So little adapted is the atmosphere of a customhouse to the delicate harvest of fancy and sensibility, that, had i remained there through ten presidencies yet to come, i doubt whether the tale of the scarlet letter would ever have been brought before the public eye. The custom house purports to be an explanation of how hawthorne came to write the scarlet letter. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of the scarlet letter and what it means. By describing it in so much detail, including the age of the cloth, its color, and its exact dimensions of three inches and a quarter. This frames the story as a true story, and makes the narrator a character in the story, though he is not contemporaneous with the events in the story. And a great insight into 17th century puritan life but written in 1850. Find a summary of this and each chapter of the scarlet letter. The custom house is largely an autobiographical sketch describing hawthornes life as an administrator of the salem custom house. The scarlet letter by nathaniel hawthorne goodreads. The scarlet letter is one of those books youve heard about, and feel you ought to read. The custom house, the scarlet letter, lit2go edition, 1850, accessed may 10, 2020. The nameless narrator, who shares quite a few traits with the book s author, takes a post as the chief executive officer, or surveyor, of the salem custom house. Hawthorne wrote little while working at the customhouse. This video provides a brief biography of nathaniel hawthorne followed by a summary and analysis of the introduction to the scarlet letter, the custom house.
The letter a is sewn into her clothing, literally marking her as an. Two or three of their number, as i was assured, being gouty and rheumatic, or perhaps bedridden, never dreamed of making their appearance at the customhouse during a large part of the year. In fact, you can read the piece twice over without discerning the truth. What kind of a business in life,what mode of glorifying god, or being. After the narrator lost his job, he decided to develop the story told in the. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. Introductory in nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter. This video provides a brief biography of nathaniel hawthorne followed by a summary and analysis of the introduction to the scarlet letter. Set in an early new england colony, the novel shows the terrible impact a single, passionate act has on the lives of three members of the community.
It tells the story of the relationship between the puritan community and hester prynne, the protagonist, after it is discovered that she bore a child out of wedlockan act that cuts against societys. A romance is a work of historical fiction by american author nathaniel hawthorne, published in 1850. The scarlet letter is an 1850 novel by nathaniel hawthorne set in boston, then the massachusetts bay colony, in the mid17 th century about fifty years before the nearby salem witch trials. The novel is considered a masterpiece of american literature and a classic moral study. Custom house essay scarlet letter academic and business writing simply has to have absolutely perfect grammar, punctuation, spelling, formatting, and composition. The scarlet letter by nathaniel hawthorne the customhouse. Quotes the customhouse we may prate of the circumstances that lie around us, and even of ourself, but still keep the inmost me behind its veil.
I had looked into many tutoring services, but they werent affordable and did not understand my customwritten custom house essay scarlet letter needs. After a brief authorial digression about how his stuffy coworkers at the custom house kept him from writing this book until he was fired, hawthorne starts us off with a tour of the jail of the mid17th century massachusetts bay colony inside the jail is one hester prynne, an adulteress whos just about to be released from prison so that she can be paraded through town, displaying the scarlet. The customhouse introductory to the scarlet letter i t is a little remarkable, thatthough disinclined to talk overmuch of myself and my affairs at the fireside, and to my personal friendsan autobiographical impulse should twice in my life have taken possession of me, in addressing the public. Free barrons booknotesthe scarlet letter by nathaniel.
The custom house introductory to the scarlet letter. While not recognized by hawthorne himself as his most important work, the novel is regarded not only as his greatest accomplishment, but frequently as the greatest novel in american literary history. The customhouse introductory to the scarlet letter summary. Ok, so the first time i read the scarlet letter i was pretty much convinced that the customhouse was a mistake. Need help with the custom house in nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter. Analysis, summary, the scarlet letter is a novel that deals with the neverending theme of sin.
Chapter summary for nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter, the custom house summary. Curious to know more, the narrator reads the manuscript written two hundred years ago, describing events that marked the life of hester prynne. The scarlet letter the custom house summary and analysis. In the scarlet letter, what is the point of the custom house. Dec 01, 20 ok, so the first time i read the scarlet letter i was pretty much convinced that the customhouse was a mistake. The narrator tells us he got the story of the scarlet letter from. The narrator, who does not introduce himself, but according. Nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter is famous for presenting some of the greatest interpretive difficulties in all of american literature. His motivation for this is that the book, the scarlet letter, which is extracted from authentic historical writings which he found while at the customhouse. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the scarlet letter, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. The scarlet letter reflects hawthornes fascination with the idea of sin and its place in puritan ideology.
Course heros video study guide provides indepth summary and analysis of the plot, characters and themes of the custom house introduction of nathaniel hawthornes novel. Hawthorne says he has been seized by an impulse to write another autobiographical essay, this time about his threeyear experience at the customhouse. The novel opens with an explanation by the narrator, describing how he found the manuscript with the story in the salem custom house. In1849,zacharytaylor,awhig,becamepresident, and hawthorne, a democrat, lost his office. Read the scarlet letter, by author nathaniel hawthorne page by page, now. May 02, 2017 the scarlet letter is one of those books youve heard about, and feel you ought to read. Sep 20, 2017 course heros video study guide provides indepth summary and analysis of the plot, characters and themes of the custom house introduction of nathaniel hawthornes novel the scarlet letter. The scarlet letter the customhouse nathaniel hawthorne. It tells the story of the relationship between the puritan community and hester prynne, the protagonist, after it is discovered that she bore a child out. A nameless narrator who has a similar biography to hawthorne describes his job as chief executive officer of a custom house, the place where taxes were paid on imported goods. The scarlet letter is a frame story, placed within the broader context of another story.
Throughout history, people have committed all types of sins, and whether they are major or minor, people have been punished. It also serves as an excellent essay on society during hawthornes times, and it allows. Jul 31, 2007 the scarlet letter by nathaniel hawthorne. In the scarlet letter, what is the point of the custom.
I thought hawthorne didnt know where to start his story or something. Nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter is famous for presenting some of the greatest interpretive difficulties in all of american literature while not recognized by hawthorne himself as his most important work, the novel is regarded not only as his greatest accomplishment, but frequently as the greatest novel in american literary histo. He hints at the themes of sin and guilt and plants a seed that is raised again at the end of the book. Customhouse 6 the introduction also gave the reader the background information about the scarlet letter and how the diary of pue will be the basic outline for the story. Hester has met the black man, and the scarlet letter is his mark. It was written to enlarge the overall size of the scarlet letter, since hawthorne deemed the story too short to print by itself. It resembles more a tract or a personal essay than an introduction to a piece of fiction. The customhouse, the scarlet letter, lit2go edition, 1850, accessed may 10, 2020. The custom house seems to be an effort to persuade the reader to regard the scarlet letter as truth rather than fiction. The contextual story of the scarlet letter is found in the section known as the custom house, which serves as a preface to the action in the story, introduces the narrator to the audience, and helps explain some of the narrators feelings about the events in the story. The scarlet letter alienated at the custom house 60second. Hawthorne begins the scarlet letter with a long introductory essay that generally functions as a preface but, more specifically, accomplishes four significant goals.
Sep 24, 2012 this video provides a brief biography of nathaniel hawthorne followed by a summary and analysis of the introduction to the scarlet letter, the custom house. In september, hawthorne began work on the scarlet letter and on the customhouse, which satirizes the salem customhouse and its officers, as well as the whigs who deprived him of. Set in puritan massachusetts bay colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of hester prynne who conceives a daughter through an affair and then struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. How does the introduction, the custom house, relate to the. Introductory to the scarlet letter it is a little remarkable, that though disinclined to talk overmuch of myself and my affairs at the fireside, and to my personal friends an autobiographical impulse should twice in my life have taken possession of me, in addressing the public. The scarlet letter full text the customhouse owl eyes. The work centers on hester prynne, a married woman who is shunned after bearing a child out of wedlock but displays great compassion and resiliency. Although introductions are usually short notes that help readers understand the background of the novel, the introduction of the scarlet letter is rather long, explaining thoroughly how the book came to be written. This introduction provides a frame for the main narrative of the scarlet letter. The customhouse is a standalone section of the novel. Customs are the taxes paid on foreign imports into a country. How does the introduction, the custom house, relate to. The scarlet letter readon classics kindle edition by. Our experts proofread and edit your project with a detailed eye and with complete knowledge of all writing and style conventions.
It was written to enlarge the tale of the scarlet letter, since hawthorne deemed the story too short to print by itself. The scarlet letter begins with a prelude in which an unnamed narrator explains the novels origin. The nameless narrator working in the custom office finds a bunch of documents, a manuscript with the scarlet letter embroidered on the cloth among them. The old woman claimed that lots of people had written their names in the black mans book, including mistress hibbins, and that the scarlet letter was the black mans mark on hester. A custom house is a governmental building situated near a port or a wharf. While working at the salem custom house a tax collection agency, the narrator discovered in the attic a manuscript accompanied by a beautiful scarlet letter a. His account is a mixture of fact and fiction and loosely follows the story of how hawthorne himself came to write the scarlet letter. While hawthorne is the narrator of the story, it should be noted that this is a fictionalized account of hawthornes time as a customhouse officer.
Nathaniel hawthornes the scarlet letter reaches to our nations historical and moral roots for the material of great tragedy. In the customhouse, the essay that opens the scarlet letter, why does the narrator describe the exact dimensions of the scarlet letter that he claims to find one purpose of the customhouse is to introduce the novels primary symbol, the scarlet letter. The project gutenberg ebook of the scarlet letter, by. Read books online, for free the scarlet letter nathaniel hawthorne the customhouse. To this extent and within these limits, an author, methinks, may be autobiographical, without violating either the readers rights or his own. Our narrator is the chief executive officer of the salem custom house sometime during the mid1800s. The customhouse marker imprinted it, with a stencil and black paint, on pepperbags, and baskets of anatto, and cigarboxes, and bales of all kinds of dutiable merchandise, in testimony that these commodities had paid the impost, and gone regularly through the office. At first, the scarlet letter is symbolic of hesters sin and shame. The scarlet letter the custom house 60second recap youtube. I had looked into many tutoring services, but they werent affordable and did not understand my custom written custom house essay scarlet letter needs. He states prying further into the manuscipt, i found the record of other doings and sufferings of this singular woman, for most of which the reader is refferd to the. Nathaniel hawthorne included the customhouse as an introductory essay for the original publication of the scarlet letter because he believed the book was too short for successful publication. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
The narrator points out the connection between hester and himself when he notes that he will someday be reduced to a name on a custom stamp. In the novel, he considers seventeenthcentury puritan mores. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The scarlet letter, novel by nathaniel hawthorne, published in 1850. Im not kidding when i say that the customhouse is an essential part of the novel. Summary hawthorne begins the scarlet letter with a long introductory essay. The scarlet letter study guide contains a biography of nathaniel hawthorne, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The writers are reliable, honest, extremely knowledgeable, and the results are. Suffice it here to say that a custom house officer of long continuance can hardly be a very praiseworthy or respectable personage, for many reasons. Hawthorne was fired from his job as custom house surveyor when the election of 1849 ousted his party from office. Nathaniel hawthornes classic literature novel the scarlet letter tells a. This introduction serves as a background of the novel, explaining the circumstances of its creation. The chapter the custom house described as the introductry to the scarlet letter and it relates very much to the story as it contains an account of authors experience in the custom house.
989 1194 389 884 1051 1520 1062 60 1009 768 301 51 1054 330 1068 1091 657 52 940 564 595 835 826 776 364 1248 567 1206 22 63 38 349 292 865 1287 1179 1235 733 510 1066 143 1422 970 1342