Why does the narrator lose his job in the customhouse?
He is incompetent. He spends too much time writing when he should be working
. The other inspectors dislike him personally.
Why did Hawthorne lose his Custom House job?
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804, in a small house three blocks from the Custom House. … With the change in administration from the Democratic to the Whig Party in 1848, however, Hawthorne lost his job
after a painful and prolonged fight to continue as Surveyor
.
What is the narrator’s job at the Custom House?
The narrator of ‘The Custom House’ is
a surveyor
who has recently been fired for political reasons, which is exactly what happened to Nathaniel Hawthorne before he began writing ‘The Custom House.
What does Hawthorne find in the Custom House?
Finally, the preface serves as means of authenticating the novel by explaining that Hawthorne had discovered in the Salem Custom House
the faded scarlet A and the parchment sheets
that contained the historical manuscript on which the novel is based.
What is the occupation of the narrator of the story The Scarlet Letter?
Narrator. The unnamed narrator works as
the surveyor of the Salem Custom-House some
two hundred years after the novel’s events take place. He discovers an old manuscript in the building’s attic that tells the story of Hester Prynne; when he loses his job, he decides to write a fictional treatment of the narrative.
Is the Custom House important to read?
However, in order to experience the dramatic and literary contrast between the old and the new (new, meaning 19th century standards versus those of the 17th century where the novel is set) “The Custom House” is
quite recommended to be read
.
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.
Is Scarlet Letter A true story?
The Scarlet Letter is also
a historical novel
, in that it was written in 1850 but set in the 1640s and contains real-life settings, characters, and actual historical events.
Why is the Custom House important?
The Custom House
serves the small ship traffic going through the port
, but it is usually a quiet place requiring only minimal work. The connection between Salem and the Puritans is made early on. Hawthorne’s family originally settled in Salem, and he is a direct descendent of several notable ancestors.
Is the Custom House part of the scarlet letter?
Summary: The Custom-House: Introductory
This introduction provides a frame for the main narrative of The Scarlet Letter. … One rainy day he discovers some documents in the building’s unoccupied second story.
What does pearl symbolize Scarlet?
Pearl is a sort of living version of her mother’s scarlet letter. She is the physical consequence of
sexual sin
and the indicator of a transgression. … She represents not only “sin” but also the vital spirit and passion that engendered that sin.
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.
Why did Hester Prynne marry Chillingworth?
Why does Hester marry Chillingworth? In The Scarlet Letter, Chillingworth married Hester
because he hoped to find some happiness in married life
, and she was young and beautiful. He had lived a pretty lonely and solitary existence for most of his years, and he longed for the happiness that he saw so many others enjoy.
Why did Hester cheat on Chillingworth?
As the years pass, Hester realizes that Roger Chillingworth, her husband under Church law, is not the man her soul is connected to. … She realizes that Dimmesdale is her true husband and that the only time she committed
adultery
was when she gave herself to Chillingworth, a man she didn’t love.
Why does pearl not recognize her mother?
Pearl does not recognize her mother
because Hester has removed the scarlet letter and put her hair down
. Having resolved to leave America and start a new life in Europe with Dimmesdale, Hester has finally felt confident enough to rid herself of the public symbol of her shame.
