letter 2
Scarlet Letter – Dimmesdale Analysis Essay, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter – Dimmesdale Analysis Character Analysis : Dimmesdale Dimmesdale is one of the most intriguing characters in The Scarlet Letter. I think this because he demonstrates in this story that he is a coward, and that he is strong, yet not courageous.
Scarlet Letter Essay Research Paper Symbol of
Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper Symbol of Sin In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the scarlet letter symbolizes many things. The literal meaning of symbol, is something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention. This paper will tell many of the ways in which this is true.
The Living Symbol Of The Scarlet Letter
Essay, Research Paper The Living Symbol of the Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter A, worn by Hester Prynne, was a punishment for the immoral sin of adultery she had committed. Hester was forced to wear the letter upon her bosom for the rest of her life. Following Hester’s act of adultery, she became pregnant with a baby girl whom she named Pearl. “Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world.
The Scarlet Letter Vice Or Virtue Essay
, Research Paper The Scarlet Letter, Vice or Virtue? Hawthorn’s Novel, The Scarlet Letter, is brimming with many vivid symbols, the most apparent of which is the scarlet letter “A”, that Hester Prynne is made to wear upon her chest. Throughout the novel, hawthorn presents the scarlet letter to the reader in a variety of ways.
The Scarlet Letter 2 Essay Research
Paper Applying Universal Themes from the Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter involves quite a few themes that can be related to today including: playing the role of God, sin, and guilt. People continue to play the role of God throughout our society, just as thwey did in the 17th century in Bostin, Massachusetts.
Pearl Is The Scarlet Letter Essay Research
Paper Pearl is the living embodiment of the scarlet letter because she forces Hester and Dimmesdale to accept their sins. The Puritan society looks at Pearl as a child of the devil, and a black hearted girl because she is the result of sin. Hester and Dimmesdale are both in the same situation in Pearl?s eyes. Pearl wants Hester to realize that she is not the worst person in the world before she removes the scarlet letter.
Comparison In Characters From
“The Crucible” And “The Scarlett Letter” Essay, Research Paper Scarlet Letter In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are many characters that are similar to the characters of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. They might not be similar physically or mentally, but they share the same attributes and feeling towards things that effect their reputations.