The Case of the Cheat-- September 20, 2006

After reading The Scarlet Letter, the students in my Junior English class were given the assignment to write about what we would do if we were cheated on (while having references to the book). The following is what I wrote.

Through my childhood, and now my adolescence, I have always been a sucker for romance; an absolute believer in true love. With such strong emotions invested in what I would fantasize to be my perfect marriage, I’m afraid of what brash decisions I would make if my fairy tale wedding came crashing down to a devastating end. That is to say, I’m uncertain what impetuous decisions I’d choose to make if my spouse cheated on me. Though it is to be noted that my response could very well be made into the newest soap opera episode.

The first emotion that would be invoked in me would be that of anger. Like Chillingsworth, I would wish to wreak havoc on the promiscuous poacher, but also the man who broke my heart. Once my rage subsides, having served its term, its replacement could then be likened unto the emotions and coping mechanisms of Dimmesdale. As I begin to feel the inner turmoil and sadness within, my distress will come to an alarming high, consequently creating a fresh waterfall. Then, after the tears come down, like the springtime rain that helps the plants grow from a harsh winter, I can begin anew. Though my feelings would entirely contradict, my actions would make the impression of my having the demeanor of little Pearl, who seems as careless and unaffected as a butterfly. 

Having grown up with hopeful and maybe unrealistic ideals concerning my significant other, added unto my spontaneous nature, it truly is hard to say what physical reactions I would have to a cheating spouse. Though I know the sequential pattern of feeling angry, being hurt, and then finally coping and moving on is associated with my nature, supposing anything else in relation to my actions would give such a vast range of reactions that I might as well be assuming these things about a total stranger. Unless, of course, that stranger happened to be Pearl, in which case fate must have spun a cruel fate, and another book should thus be written to draw comparisons from. Anyhow, although maybe abruptly, but without further adieu, it must needs be known that this is all stipulation, for all things truly do end happily ever after.