January232012
“She was pariah, then, and knew it. Knew that they despised her and believed that they framed their hatred as disgust for the easy way she lay with men. -Sula pg. 122”

Throughout Sula we have found many connections to the previous novels read in our class. When Sula refers to herself as a “pariah” a parallel to The Scarlet Letter and Hester forms. Both characters were seen as immoral women who rebelled against the norms of the society “for the easy way [they] lay with men.” The town punishes Hester for sleeping with a man to whom she was not betrothed while the people of Medallion criticize Sula for sleeping around with white men. Both acts are defiantly against the community norms and create an image as a social pariah for each woman.

-Christine

Sula toni morrison pariah sex the scarlet letter nathaniel hawethorne parallel quotes quote 

November32011
The picture above represents the forest and its natural evil that provides a false sense of freedom to Hester and Dimmesdale. In the view of the Puritans, the forest is dangerous and should never be entered, but to Hester and Dimmesdale it is a place of relief. While waiting for Dimmesdale in the forest, Pearl tells Hester the the sunshine does not like her and avoids her face, but when Hester takes off the letter she is free and the sun finally casts its rays down on her (Chapter 16). Then everything goes back to doom and gloom when Pearl refuses to join Hester and Dimmesdale until Hester puts the letter back on her chest (Chapter 19). Along with the letter comes the end of happiness, sunshine, and the freedom of the forest. Ultimately, the forest supplies an unreal source of hope for the family, but represents pure evil to the Puritan society. -Kai

The picture above represents the forest and its natural evil that provides a false sense of freedom to Hester and Dimmesdale. In the view of the Puritans, the forest is dangerous and should never be entered, but to Hester and Dimmesdale it is a place of relief. While waiting for Dimmesdale in the forest, Pearl tells Hester the the sunshine does not like her and avoids her face, but when Hester takes off the letter she is free and the sun finally casts its rays down on her (Chapter 16). Then everything goes back to doom and gloom when Pearl refuses to join Hester and Dimmesdale until Hester puts the letter back on her chest (Chapter 19). Along with the letter comes the end of happiness, sunshine, and the freedom of the forest. Ultimately, the forest supplies an unreal source of hope for the family, but represents pure evil to the Puritan society.

-Kai

(Source: )

Art The Scarlet Letter discussions forest 

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