THE SCAFFOLDING OF SIN Essays - English-language Films,

THE SCAFFOLDING OF SIN For thousands of years, humans have confronted their sinfulness. Some trust in their religious faith to help with their struggles, some sin more to hide the truth. But in the end, man must stand alone ? as a sinful creature before God. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale has a difficult time finding a place to relieve his sin. The Scarlet Letter's scaffold is a place for the protagonist to find peace with himself. That scaffold holds more importance than just somewhere to condemn prisoners. It is the one place where Dimmesdale felt liberated to say anything he wishes. In Puritan culture, the scaffold is used to humiliate and chastise prisoners, be it witches at the stake, thieves in the stocks, or a murderer hanging from the gallows. In The Scarlet Letter, the scaffold was viewed more as a place of judgement. ?Meagre ... was the sympathy that a transgressor might look for, from such bystanders, at the scaffold.? (p. 63) Indeed, it was used for castigation, but it was also a place of trial: Hester's trial was held at the scaffold. Standing upon the platform opens oneself to God and to the world. ?They stood in the noon of that strange and solemn splendor, as if it were the light that is to reveal all secrets, and the daybreak that shall unite all who belong to one another.? (p. 186) Being on the scaffold puts oneself in a feeling of spiritual nakedness- where you feel exposed to God, but cleans ed. It was the one place where Dimmesdale could find complete reconciliation. Witnessing such an event as reconciliation is quite a fascinating experience. But without knowing what is going on, it can also be quite horrifying. ?Without any effort of his will, or power to restrain himself, he [Dimmesdale] shrieked aloud: an outcry that went pealing through the night, and was beaten back from one house to another, and reverberated from the hills in the background; as if a company of devils, detecting so much misery and terror in it, had made a plaything of the sound, and were bandying it to and fro.? (pp. 178-9) Indeed, the townsfolk felt the latter. ?Drowsy slumberers mistook the cry either for something frightful in a dream, or for the noise of witches.?(p. 179) They did not understand that this was his reconciliation. Both Governor Bellingham and Mistress Hibbens had awoken to the frightful sound and looked from their house in investigation. When they perceived it was the Reverend in another of his midnight vigils rather than a cry for help, they stumbled rig ht back to their sleeping chambers. Along with this inquisitive attention from onlookers, came the looks of disdain, from Chillingworth and others. ?Smiling on her [Hester]; a smile which -- across the wide and bustling square, and through all the talk and laughter, and various thoughts, moods, and interests of the crowd -- conveyed secret and fearful meaning.? (p. 284) Chillingworth might of had other plans, but after hearing what Dimmesdale had to say, Chillingworth thrust himself to his knees and admit defeat. Although he was a sick man, Dimmesdale's struggle was not for life, but for repentance. In fact, his mental anguish of sin is what had caused his illness. Dimmesdale would spend some nights scourging himself, just himself and a whip-like punishment device. He felt it critical to admit his sin to himself and to his community and brethren ?... The Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale turned to the dignified and venerable rulers; to the holy ministers, ... as knowing that some deep life-matter -- which, if full of sin, ... was now to be laid open to them.? (pp. 306) This act of declaring his sin is one step closer to salvation. The scaffold provides a perfect venue to stand before God with everything before oneself. Dimmesdale stood before God and his community and chose to ?sink upon the scaffold. Hester partly raised him, and supported his head against her bosom. Old Roger Chillingworth knelt down beside him, with a blank, dull countenance, out of which the life seemed to have departed." (p. 308) On the scaffold, Dimmesdale openly brought his sin to light and felt restored.

Tips for Breaking into Travel Writing

Tips for Breaking into Travel Writing Being a travel writer has its perks. Travel publications pay well and on time, and once those initial articles are published, free trips start rolling in courtesy of public relations firms. But how do you acquire those first few published articles? Pick Locations Wisely Know your fellow countrymen. United States residents prefer the Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico, so U.S. travel magazines prefer stories on these regions. While Taipei may intrigue you, these other stories improve your odds of a sale. Party Crashing   Tourism boards, like Atout France or the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, will host events in big cities like Los Angeles or New York to give updates about the latest news in tourism, like new airports or hotel openings. You can use the information given at these events to write an article, even if youve never been to the country hosting the event. Typically, attendees are invited via their publications, but emailing different tourism boards can land you an invite. Follow them on Twitter to find out when theyll be hosting events and shoot them an email request a few weeks in advance. Will Blog for Trips PR firms constantly seek high traffic blogs and may offer bloggers free trips in exchange for a post or two, even if their blog themes are about topics besides travel. You don’t have to pitch editors or have experience to blog, so it’s a good way to break into travel writing Look into Less Popular Publications Everyone knows Travel + Leisure, Conde Nast Traveler and AFAR, but what about magazines catering to travel agents? Magazines like Recommend, Travelweek and Travel Agent. Writing for trade publications is different from writing for consumer publications, but its easy enough to get the hang of the style. Just remember that whoever is reading the article is not going on the trip themselves. Local newspapers also have travel sections. Check with them and see which locations are popular. Make Friends The travel industry thrives on networking. Everyone you meet can offer you an in with an editor, a press trip, an invite to an event. Make friends on every trip you go on, with travel agents, and every publication you write for. When on assignment, always reach out to the tourism board of whatever country youre going to as well as local tour operators. They are more than happy to help you, and once you post an article about a location, you will be on their radar for future trips and opportunities. Pick Up and Move (or Stay Where You Are) Travel magazines love when someone actually lives in the location theyre writing for. If you live in Mexico, Myanmar, or Montevideo, search for publications that have newsletters related to these areas. They love having someone local to attend hotel openings or inaugural flights. Twitter Chats Twitter chats are when groups coordinate a time and hashtag to talk about travel-related topics. Many big publications like Conde Nast Traveler have their own (#TravelerChats). They are the perfect way to network, net followers, and place you on the radar of editors. To find out when theyre happening, follow tour operators, travel agents and travel magazines on Twitter. Two you can start with are Conde Nast Traveler and Travel Weekly.