What would be lost if the last three paragraphs of the tale were ...

[vinney12]

What would be lost if the last three paragraphs of the tale were omitted?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What power does the devil promise to give his communicants (par. 63)?
 
  What will be an ideal response?

[Tonny]

Answer to Question 1

• Not only would an entire significant dimension of the tale be simply wiped away, its entire thematic emphasis, an understanding of Hawthornes likely intent, would essentially be reversed. Without the last three paragraphs, we would be presented with the events in the forest as incontrovertible fact, and those events would be a clear affirmation of the devils claims: that all appearances of human decency, kindness, and virtue are hollow pretenses and that human nature is profoundly corrupt and irredeemably depraved. We would still understand Hawthorne to be indicting the Puritan sensibility; the particulars of the indictment, however, would involve not the warped, joyless view of life that we associate with the Puritans, but rather an allconsuming hypocrisy.

Answer to Question 2

• In exchange for their worship, he promises to give them the ability to look into the darkest recesses of the human heart and to plumb its most carefully hidden secrets, to understand that behind every faade of goodness and virtue lies the basic, irremediable fact of human depravity: It shall be yours to penetrate in every bosom the deep mystery of sin, the fountain of all wicked arts (par. 64).

[vinney12]

Thanks

[Tonny]

Welcome