What is the purpose of the Custom House?
A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting customs duty on imported goods.
Is it important to read the Custom House in The Scarlet Letter?
However, in order to experience the dramatic and literary contrast between the old and the new (new, meaning 19th century standards versus those of the 17th century where the novel is set) “The Custom House” is quite recommended to be read.
What are two themes in Fahrenheit 451?
Ray Bradbury’s 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451 addresses complex themes of censorship, freedom, and technology. Unlike most science fiction, Fahrenheit 451 does not view technology as a universal good. Rather, the novel explores the potential for technological advancement to make humans less free….
What new gadget does Montag receive?
Montag puts a regular Seashell radio in his ear and hears a police alert warning people to be on the lookout for him, that he is alone and on foot. He finds a gas station and washes the soot off his face so he will look less suspicious.
How did Hawthorne get his job at the Custom House?
Hawthorne (as narrator) was granted the position of chief executive officer of the Custom House through the president’s commission. His analysis of the place is harsh and critical. Hawthorne’s family originally settled in Salem, and he is a direct descendent of several notable ancestors.
Why does the narrator lose his job in the Custom House?
Why does the narrator lose his job in the customhouse? He is incompetent. He spends too much time writing when he should be working. The other inspectors dislike him personally.
What does Hawthorne find in the Custom House?
Finally, the preface serves as means of authenticating the novel by explaining that Hawthorne had discovered in the Salem Custom House the faded scarlet A and the parchment sheets that contained the historical manuscript on which the novel is based.