American Literature (C) Portfolio

In Maggie: A Girl of the Streets written by Stephen Crane, there are three different dance halls that Maggie and her “boyfriend” Pete go to. The three dance halls are the Great Green Hall, the Irregularly Shaped Hall, and the Hysterical Hall. The halls themselves reflect the state Maggie is in during the story. The Great Green Hall is filled with fantasy and happiness showing Maggie’s love for Pete; the Irregularly Shaped Hall shows how Maggie becomes dependent on Pete, and the Hysterical Hall makes fun of how Maggie has been set on a downward spiral from the first time she went out with Pete.

Before Pete and Maggie meet, Maggie has been living with her family. Even though she has a place to live, Maggie is relatively self sufficient. She has a job making cufflinks and is able to support herself. Then suddenly when she meets Pete her whole life changes. “She began to see the bloom upon her cheeks as valuable” (Crane, 26) Maggie is in her own head and begins to understand that she is beautiful and that Pete also thinks she is beautiful. This feeling allows Maggie to agree to go out with Pete.

“An orchestra of yellow silk women and bald-headed men on an elevated stage near the centre of a great green-hued hall, played a popular waltz.” (Crane, 31) This quote describes Maggie’s first impressions of the Great Green Hall and try to grasp her fascination with the room. The hall is unlike anything Maggie has seen before, and she is so pleased that Pete is a high class gentleman that can, and will, take her out to such an establishment. “Maggie perceived that Pete brought forth all his elegance and all his knowledge of high-class customs for her benefit.” (Crane, 32) Maggie is blown away by Pete’s knowledge about high-class structure, but in reality he is far from high class. Maggie is setting herself up for her own downfall by admiring someone who is not worth admiring.

Maggie’s personality changes in a more profound way when the story progresses to the next dance hall. In the Irregular Hall, “Maggie was pale. From her eyes had been plucked all look of self-reliance. She leaned with a dependent air toward her companion. She was timid, as if fearing his anger or displeasure. She seemed to beseech tenderness of him.” (Crane, 57). Maggie is described as in a sickly state and has become dependent on Pete and not herself as she had been before. The quote shows that Maggie is still in love with Pete even though he begin to pay less attention to her. This dance hall is much different from the last.  “She returned attired in less gown, and sang again. She received another enthusiastic encore. She reappeared in still less gown and danced.” (Crane, 57). The mood of this dance hall is sleazy and promiscuous. Pete has brought Maggie to a place that is dirtier and most certainly not as classy as the previous establishment. Men also begin to stare at Maggie as if she were a prostitute. It is unknown to the reader why Pete has chosen to go to the “Irregular Shaped Hall”, but anyone reading can most certainly agree that Pete is leading Maggie in the wrong direction.

The third and final dance hall is the Hysterical Hall where, “The air of a spaniel-like dependence had been magnified and showed its direct effect in the peculiar off-handedness and ease of Pete’s ways toward her.” (Crane, 65) This shows that Maggie has his rock bottom. From her dog like behavior we can tell that she is fully dependent on Pete and is now an object being lead around as he so chooses. Maggie has finally become a prostitute, “A Girl of the Streets”, and is abandoned by Pete who goes off with a prettier woman. This is when Maggie understands that she has been used. Her fairytale ends and the reality of her situation dawns on her once juvenile mind.

Since the first dance hall, Maggie has been on the path of becoming a prostitute. In the first hall, Maggie is in love with Pete and is having a great time with him. It is a mutual relationship. When they go to the second hall, Pete begins to distance himself emotionally from Maggie while Maggie is still attached to Pete’s supposed class and has started to become dependent on him. Finally at the third hall, Maggie is fully dependent on Pete, she cannot imagine a life without him, and then Pete leaves her for another woman. Maggie now realizes that she was destined to hit rock bottom ever since stepping into the Great Green Hall with Pete.

You wouldn’t think that a tree could have a face, a face just like any other, and that it could die as well. Let me tell you about how I unintentionally killed a tree’s face.

I was seven years old, playing in my grandparents driveway. It was warm and the sun was glistening through the trees. I took it upon myself to grab a hand shovel and attempt to dig a hole on the edge of the driveway. I’m not sure what prompted me to undertake this mission, but I am definitely sure that my seven year old self came up with a good excuse. I began the walk out to the end of the driveway, almost out of sight of my grandmother who was most likely keeping one eye on me as I undertook my adventures. She was like an eagle perched in the kitchen window, proud and steady awaiting a call for rescue, or the alarm on the stove telling her that the casserole was finished.

After a while toiling throughout the afternoon, the sun set and I began to get frustrated. The hole I had dug was not at all the size or shape of what I had hoped. By this time it was almost dark and my parents had shown up for Sunday night dinner. The driveway was eerie and the forest became black unlike the bright green light it reflected during the day.  Then it saw me, it peered out of the night almost popping out of the forest. The face. I was at first bewildered, but then realized what I was looking at. It was a face, specifically two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, all arranged just so to look like a human face. The expression also glowed in the dark giving its frightening appearance.

“Time for dinner!”, my mother yelled from the house. “Ok, mom. I’ll be right there”, I replied with a sense of failure. I had not accomplished my task, the hole was not complete. I got angry, my emotions took over. “Why can’t I just do something the right way for once!”, as I began to slightly tear up like the drizzle before a hurricane. I lashed out grabbing the shovel that had spoiled my afternoon, and I threw it.

Now, I was not intending to hit the great beech tree which loomed like a spirit over the driveway, but that’s just what happened. That shovel had flew through the air and found its mark in one of the worst places I could imagine, the face. Crack, fshe, went the shovel as it hit the tree, bounced off like a human on a trampoline, and landed in the grass. What a disaster, it was ruined, the nose had been broken off of the tree and was now lying in the grass wondering what it had done to meet this untimely fate. I was in shock, I immediately sprinted to the house and told my mother what had happened.

Although my mother was not immediately angry, she seemed concerned. She then told me, “Honey, you need to go tell Grandpa, it’s his face after all.”

I was petrified. How do I tell someone that I broke something that was theirs and not mine? I entered the library, cases of books piled to the ceiling.  Asleep in his chair like a bear hibernating for winter laid my grandfather. I slowly tapped him on the shoulder and he quickly awoke. He seemed happy to see me, but became quite disturbed when I explained to him what had happened.

He screamed, “You what! You broke the nose off of the tree! How!? I can’t believe it! That was a birthday present from my sister, and now it’s ruined! I told you to be careful around things outside!”

Although he screamed, it is not as bad as it sounds, my grandfather forgave me and understood that it was an accident. Fortunately, the eyes were still unharmed and the face was just forced to live without a nose for the rest of the summer.       

The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway follows the life of Jake Barnes and his friends living in Paris. Throughout the novel he performs actions while remaining truthful to himself and his friends, but his friends and especially himself commit acts of betrayal during the novel. Betrayal in my opinion is the most powerful driving force in the novel because it creates the most tension, and is disruptive to the chemistry of Jake’s friend group the most through Brett’s betrayal of Jake, and Jake’s betrayal of Cohn and Montoya.

Throughout the novel Jake and Brett switch between being lovers, and close friends. In chapter eight Jake says, “I did not see Brett again until she came back from San Sebastian.”,  and also says, “Nor did I see Robert Cohn again.” (Hemingway, 75) Jake concludes that Brett and Cohn have gone off together to San Sebastian, this is upsetting to him and he feels betrayed. He is still in love with Brett at this point in the novel, and is saddened by the relationship forming between Brett and Cohn, feeling as though he is losing her. When Jake goes to Pamplona, Spain with his friend Bill to see the bullfights there and to join in the celebration of the fiesta surrounding it, Cohn comes along for the trip as well. Also, Brett and Mike have decided to meet the three men in Pamplona a day or two later. Cohn has since developed an unreasonable attraction for Brett, and wants to be with her all the time. After the first leg of the journey to Pamplona Cohn decides to wait for Brett and Mike. This action later creates tension between the group when Mike becomes drunk and explains to Cohn that he is a laughing stock, and that Brett has been with better men that Cohn. This confrontation is not the only way that betrayal affects Jake’s friends.

While Jake is in Pamplona for the bullfights, he stays at a hotel, The Hotel Montoya, of which Jake knows the owner. Montoya is a good friend to Jake, and enjoys Jake’s company because he believes that Jake has “aficion” and that he is an “aficionado” when it comes to the bullfights. Before the bullfights begin, Jake has the incredible opportunity to meet Pedro Romero, the newest and youngest bullfighter for the upcoming festival, because of Montoya’s pride in Jake’s “aficion”. The introduction to Romero however becomes a curse when, after the bullfights, Brett become in love with Romero. Brett says, “I’m a goner. I’m mad about the Romero boy. I’m in love with him I think?”(Hemingway, 187) Since Jake is now such a close friend of both Brett and Romero, he decides to do Brett a huge favor and introduce Romero to her. Brett and Romero then fall in love and Jake’s actions end up betraying Montoya.

Later on after the fiesta ends Jake has lunch with Bill, “Montoya did not come near us.” (Hemingway, 232) Montoya doesn’t interact with Jake because he has ruined a young and talented bullfighter by introducing him to Brett. Montoya wanted Romero to remain an innocent fighter that would focus on the bullfights and not on things unrelated to “aficion”. Jake has betrayed Montoya by introducing Romero to Brett and making him impure. Jake has also betrayed Mike by introducing Romero to Brett because Mike was planning on marrying Brett, and now his chances are ruined.

Finally, at the end of the novel Jake is beckoned back to Spain by Brett, who is in apparent need of help and says she is in trouble. Jake goes to Spain finding that Brett is incredibly shaken up because she has broken up with Romero. Romero and Brett were deeply in love, but Romero’s friends said that Brett’s hair was not feminine because it was short. In the end Brett kicks Romero out and is on her own. Brett betrays Jake by treating him as a back up, after breaking up with her first choice.

Brett and Jake are riding in a car holding each other, and Brett says “Oh, Jake, we could have had such a damned good time together.” Jake has loved Brett throughout the novel, and hasn’t been able to act on it because of his injury from the war. He responds, “Yes. Isn’t it pretty to think so?”(Hemingway, 250) When Jake asks this question he betrays himself because he has loved Brett throughout the whole novel and now at the end of the novel he has given up on a relationship with Brett by sarcastically talking about a relationship between them.

Cohn, Jake, and Brett commit acts of betrayal throughout the novel, as well as betraying each other in the process. Cohn betrays Jake by following Brett wherever she goes. Jake Betrays Mike and Montoya by introducing Romero to Brett. Brett betrays Jake by using him as a backup, and more importantly Jake finally betrays himself as the end of the novel by giving up on a relationship with Brett.    

Love is a strong feeling that propels humans to do crazy things. Throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the existence of Pearl and her actions shape the way that Hester lives her life. Many times throughout the story Pearl’s actions get Hester into trouble with the town’s officials, and they almost end up separating the two because they believe Hester is not fit to be a mother of a child. These instances only hurt Hester’s image more and more, and add onto the fact that she has committed the sin of adultery. Although Hester is sometimes negatively affected by Pearl and her outlandish actions, she has also been saved by the existence and the responsibility that Pearl has provided her. In the end, Pearl has given Hester a sense of love while no one else has.

Many people argue that Pearl almost causes the two, mother and daughter, to split up. She also almost causes Hester a lot more trouble when the two are confronted by the town officials. When she was questioned by Mr. Wilson about her very being, Pearl replied that she, “had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison-door,” (Hawthorne, 100).This statement led the group of officials to question Hester’s ability to raise her child. This almost led to the men taking Pearl from her mother to be given to another family that was more appropriate to raise a girl. The men didn’t want Pearl to become like her mother, a sin amongst human kind.

Once readers look past the errors made by the child, she also saves and defends her mother in many instances throughout the book. In the end she will be Hester’s redemption. When Hester travels to Governor Bilingham’s house on an errand, she is confronted by his sister, who is a known witch, and is asked to come to the woods with her to become a witch and escape society. Hester denies the witch with a response that shows us that Pearl’s existence alone keeps Hester alive. Hester declares, “I must tarry home, and keep watch over my little Pearl. Had they taken her from me, I would willing have with thee into the forest, and signed my name in the Black Man’s book too,” (Hawthorne, 105). This small denial of Mistress Hibbons offer saves Hester’s life because later on we know that Hibbons is put to death for witchcraft, and we could only assume the same for Hester is she had joined her. The existence of Pearl saves Hester from a life of crime, misconduct, and even death.

Another example of Pearl defending her mother in her time of need is when the two were blatantly attacked by a group of children who were throwing mud at the mother and child, trying to ridicule them in front of the community. Pearl’s instincts to protect her mother came into play, and she immediately attacked the children in retaliation: “But Pearl, who was a dauntless child, after frowning, stamping her foot, and shaking her little hand with a variety of threatening gestures suddenly made a rush at the know of her enemies, and put them all to flight,” (Hawthorne, 92). This shows us that Pearl realizes that her and her mother are seen as outcasts, and accepts it, but decides to protect her mother who is the only one treated like her. Pearl, the one who was said to be the evil child and Hester’s second downfall, felt obligated to protect her mother, the one she loves. In the end Pearl feels that she has a responsibility to her mother and will do anything to protect her.

These three instances illustrate to us that Pearl is a very peculiar child, but is a child who loves her mother. The towns people regard her as not being a part of this world, but in the end Pearl seems to have a love for her mother that no one else has. She shows a love that propels her to do peculiar and even evil things to protect her mother. The love she shows protects her from the beings that seek to torture her mother’s wellbeing. She is truly the joy and redemption of Hester Prynne.

“L is for the way you look at me O is for the only one I see V is very, very extraordinary E is even more than anyone that you adore” (Cole, 1965). This theme of love is represented in the novel The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. In  The Sun Also Rises, there are two types of love that are  strongly displayed. Unfulfilled love and unrequited love. Unrequited is one sided love, not reciprocated. Unfulfilled is never ending love, but due to circumstances will never come to be.  Throughout this novel, both loves are shown and displayed. Jake and Brett show unfulfilled love and Cohn shows unrequited love toward Brett.

Cohn, one of the main characters appears to be happily married to his wife. However Jake does not believe this to be true love. Jake says “ For three years, or almost three years, he had never seen beyond Frances. I am sure he had never been in love in his life” (Hemingway, 5). Beyond obligation, Cohn has not really been in love. He does not really know what love is. This all changed when he met Brett. The one woman he really loved he cannot have. He demonstrates unrequited love with Brett when Jake says “Cohn sat at the table. His face had the sallow, yellow look it got when he was insulted but somehow he seemed to be enjoying it. The childish, drunken heroics of it. It was his affair with a lady of title” (Hemingway, 94). Cohn is only in love with her because of her title of “Lady”. However,  he is still in love.  Brett is with another man at this time and this love to Cohn is unrequited. This rejection from Brett creates such anger and jealousy. In a fit of anger Cohn almost kills Brett’s boyfriend Romero, and  in turn almost loses his best friend Jake. This love for Brett is one sided , it  will never become more than that.  

Jake and Brett display themes of unfulfilled love. Due to Jake’s injury,  he is unable to be in a loving  physical relationship. Both he and Brett love each other, but could never be together due to this. In one of their conversations, they say “Do you still love me, Jake?”  “Yes,” I said. “Because I’m a goner,” Brett said. “How?”  “I’m a goner. I’m mad about the Romero boy. I’m in love with him I think.” “I wouldn’t be if I were you.” “I can’t help it. I’m a goner. It’s tearing me all up inside” (Hemingway, 97).  Brett and  Romero  are in a relationship, however she and Jake still show signs of  love for  each other. Brett is trying not to, but she continues to have feeling for Jake. As Ms. Waterman said in class “you do not choose who you love”,  Jake and Brett demonstrate this.  Also in the novel, Jake says “Couldn’t we live together, Brett? Couldn’t we just live together?” (Hemingway, 33).  This is another example of them loving each other and wanting to be with  each other, but knowing it would not and could not work. The worst feeling is wanting something you cannot have. Brett said  “No,” she said. “I think it’s hell on earth.” (Hemmingway, 14).  When she says ‘hell on earth’, she is referring to the love between her and Jake. It is like ‘hell’ because it will never work out and the feeling of not knowing what they could have been.

The final line of the book  exemplifies unfulfilled love. In the final discussion, Jake and Brett say to each other  “Oh, Jake,” Brett said, “we could have had such a damned good time together.” Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki  directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me. “Yes,” I said. “Isn’t it pretty to think so?” (Hemingway, 129). This is the moment when Jake finally realizes there love is unfulfilled. When he says ‘Isn’t it pretty to think so?’, he is imagining what it could have been, but acknowledging it will not happen. When Brett says ‘we could have had such a damned good time together’, she is wishing they could have worked out, that love could have been enough.

Jake and Brett will never know what could have been. Cohn loves Brett but, it can’t be reciprocated.  Cohn’s unrequited love does not last when he realizes how one sided his situation is. Jake and Brett’s love remains unfulfilled . The love they feel for one another may never end. As Ernest Hemingway once said “[we are] always in love.”

Throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, very strong examples of puritan societies are portrayed.  Both are set in the 1600’s, where society was very harsh, with a strict way of living. Society believed there always had to be a punishment for intolerable acts. There was also superiority and inequality. As a society today, we strive to become stronger, and a more just group, but are we really?  Society has not changed, we are no better or worse . We still believe in punishment and do not have equality throughout the world.

In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritans always believed in punishment. If someone has committed a crime, they must be punished. While Hester is standing on the scaffold for her sin of adultery, a quote says “The magistrates are God-fearing gentlemen, but merciful overmuch,—that is a truth,” added a third autumnal matron. “At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead. Madame Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me. But she,—the naughty baggage,—little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown! Why, look you, she may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever!” (Hawthorne 61). The community feels they must punish Hester for her actions. When they say ‘At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead,’ they are saying now they have to punish her in someway. Today, we are faced with a new terrorist group called ISIS.  During a Presidential Debate,  Donald Trump said “You know when we have a world where you have Isis chopping off heads where you have them frankly drowning people in steel cages you have so many bad things happening this is like Medieval Times we haven’t seen anything like this.” Trump is saying how all these killings are occurring, and we are not doing anything to prevent them. When he says ‘this is like Medieval Time’, he is referring to how society has not changed and is just as brutal and unjust  as it was in  the 1600’s. We are still killing and punishing people but for what cause?  It is  the twenty first century, are we really any more advanced as a society?

In today’s society, parents tend to let their children find their true self and live their own life. In the 1600’s Hester also allows Pearl to be who she wants to be. Pearl starts making fun of her mother for her letter A. She says  “Pearl took some eelgrass, and imitated, as best she could, on her own bosom, the decoration with which she was so familiar on her mother’s (Hawthorne, 147)”Hester does not stop her, she lets her do what she wants to do. She is letting Pearl live her own live and find her true self. In today’s society, an article about a mother said “Even if he said, ‘I want to die’, I’d support him,” she explained. “I didn’t put my children in the world for me. It’s their life and their death. The best parents are the ones who let their children go. (The Child Killers, Elizabeth).” She is saying how you have to let the children become who they really are. Often times parents see themselves in their children and try to steer them into being what they want them to be. By letting the child make their own decisions, they are allowing them to have control over their life.

In the 1600’s, men were superior to women, they did not have a voice. Today, women and men are equal in theory however, some people would beg to differ claiming women are still a minority.  In The Crucible,  John Proctor says “It is a fault, it is a fault, Elizabeth—you’re the mistress here, not Mary Warren.(Miller)” He is saying how he is the “man of the house,” he treats Elizabeth as a servant to him. Hillary Clinton said “If a country doesn’t recognize minority rights and human rights, including women’s rights, you will not have the kind of stability and prosperity that is possible.” This demonstrates how women are still considered a minority by some. She is admitting how we have a problem in he world and how we need to find a solution. We have not had equality for over 500 years, it it time for change.     

Often times, we as a society can get distracted , and lose focus on what is truly important. In a song titled A Little More  by the rapper MGK he says “Cause it feels like the government just as crooked as the police I spent the weekend catchin’ up on the news a girl committed suicide after she was bullied at school Cause some dudes told her she wasn’t cool But you would rather gossip about a famous person breaking the rules.” He is saying how we are not focusing on what is truly important in this world. This example shows how when a young girl takes her own life, we would rather focus on a celebrity. In The Crucible, they get so caught up in the Witch Trials and do not even realize how unjust and ridiculous this  truly was. In the introduction of the poem,the author says how two dogs were committed as witches. This demonstrated  how ridiculous they were and how they became carried away with their actions. Another example of today’s society was when President Barack Obama was running for president, some people have said that they voted for him only because they wanted an African American President. “But now, less than a year later, we address the question of race from a far different perspective. We wonder if Obama’s election and subsequent events has merely unveiled the same old racism that has always been there–now revealed and amplified in the public square. Are the current trials of the president based largely on the fact that he is an African American? (National Catholic Reporter, 2009)”  In this article, The question is raised that people may of voted for Obama just to have an African American President, not because of  his platform. We get so caught up in the small, non important mutiple details we forget the big picture.

During Puritan Society, it was  not a just, superb society, nor is it today. We have not changed, we are the same cruel, harsh society as the 1600’s. We still believe in these unnecessary punishments. It is time to move on from this unjust society  and become stronger and kinder, and it starts with us. We can be the change we need to make this society great.

Resources

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 1850 Ticknor, Reed & Fields United States

The Crucible by Arthur Miller 1950 New York City

Smith, C. Fraser. “The race issue today: no post-racial society yet, but if we keep talking, we keep moving forward.” National Catholic Reporter, 27 Nov. 2009, p. 16+. U.S. History In Context, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=heb76203&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA214203768&it=r&asid=8027f4236bb06e5f59c38949be863dfb. Accessed 7 Nov. 2016.

Braw, Elisabeth. “The Child Killers.” Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2013, p. 1. U.S. History In Context, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GPS&sw=w&u=heb76203&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA351919291&it=r&asid=3210ff604a620c6e9a512c9c7724f9bb. Accessed 7 Nov. 2016.

Staff, POLITICO. “Full transcript: Third 2016 presidential debate.” POLITICO. N.p., 20 Oct. 2016. Web. 25 May 2017.

“Machine Gun Kelly (Ft. Victoria Monét) – A Little More.” Genius. N.p., 30 Mar. 2015. Web. 25 May 2017.

Wake up in the morning

The cats all around

Time to start the day

Sunny day

Happy day

Dive in

Smell the air 

Talk to friends

Live the life

Be with family

Summer BBQ’s

Night fires

Go To Bed

Do it again

Hope

In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Hester is heavily influenced by her daughter Pearl. A commonly asked question is if Pearl was sent from Satan or, if Pearl is a good  influence on Hester. This question is asked because Pearl was conceived in sin. Throughout the story, Pearl shows acts of kindness towards her mother, as well as signs of evil. She vacillates from good to bad, but the bad outweighs the good. She is a constant reminder to her mother of her sin. Pearl demonstrates consistently she is evil and is a bad influence on Hester because she is an unruly and precocious child.

Some may say Pearl is a positive influence on Hester; this is most likely because Pearl is Hester’s daughter, and she loves her unconditionally. Many people question if Pearl was sent from Satan. To this, she responds “I am my mother’s child,’ answered the scarlet vision, ‘and my name is Pearl!” (Hawthorne 101). She is just a devoted daughter who is standing up for her mother. If people are going to embarrass and make fun of her mother, Pearl is going to defend and protect her. She is just doing what any kind human would do. Later in the novel, Pearl is trying to save her mother from Satan. She says “Come away, mother! Come away, or yonder old Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already. Come away, mother, or he will catch you! But he cannot catch little Pearl!” (Hawthorne 123). Here, Pearl is also protecting her mother. She cares for her and wants her to escape the evil man. Pearl is now taking on the role of a mother to protect Hester from getting hurt. Here are some strong examples of why some may think Pearl and Hester have a good relationship, but Pearl is actually sent from Satan and is a negative influence.  

Pearl was conceived in sin, this makes her Satan’s punishment for her mother’s  unrighteousness. She was sent to be a negative influence and ruin her mother’s life, which she does successfully. Pearl refuses to agree with her mother. The narrator says “After putting her finger in her mouth, with many ungracious refusals to answer good Mr. Wilson’s questions, the child finally announced that she had not been made at all, but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison-door” (Hawthorne 103). Before this was spoken, Hester preaches to Pearl continuously reminding her to respond to Mr. Wilson that she was sent by her Heavenly Father. Pearl agrees she will. However, when he asks the question, she says she was ‘plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses’. Clearly, Pearl knew how she was to respond, but did not want to, because she is evil. When she says ‘grew by the prison door’ she is admitting she was waiting with Satan for her mother to come get her. When Hester did something evil (adultery), she got something evil (Pearl). Pearl would not listen to her mother. She says “Throughout all, however, there was a trait of passion, a certain depth of hue….The child could not be made amenable to rules” (Hawthorne 83). Pearl is a passionate girl, who will not be persuaded easily, these are positive traits. But, Pearl is very young, and should not know or do as much as she does for her age. When she was only four or five, ‘could not be made amenable to rules’. At this age, whatever her mother says, she should obey. It is clear she is here to ruin Hester’s life.

Hester may and should love Pearl because she is her daughter. But, Pearl is a negative influence on Hester, and a constant reminder of her sin. She would be better off in life without her daughter from Satan. Pearl is clearly not human, there is no way she is here for the good of her mother. Hester did something evil, so she got something evil. And the evil thing was Pearl.

When it comes to religion, do not mess with my Grandmother. Margaret O’Neil prayed and went to church more than anyone I know. She took it very serious too. When I was seven, my Dad let me  receive communion when I was not suppose to. She did not speak to us for a solid week after that. When she would come up to Maine from her home in New York, she would always say, “Hi there, when’s the next mass”?. My mom would always go with her, and my Dad and I would stay home, she would get mad at us again. Whenever we went to New York for Christmas, it was always the same thing every year, Christmas Eve Mass. Our whole family did not want to go, but we did it for her. Somehow she thought we all actually wanted to be there.

She takes her prayers and saying grace more seriously than anyone. I once made the mistake during grace of saying “thank you for having us together, and the Yankees suck”. I am not sure if she was more mad about me ruining grace, or making fun of the Yankees. One day I walked into her room before bed to say goodnight and she was as usual praying. I noticed she was holding a cross and some beads. I asked

“Gram, what are those beads” 

“These are rosary beads, they all have a different prayer associated with each bead, I say them every night. The Rosary can be said alone or with groups of people usually said out loud at church ” she answered.

“That’s awesome! Why do you use the beads?” 7 year old Ryan answered

“Well, they were given to be by my Grandmother when I was a teen and she told me to keep them with me wherever I go and to pray every night. It helps remind me of her”, She told me.

I learned from my Mom that she carried them everywhere she went. Ever since my Mom was young, Gram always had them. During the day she kept them in her purse and at night in her hand over her heart. No matter where she went they were always with her. When she would drive to Maine, she would have them close in hand.

At her funeral this past September, she was at peace with all her favorite things. This included pictures of all her kids and grandkids, The Bible, Yankees hat, and of course, her Rosary Beads.  She was able to carry what she always had with her up to heaven. During her Funeral Mass, when it was time to go up for communion, I had to pause for a moment. Should I go up or stay here to make sure she doesn’t get mad again?

I asked my older cousin Dan “I’ve never done this, should I still go up?

He responded laughing “Yeah, just don’t let Gram find out”.

It was another beautiful day at Kapps Field and first pitch was about to take place. It was a 2P.M. start to the game, but we always insisted to turn the lights on to make it feel like we were in the big leagues. It was the classic matchup between my best friend Schuyler (pronounced Skyler), who now attends Gould Academy and I, against my Dad. We had just had a 3-0 victory the day before, so Dad, who we all call “Brick” was hungry for a win.

Play Ball!!!! We took the field ready for an easy win. After the first inning, Schuyler was dominant on the mound allowing one hit, and two strikeouts. Since we have short numbers, we only play two outs an inning. When Brick took the mound, he was not his usual self. His usual happy smile was replaced with a motivating grin. Schuyler led off expecting to reach base easily. For the first time all season, he struck out. I was then up and also struck out to end the inning, something was not right.

Schuyler let up two his in the next inning, but still no runs. When we went to hit in the bottom of the second, we were confident we would do better. Two up, two down, two strikeouts for us. Brick was throwing “heat” and we did not know what to do. We were getting embarrassed, outplayed, and started to turn on eachother.

We reached the bottom of the 5th and we still did not have a hit. It was still a 0-0 game, but Brick had runners in scoring position every inning. In the top of the 6th, is when things took a turn for the worst. Schuyler walked the first batter. I began to get annoyed and started yelling mean comments to him like “Are you kidding me, you are the worst pitcher ever” and “why are we on the same team ” Now, these do not seem like overly mean comments, but we were only ten years old. Schuyler continued to throw balls and his attitude slowly started to turn until I pushed him over the edge. I do not remember exactly what I said, but he looked at me and said “fine, why don’t you just pitch then?” and threw the ball hard off the ground and ran away crying.

At that moment, I did not realize I had done anything wrong and threw a strike. Brick did not say anything, he just gave me one of his “are you kidding me” looks where you know you did something wrong. Schuyler had just run off to the trampoline so I went to over to join him. As soon as I did, I heard the old sliding side door of our house be pushed open by my mom who yelled “Ryan, can you come here please?” My Mom rarely calls me Ryan, it is usually “honey”, “sweetie” or “Kapp”, so when I heard her yell “Ryan” I knew I was in trouble. As I ran from the field to the house, I realized I had just inadvertently hurt my best friend.

After the long, very scary talk with my Mom, I ran back to the trampoline where Brick was throwing Schuyler a football. I apologized to him and explained how I got carried away in the game and did not mean any of what I said. I realized that words said initially in jest can still be hurtful. He forgave me and we quickly went back to being best friends.

We were then able to finish our intense game. I do not remember the outcome of the game, but I learned how to be a better friend/ person and knew I would never hurt anyone like that again. I’m sorry Schuyler.