My AP class is finishing up The Scarlet Letter this week and they have made me most proud! They've read, analyzed, and discussed more than any book we've read yet this year. And it's probably one of the more difficult we've read. They've also taught me things I've never seen even though I've read it more than once. Want your mind blown? Read A Prayer for Owen Meany and then The Scarlet Letter. The same story, or characters at least, we swear.
The thing about rereads is that pieces stand out that didn't before. And as I read for Monday's class, a small piece stands out to me. I'm all too familiar with it and feel I understand Hester Prynne more than I ever have. And like Owen Meany, I don't believe in coincidence. There's a reason for everything and I'm sure the timing of this book's rereading for me is no different.
"The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers,—stern and wild ones,—and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss."
"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds...encouraging one another" Hebrews 10:24-25
I love that about really great pieces of literature, art, music, etc. That every time you go back to it, you find something new you didn't notice before. Great quote!
ReplyDeleteYes! And I've repeated that to my students so much, I hope they eventually see it come to pass as they move on from high school.
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