Examines sins effects on various characters in The Scarlet Letter and evaluates their responses to it.

Examines sins effects on various characters in The Scarlet Letter and evaluates their responses to it. Individuals resolve similar problem in different ways. In his novel, "The Scarlet Letter", Nathaniel Hawthorne explores this idea through the characters of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth and their reactions to sin. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth each have a unique response to sin: Hester acknowledges sin; Dimmesdale buries sin; Chillingworth avenges sin. Hester's response to her sin is the most successful, and she eventually overcomes her shame. Through his use of characterization, Hawthorne explores the effects of sin on various characters, suggesting that the most beneficial response to sin is truth.The actions of Hester Prynne throughout The Scarlet Letter are utilized by the author to examine the success of her response to sin. The novel begins with Hester being condemned by the community for her adulterous sin. The crowd gathers to "stare at the ignominious letter on her breast" and witness "the spectacle of guilt and shame of Hester Prynne's di sgrace" (Hawthorne 55-56).This is the title page for the first edition of Th...The scaffold, which Hester is forced onto during her denunciation, is considered the ultimate manifestation of "ignominy" in Puritan society, and is where Hester is first exposed to the "guilt and shame" that she will be required to endure publicly as a result of her sin. When first subject to such humiliation, Hester is depicted as unable to face reality: "she clutched the child so fiercely to her breast...she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real" (Hawthorne 59). Hester is initially incapable of coping with her sin and is required to use the scarlet letter as evidence of its veracity. However, being forced to wear the scarlet letter on her bosom compels Hester to develop the ability to deal with the repercussions of her...

Archaeology and Prehistory of Cuba

Archaeology and Prehistory of Cuba Cuba is the largest of the Caribbean islands and one of the closest to the mainland. People, probably coming from Central America, first settled on Cuba around 4200 BC. Archaic Cuba Many of the oldest sites in Cuba are located in caves and rock shelters on the interior valleys and along the coast. Among these, the Levisa rock shelter, in the Levisa river valley, is the most ancient, dating to about 4000 BC. Archaic period sites usually include workshops with stone tools, such as small blades, hammer stones and polished stone balls, shell artifacts, and pendants. In few of these cave sites burial areas and examples of pictographs have been recorded. Most of these ancient sites were located along the coast and the change in sea levels has now submerged any evidence. In Western Cuba, hunter-gatherer groups, such as the early Ciboneys, maintained this pre-ceramic life style well into the Fifteenth century and after. Cuba First Pottery Pottery first appeared on Cuba around AD 800. In this period, Cuban cultures experienced an intense interaction with people from other Caribbean Islands, especially from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. For this reason, some archaeologists suggest that the introduction of pottery was due to groups of migrants from these islands. Others, instead, opt for a local innovation. The site of Arroyo del Palo, a small site in eastern Cuba, contains one of the earliest pottery examples in association with stone artifacts typical of the previous Archaic phase. Taino Culture in Cuba Taà ­no groups seem to have arrived at Cuba around AD 300, importing a farming life style. Most of the Taino settlements in Cuba were located in the easternmost region of the island. Sites such as La Campana, El Mango and Pueblo Viejo were large villages with large plazas and the typical Taà ­nos enclosed areas. Other important sites include the burial area of Chorro de Maà ­ta, and Los Buchillones, a well-preserved pile dwelling site on the north coast of Cuba. Cuba was among the first of the Caribbean Islands to be visited by the Europeans, during the first of Columbus voyages in 1492. It was conquered by the Spanish conquistador Diego de Velasquez in 1511. Archaeological Sites in Cuba Levisa rock shelterCueva FuncheSeborucoLos BuchillonesMonte CristoCayo RedondoArroyo del PaloBig Wall SitePueblo ViejoLa CampanaEl MangoChorro de Maà ­ta. Sources This glossary entry is a part of the About.com guide to Caribbean, and the Dictionary of Archaeology. Saunders Nicholas J., 2005, The Peoples of the Caribbean. An Encyclopedia of Archaeology and Traditional Culture. ABC-CLIO, Santa Barbara, California. Wilson, Samuel, 2007, The Archaeology of the Caribbean, Cambridge World Archaeology Series. Cambridge University Press, New York