Essay | Ambivalence in The Scarlet Letter

A famous singer, Paul Simon once said, "Everything looks worse in black and white."  In agreeing with this statement, many people go out of their ways to add more than one dimension to their artwork.  While reading the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, one will find that authors alike will try to create plots in which any given situation evokes more than one emotion at a time.  Authors intend their literature to be thought-provoking.  Readers are encouraged to look beyond the obvious when they are faced with situations that have both positive and negative aspects.  One reading The Scarlet Letter is likely to note that Hawthorne accomplishes this goal by creating ambivalence in numerous situations throughout his book.

Hawthorne is able to paint the reader a vivid picture of contrasting colors using descriptive language.  His use of language adds different dimensions to characters and situations.  Hawthorne describes Arthur...
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