5 reasons why you should read The Scarlet Letter

Firstly, if you haven’t read The Scarlet Letter- I have three words for you… SHAME ON YOU!

The novel is set in seventeenth-century Puritan Massachusetts. The plot centers around the constant battles that Hester Pyrnne faces after giving birth to her daughter Pearl (who was the result of an adulterous affair). Hawthorne’s novel is mainly concerned with the effects of the affair, rather than the affair itself. Hester’s public shaming is used to capture the disapproving views of New England society in the seventeenth century. The society surrounding Hester believed that there was no option to repent, she would bear the Scarlet letter upon her chest to signify her adulterous sin for the entirety of her life. The Scarlet letter deals with the power of womanhood, motherhood and loyalty.

Here are 5 (pretty great) reasons why you should read Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel:

1. It’s a relatively short – It’s a novel that you struggle to come to grips with at first, but once you have read it, you want to start all over again!
2. It projects a timeless element effortlessly- The characters are relatable and sincere which allows a reader from any time period to identify with them.
3. Hawthorne uses extensive description- Admittedly, this can create confusion on first reading but the story line is so captivating that the complicated sentence structure becomes irrelevant.
4. It’s a kind of history lesson- Life during the seventeenth century in Massachusetts is the antithesis to any society today. Hawthorne’s personal views on Puritan society are threaded subtly throughout.
5. The empowerment of women- Hester has the desire to determine her own identity, rather than to allow others to determine it for her. It is clear that the character believes that running away or removing the letter would be an acknowledgment of society’s power over her. Instead, Hester stays and wears The Scarlet Letter as a symbol of her own experiences and character. Her sin was a part of who she was; to pretend that it never happened would mean denying a part of herself.

Hester Pyrnne is my idol! What others may believe to be a shameful punishment, I see The Scarlet Letter upon Hester’s chest to represent bravery and determination. It is hard not to admire Hester’s independence and courage when she is faced with the judgmental Puritan society. At the end of the novel, Hester embraces her sin and the letter upon her chest instead of suppressing her past. Most importantly, Hawthorne takes the character on a remarkable journey, one which accentuates that we should be honest and true to ourselves regardless of the factors surrounding us.

Life on the 5:2 diet

One of my New Year’s Resolution’s was to loose weight and get fit before the summer began. Admittedly, I say this every year! Nevertheless, this year I am feeling determined to see this resolution through. For over a month now, I have been abiding to the most talked about diet scheme, the 5:2 diet. A friend of mine swore by it and to quote him ‘the weight just runs away from you when you’re on it’. So I thought, why not give it a try?

The 5:2 diet basically allows you to eat ‘normally’ for 5 days of the week and for the remaining 2 days you restrict yourself to eating only 500 calories. In terms of exercise, the 5:2 diet doesn’t state that it is integral, but it can potentially work well alongside the diet plan.

For me, the 5:2 diet has proven to be effective and recommendable. I will admit, at first I was skeptical because the ‘fast days’ were so unbearable! I was moody, tired and unapproachable (my poor flatmates!). But over time I have adjusted to the eating pattern and exercised regularly, therefore it has become a lot easier and the weight loss is more noticeable.

Here are a few of the 500 calorie meals that I have tried:

 

 

If you are looking for a way to get slim before the summer, the 5:2 diet is your answer, I can vouch for that!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me in a Nutshell

As you have probably guessed, my name is Natalie. My intentions are not to bombard you with rant after rant, but to enlighten you and the world about my life as a student, a 20 year old and an aspiring blogger.

The thought of posting fragments of my life on a blog is pretty daunting, but weirdly exciting. Hopefully, this sharing experience will develop me as a person and provide amusement for you at the same time!

My taste is majorly eclectic when it comes to literally everything (as you will come to learn!). You could call me a stereotypical girl; I take an interest in all the generic ‘girly’ things: fashion, music, celebrities, reality TV etc. However, I am partial to switching a cocktail and The Notebook for a bottle of Corona and an episode of Prison Break. You will mainly find me uploading posts about adapting to university life: living on a budget, cooking for one and my obsession with buying clothes.

You can also follow me on:

Twitter- @naatalieeee

Polyvore- naaaatalie1