Open Prompt Revision #4

1998. In his essay "Walking," Henry David Thoreau offers the following assessment of literature:

    In literature it is only the wild that attracts us. Dullness is but another name for tameness. It is the uncivilized free and wild thinking in Hamlet and The Iliad, in all scriptures and mythologies, not learned in schools, that delights us.

From the works that you have studied in school, choose a novel, play, or epic poem that you may initially have thought was conventional and tame but that you now value for its "uncivilized free and wild thinking." Write an essay in which you explain what constitutes its "uncivilized free and wild thinking" and how that thinking is central to the value of the work as a whole. Support your ideas with specific references to the work you choose.

            Most students would prefer to read their own choice of literature rather than the literature assigned in class. Why is this? School literature is considered dull and boring, many just assume that it will be pointless, and unrelated to their lives. This was the case, when my class was told that we were going to begin reading The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I must admit that even i fell victim to the groans of despair upon receiving this announcement. Although, once we started reading the book i found it exciting, scandalous, and even relatable to modern day life.

            This book was set in the puritan era of the 17th century. When most think of the puritan era, excitement is not the first word that comes to mind. Puritans had their values set in stone alone with morals and a code of conduct. This air of strictness and rules that is perceived in the book is what makes it exciting. This setting allows the event of a scandal be made into that much greater of an ordeal. The great scandal that arises in this book, to make it so interesting, is Hester Pyrnne bearing a child out of wedlock. To the community, this is a most haneous crime. So while many thought this was just an old romance story, it has already taken a wild turn.  But Hester does the community one worse, she does not hang her head in shame and hide. She proudly embroiders her A on her breast and parades her child. The towns people are shocked. This is where many start to relate to the book. Hester is a rebellious main character who represents free will and thinking. She doesn't care what people think or say about her, and the readers respect her for that. It is so pivotal for teens to see that this power struggle and rebellion was going on long before they experienced it for themselves.

               Many readers begin to sympathize with Hester as the plot thickens. This plays on many of the readers morals. How can you sympathize with a 'criminal'; someone who has committed an unforgivable deed and has been deemed not even worth of respect by the entire community. readers begin to question can their entire community and way of life be unjust an wrong. Many readers feel a sense of thrill with supporting the 'Evil' side, which adds thrill to the read.This give the book a deeper value, because it can relate to all ages. Everyone has gone through a rebellious stage at one point.

               This novel once thought of as drab and unexciting gains new emotional value when you truly read it. This book takes a walk on the wild side, and pushes the boundaries. This is why this book has so long been kept as a part of scholastic literature.

~Dana Page