To Go Peaceably Out Of It

Uncle Tom's Cabin is a classic American novel that describes life as a slave. I have had teaches make references to the novels in a vast majority of my classes, however I have never actually had the chance to read the novel.

One section that particularly stuck out to me was on page 15. It says:

"O, I understand the matter well enough. I saw your winking and whispering, the day I took him out of the factory; but you don't come it over me that way. It's a free country, sir, the man's mine, and I do what I please with him, -that's it!"

I find it incredibly ironic that a slave owner would give a speech about America being a free country. A man who cruelly beats his slaves, refers by the degrading name of "nigger," and abuses black men for being intelligent.

There have been several times throughout the novel that I felt moved. Stowe did a fabulous job of taking me out of my little bubble and placing me into a foreign life, a life I could never relate to.

In one class period we discussed the sentimentalism behind Stowe's writing. Some have said they found it a bit unnecessary but I would have to disagree. Her audience was primarily focused at white slave owners. The sentimentality is needed to take that audience and place them into the life of the people they call "slaves." It provides an intense emotional bond between the reader and the characters.

There have been many times while reading the book that I wish I could temporarily travel back, before the Civil Rights Movement and contemporary society to see life from the viewpoint of the readers when the novel was first published. In today's society we have been so exposed to slavery and its evil that I feel we are numb. I think the novel would have been even more compelling that it is had I not already read authors such as Martin Luther King Jr.

As a final thought, I'm going to leave a few of my favorite quotes from the first half of the book:

"The woman did not sob nor weep. She had gone to a place where tears are dry; but ever one around her was in some way characteristic of themselves, showing signs of hearty sympathy."

"The quiet tone in which the woman pronounced these words might have led to a superficial observer to think that she was entirely apathetic; but there was calm, settled depth of anguish in her large, dark eyes, that spoke of something far otherwise."

"And the little woman looked so handsome, with the tears sparkling in her eyes, that the senator thought he must be a decidedly clever fellow, to get such a pretty creature into such a passionate admiration of him;"

"Mr. Wilson's mind was one of those that may not unaptly be represented by a bale of cotton - downy, soft, benevolently fuzzy and confused."

Hypocrisy

Whenever I pick up the The Scarlet Letter I can't help but notice the major theme of hypocrisy. It is everywhere - all these people passing judgement on Hester for her sin, when they have committed the same sin, or even worse! They are incredibly misled.

I find it interesting that the Puritan society was considered to be so religious and pious, yet they don't practice one of the biggest messages of the Bible - forgiveness. Rather than forgiving Hester of her sin, accepting her as a flawed human being (as we all are), and showing her the love of Jesus, the shun her, push her away for society, and use her as an example of what happens to those who sin. Sick!

I can't help but wonder how Hester felt towards Dimmsdale during all of this time. She holds a dark secret above him and could easily tear his world apart. Yet, she loves him and because of that, she keeps his secret. But 7 years is a long time, and I think if I were Hester, I'd lose that feeling of love and it would quickly turn to anger and frustration. Why should Hester have to go through it alone, when he is just as responsible? And yet society loves him, considers him a wonderful and pious man, and use him as an example of how life should be lived.

Obviously, Dimmsdale suffers his part, though, which I think would relieve some of the anger and frustration. I have a lot of respect and admiration for Hester for coming out as the better, stronger person.

The Very Dance of Her Spirits

Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter seems to be packed full of messages and themes, most of them dealing with moral and ethical dilemmas and the acceptance of sin. It is like he is tossing the Puritan image out the window and encouraging, not necessarily sin, but the basic fact that all people sin and that sin is inevitable. Hawthorne sends the image that we all need to realize (more specifically religious/Puritan individuals) the idea that people are not as pious or perfect as you may initially think they are. Sin is inevitable.

For example, Hester's sin was discovered and she had to openly display her adultery for all to see. Dimmsdale, on the other hand, never admitted his sin to the people and was tortured by his guilt and the misleading image he presented. Because of this, HEster seems to come out as the stronger person. People see the scarlet letter and assume she is a terrible person, but she does everything to contradict their judgements. Meanwhile, Dimmsdale always has to carry around the weight of a lie.

I think in the same way, Hawthorne means we should all attempt to be more like Hester, by accepting our sin and using it to make us stronger or changing our flaws to the best of or abilities.

A Wig of Majestic Frizzle

Spring break has come and gone and now we are diving into Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. For this past week, we were required to read through The Custom House and the first two chapters of the book.

I found the Custom House to be very... Random. I was not quite positive what all it actually had to do with the overall story of The Scarlet Letter. At the end, Hawthorne describes how he came about the story itself and also the process of writing it, which seems pretty relevant. However, the first half of the chapter was mostly about Salem and the people he worked with. I know that it was intended to provide credibility to the story, but I can't help and think it could have been done in a much shorter manner.

The fact that it was suppose to lend credibility is also completely defeated by the footnote that says "There is no actual evidence that any of these events occurred outside of Hawthorne's mind."

There were some lines throughout Custom House that I did enjoy, however. Here's a few:

"...It would be quite as reasonable to form a sentimental attachment to a disarranged checkerboard." pg. 11

"Sagaciously, under their spectacles, did they peep into the holds of vessels! Mighty was their fuss about little matters, and marvellous, sometimes, the obtuseness that allowed greater ones to slip through their fingers!" pg 15

"In once case, however, it is real sunshine; in the other, it more resembles the phosphorescent glow of decaying wood." pg. 16

"It is sorrowful to think how many days, and weeks, and months, and years of toil had been wasted on these musty papers, which were now only an encumbrance on earth, were hidden away in this forgotten corner, never more to be glanced at by human eyes. pg 24

"My imagination was a tarnished mirror." pg. 28

I also found the part where Hawthorne talks about all the time he spent with various authors, including Thoreau, Channing, Emerson, and Alcott. When I first read it, I thought he meant it figuratively, before I realized he was actually friends with all of them. What a thought! Imagine all these, now very famous authors, sitting around discussing literature. What I wouldn't give to have been there!