We had to Read it but We didn't Love it | The Scarlet Letter

The guys are starting off 2021 with a bang! Kicking off the year by discussing one of their least favorite literary works that they were obligated to read during their tenure in high school, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Even though this was not their favorite read, it turned out to be a rather fun episode for the guys. Zach tells about his latest battle with a random pedestrian. Not a battle of physicality or dominance, but rather a civil sparring of cordiality and polite behavior. While the competition was fierce, we can safely conclude that each of the opponents came out with something to take pride in. Speaking of competition, Cody shares why he loves sports. While this is not a sports podcast, the guys like to sneak in a little sports talk here and there because they are big fans of their hometown teams. Competition is a great thing to witness but once the competition is over, what makes the world of highly competitive sports interesting are the variety of different stories that come out of it.The guys eagerly await as their favorite team gets ready to play in the NFL playoffs for the first time since they had to memorize all of their prepositions. Cody, has a scandal of his own that he must bring up before they discuss the rather scandalous Scarlet Letter. The stakes in the scandal going on within the life of Mr. Haggard is nowhere near as dramatic or traumatic as the one Hester Prynne had to go through but still very frustrating. 

The Scarlet Letter is a work that is known by many people around the world. Most of this is probably accredited to the fact that it is required reading for most us who have gone through the educational system in the United States. With this being a truth, the guys decide to share some of their favorite stories that are not as well known or popular that they think deserve a little bit more love. 

In the main topic discussing The Scarlet Letter the guys discuss many interesting things about the history of the book as well as share their opinions on it. From how Nathaniel Hawthorne decided to change the spelling of his name to the very mysterious case of who should get credit for the work’s publication, there are some rather interesting historical facts that accompany this historical “masterpiece.” The guys discuss their initial impact of the book while also sharing that they read it at a time that was completely irrelevant to the stage of life they were at. Is it worth taking the time within a literature class to examine a book like this, when many students find it somewhere on the spectrum of “not very interesting” to “downright boring.” The formative years should be those that are used to create interest in reading for students, not putting books in front of them that will make them want to run away from it. 

Even though neither of the guys initially liked the Scarlet Letter they can appreciate the story’s accomplishments and literary power. It was a book that challenged the status quo which is a common attribute of the stories we remember the most. Listen in as the guys discuss whether this is a book that they will ever want to revisit or one that they think should just be left for the annals of history.

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