Seeing with the Eyes vs. Seeing with the Gut: Appearances Can Deceive

Here's an important passage from our Scarlet Letter bingo game:

“When an uninstructed multitude attempts to see with its eyes, it is exceedingly apt to be deceived. When, however, it forms its judgment, as it usually does, on the intuitions of its great and warm heart, the conclusions thus attained are often so profound and so unerring, as to possess the character of truths supernaturally revealed.”

And, here's a passage from a poem called “The Tables Turned” by William Wordsworth, an influential English poet and a father of Romantic poetry:

        

        Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
         Our meddling intellect
         Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:--
         We murder to dissect.

         Enough of Science and of Art;
         Close up those barren leaves;                               30
         Come forth, and bring with you a heart
         That watches and receives.

If you remember from the lecture on Romanticism, many writers and artists associated with this era viewed their contemporaries’ passion for explaining everything from a scientific standpoint a little off-putting. They felt that trying to classify and order the universe in a purely rational, logical way robbed it of its inherent beauty and mystery, and denied humans their individual integrity. Instead, they saw intuition and the imagination as more fruitful pathways to understanding.

For this week's blog post, consider:

1. Where in the four assigned chapters does a character “watch and receive” with the heart, rather than trust solely in what they see with their eyes? What truths are revealed to this character? What choices does Hawthorne make to get his readers to sympathize with this intuitive character?

2. On the flip side, where in the four chapters does a character form judgments solely with the eyes? How does Hawthorne expose the dangers in trusting too fully in appearances -- in what our eyes tell us -- through this character?

Arthur Dimmesdale: Wanderer in a "Dark Valley"

In your commentary this week, consider Hawthorne's development of Arthur Dimmesdale. Of the four main characters, Dimmesdale is the only practicing Puritan. How does Hawthorne develop his exploration of the nature of good and evil, of purity and sin through his portrayal of Dimmesdale? How does Dimmesdale live up to the meaning of his name?

Please focus your commentary on one or two of this week's assigned chapters:

"The Interior of a Heart"
"The Minister's Vigil"
"Another View of Hester"
"Hester and the Physician"

To keep practicing close reading skills, you may wish to consider in your response the author's use of a couple of the following literary devices in his development of Dimmesdale:

• diction
• imagery (esp. contrasting light and dark imagery)
• juxtaposition with other characters
• selection of detail (especially his appearance and actions) 

Also, let's push ourselves to think about the bigger picture here, now that we are halfway through the novel. What exactly is Hawthorne getting at in his portrayal of Arthur Dimmesdale's torment? What larger truth about human nature seems to surface in his development of this character? What understanding might Hawthorne hope readers come to when they think about Dimmesdale's psychological turmoil? What Puritan ideals does Hawthorne appear to question through his depiction of the minister? In contrast, what more Romantic notions does Hawthorne implicitly endorse through depicting this character's intense inner conflict?

Roger Chillingworth: Evil Personified

In your commentary this week, consider Hawthorne's development of Roger Chillingworth as the personification of evil and the embodiment of Enlightenment-era values of reason, logic, and the intellect.

Please focus your commentary on one or two of this week's assigned chapters:

"The Interior of a Heart"
"The Minister's Vigil"
"Another View of Hester"
"Hester and the Physician"

To keep practicing close reading skills, you may wish to consider in your response the author's use of a couple of the following literary devices:

• diction
• imagery (esp. contrasting light and dark imagery)
• juxtaposition with other characters
• selection of detail (especially his appearance and actions) 

Also, let's push ourselves to think about he bigger picture here, now that we are halfway through the novel. What exactly is Hawthorne getting at in his portrayal of Roger Chillingworth's evil? What larger truth about human nature seems to surface in his development of this character? What understanding might Hawthorne hope readers come to when they think about Chillingworth?

"The Governor's Hall" and "The Elf Child and the Minister"

After you've read and annotated "The Governor's Hall" and "The Elf-Child and the Minister" in The Scarlet Letter, post your commentary by clicking "Comments" below.

Please read these suggestions before posting your commentary:

Many of us wrote more summary than commentary in our posts last week. Everyone who met the length requirement on the first post will receive full credit for their work, but in the coming weeks I'll be assessing your commentary with a more critical eye.

You'll also start to respond to classmates' commentary, so please keep the following points in mind to make sure you are commenting on a selection and not summarizing it:

• Remember your audience. You are writing commentary for me, and eventually you will be writing for your peers. We've all read the same text. Please don't tell us what happens in the work; we already know. Imagine that you are writing to someone in the class who read the text but didn't pay very close attention to it. Your questions and comments will help them see the work in a new, better light.
• Narrow your focus: You can't provide meaningful, concise commentary on the entirety of a reading, especially if you've been assigned more than one chapter from a book. Zero in on one facet or aspect of the assigned reading that strikes you, and comment on that.
• To make sure you are offering commentary, rather than summary, use one or more of these strategies (from Hamline University):
• Reflect about the meaning of the passage
• Consider the passage within the context of the course content (what makes this piece Romantic?)
• Point out and dig into choices the writer is making in the passage -- why this image? why that metaphor?
• Raise a question as a seed for clarification or further discussion and then attempt an answer
• Provide a single focused, supported, logically sound insight into the selection
• Refer to your notes on the features of commentary and try one or two that might spark discussion
• Think of the blog as your high-tech notebook. Experiment with your thinking and take risks. Write in your own voice. You should still proofread for typos and errors, but you don't have to express your ideas with the same formality you would use in an essay.

Remember to draft your commentary in a Google doc before posting it so you don't lose your work.

"The Prison Door" and "In the Market Place"

After you've read and annotated "The Prison Door" and "In the Market Place" in The Scarlet Letter, post your commentary by clicking "Comments" below.

Some things to note:
1. Refer to the notes you took in Tuesday's class on the kinds of ideas and information we can include when we write commentary.
2. Your post should be the equivalent of about one handwritten notebook page in length.
3. Although commentary is less formal than essay writing, you should still take care to organize your responses into paragraphs (please don't post one long disorganized paragraph) and proofread your work (standard writing rules apply for commentary, so check your capitalization, spelling, and punctuation).
4. You must accept my invitation to our blog and be logged into your Google account in order to post your commentary.

Important: Please write your commentary in a Google doc first, then cut and paste it into the blog. If you type your response directly into the blog, you will most likely lose your work and tear your hair in frustration. Don't let this happen to you.