The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter was one of the more intriguing books we've read so far. This story is pouring with mystery, deception, exclusion and unfaithfulness. Nathaniel Hawthorn, a great and notable author, used a numerous amount of effective literary elements to aid in the understanding and relation of the book. One very obvious component is symbolism. The letter "A" presents the public of Hester's crime. "A” is the symbol of adultery. In the beginning of the story you are informed of the crime that has been committed and the sentence that is being distributed to the criminal. Hester Prynne committed adultery and had to wear a vibrant scarlet "A" on her breast to display her wrongfulness.

Hester Prynne was passionate young girl who married Mr. Prynne (who later adopts the name Roger Chillingworth to hide is relation to his deceitful wife). He sent her to the "New World" for them to begin a new life. This is when Hester commits her sin. Mr. Prynne was going to meet her there but then he discovers the situation that is unfolding with Hester he is embarrassed and discussed and seeks vengeance. He wants absolutely nothing to do with his wife. The father of the illegitimate child is not revealed for some time and that adds mystery to the plot. This allowed me and probably more of the readers keep interest in the story.

I observed that Hester’s character became much stronger throughout and at the end of the story. She starts out beginning scared and ashamed but grew to become a powerful and motivational character. She was no longer shunned but in a way complimented for her strength. This example of character development is used extremely well. Hawthorne used this factor to prove that through tough and unattractive times people can rise above and come out triumphant.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby. This book has to be my favorite so far out of summer reading and I am guessing that I will not be alone. I think that this book is so relatable. The story seems more current and that the acts could have happened today and it is very fun to read . When you begin the novel you are introduced to an educated, highly social and intriguing man. He goes into detail about how he was taught by his father to not place judgment onto others. This is tested throughout the story.

When you are first introduced to Gatsby, you are automatically intrigued. A young, rich, partying man that has a mystery to him. To me he seems like the guy everyone wanted to know and be associated with. He is all about the American dream. To be known and to have materialistic things. Later you reveal that is the theme to the story. But back to Gatsby. As you read the story, you find his love, Daisy. She is the reason that Gatsby is the way he is. He just wants Daisy, so he uses his wealth and social standings to impress her. This is a difficult thing to do because of her husband (however he is in a love affair himself with Myrtle). Affair I think is the motif of the story. Tom is in an affair, Daisy attempts an affair, Myrtle get killed because of her affair and Gatsby gets killed because of his love affair of Daisy.

To continue on the theme. Gatsby mentions the "green light" which I thought was to be his version of the American dream. He has worked for his "green light" although his methods of work might not have been honest. Everything he did in his "green light" was for Daisy. But when he dies, so does the love of Daisy, the American dream and the "green light." This was a great book and influenced me to think about what I have to dream about.

The Grapes of Wrath

Book number two, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck was yet again a difficult read. The complexity of this book differs from Huck because Twain started with a whole adventure pouring out of the text while you had to dive into Grapes of Wrath to find, not necessarily an adventure but the purpose. It might not be a book for enjoyment but it has purpose, like all stories. This story starts out mournfully painful describing the way the dust is blown, thickly around a small community and how this tragedy causes the tenets to lose sight of their farms, produce, and neighbors around them. That first chapter describing this event is foreshadowing the hardships to come. Their "sight" being blocked by something they cannot control.
All of the books we are assigned have a purpose for us. The Grapes of Wrath's purpose, I believe, is to enlighten the reader that life is really not perfect. Take the Joads for instance. This family is tough and resilient, and that quality is passed down from generation to generation. Grampa is a hard, dirty worded, loud mouth that doesn't take smack from anyone. Pa is just like that but does not express it has vocally as Grampa. Then there is Tom. He obviously is tough and strong, being able to endure years in jail, being paroled unharmed. But like I was saying, they're not perfect. Tom murdered a man, the Joads where forced out of their home, their house was punctured, and they were basically left homeless with no income. Depressing, none the less it does not get much better.
This family does not rely on their luck. For this reason they are lacking in that department. With Tom's crime, Casy's murder, and Rosasharn's baby being a stillborn. These woes are strewn on this family at almost every instant. Their only goal was to journey to California to begin a new life. I'm not too sure how Steinbeck does it, but his portrayal of the struggles this family endured in this tale were so realistic that we feel the pain as if we are a part of this depressing time. I felt at times that I too, was a Joad, having to live with all the misfortune. The tone played a factor. It’s a dreary and slow tone that aids in the connection to the story. The tone also could be helping the way the setting is presented. Difficult times infused with the setting were enhanced by the way Steinbeck used tone. "To the red country and part of the gray country of Oklahoma, the last rains came gently, and they did not cut the scarred earth..." That is just an example of how tone factored into the setting. The Grapes of Wrath is a meaningful book that makes me and probably others take a step back and see that I should be appreciative that I didn't have to indulge in such catastrophe as shown in The Grapes of Wrath and the Great Depression.