Oh, Hester. How couldst thou fall for such a man of air, who spouts fine words and looks comely in his Puritan frock up there in the pulpit? If he hast no substance, why bother? Why doest thou enable and humor him when all he thinks of is himself with no concern for thy humiliation? And Pearl, his daughter? Doth he not ask of her or support her? Is he absent of a heart? Oh, thou art smitten by a rogue, a rogue in minister's clothing.
---What Hester's best girl friend should have told her, had she had one.
AP class read The Scarlet Letter this summer, and we are currently hashing over the happenings and psychological implications. The first day students design letters to wear that begin with the first letter of a wrongdoing they have committed, such as lying or speeding or tattling. They wear it for a day and have to answer questions about it. Then we talk about shame and if it is an appropriate punishment. They are usually divided in opinion.
The universal, timeless issues addressed in this piece of literature amaze me, considering the time period: single parenthood, deadbeat dads, equal rights, church and state, child rearing, etc. It seems no matter how much time goes by, people are still people, with the same basic desires and temptations.
Back in the day, I remember being utterly shocked that the minister fathered Hester's child. Oh my God! How could this be? Mind you, this was before we knew about JFK and Marilyn and the secret lives of some Catholic priests. Back then, leaders were infallible heroes, and there were people who were willing to deceive and more to protect their ideal images for the public. Bill had no choice but to fess up about Monica, and considering how keeping secrets played out for old Dimmesdale, Bill should be appreciative that the press pressed him to spill the beans.
Tomorrow we will have mini talk shows where students interview the characters, trying to get into their heads. I'll let you know how it goes.
AP class read The Scarlet Letter this summer, and we are currently hashing over the happenings and psychological implications. The first day students design letters to wear that begin with the first letter of a wrongdoing they have committed, such as lying or speeding or tattling. They wear it for a day and have to answer questions about it. Then we talk about shame and if it is an appropriate punishment. They are usually divided in opinion.
The universal, timeless issues addressed in this piece of literature amaze me, considering the time period: single parenthood, deadbeat dads, equal rights, church and state, child rearing, etc. It seems no matter how much time goes by, people are still people, with the same basic desires and temptations.
Back in the day, I remember being utterly shocked that the minister fathered Hester's child. Oh my God! How could this be? Mind you, this was before we knew about JFK and Marilyn and the secret lives of some Catholic priests. Back then, leaders were infallible heroes, and there were people who were willing to deceive and more to protect their ideal images for the public. Bill had no choice but to fess up about Monica, and considering how keeping secrets played out for old Dimmesdale, Bill should be appreciative that the press pressed him to spill the beans.
Tomorrow we will have mini talk shows where students interview the characters, trying to get into their heads. I'll let you know how it goes.
1 comment:
Have you seen Colonial House? It was a show on PBS (it's available through the library) where they sent approx. 20 people back to 1623 to find out what it was like to live in that time. They handed out letters for infractions like profanity, blasphemy, and dissenting. No on on Colonial House really cared that they had to wear the letter. Perhaps that punishment doesn't work in modern times...
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