Verified Document

Steinbeck Vs. Hawthorne John Steinbeck's Research Paper

Finally, redemption is possible and is achieved by some: when Hester, Pearl and Dimmesdale all stand on the public scaffold, Dimmesdale falls fatally ill and Pearl kisses him, the spell of sinfulness is broken for them (Hawthorne 175), while Chillingworth "positively withered up, shrivelled away and almost vanished from mortal sight" because his plan to destroy Dimmesdale were simultaneously broken (Hawthorne 175). In sum, Puritan religious views are highly influential in Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter. However, Steinbeck's Cannery Row is not at all concerned with formal religion's concepts of sin, guilt, alienation and redemption. 3. Conclusion

John Steinbeck's Cannery Row and Nathaniel Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter reveal views of humanity that are very much alike in at least one respect and quite different in at least another respect. Both authors extensively use paradox to describe their characters and therefore speak to the complexity of human beings. In Steinbeck's characters of Doc, Mac and Nora, we are given a multitude of paradoxes used to show the richness of humanity. Hawthorne also uses paradoxes to describe his main...

Consequently, both Steinbeck and Hawthorne obviously believe humanity is complex. However, the authors widely differ in their views of humanity in that Steinbeck does not appeal to the divine while Hawthorne does. Possible due to his 20th Century Episcopalian-then-agnostic views, Steinbeck does not dwell on established religious views of humanity. Hawthorne, on the other hand, was a 19th Century Puritan and recluse who imposed heavily oppressive Puritan notions of sin, guilt, alienation and redemption on his characters. Consequently, while both authors are highly skilled, Steinbeck's Cannery Row is a humorous satire of humanity while Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter is a dark journey into the depths of human sinfulness, guilt, alienation and painful redemption.
Bibliography

Benson, Jackson J. John Steinbeck, Writer: A Biography. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 1990. Print.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter (Dover Thrift Study Edition). Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 2009. Print.

Miller, Edwin Haviland. Salem is My Dwelling Place: A Life of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ames, IA: University of Iowa Press, 1991. Print.

Railsback, Brian. "Dreams of an Elegant Universe on Cannery Row." Ed. Shillinglaw, Susan and Kevin Hearle. Beyond Boundaries: Rereading John Steinbeck. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of…

Sources used in this document:
Bibliography

Benson, Jackson J. John Steinbeck, Writer: A Biography. New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 1990. Print.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter (Dover Thrift Study Edition). Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 2009. Print.

Miller, Edwin Haviland. Salem is My Dwelling Place: A Life of Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ames, IA: University of Iowa Press, 1991. Print.

Railsback, Brian. "Dreams of an Elegant Universe on Cannery Row." Ed. Shillinglaw, Susan and Kevin Hearle. Beyond Boundaries: Rereading John Steinbeck. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press, 2002. Print.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Goodman Brown of Hawthorne's "Young
Words: 312 Length: 1 Document Type: Term Paper

Both Elisa Allen and Goodman Brown suggest that sexual tension might be at the root of their conflict. Allen arguably deals with her pain more constructively than Brown does. Brown becomes bitter as a result of the conflict he perceives in his heart. Moreover, Brown fails to ground himself in reality. Questioning whether or not the forest vision was real, Brown neglects to contemplate its value even as a dream.

Setting in Hawthorne's "My Kinsman,
Words: 1720 Length: 5 Document Type: Research Proposal

The various places he stops represent certain alternative futures, and the brothel promises one of pleasure. His ability to resist it -- whether through morality or lack of money -- and continue on his journey is indicative of the revolutionary spirit. The fact that he keeps moving, and keeps searching in new places, matched the movement of the revolution and indeed of the country since then as it goes

Setting Analysis of John Updike's
Words: 1048 Length: 3 Document Type: Term Paper

1) The fact that the girls are in bathing suits in a supermarket highlights their sexuality. Perhaps the most compelling definition of setting is provided, not by any literary theorist who might opine on the subject, but by Updike through the mouth of Sammy, "it's one thing to have a girl in a bathing suit down on the beach, where what with the glare nobody can look at each other

Chrysanthemums and Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne's
Words: 1372 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

Chrysanthemums and Young Goodman Brown Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1835 short story "Young Goodman Brown" and John Steinbeck's 1938 short story "The Chrysantemums" both deal with female purity and with how it can be easily tainted by temptation. Faith, the protagonist's wife in "Young Goodman Brown" is initially shown advising the main character against performing immoralities. Similarly, Elisa, the central character in "The Chrysantemums," is presented in the first part of the story

American Lit Definition of Modernism and Three
Words: 3585 Length: 13 Document Type: Term Paper

American Lit Definition of Modernism and Three Examples Indeed, creating a true and solid definition of modernism is exceptionally difficult, and even most of the more scholarly critical accounts of the so-called modernist movement tend to divide the category into more or less two different movements, being what is known as "high modernism," which reflected the erudition and scholarly experimentalism of Eliot, Joyce, and Pound, and the so-called "low modernism" of later

Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe Uses
Words: 1102 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Cask of Amontillado, Edgar Allan Poe uses vivid dialogue to give his characters life. He begins his tale by speaking directly to the reader. He pulls the reader in by saying that "You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat" (Poe, 191). The reader knows that the main character is speaking to him. And the reader understands

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now