Prompt #3: Charming Billy

Prompt: One of an author’s goals at the beginning of a novel is to fully engage her reader. Select a passage from the first half of “Charming Billy” that you found particularly interesting and explain how you think it contributes to engaging the reader in the novel.

            After a loved one passes away, relatives and friends search amidst the grief, looking for memories to hold on to. When Billy in the novel Charming Billy, by Alice McDermott, passes away, the attendees of his funeral grasp at the few things that leave a positive memory of Billy, before his alcohol addiction consumed him. Billy was always writing letters, his friends recall, sending quick notes scratched on scraps of paper. At the funeral reception, Bridie, one of Billy’s friends, passes around a letter from Billy, written on an airline napkin. The vignette of the family sharing the letter works to engage the audience and to convince them to like Billy, whom they barely know. The narrator says:

The napkin was circulated, held as delicately as a fledgling, some even reaching into a purse or breast pocket for reading glasses so as not to miss a word. All the way up the table to Maeve, who read it with a smile and a nod, and all the way back down again. Bridie took it back and read it once more before placing it into its envelope and back into a side, zippered compartment of her Sunday pocketbook.

Other letters from Billy were being mentioned: a note scribbled on a Playbill page, on a business card. The long missives he’d sent home during the war, whole lines blacked out by the censors but the homesickness coming through. He was so homesick. The postcards from the Irish trip, the placemats and napkins from various Long Island restaurants and diners, that summer he and Dennis were out there, fixing up Mr. Holtzman’s little house. You remember Mr. Holtzman. Dennis’s mother’s second husband. The shoe-store man.” (McDermott 6)

This passage draws readers in by juxtaposing the idea of someone who died from an alcohol addiction with the image of a charismatic and romantic well-loved man. The development of this complicated character, along with the conversational syntax of the passage works to make the reader feel emotionally connected to Billy.

            The way Billy is indirectly characterized in this account makes the reader sympathize with Billy and his struggle with alcohol. Instead of revealing more about Billy’s disease, the author’s description creates a romantic image. The reader does not connect the action of letter-writing with an alcoholic, but rather a popular, loving man. Also, the places Billy has been are revealed: airports, plays, restaurants, and various travel destinations. These places intrigue the reader with the image of a worldly, educated man, not a drunk. Furthermore, the way the other characters react to Billy’s letters makes the reader like Billy. The characters have saved the notes for years, indicating that Billy was a special person. When they read the letter, they linger on the words, though it is only a short note. They pull out eyeglasses, as if not to miss any detail. The way the author indirectly characterizes Billy as a kind of man that readers identify with works to immediately engage the reader.

            The author also appeals to pathos, or emotion, to engage the reader. The reader feels sentimental while reading the passage, reminiscing about Billy along with his friends and relatives. The book was published in 1998, when people were transitioning from mailing handwritten letters to sending emails and making phone calls. Letter-writing seems old-fashioned to the reader, making the idea resonate with them more. Also, the emotion described in Billy’s war letters connects with the reader. The way Billy was able to communicate his homesickness despite censorship makes the emotional connection more genuine. The audience identifies with this feeling of being separated from a loved one, whether it is from war, or just living far away. By displaying Billy as a sentimental, passionate man, the author strengthens the contrast between the alcoholic Billy and the emotional, letter-writing Billy. The depth created by this juxtaposition further intrigues the audience, indirectly lending insight to the story.

            The author’s use of figurative language also furthers the goal of engaging the readers, making them feel fondly towards Billy. A simile is created as Billy’s friends and family hold his note “as delicately as a fledgling.” A fledgling, or a little bird, is essentially harmless and vulnerable. Maybe this simile is an intentional symbol for Billy; he was viewed as a disturbed alcoholic, but he was truly a fragile, emotional man who needed more protection than he received. The letter is also symbolic of his friends and family refusing to let go of the Billy they loved, before his alcohol addiction. The note is almost a piece of the old Billy, explaining why Bridie has kept it for all of these years. The deeper connection between the letter and the characters’ perception of Billy engages the reader in not only a literal, but figurative way.

            One of the author’s most engaging decisions is the intentional use of conversational syntax. Many of the sentences are long, periodic sentences, separated into multiple clauses by commas. This makes it seem as if the narrator is actively thinking or telling the story to the reader, elaborating on each detail. Amongst these descriptive sentences are shorter sentences, like “He was so homesick,” and “You remember Mr. Holtzman.” These short, explanatory phrases draw the audience in, making them feel as if they are being spoken to by someone at the table. The combination of these longer and shorter sentences makes the reader feel as if he is part of the intimate conversation, reinforcing a tangible connection to Billy, the others at the table, and the novel.

            With the combination of these elements, this scene from the funeral reception becomes especially effective in interesting and engaging the reader. The reader becomes more loyal to and familiar with Billy as his story unfolds, through a combination of emotional, indirect characterization, figurative language, and conversational syntax. Billy is almost recreated by the author as a good man who lived a beautiful life, not the alcoholic he truly became. This passage successfully attracts the reader, committing him to Billy and the rest of the story.

Prompt #2: The Scarlet Letter

Prompt #2: Choose one of the three main characters and discuss his/her motivations throughout the novel. What is the final outcome for the character you are discussing, and what does this outcome suggest to the reader?

            Hester Prynne, infamous adulteress of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is doomed to eternal religious and moral turmoil after committing the unspeakable sin of adultery. After committing such evil in early Puritan America, it seems that Hester might never survive the solitude and isolation of her punishment of wearing the scarlet letter “A.” Rather than crumbling under the contempt of her neighbors and her own guilt, Hester perseveres, choosing to endure her punishment. Hester is able to survive her punishment because she is empowered to bear her punishment and is motivated by her love for her daughter, Pearl, and her fellow sinner, Reverend Dimmesdale.

            Hester’s ultimate goal is to accept her punishment of wearing the scarlet letter. She does not want the letter to define the rest of her life, though she knows it will forever be connected to her. When Hester first emerges from prison, she is overwhelmed by the urge to hide the symbol of her crime. As Hester stands before the town, she attempts to cover the letter with her baby. Shortly afterwards, a different idea registers in Hester’s mind: “In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbours” (27, Hawthorne). It is interesting that the author chooses to describe Hester as “wise.” She has made the mistake of having a child with a man other than her husband and seems anything but wise. This wisdom seems to come from within, as Hester realizes that she must consent to and tolerate her punishment if she is to survive the humiliation and guilt she feels. As the author notes, the people around Hester are only “townspeople and neighbours.” The only person deserving to judge and punish Hester is God. Hester realizes this and chooses to accept her punishment instead. This ability to endure the consequences of her sin and leave her fate with God is what separates Hester from Reverend Dimmesdale. He is unable to accept his punishment from God, instead suffering internally from his religious and moral conflict. Because Hester possesses this incentive to be at peace with her punishment, she is better able to cope with the situation, thriving even in her solitude.

            As Hester’s lifetime of punishment progresses, her motivation to accept the price of her sin becomes further evident. As time passes, the townspeople are decreasingly repulsed by her past. They allow her into their homes to treat the sick and needy, coming to appreciate her charity and generosity. Yet, when Hester leaves their homes in the morning, she distances herself from those who reach out to her, rejecting their forgiveness and gratitude. The author notes her behavior, saying, “This might be pride, but was so like humility, that it produced all the softening influence of the latter quality on the public mind […] Interpreting Hester Prynne’s department as an appeal of this nature, society was inclined to show its former victim a more benign countenance than she cared to be favoured with, or, perchance, than she deserved” (78). The community mistakenly believes that Hester is seeking forgiveness so she can be liberated of the implications of her punishment. The author attempts to define her attitude with words like “pride” and “humility.” These words give the impression of someone trying to escape her punishment, through aloofness or through an apologetic attitude. Instead, Hester has chosen to endure her punishment as means of coping with it. She neither “cares” to reject forgiveness, nor believes that she does not “deserve” it. Her outlook is more a combination of these two concepts. Hester has elected to serve her punishment in full, both because she feels obligated to and because it is how she chooses to deal with her sin.

            Hester’s ultimate motivation not only includes the desire to endure her consequences, but a drive to protect those she loves. Just as Hester can never separate herself from the scarlet letter, even if she takes it off, she cannot break her ties with Pearl and Reverend Dimmesdale. The three are forever united by the sin of adultery. Though Hester has truly wronged these people, she feels that she can protect them through persistence and solidarity. In the case of Pearl, Hester never expected to have a child and knows little of motherly instincts and childcare. The community attempts to take Pearl away, questioning whether she has received an adequate Christian upbringing. Hester herself fears for the purity of Pearl’s soul, but fights to keep her. This determination to protect her daughter stems from love. Hester’s motivation to protect Reverend Dimmesdale is also evident. From the beginning, Hester refuses to reveal him as Pearl’s father, protecting him from the shame of society. She later risks their lives to alert the reverend that Chillingworth has malicious intentions, and is actually her husband. The author reveals this choice by saying, “Such was the ruin to which she had brought the man, once – nay, why should we not speak it? – still so passionately loved! Hester felt that the sacrifice of the clergyman’s good name, and death itself, as she had already told Roger Chillingworth, would have been infinitely preferable to the alternative which she had taken upon herself to choose” (93). This passage shows how Hester would rather die than have to admit that she hid Chillingworth’s true identity from Reverend Dimmesdale for so long. Because Hester loves Reverend Dimmesdale so much, this confession is difficult for her. The syntax of the sentence is indicative of her deep love for Dimmesdale. By using the interjection of “nay, why should we not speak it?,” the reader feels Hester’s strong emotion of love. Hester’s love for Dimmesdale motivates her to protect him in any way possible, even if revealing Chillingworth’s identity poses a risk for her. This motivation of love leads Hester to take on the difficult task of protecting those closest to her: Pearl and Reverend Dimmesdale.

            Eventually, though Hester perseveres through her hardship, she loses both Reverend Dimmesdale and Pearl. Her motivation to endure her earthly punishment and to protect those she loves fails to keep her loved ones with her. Reverend Dimmesdale dies in the center of the town after revealing his role in the sin, finally releasing the burden of his guilt. Hester loses Pearl to adulthood. Pearl grows up and moves away from her mother and the scarlet letter, seeking a life that is not tainted by her past. Meanwhile, Hester chooses to stay in the town and to wear the scarlet letter. The author says, “Here had been her sin; here, her sorrow; and here was yet to be her penitence” (125). Even if Hester had moved away or removed the scarlet letter from her dress, the guilt of her mistake would stay with her forever. The syntax of this sentence suggests a chronological process through the use of semi-colons. Hester experienced sin, then sadness, and now experiences repentance. This also suggests a lesson of morality. One can tolerate a sin that they have committed, and even be forgiven by others and by God, yet they are never to rid themselves of it. Hester endured the trials of shame and isolation, motivated by her decision to withstand the punishment and by her determination to protect her loved ones. These well-loved people, who were Hester’s main motivations to persevere, eventually moved on, leaving Hester and her scarlet letter behind, showing that one can come to accept, yet never escape her sins.

Prompt #1: The Scarlet Letter

Prompt #1: Setting includes more than just time and place. It also concerns social conditions and customs of a given location and time period. Discuss the setting of The Scarlet Letter and how it contributes to your understanding of the book so far.

            From a modern perspective, the plight of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, seems unjust and utterly hyperbolic for her offense of adultery. Hester made an unfortunate mistake; now her act of adultery leads to a tainted future. As religious fervor decreases in America, it is difficult to understand why Hester’s blunder is treated aggressively, without any chance of forgiveness. Today’s readers see teen mothers publicized on television shows and movies, and unmarried, single mothers aided by the funds and supports of society. Adultery is certainly not accepted today, but Hester’s predicament seems decreasingly shocking. Unlike the permissive world of modern America, the setting of The Scarlet Letter in Hester’s time is based on strict, religious social conditions and customs that explain why her transgression is treated with extensive punishment, leaving her a social outcast branded with a red “A” for the remainder of her life.

            The Scarlet Letter takes place during the mid-17^th century colonial period in America. Hester lives in a religious Massachusetts town, awaiting the arrival of her husband from Europe. The focus of the town seems to be the prison and the penalty platform, where Hester and her baby are exposed and shamed before the community. The punishment platform allows the community to gather around the sinner, displayed for everyone to see. Because the recognition of sin is such a focus in the town, it becomes evident why Hester’s punishment creates a long-lasting impact. Also, after her release from prison, Hester moves to a peninsula on the outskirts of the town, symbolizing her rejection from society. Hawthorne describes the peninsula: “It had been built by an earlier settler, and abandoned, because the soil about it was too sterile for cultivation, while its comparative remoteness put it out of the sphere of that social activity which already marked the habits of the emigrant” (68, Hawthorne). The diction in this description signifies Hester’s detachment from her town, with words like “sterile” and “remoteness.” Hester’s home is isolated, and also on an inhospitable patch of land, representing how the world as a whole receives her.

            Beyond the physical setting of time and place, the social conditions of the 17^th century contribute to Hester’s situation. Hester’s sin is regarded as especially wicked because colonial life was closely tied to religion. The settlers of the Massachusetts colony immigrated in groups, with the families and minister of a church traveling together. The churches established towns and daily life was centered on religion. The church determined laws and voters were usually male members of the church. These religious people also determined punishments, such as that of Ann Hutchinson, who is mentioned at the end of the first chapter. She believed that people’s actions did not determine their fate in heaven because God already knew the nature of their soul. This belief contradicted the teachings of the church, so she was banished. Because the legal system in Hester’s town was also religiously affiliated, her punishment of wearing the scarlet letter was clearly derived from religious and social beliefs. Without the implications of religion in the community, Hester might have returned to her original life.

            Hester’s situation is also influenced by the prestige of the clergy in the colonies. Religious leaders held the most respected positions in the community, especially in pious New England. Hester’s pastor, Reverend Dimmesdale, tries to convince Hester to reveal the father of her baby, though, ironically, it is him. She fails to do so, leaving him and the other reverend to uphold her punishment of banishment and wearing the scarlet letter. The clergy is so well-respected that not a single colonist would think to question his decision and authority. The author describes him as, “…a young clergyman, who had come from one of the great English universities. His eloquence and religious fervor had already given the earnest of high eminence in his profession” (57). He also has a “…dewy purity of though, which, as many people said, affected them like the speech of an angel” (57).  This description shows how the people are entranced by the reverend, though he is not a holy man, as they believe. Rather, he is just as much a sinner as Hester is, but his high societal status protects him. The choice of the word “purity” and the comparison of Reverend Dimmesdale to an angel further demonstrate how the clergy is revered, despite their inner character. The reverent diction throughout the description also portrays Dimmesdale as a good man, noting his “eloquence” and “fervor.” Truly, the townspeople are misled, because Dimmesdale has sinned before God as well. Because the clergy was so greatly respected in colonial life, it shows why his authority to judge Hester before God is not doubted.

            In colonial society, women are also believed to be subservient to the men. The way Hester is dealt with is indicative of the gender roles of the 17^th century. Women were expected to obey their husbands, take care of the children and the home, and had very few rights. By being unfaithful to her husband, Hester is deserving of punishment. Meanwhile, the man who sinned with her is not responsible for the deed, and will not be punished. When Hester’s husband arrives under the disguise of Dr. Chillingworth, he says to her, “‘…I find here a woman, a man, a child, amongst whom and myself there exist the closest ligaments. No matter whether of love or hate; no matter whether of right or wrong! Thou and thine, Hester Prynne, belong to me. My home is where thou art, and where he is” (64). Dr. Chillingworth’s tone is authoritative and controlling, giving Hester no opportunity to object or disobey. The figurative “closest ligaments” that tie them are the bonds of marriage and family. Even Hester’s unfaithfulness has failed to break the ties with her husband because she does not have the power to do so. The tone is established with the use of the exclamation point and the repetition of the phrase “no matter.” Hester and her daughter are seen as property of Dr. Chillingworth, never mind the fact that she does not want to be married to him. Unlike modern times, Hester cannot divorce her husband, showing how the social conditions of The Scarlet Letter confine Hester to her permanent punishment.

            Though the modern audience of The Scarlet Letter may not be familiar with the way Hester is ostracized and publicly humiliated for adultery, the social context explains why she is treated in such a way. A combination of the role of religion and the subservience of women in the colonies explain why Hester is severely punished by her town, rather than leaving the conflict between her and God. Although readers may question the way Hester was punished, early American society would be convinced of the leaders’ right to punish her on a basis of religion and gender roles.