NCwall1reflectionandreferences

Wall 1 Reflection and References

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter and Randolph Bourne’s essay on “The Puritan Will to Power,” I was able to internalize the troubling foundation from which our society and its values originate. Despite being a country that on the surface values freedom and individuality, our society often represses individual freedoms by imposing a dogmatic regimen of restraint and a rigorous protocol of acceptance. Pressure to conform is pervasive and non-conformity is often punished in brutal, albeit subtle, ways. Hester Prynne is the image of the repressed, and her struggle through marginalization and silencing depicts the struggle that many non-conformers deal with today. Non-conformers' individuality, though, as a result of their inner-confidence of their character, stands out against the typical image of American society. The interplay of these factors creates a form of tyranny at the individual, community and national levels. Throughout our nation’s history, we have attempted to distance ourselves from this “repressed” foundation, and although we have seemingly steered shy of the faulty roots, in truth, it continues to plague our society. We are a still a country obsessed with self-image, and marginalize the outsiders in our society.

Books Used: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. //The Scarlet Letter//. New York, NY. Penguin, 2003.

Pictures Used: Hester 1: [|http://www.glogster.com/media/5/20/42/3/20420370.jpg__] Hester on Scaffold:[| http://course.zjnu.cn/englishliterature/Scarlet%20Letter.jpg__] Puritanism T-Shirt: [|http://rlv.zcache.com/puritanism_tshirt-p235597590772890771qr2x_400.jpg__] Roots: [|http://www.udidahan.com/wp-content/uploads/roots.jpg__]

Wall 1: Puritanism Wall 2: Individual expression in nature Wall 3: The foundation's transition to becoming community oriented Wall 4: The American Future: where dreams may or may not come true