The Scarlet Letter Essay – American Literature
"Old sins cast long shadows" Proverbs
Seven Deadly Sins: Anger, Covetousness or Avarice,
Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, Sloth
"And hold there is no sin but ignorance" [Christopher Marlowe The Jew of Malta]
"more sinn'd against than sinning" [William Shakespeare King Lear]
After completing The Scarlet Letter, you will create an original work of art
and write a literary response. (Guidelines and the rubric for writing this
Final drafts of the essays should be
approximately two – three pages long, typed, double-spaced.
literary response are attached.
I. Create an artist expression that explores The Scarlet Letter. The
art should develop around the novel’s symbolism and another
major theme (maybe fear, power, alienation, or inflexibility).
II. How is the Scarlet Letter a story of sin and redemption? What is
the nature of sin? What different sins do the characters
commit? In your essay please discuss the nature of the sins
committed in The Scarlet Letter and analyze how the sinning
characters journey toward and away from redemption.
III.
To begin your analysis, you will need to choose a definition for
“sin” and “redemption”. Some possible choices are listed below.
Sin (noun)
1. (Christian Religious Writings / Theology) Theol
a. transgression of God's known will or any principle or law
regarded as embodying this
b. the condition of estrangement from God arising from such
transgression See also actual sin, mortal sin, original sin, venial sin
2. any serious offence, as against a religious or moral principle
3. any offence against a principle or standard
live in sin Informal (of an unmarried couple) to live together
vb (intr) sins, sinning, sinned
Redemption
noun
1. compensation, saving, amends, reparation, atonement, absolution,
expiation trying to make some redemption for his sins.
2. salvation, release, rescue, liberation, ransom, emancipation, deliverance
offering redemption from our sins
3. paying-off, clearing, squaring, honouring, discharge, paying back
redemption of the loan
4. trade-in, return, recovery, retrieval, repurchase, repossession, reclamation,
quid pro quo, recoupment cash redemptions and quota payments
Assessment:
The instructor will assess the literary response product based
on the student’s ability to use the following features:





The ability to analyze, interpret and evaluate a literary work with thought
and insight so that the reader’s understanding of the work is enhanced.
The ability to support an interpretation with well-selected and integrated
examples, details and quotations from the text.
When appropriate, the ability to offer a personal response to a literary
work, stating preferences and giving reasons for those preferences.
The focus of analysis may include a plot summary, but the student should
also explore literary elements such as characters and setting, structure,
point of view, images and word patterns, with textual references to support
the interpretation.
The clarity of the presentation of the material, which should include both
the logical organization of the piece, variety and control of sentence
structure, appropriate selection of vocabulary, and awareness of the
audience.
Rubric:
Analysis
Exceeds Standards
Meets Standards
Conditional
Work in Progress
Literary elements such as
characters, point of view,
images, word patterns are
analyzed
Some textual analysis is
given, but may be more of a
plot summary
Give a plot summary at best
Analysis of literary elements
is missing
Some discussion of
characters is given
Interpretation
Gives a clear understanding
and appreciation of text
Explains that writer’s
purpose is apparent with
little original interpretation
of text
Explains/interprets the text
only in terms of a personal
response
Gives a plausible
interpretation of the story
Personal
Response
Personal reaction is
thoughtfully done
Interpretation of reading is
missing
Merely recounts story on
the simplest level
Personal response is given
Some sense of audience is
demonstrated
Personal response is limited
to liking or disliking piece
No personal response is
given
Little sense of audience is
demonstrated
Literary
Exploration
Thorough analysis is
supported by textual
evidence
Analysis of some literary
elements supported by
examples from text
Literary elements are
mentioned, but are not
supported through
examples
Shows little or no focus on
literary elements
Clarity of
Presentation
Employs precise word
choice
Employs interesting word
choice
Employs common word
choice
Word choice & grammar
significantly interfere with
meaning and understanding
Varies sentence structure
Mistakes in grammar do not
substantially interfere with
meaning or understanding
Mistakes in grammar
sometimes detracts from
meaning or understanding
Errors do not impede
understanding
Sin
n.
1. A transgression of a religious or moral law, especially when deliberate.
2. Theology
a. Deliberate disobedience to the known will of God.
b. A condition of estrangement from God resulting from such disobedience.
3. Something regarded as being shameful, deplorable, or utterly wrong.
intr.v. sinned, sin·ning, sins
4. To violate a religious or moral law.
5. To commit an offense or violation.
Sin
1. (Christian Religious Writings / Theology) Theol
a. transgression of God's known will or any principle or law regarded as embodying this
b. the condition of estrangement from God arising from such transgression See also actual sin, mortal
sin, original sin, venial sin
2. any serious offence, as against a religious or moral principle
3. any offence against a principle or standard
live in sin Informal (of an unmarried couple) to live together
vb (intr) sins, sinning, sinned
1. (Christian Religious Writings / Theology) Theol to commit a sin
2. (usually foll by against) to commit an offence (against a person, principle, etc.)
[Old English synn; related to Old Norse synth, Old High German suntea sin, Latin sons guilty]
sinner n
ThesaurusLegend:
Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. sin - estrangement from god
sinfulness, wickedness
unrighteousness - failure to adhere to moral principles; "forgave us our
sins and cleansed us of all unrighteousness"
mark of Cain - the mark that God set upon Cain now refers to a person's
sinful nature
2. sin - an act that is regarded by theologians as a transgression of God's will
sinning
evildoing, transgression - the act of transgressing; the violation of a law or a duty or moral
principle; "the boy was punished for the transgressions of his father"
fall - a lapse into sin; a loss of innocence or of chastity; "a fall from virtue"
actual sin - a sin committed of your own free will (as contrasted with original sin)
original sin - a sin said to be inherited by all descendants of Adam; "Adam and Eve committed
the original sin when they ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden"
deadly sin, mortal sin - an unpardonable sin entailing a total loss of grace; "theologians list seven
mortal sins"
venial sin - a pardonable sin regarded as entailing only a partial loss of grace
3. sin - ratio of the length of the side opposite the given angle to the length of the hypotenuse of a
right-angled triangle
sine
circular function, trigonometric function - function of an angle expressed as a ratio of the length
of the sides of right-angled triangle containing the angle
4. Sin - (Akkadian) god of the Moon; counterpart of Sumerian Nanna
Mesopotamia - the land between the Tigris and Euphrates; site of several ancient civilizations;
part of what is now known as Iraq
5. sin - the 21st letter of the Hebrew alphabet
Hebraic alphabet, Hebrew alphabet, Hebrew script - a Semitic alphabet used since the 5th
century BC for writing the Hebrew language (and later for writing Yiddish and Ladino)
alphabetic character, letter of the alphabet, letter - the conventional characters of the alphabet
used to represent speech; "his grandmother taught him his letters"
6. sin - violent and excited activity; "they began to fight like sin"
hell
activity - any specific behavior; "they avoided all recreational activity"
colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that
seeks to imitate informal speech
Verb 1. sin - commit a sin; violate a law of God or a moral law
transgress, trespass
fall - yield to temptation or sin; "Adam and Eve fell"
breach, infract, transgress, violate, go against, offend, break - act in
disregard of laws, rules, contracts, or promises; "offend all laws of
humanity"; "violate the basic laws or human civilization"; "break a law";
"break a promise"
2. sin - commit a faux pas or a fault or make a serious mistake; "I blundered during the job
interview"
blunder, boob, drop the ball, goof
breach, infract, transgress, violate, go against, offend, break - act in disregard of laws, rules,
contracts, or promises; "offend all laws of humanity"; "violate the basic laws or human
civilization"; "break a law"; "break a promise"
sin
noun
1. wickedness, wrong, evil, crime, error, trespass, blasphemy, immorality, transgression, iniquity,
irreverence, sinfulness, impiety, unrighteousness, ungodliness Sin can be forgiven, but never condoned.
2. crime, offence, misdemeanour, error, lapse, wrongdoing, misdeed, transgression, act of evil, guilt Was
it a sin to have believed too much in themselves?
verb
transgress, offend, lapse, err, trespass (archaic), fall from grace, go astray, commit a sin, do wrong They
charged him with sinning against God and man.
Related words
like hamartiomania
fear hamartiophobia
Quotations
"I count religion but a childish toy"
"And hold there is no sin but ignorance" [Christopher Marlowe The Jew of Malta]
"The wages of sin is death" Bible: Romans
"more sinn'd against than sinning" [William Shakespeare King Lear]
"All good biography, as all good fiction, comes down to the study of original sin, of our inherent disposition
to choose death when we ought to choose life" [Rebecca West Time and Tide]
"There's no such thing as an original sin" [Elvis Costello I'm not Angry]
"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" Bible: Isaiah
"He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled therewith" Bible: Ecclesiasticus
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" Bible: I John
"It is public scandal that constitutes offence, and to sin in secret is not to sin at all" [Molière Le Tartuffe]
Proverbs
"Old sins cast long shadows"
Seven deadly sins
anger, covetousness or avarice, envy, gluttony, lust, pride, sloth
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
sin
n sin [sin]
wickedness, or a wicked act, especially one that breaks a religious law It is a sin to envy the possessions
of other people; Lying and cheating are both sins.
v – past tense, past participle sinned –
to do wrong; to commit a sin, especially in the religious sense Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.
Proverbs
"Old sins cast long shadows"
Seven deadly sins: anger, covetousness or avarice, envy, gluttony, lust, pride, sloth
Re·demp·tion Definitions
1. The act of redeeming or the condition of having been redeemed.
2. Recovery of something pawned or mortgaged. To buy back something previously sold.
3. The payment of an obligation, as a government's payment of the value of its bonds.
4. Deliverance upon payment of ransom; rescue.
5. Christianity Salvation from sin or save from evil through Jesus's sacrifice.
a. deliverance from sin through the incarnation, sufferings, and death of Christ
b. atonement for guilt
6. (Economics, Accounting & Finance / Banking & Finance) conversion of paper money into bullion or
specie
7. (Economics, Accounting & Finance / Banking & Finance)
a. removal of a financial obligation by paying off a note, bond, etc.
b. (as modifier) redemption date
ThesaurusLegend:
Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. redemption - (theology) the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil
salvation
deliverance, rescue, saving, delivery - recovery or preservation from loss
or danger; "work is the deliverance of mankind"; "a surgeon's job is the
saving of lives"
remission of sin, absolution, remittal, remission - the act of absolving or
remitting; formal redemption as pronounced by a priest in the sacrament of penance
spiritual rebirth, conversion, rebirth - a spiritual enlightenment causing a person to lead a new life
atonement, expiation, propitiation - the act of atoning for sin or wrongdoing (especially appeasing
a deity)
theology, divinity - the rational and systematic study of religion and its influences and of the
nature of religious truth
2. redemption - repayment of the principal amount of a debt or security at or before maturity (as
when a corporation repurchases its own stock)
corp, corporation - a business firm whose articles of incorporation have been approved in some
state
quittance, repayment - payment of a debt or obligation
3. redemption - the act of purchasing back something previously sold
buyback, repurchase
purchase - the acquisition of something for payment; "they closed the purchase with a
handshake"
redemption
noun
1. compensation, saving, amends, reparation, atonement, absolution, expiation trying to make some
redemption for his sins.
2. salvation, release, rescue, liberation, ransom, emancipation, deliverance offering redemption from our
sins
3. paying-off, clearing, squaring, honouring, discharge, paying back redemption of the loan
4. trade-in, return, recovery, retrieval, repurchase, repossession, reclamation, quid pro quo, recoupment
cash redemptions and quota payments