Sometimes after reading a challenging book, you have the desire to discuss it with a friend and compare notes to see if you took away the same themes and symbols. When this isn’t possible, Spark Notes can be a wonderful tool to help further your understanding and enjoyment of the book. For me, that book was The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Published in 1850, the author occasionally uses language that is unfamiliar to our modern diction, making it hard to decipher what is happening throughout the story. While I was reading the book, the chapter summaries provided by Spark Notes were helpful so that I could double check that I was following along with the story correctly. After reading the book, I was able to compare my thoughts with Spark Notes on characters, major themes and symbols.
The first symbol that Spark Notes discusses is the infamous scarlet letter for which the book is named. I was somewhat disappointed with how short the analysis for this symbol was, because it was such a major part of the book I was expecting more than just a short paragraph. However, Spark Notes does a good job of describing the transformation of the meaning behind the letter discussing mainly about how the “letter’s meaning shifts as time passes” (Spark Notes). In my opinion, I felt they should have explored more in depth the effect of the letter on Hester and how she was, in part, responsible for its shift in meaning. The letter sets her apart from the rest of society not just as an adulterer, but as a strong and independent woman who refuses to let her community define her. From the beginning of the book we see Hester take responsibility for her sin by proudly embroidering the letter onto her chest, and refusing to let it be a sign of shame. Hester shows the importance of hard work as she transforms the townspeople’s view of her and therefore, their view of the meaning of the letter. One interesting thing that Spark Notes found that I missed was that “…the instability of the letter’s apparent meaning calls into question society’s ability to use symbols for ideological reinforcement” (Spark Notes). This calls into question all the labels that we use as a society and whether or not they carry any actual significance. From the lessons learned by Hester in this book one would think that brands and labels society places on people have no meaning unless they give into it.
One character I was captivated by was Roger Chillingworth. After reading Spark Note’s analysis of him I realized even more details that deepened my curiosity of his character. A short fact that Spark Notes pointed out that I missed was that the name “Chillingworth” even gives a clue into his nature by suggesting he is “… a man deficient in human warmth” (Spark Notes). I felt that “the leech” was a fitting nickname for Chillingworth seeing as he sucked the life out of those around him; first in his marriage to Hester, and second in his relationship with Arthur Dimmesdale. I thought, and so did Spark Notes, that it was fitting for the leech to die after he no longer had a source of revenge to draw from.
The next character that I found to be particularly intriguing was the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. His weak will and pride caused him to let Hester take all the blame and public scrutiny from their shared sin, but his conscience causes him physical and mental pain for the many years to follow. Again I was a little disappointed in Spark Notes summary of this crucial main character. One thing that I wanted to learn more about, but they failed to mention entirely, was the mysterious way Dimmesdale was always seen clutching his chest and then right before he dies how he rips away his minister band from his breast and shocks the crowd. I felt the crowd was being shown a scarlet letter similar to Hester’s that was placed on his chest as an act of God branding Dimmesdale as a sinner since he refused to take responsibility himself as Hester had done. Unfortunately I was not able to compare my speculations with Spark Notes because they left that piece of symbolism out entirely.
Overall, The Scarlet Letter left me to contemplate many universal themes such as the concept of identity and society’s view of individuals along with the importance of owning up to one’s shortcomings and sins. Without Spark Notes my understanding of the book would not have been as complete as it was and my reflection of the book would not have been nearly as in depth. Using Spark Notes allowed me to further my critical thinking and my ability to break down and dissect a complex novel like The Scarlet Letter.
1 comment:
Lexi, when I came across your blog post it was one that caught my eye because it wasn't one that I related to, but one that I didn't relate to. Normally, I would always use Sparknotes as an easy way out of not reading a book, or for skipping over parts I did not want to read. However, you saying it was a great source to compare notes or analysis that you took from the book was something that really made me think. I would think it's safe to say that most people use Sparknotes for books they don't read, like me, however, I never thought about how what you get from reading is almost entirely based off of opinion. It's based off of your own imagination and how your brain chooses to interpret the information its being fed.
I really like the way you chose to wrote this blog post because it really helped me to see that I cannot always rely on Sparknotes to fulfill a void where I have not read. You writing about this not only opened my mind to something I hadn't thought of before at all or even thought it was an issue.
Not only can Sparknotes opt information that you would know if your were to read the book yourself. Reading is something that allows your mind to think for itself and be creative in different landscapes and scenarios; it's how we grow and develop as humans and become more humble and less ignorant to the outside world.
Post a Comment