Is the Scarlet Letter Being Misinterpreted at School?

Can't there be more than one interpretation?

I'm really curious as to why you'd be discussing this book in history class.

I'm with jespah, there is more than one way to read the book. "An American Tragedy" is another great example of two-fold interpretation.

I always thought it was a lot more about hypocrisy, guilt and the wages of sin (but not Hester's). I think both of your classes are selling it short. Have you read the book? I know I really didn't get all of it when I read it in ninth grade. I read it again as an adult, then called my old English teacher to tell her I finally understood.

Kewl

I've read this book several times and love it.

Unless you speak directly to the author or perhaps read an intrepretation about the book by the author - can you really know what the author was meaning 100%.

I can see both being applicable and not necessarily conflicting. "Sin" or doing wrong does have consequences and it certainly shows this in the book - also not judging others makes sense as you can see as you get to know the characters and understand them - it isn't so black and white.

Maybe one class is focusing on one aspect of it, while the other is focusing on another. I always thought it was showing how historical we have treated people that committed a sin, but perhaps we should learn from this and look deeper at the situation. I mean poor Hester being married to that grumpy old man that treated her so horribly - how could you blame him - her hubby wasn't so innocent himself.

It is a historical fiction - I could see reading it in history (can't remember if I did - I think I actually read it as part of my middle school history class) - and then again in high school in literature.

Definately a book you need to re-read as an adult - I got much more out of it then.