Well, I did not enjoy Nathaniel Hawthorne when I was required to read him twice in college. But I enjoyed The Scarlett Letter very much this time. It must be all this maturity I'm hauling around with me now.
I think that he has some dead on accurate observations about soul-less religion which is practiced apart from the heart changing effects of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Just cold legalisitic religion, which is not life, but death.
He did not offer any remedy for it, and so leaves the impression that this is the whole goods on Christianity, or at least Puritanism.
He paints a clear picture of how the church looks when it's people stop walking in faith, and just stick to prideful works.
I was taught in school that it was a demonstration of the failure of religion that Hester, the sinner, is the only one in the book with a truly noble character. I agree that the whole book is about the failure of religion, but it does not hint at a failure of Christ, only a failure of men to walk in obedience.
There are loads of lovely lines to quote from this book, but I will leave them, and share a different favorite line from Hawthorne.
It is from a letter he wrote to his sister the morning his son, Julian, was born. He wrote:
"A small troglodyte made his appearance here at ten minutes to six o'clock this morning, who claimed to be your nephew."
Nothing like a doting father!
8 comments:
I love that quote. Maybe we'll have another child so I can use it.
oh, by the way, I'm going to go attempt a new profile photo for every book you read. I'm behind, but I think I can catch up.
You are the most fun!
I see that you are quite handy with that photo changer doo-hickety.
Hey I'm coming to NC in ten days.
Rumor has it Mirm is coming with her fam to hang out with us.
THAT sounds like fun, no?
what's on your schedule?
10 days... so you must be coming in for Thanksgiving. Hmm... what is your availbility and where will you be available? I'm going to Chicago and San Francisco on 12/1. But other than than, and Thanksgiving at my folks house, I don't know of much. I would love to see y'all.
the time stamp on these entries is west coast time. That ain't right.
Whoa Scott!
I think you've changed your picture more times than you should have. I don't think I've finished that many books.
I have only done Herodotus, Eats Shoots and Leaves, Scarlett Letter and Heart of Darkness, Ulysses is still being read as it's being done with a book-club and we're not going very fast. The Odyssey will be an audiobook in the car next week.
So you are ahead of me by at least one photo.
I have to say that you are the best and most entertaining thing happening on this blog, though.
Check your e-mail for NC updates.
You know, chicago and San Francisco are not sister cities....that would be two trips, wouldn't it?
sister cities, I don't know where that came from. They aren't neighboring cities. or, the Canadian form would be "Neighbouring".
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