Comments on: what does the inscription on the tombstone mean in The Scarlet Letter? http://www.frichelaiterie.org/inscription/what-does-the-inscription-on-the-tombstone-mean-in-the-scarlet-letter Fri, 16 Apr 2010 22:33:30 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Roger Lathbury http://www.frichelaiterie.org/inscription/what-does-the-inscription-on-the-tombstone-mean-in-the-scarlet-letter/comment-page-1#comment-2541 Roger Lathbury Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:22:59 +0000 http://www.frichelaiterie.org/inscription/what-does-the-inscription-on-the-tombstone-mean-in-the-scarlet-letter#comment-2541 You've got it wrong: "On a field, sable, the letter A gules." Gules are red stripes. The quote means literally, one a black background the letter A stands in red stripes. This is the book as a whole. The black background is the puritan darkness against which all the events occur and which is the atmosphere in which Hester Prynne lives. The letter A, however, is not solid red, which might mean sin in the Puritan tradition, sin, but either a diluted red or a striped red, which is like Hester's embroidering her "A," an artistic form of expression. The adultery and love that was at the base of Hester's nature is identified therefore not with wrongdoing but with royalty, heraldry, and aesthetics. This is an ironic and ambiguous statement on Hawthorne's part. Moreover, this is a device on a tomb--an emblem of these two lives and a final statement of Hester (and Dimmesdale's) union, an romantic affirmation of the life that caused them pain and that seemed to be so wrong.<br><b>References : </b><br> You’ve got it wrong: "On a field, sable, the letter A gules."

Gules are red stripes.

The quote means literally, one a black background the letter A stands in red stripes.

This is the book as a whole. The black background is the puritan darkness against which all the events occur and which is the atmosphere in which Hester Prynne lives.

The letter A, however, is not solid red, which might mean sin in the Puritan tradition, sin, but either a diluted red or a striped red, which is like Hester’s embroidering her "A," an artistic form of expression. The adultery and love that was at the base of Hester’s nature is identified therefore not with wrongdoing but with royalty, heraldry, and aesthetics. This is an ironic and ambiguous statement on Hawthorne’s part. Moreover, this is a device on a tomb–an emblem of these two lives and a final statement of Hester (and Dimmesdale’s) union, an romantic affirmation of the life that caused them pain and that seemed to be so wrong.
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]]> By: Iknowalittle http://www.frichelaiterie.org/inscription/what-does-the-inscription-on-the-tombstone-mean-in-the-scarlet-letter/comment-page-1#comment-2540 Iknowalittle Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:56:59 +0000 http://www.frichelaiterie.org/inscription/what-does-the-inscription-on-the-tombstone-mean-in-the-scarlet-letter#comment-2540 On a field, sable, the letter, A, gules.... heraldic language for a red letter A on a black shield. James Parker's Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry gives a fuller description of the term "gules,." indicating a little more connection to the red rose at the beginning of the story. Such coats-of-arms were common on tombstones of those who had, or pretended to have, some aristocratic heritage. A poem by Andrew Marvell (1621-78), "The Unfortunate Lover," ends with the line, "In a Field Sable, a Lover Gules." Also, Larry Buell has pointed out that "gules" is used by Sir Walter Scott in the introduction to Waverley, certainly read by Hawthorne, in an interestingly similar manner. One point is that the line serves as a frame for the story, since Hawthorne had referred to a coat-of-arms in the introduction, and also in chapter 2, above the door of the ancestral home. Of course, an aristocracy and a democracy do not go together. The concept of honor to the individual implicit here, along with the transmutation of a life into art, might symbolize this story of human frailty and sorrow--as long as one remains true to oneself.<br><b>References : </b><br>http://eldritchpress.org/nh/sl24-n.html On a field, sable, the letter, A, gules….
heraldic language for a red letter A on a black shield. James Parker’s Glossary of Terms Used in Heraldry gives a fuller description of the term "gules,." indicating a little more connection to the red rose at the beginning of the story. Such coats-of-arms were common on tombstones of those who had, or pretended to have, some aristocratic heritage. A poem by Andrew Marvell (1621-78), "The Unfortunate Lover," ends with the line, "In a Field Sable, a Lover Gules." Also, Larry Buell has pointed out that "gules" is used by Sir Walter Scott in the introduction to Waverley, certainly read by Hawthorne, in an interestingly similar manner.
One point is that the line serves as a frame for the story, since Hawthorne had referred to a coat-of-arms in the introduction, and also in chapter 2, above the door of the ancestral home. Of course, an aristocracy and a democracy do not go together. The concept of honor to the individual implicit here, along with the transmutation of a life into art, might symbolize this story of human frailty and sorrow–as long as one remains true to oneself.
References :
http://eldritchpress.org/nh/sl24-n.html

]]> By: tinaaa :] http://www.frichelaiterie.org/inscription/what-does-the-inscription-on-the-tombstone-mean-in-the-scarlet-letter/comment-page-1#comment-2539 tinaaa :] Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:49:59 +0000 http://www.frichelaiterie.org/inscription/what-does-the-inscription-on-the-tombstone-mean-in-the-scarlet-letter#comment-2539 idk<br><b>References : </b><br> idk
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