Punctuation???!!?!?!?!?@@#%*^&()!@#^(&^*%&*)>>>>>....,,,,,,,,,,//////////-__------_-____----_----

With the recent events of the debate on punctuation's role and changing importance in the world (something that I heard 1st hour horribly misconstrued, ha!), I've decided to reevaluate my view on punctuation.

Before, I had never really made a distinction between grammar and punctuation and would always just clump the two together, even making a mistake in the debate to comment on the unnecessary distinction between "who" and "whom" (though I did sound terribly smart).

Experiment:       My friend and I went to the bookstore

                         Me and my friend went to the bookstore.

Which one do I actually notice in conversation? The one lacking correct grammar (this would be the latter, if you're an illiterate bastard*) stands out to me more than the one that lacks a simple period. I mean, why do you think there are only Grammar Nazis and no Punctuation Police, or something?

Frankly, I love correct punctuation and grammar and generally do my best to utilize my ACT English skills in any situation that requires writing. I am quite (infamously) known for correcting people's grammar, but I tend to forgive quite easily when it comes to the placement of a comma or period. 

After the debate--in which I took the side of pro-change (I had no choice, okay?)--I realized that correct punctuation really isn't all that important. I think that the fluidity and malleability of language and all its parts are what makes it a distinct part of culture. I used to lament the apparent decline of today's youth and experience "second-hand embarrassment" whenever I would see some less-than-coherent YouTube comment about religion or something. But as Robert Wernick so eloquently sums up, "what is for one observer a loss of essential ingredients may be for another an alteration of form and function." And we're definitely seeing this today. For example, check out this awesome sentence that reflects the increasing intelligence and creativity of my generation:

"OMG.. bout to #turnup!!!@mahouse imam go #ham errdayyyyy"

Okay, maybe that wasn't an epitomic example, but you can look at the existence of emoticons as the result of people using punctuation creatively. I mean, we can now express hundreds of ineffable sentiments just by using dashes, dots, parentheses, and colons. Check out this one I just made up:

 :()

 I call it the "Football with Eyes." Or the "Crab with No Extraneous Body Parts." I'm not sure how you would incorporate this into a convo, though. 

I think we all understand that there are definitely some necessary pieces of punctuation, such as quotation marks or question marks. However, when it comes to the precise placement of a comma or the abstinence of using a period, I lose interest or can even understand the writer's choice to do so. Sometimes, deviation from standard punctuation can also help to better illustrate a point. For example, when I'm texting a friend and I mean to snarkily question him or her, I will consciously refrain from using a question mark. i.e. There is a subtle but distinct difference between "what?" and "what" when I'm texting (the latter is meant to be more hostile and sarcastic while the former is a genuine expression of confusion or curiosity).

As (I would hope) a skilled scribe, I am quite conservative and traditional in my use of punctuation. I'm an aesthete, and in my opinion, correct punctuation allows the reader to read in relative visual comfort, knowing that everything is where it needs to be. In summation, I think punctuation's main purpose right now is making things look nice and professional. Granted, I'm still going to use traditional and correct-as-possible punctuation in my writing just to express my individuality in a world that is continually caring less, but I think that, in this case, the world is also being allowed greater freedom of style in the digitized realm of text. So, go ahead, make my day and don't include that apostrophe or that comma. I'm perfectly fine. But don’t you dare incorrectly use "less" when you really mean "fewer." Stupid 98.7 AMP.

*Okay, I'm sorry. That was mean. But seriously, you should know this by now, sheesh.  

I'm Stupid

When Ms. Valentino asked the class if Dimmesdale was a coward, my initial response was a resounding, YES. Honestly, whilst I denounced Dimmesdale's actions as cowardly and himself as a milksop, I hadn't been able to really connect with Dimmesdale's situation before, so I leaped at the delicious chance to condemn him, as we humans love to do. My reasoning was this, because Dimmesdale didn't stand up for Hester or Pearl by walking with them in public or admitting his own sins, he was a coward. He was a coward for not allowing himself peace of mind and for letting poor Hester suffer in shame. And he was a stupid coward for trying to physically punish himself. "The truth will set you free, you idiot," I thought. 

***

I tend to live by a philosophy that makes me do stupid things. Like, really stupid things. Oftentimes, I don't bother to think about the repercussions of a particular decision I make, and so I end up hurting and confusing others in the process. For lack of a better acronym, I tend to YOLO. I tend to just go for things, and, for me, this foolish and naive philosophy was justification for calling Dimmesdale a coward. I thought that I was brave for being stupid. Yeah, I'm an idiot. 

Only until very recently have I felt the gnawing tooth of remorse eating at my soul and wearing down my conscience. I now understand how hard it is to confront someone, how hard it is to embrace the truth. I realized that I'm a coward. But then I questioned myself, does the simple fact that doing something difficult seems intimidating make me a coward? Does being scared make me a coward? No, I realized. I'm not a coward or a milksop because I'm scared or hurt or confused. I'm only a coward if I refuse to face the truth in the end and proudly wear my scarlet letter.

Dimmesdale definitely has guilt, he definitely made a mistake, but wallowing in his private remorse doesn't make him a coward. The fact that he embraced the truth in the end makes him a personal hero. 

I've now come to the conclusion that Dimmesdale is not cowardly or weak or stupid. He is simply human. He learned, while a bit too late, that the truth will set you free. 

The Scarlet Letter

Am I the only one who wrote "scarlet" with two T's? Ah, well.

The Scarlet Letter is Nathaniel Hawthorne's criticism of intolerance and judgment that the Puritans are known to have. The story centers on Hester Prynne, a woman condemned by her community for committing adultery in the town of Boston, a place where the line between privacy and public news mesh together.

I see that we are addressing a similar theme as when we read The Crucible; the topic of honor and legacy.

However, I am going to address a different topic, one that requires a bit more in-depth analysis and observation.

Creepiness.

The best example, obviously, is Chillingworth, the vengeful and resentful ex-husband of Hester's.Well, to be exact, how vengeance and jealously lead to a more ugly character.

The reader discovers his past situation, in which he was once a quiet and calm physician who was captured by Indians and held captive for several years. After his release and Hester's crime, he has transformed into a man with an unsatiable desire to find revenge.

I think that Chillingworth's want for revenge is more indicative of the possibility that his own honor has been hurt. His pride has been damaged and he feels betrayed by Hester for taking that away from him. This festering want for pride and respect boil up inside him, until his personality takes a more physiological form on his body and face.