What Is The Custom House In The Scarlet Letter?

The nameless narrator, who shares quite a few traits with the book’s author, takes a post as the “chief executive officer,” or surveyor, of the Salem Custom House. (“Customs” are the taxes paid on foreign imports into a country; a “customhouse” is the building where these taxes are paid.)

What is the purpose of the Custom House in The Scarlet Letter?

‘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.

What is the point of the Custom House?

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.

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What is the primary purpose for the Custom House introduction?

The primary purpose for the Custom-House introduction was to give the reader a better understanding of the people living in the Custom-House and their ways of living. In the introduction, the reader is given an overview of Hawthorne’s points of views on the Custom-House.

Do I have to read the Custom House in The Scarlet Letter?

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.

What is the Custom House and what does the narrator do there?

The nameless narrator, who shares quite a few traits with the book’s author, takes a post as the “chief executive officer,” or surveyor, of the Salem Custom House. (“Customs” are the taxes paid on foreign imports into a country; a “customhouse” is the building where these taxes are paid.)

What purpose does the chapter on the Custom House serve?

Terms in this set (89) 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.

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.

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Who is the wearer of The Scarlet Letter?

Hester Prynne Hester is the book’s protagonist and the wearer of the scarlet letter that gives the book its title.

Is Scarlet Letter A true story?

No, The Scarlet Letter is not a true story. However, author Nathaniel Hawthorne took actual events and attitudes of Puritan America revealed in historical records and infused them into his work, exposing elements of truth and lending credibility to his historical novel.

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 does the eagle represent in the Custom House?

The eagle here will stand for the federal government. He goes on to describe it in both demeaning ways an “unhappy fowl” (a fowl is a chicken or duck), and in a violent manner (attacking her young, warning off those who would enter, etc.).

What is romanticism in the Custom House?

“ The Custom House “ By Nathaniel Hawthorne Journal Entry 1: “ The Custom House” Romanticism is the movement in literature that emphasizes inspiration, selfhood, and the authority of the individual. Hawthorne describes his fellow workers as elderly and have been working at the Custom House their how lives.

What is the tone of the Custom House?

His tone is ironic, self-deprecating, and seductive as he attempts to woo an ideal reader, an elitist category for those who might empathize with him. Next, Hawthorne criticizes his former coworkers at the Custom-House as lazy, old, and foolish.

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Is Scarlet Letter hard to read?

The Scarlet Letter can be a difficult read even for advanced students, due to the vocabulary level and the allegorical nature of the story being told in the novel. Summaries are very helpful in making sure that you understand what you have read and haven’t missed any important plot developments.

Why did Hawthorne Add AW to his name?

Shortly after graduating from Bowdoin, the author added a “w” to his last name in part to make the spelling match the pronunciation and also to disassociate himself from a figure of whom he wrote was “so conspicuous in the martyrdom of the witches, that their blood may fairly be said to have left a stain upon him.”

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