I am so glad we are finally done with this horrib- I mean great book. Honestly though, this book was not that bad. I’ve read countless blog entries on how people think this book is boring, weird, and “sucky” (honestly, I believe I’ve talked negatively on this book once, but that’s not the point I want to make here”). Overall, this book does not just give a story about some lady who gave birth to some demon baby; it also gives historical information that I never knew of. One major topic I learned about was Puritan society. Before reading this book, I did not have a single clue on Puritans and who they are. The society we live in today and the Puritan society Hester was in are different, but neither are perfect; there will never be a perfect society. Imagine if one performed the act of adultery today and had to do what Hester did: stand on a scaffold while being shamed and humiliated by others. We would never do that because that’s a bit strange. But in the harsh Puritan society, that was seen as normal. From this, I learned that Puritans are extremely strict. Also, adultery is viewed differently in both societies. From my research, adultery in California is not serious enough for one to be imprisoned (In re Lane , 58 Cal.2d 99). However, the laws in Hester’s society obviously prohibited adultery, and even allowed a pregnant woman like Hester to go to prison.
Two characters I especially admire are Hester and her daughter Pearl. Though Hester can be viewed as weak by some people because of her many haters and few supporters, I view her as a strong woman. I believe those people definitely strengthened Hester to become a independent woman. Raising a baby with no support, while taking care of herself and dealing with the negativity, is really difficult. As a SECA student, I admit I complain a LOT about how much homework we have; the amount of tests and quizzes we have; and how hard everything is. But in reality: are we even going through much compared to what Hester went through? I currently don’t have to take care of another human-being on my own. I don’t have a job because I don’t need a job; my parents work and take care of me. Hester is so hardworking and I admire her so much because of that. I don’t think I’ll be ever be as hardworking as her.
I admire Pearl as well -- not for being independent and hardworking -- but for her strength to still continue on with all the negatives comments thrown at her. Even when she was always secluded from other children, she still had that one supporter: her mother, Hester. Also, she did not have a father for the first seven years of her existence, and did not even know about Dimmesdale until the very end. Having to go through all that as a young child is something I admire greatly.
And like every book I finish, I will definitely miss this book. Despite this book’s countless confusing words, weird dialect, and creepy people, I enjoyed this book overall.
-Carmen Huang
Two characters I especially admire are Hester and her daughter Pearl. Though Hester can be viewed as weak by some people because of her many haters and few supporters, I view her as a strong woman. I believe those people definitely strengthened Hester to become a independent woman. Raising a baby with no support, while taking care of herself and dealing with the negativity, is really difficult. As a SECA student, I admit I complain a LOT about how much homework we have; the amount of tests and quizzes we have; and how hard everything is. But in reality: are we even going through much compared to what Hester went through? I currently don’t have to take care of another human-being on my own. I don’t have a job because I don’t need a job; my parents work and take care of me. Hester is so hardworking and I admire her so much because of that. I don’t think I’ll be ever be as hardworking as her.
I admire Pearl as well -- not for being independent and hardworking -- but for her strength to still continue on with all the negatives comments thrown at her. Even when she was always secluded from other children, she still had that one supporter: her mother, Hester. Also, she did not have a father for the first seven years of her existence, and did not even know about Dimmesdale until the very end. Having to go through all that as a young child is something I admire greatly.
And like every book I finish, I will definitely miss this book. Despite this book’s countless confusing words, weird dialect, and creepy people, I enjoyed this book overall.
-Carmen Huang