What is the purpose of the custom house chapter?
‘The Custom House’ seems to be an effort to persuade the reader to regard The Scarlet Letter as truth rather than fiction. The narrator tells us he got the story of The Scarlet Letter from documents he found in the old surveyor’s office.
Why is it necessary to study the introduction to the novel The custom house?
What is the primary purpose for the Custom House introduction? Was to give the reader a better understanding of the poeple living in the custom house and their way of lviing. Hawthorne took a a boring version and added detail to make it more interesting to the reader.
What does the narrator find in the custom house?
One rainy day, the narrator discovered a peculiar package in the upstairs storage area of the Custom House. The package contained a piece of fabric with a red letter “A” affixed to it along with several pages explaining the history of the letter.
Is the introduction of The Scarlet Letter important?
Hawthorne begins The Scarlet Letter with a long introductory essay that generally functions as a preface but, more specifically, accomplishes four significant goals: outlines autobiographical information about the author, describes the conflict between the artistic impulse and the commercial environment, defines the …
Why is Chillingworth called a leech?
Roger Chillingworth is called “the leech” because he sucks the spirit and strength from Reverend Dimmesdale the way the aquatic leech exploits and often kills its host. He pretends to be a caring physician, but he extorts favors from the clergyman to serve his own selfish need to be near Hester, his legal wife.
How does Dimmesdale convince himself he should keep his sin a secret?
How does Dimmesdale convince himself he should keep his sin a secret? He would no longer be able to help his parishoners otherwise. He would bring shame to his profession as a physician. He would further embarass Hester.
Can I skip the Custom House in The Scarlet Letter?
Therefore, it is up to the reader whether they wish to skip “The Custom House”, however, an advice would be to at least read it, even if it is after reading the novel, because you may experience the “full circle effect” once you read about how this unnamed narrator “stumbled upon” Hester’s story.
What was Hawthorne’s job in the Custom House?
Although this narrator seems to have much in common with Nathaniel Hawthorne himself—Hawthorne also worked as a customs officer, lost his job due to political changes, and had Puritan ancestors whose legacy he considered both a blessing and a curse—it is important not to conflate the two storytellers.
What is the moral lesson of The Scarlet Letter?
The moral of The Scarlet Letter is that secret sin leads to guilt and pain.
Why does Hester refuse to name her lover?
She had the fortitude to withstand the criticism that would come after a transgression like adultery, whereas she knew her love was a sensitive soul and she was afraid of what the backlash might do to him. Also, she wanted to protect him because she loved him very much.
What was the purpose of the Custom House?
This technique, typical of the narrative conventions of his time, serves as a way of giving his story an air of historic truth.
Why is the Custom House important in the Scarlet Letter?
“The Custom-House” is a stand-alone section of the novel. It resembles more a tract or a personal essay than an introduction to a piece of fiction, but it offers plenty of insights that will support the rest of The Scarlet Letter. For one thing, we gain a sense of why the narrator feels the need to tell the story.
Why was the Custom House written by Hawthorne?
The Custom House. The Custom House is largely an autobiographical sketch describing Hawthorne’s life as an administrator of the Salem Custom House. It was written to enlarge the tale of The Scarlet Letter, since Hawthorne deemed the story too short to print by itself.
How is the preface to the Custom House related to the past?
The preface sets the atmosphere of the story and connects the present with the past. Hawthorne’s description of the Salem port of the 1800s is directly related to the past history of the area. The Puritans who first settled in Massachusetts in the 1600s founded a colony that concentrated on God’s teachings and their mission to live by His word.
