Wednesday, May 12, 2010
I've really enjoyed this book. It's been interesting and entertaining and I really do enjoy Hawthorne's writing and characters. I know that many people in our class felt it moved much too slowly, and they do have a point, but I enjoyed the pace. It gave me time to reflect on the story and to really put myself in the midst of the events described.
I also feel that this is an important book because of what it has to say about our culture and the injustices we allow as a society. That's one of the major things I see in my reading; the puritan townspeople seem to overlook their own sin and treat Hester harshly in response to hers. They ostracize Hester and Pearl when they should be caring for them and loving them. And I think we still do that today, especially with teenage mothers, although it's often not in as overt a manner as in the book. But that's not the way we should act. Especially not the way the church should act. I think this book shows that, and I suppose my response to that is a call and conviction to live differently. To not be the same as the characters in the novel.
I also feel like to book has significant thoughts about humanity and our relationship with God. Especially about how much we need God to free us from our sin. And how it eats away at us if we then refuse to forgive ourselves after receiving forgivenesss from God. I think Dimmesdale is such a powerful example of this. When I look at the life of his character in the story, I can't help but think about that. There is such freedom in living a life in relationship with God, and I think that sometimes we forget that. At least, I know I forget that sometimes. But I know, that although can be hard to forgive myself for the mistakes I make, I don't want to live in the captivity of sin the way that Dimmesdale does. I want to live in the glorious freedom of God. And I wish Dimmesdale would have found that in the story.
I don't know if these are the ideas that Hawthorne intended to communicate to readers with his story, but they are the lessions I learned through reading it. And they are why I love it.
I also feel that this is an important book because of what it has to say about our culture and the injustices we allow as a society. That's one of the major things I see in my reading; the puritan townspeople seem to overlook their own sin and treat Hester harshly in response to hers. They ostracize Hester and Pearl when they should be caring for them and loving them. And I think we still do that today, especially with teenage mothers, although it's often not in as overt a manner as in the book. But that's not the way we should act. Especially not the way the church should act. I think this book shows that, and I suppose my response to that is a call and conviction to live differently. To not be the same as the characters in the novel.
I also feel like to book has significant thoughts about humanity and our relationship with God. Especially about how much we need God to free us from our sin. And how it eats away at us if we then refuse to forgive ourselves after receiving forgivenesss from God. I think Dimmesdale is such a powerful example of this. When I look at the life of his character in the story, I can't help but think about that. There is such freedom in living a life in relationship with God, and I think that sometimes we forget that. At least, I know I forget that sometimes. But I know, that although can be hard to forgive myself for the mistakes I make, I don't want to live in the captivity of sin the way that Dimmesdale does. I want to live in the glorious freedom of God. And I wish Dimmesdale would have found that in the story.
I don't know if these are the ideas that Hawthorne intended to communicate to readers with his story, but they are the lessions I learned through reading it. And they are why I love it.
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