The Scarlet Letter Intro

A 35 page introduction. Wow! To me this was the hardest pages to read in the novel. But it did have some interesting and fun parts hidden in it. Hawthorne's descriptions of the men in the Custom-House was great. For example, "...such an absolute nonentity..." when he mentions the Inspector on page 17.

Also the description of the General on page 19 is great. "... in imagination, and old fortress, like Ticonderoga, from a view of its gray and broken ruins. Here and there, perchance, the walls may remain almost complete; but elsewhere may be only a shapeless mound, cumbrous with its very strength, and overgrown, through long years of peace and neglect, with grass and alien weeds."

The Scarlet Letter is full of metaphors that are awe-inspiring to a writer. If you want to write fiction, I would suggest re-reading pages 28-35. It is full of suggestions, hints, and overall gems. Plus, even his writing on writing is full of imagery that I can only dream of imitating.