Skip to main content

What figurative language is present in chapter 21 of The Scarlet Letter?

In this chapter, the narrator refers to Hester as "the people's victim and life-long bond-slave."  This is a metaphor that describes the way Hester feels and has felt for quite a long time; she very much feels victimized by their treatment of her.  Further, Hester's many years spent lonely and victimized lead the narrator to compare those painful years to a "draught of [...] wormwood and aloes," another metaphor to describe the bitterness of Hester's punishment and life since her sin was found out.

Pearl's bright and colorful garments are also compared via metaphor to a "butterfly's wing" or a "bright flower," further strengthening her association with nature.  While Hester's brow is compared to "marble" (another metaphor), Pearl is matched, via simile, with a "bird."  


Pearl also uses personification to describe the "old trees" in the forest, trees which she says "can hear," as well as the sky, which she says can see.  The Puritans, however, are characterized as living a life "tint[ed] [with] sad gray, brown, or black," and the "mood and manners of the age" are described as being of "gray or sable tinge."  These colors are all symbols of austerity, muted emotion, and a certain darkness of character.  


Finally, the space around Hester is described as a "magic circle" into which no one will step, another metaphor: there is no magic, only the ill feelings of the other townspeople.  

Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...

Explain and discuss how the definitions of freedom change for the nation, for the freedmen and for southern whites after the Civil War.

After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to... After the Civil War, the definition of freedom changed in the nation, as slavery was ended with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865. The practice of slavery was disallowed, but definition of the freedom that would take its place was a subject of controversy, ongoing debate, and even violence in the decades to come.  For freedmen, freedom often meant reconciling with their families, who were broken up by slavery; choosing which church to belong to without being ordered to attend religious services (or not to attend) by their mast...