S T E P S In The Scarlet Letter

1. STEPS In The Scarlet Letter Van Hovannisian Mrs. Halajian A.P. English

2. Ancestral Guidance to STEPS • [ Old English stæpe< Germanic, "to tread"]

3. Analyzing STEPS • Steps are usually portrayed as something that leads you from one place to another. • The ascension and dissension of stairs/steps can pose a conflict of good vs. evil in one’s life. (Ascending steps=Heaven, Descending steps=Hades)

4. Any Other Meanings? • “Rough” or “difficult” steps can represent the status of the character’s setting ( In this case it would symbolize the attitude of the Puritans towards her and also represents the Puritan Society) • Psychologically speaking, going up the stairs means paradise (spiritually) while going down the stairs means back to reality.

5. Examples of STEPS • “Nay, from the moment when we came down the old church-stepstogether, a married pair…” • Represents a path into a new life.

6. Another Example? Ah, Yes! • “The Governor, in advance of his visitors, ascended one or two steps, and, throwing open the leaves of the great hall window found himself close to little Pearl.” • At first, the steps serve as an escape way for the governor, but soon after leads him right to Pearl. • The steps show Pearl on a higher step the step than the governor. This shows how pure Pearl is and even may insinuate the governor has done corrupt deeds. • The governor is represented as a part of Dimmesdale as well. They both serve for a high authority. But the passage is also foreshadows Dimmesdale’s relation to Pearl.

7. …..Continued • As the great Enrique Iglesias once said, ”You can run, you can hide, but you can’t escape my love.”

8. More Examples • “The young minister, on ceasing to speak, had withdrawn a few steps from the group and stood with his face partially concealed…” • Although it is not directly stated that the minister is hiding something, the steps he withdraws that he is avoiding or hiding something.

9. The Elf-Child And The Minister • “The affair being so satisfactorily concluded, Hester Prynne, with Pearl, departed from the house. As they descended the steps…and forth into the sunny day…” • The steps in this passage are both physical and metaphorical. • The steps literally lead them to a much brighter place. But at the same time it also means that brighter steps lay ahead of them in the future, after all, they were together.

10. The Interior Of A Heart • “Enoch-I, whose footsteps, as you suppose… leave a gleam along my earthly track” • Footsteps, in this case, show what the minister has done. • People believe the steps he has taken in life are “gleaming” with holiness.

11. A Forgotten Example • “It shall not cumber thy steps, as thou treadest along the forest-path: neither shalt though freight the ship with it, if though prefer to cross the sea.” • Steps are represented as Prynne’s decision. • She has overcome the embarrassment of the Scarlet Letter and has decided to leave that behind.

12. Purpose of STEPS • To Foreshadow • To Lead • To Connect • To Represent • To Build Climax

13. STEPS of Characters • Hester- takes steps to overcome the sin she has committed in the past. • Chillingsworth-takes steps in seeking retribution. • Pearl-takes steps in finding out the secret of the letter “A”. • Dimmesdale- takes steps in hiding his past and sins.

14. One Last Example • “More than once, Mr. Dimmesdale had gone into the pulpit, with a purpose never to come down it’s steps until he should have spoken words like the above.” • Since Dimmesdale is on a higher step than everyone else, he feels powerful and connected to God. • Steps show power, or position in society.

15. Visuals

16. Works Cited • http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/steps.html • http://www.experiencefestival.com/dream_interpretation_stairs