Belief in the sinfulness of man is an essential element in the work of many writers. This understanding of the imperfect and fallen man weighs heavily on Hawthorne’s writings. Many compositions of authorship, including The Scarlet Letter, reflect a keen and insightful sense of morality. Despite the many pieces of evidence of virtue, they look paltry compared to the description of weaknesses in the main character of the story, Dimmesdale.
Hawthorne (2016) states that beneath his outward appearance of goodness, there is glaring sin. For Hawthorne, evil works against the nature of good in man and society, and vice is most obviously embodied in man. Nevertheless, the author does not hide the fact that at some point in his life, this villainous character was once another person, worthy and capable of goodness and mercy. Thus, Hawthorne believes that human nature is capable of going both ways. He sees human nature as flawed and equally capable of sin and hatred, but also great love. The author believes in repentance and subsequent atonement after the transgression.
Despite describing the imperfections of human nature, Hawthorne displays a positive outlook. The author argues that all people are worthy of redemption, even if they do not seek it. A prime example is Chillingworth’s descriptions from The Scarlet Letter. At the beginning of the story, this hero appears to the reader as a modest nature and claims that it is he who is to blame for Hester’s moral failure, declaring: “It was my folly!” and “Mine was the first wrong” (Hawthorne 467).
Chillingworth has not yet and will never become downright evil because although he is partially responsible for the destruction of Dimmesdale, he bequeaths Pearl’s money and property that is not blood to him. These expressions of humility and generosity indicate that it is still good in Chillingworth. Thus, Hawthorne puts into his characters the idea that people, despite all their imperfections, can show kindness, do good deeds, and change.
Work Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Scarlet Letter.” The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed., edited by Robert S. Levine, Michael A. Elliott, and Sandra M. Gustafson, 2016, pp. 451-569.
Just like Hester Prynne, Arthur’s individuality is based on the outward incidences than on his intrinsic personality. A scholar of the famous Oxford University is how Arthur is portrayed to the reader. Lack of natural compassion for regular men and women is how Arthur’s past reflects him especially with his aloofness despite having extraordinary conscience. Arthur’s mental anguish as well as bodily failing compels him to have compassion for others as a result of all the guilt being heaped on Hester for their collective transgression which stirs up his ethics.
His parishioners benefit from his meaningful religious leadership as a result of his inner turmoil with Hester emotionally which makes him an eloquent and influential speaker.
Paradoxically, Arthur’s assertions of sinfulness are not believed by the townspeople do not. Given his background and his liking for metaphoric speech, Arthur’s congregation in general interprets his sermons metaphorically rather than as expressions of any personal guiltiness. As a result, this worsens his spiritual as well as physical condition that drives him to further internalize his guiltiness and self-punishment as well. The town’s adoration of Arthur reaches new status after his Election Day sermon that happened to be his last. In his demise, Arthur becomes even more of an icon than he was when he was alive. While others believe Arthur’s fate was a case of divine judgment, many consider his affirmation as an emblematic act
Main Body
A surveyor then at the customhouse in Salem, Massachusetts, the narrator starts with a long preamble about how the Scarlet Letter came to be written. In the customhouse’s attic, the narrator comes across a number of documents, among them a scarlet, gold-embroidered patch of cloth in the shape of an “A” bundled manuscript. This manuscript contained events that had happened two hundred years ago covered by a past surveyor. After the narrator lost his customs post after a political change, the scarlet letter is the imaginary description of the events contained in the manuscript.
The story begins in the seventeenth-century Boston, and then a Puritan settlement, Hester Prynne, a young woman, is led from the town prison reprimanded for adultery carrying an infant daughter Pearl in her arms and the scarlet letter “A” on her breast. (Hawthorne, 1950)
Hester’s husband, a researcher and much more grown-up send his spouse in advance to Boston. After Hester’s husband doesn’t show up in Boston even after a long wait, lost at sea becomes the wide-ranging agreement from everyone. Hester gives birth to a child after having an affair while waiting for the arrival of the husband and conceals the identity of the child’s father. On the way to the town scaffold, Hester declines to name the child’s father despite being scolded by the town’s fathers. The scarlet letter as well as public shaming is the penalty for infidelity, a man in the crowd elucidates to an elderly onlooker in the crowd. It turns out, Hester’s missing husband is the elderly person who was in the crowd, practicing medicine and going by the name Roger Chillingworth who settles in Boston keen on revenge. (Hawthorne, 1950)
As Pearl grows into a headstrong, playful child, Hester supports herself working as a seamstress. Roger Chillingworth discloses his correct identity to Hester though sworn to secrecy. Hester and her daughter find a small hut on the periphery of Boston they call home since the rest of the society rejects them. The community official’s effort to take away Pearl from her mother is thwarted when Hester manages to get help from Arthur, then a young and eloquent minister. Dimmesdale appears to be wasting away, going through what appears to be a mysterious heart ailment caused by emotional distress.
To grant round-the-clock medical care, Chillingworth ultimately attaches himself to the ailing minister by moving in with him. To make out what could be ailing the minister, Chillingworth thinks there is a relation between Hester’s secret and the minister’s anguish and decides to test him. It did not take long before Chillingworth’s suspicion was confirmed when a mark on the minister’s breast was exposed while asleep one afternoon. Chillingworth formulated new tortures that intensified Dimmesdale’s mental agony whereas charitable deeds as well as quiet humbleness gave Hester a reprieve from the community’s ridicule. (Hawthorne, 1950)
After a visiting someone’s deathbed one night, Hester and her seven years old daughter on their way home found Dimmesdale inflicting torture on himself for his transgressions atop the town gallows. A meteor marks a dull red “A” in the night sky as Hester and Pearl join him and the trio links hands. “Acknowledge me publicly tomorrow” Pearl requests but Dimmesdale refuses. On seeing the minister’s situation getting poorer, Hester decides to intercede. Even after Hester’s appeal, Chillingworth refuses to bring to an end the minister’s self-torment. (Hawthorne, 1950)
Aware that Chillingworth might guess her next move of exposing the truth to Dimmesdale, Hester plans to meet Dimmesdale in the forest to hatch a plan of taking a ship from Boston in four days’ time and flee so that the three can live as a family in Europe. Both feel a sense of liberation as Hester removes her scarlet letter and lets her hair down. Playing nearby, Pearl couldn’t recognize her mother without the scarlet letter.
A day before the ship is set to sail, Dimmesdale delivers the most articulate sermon ever as the townspeople congregate for a holiday. Hester realizes Chillingworth has booked passage on the same ship too, aware of their plan to flee. After leaving church, with Hester and Pearl, Dimmesdale spontaneously gets on the scaffold and confesses publicly exposing a scarlet letter seared into the flesh of his chest. As Pearl kisses him in appreciation, Dimmesdale falls dead. (Hawthorne, 1950)
Discouraged in his revenge, Chillingworth dies a year later. After they go away to Boston, no one knows what happens to Hester and Pearl. After several years Hester returns alone still wearing the scarlet letter. She resumes her charity work residing in the same old cottage she once lived. Hester occasionally receives letters from her daughter rumored to have married a European aristocrat and having a family of her own. All of Chillingworth’s money is inherited by Pearl despite knowing she was not the daughter Hester’s tragic indiscretion is finally forgiven by all the women. This act eventually brings a sense of liberation to the townspeople and Hester at large. Beside which King’s Chapel has since been built, a new grave near an old and sunken one was built with a space in between quite evident, as if the dust has no right to mingle just like the two sleepers had. Yet both were served by one tombstone. Decorated with a letter “A”, Hester and Dimmesdale shared the same tombstone after Hester died. (Hawthorne, 1950)
In Judeo- Christian tradition, sin and knowledge are linked. After eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. After being expelled from the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve are made aware of their insubordination as a result of their comprehension that separates them from the divine and from other creatures by being forced to toil and to procreate. These are the two “labors” that characterize the human condition after being expelled from the Garden of Eden.
Hester and Dimmesdale experienced the story of Adam and Eve because, in both cases, expulsion and suffering occur after sinning. Apart from that, it offers understanding of what it means to be human. For Hester, the scarlet letter functions as “her passport into regions where other women dared not tread,” more “fearlessly than anyone else in New England, the scarlet letter led Hester to “contemplate” about that particular society at that time. (Hawthorne, 1950)
This sin offers, “Sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind, so that his chest vibrates in unison with theirs.” As far as “the cheating minister” Dimmesdale is concerned. The minister’s articulate and influential sermons emanate from his sense of empathy. The account of the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is in line with the oldest and most fully certified principles in Christian thought. The minister ends in dishonesty after beginning in transparency. Believable at every point of the sacred pilgrimage to be saved, the fine point is that the minister betrayed himself. (Hawthorne, 1950)
Its attractiveness, a remarkable disparity to all its environs is the rosebush, as the later the magnificently larger-than-life scarlet A, in part as an enticement, will be held out to discover “some sweet honorable blossom” in the consequent, heartbreaking account and in part as an illustration that “the bottomless spirit of nature” (perhaps God) may look more compassionately on the sinful Hester and the Daughter Pearl (the roses among the weeds) than the Puritan neighbors do. The natural world images disparity with the severe gloom of the Puritans and the systems throughout the work is something worth pondering about. (Hawthorne, 1950)
Parallel to the way Dimmesdale’s illness discloses his inner commotion, Chillingworth’s twisted body replicates the wickedness inside the soul. The state of the heart echoes the noticeable man. The primary purpose of Pearl within the novel is a representation nonetheless of a complex character. The personification of the scarlet letter is Pearl rightly clad in a stunning dress of scarlet, embroidered with gold thread, just like the scarlet upon Hester’ bosom (Hawthorne, 1950)
It is important not to conflate the two writers despite the narrator having a lot in common with Nathaniel Hawthorne. The two writers worked as customs officers, had Puritan ancestors and lost their jobs due to o political changes. The narrator is carefully created to boost the book aesthetically as well as philosophically. In very momentous ways, Hawthorne sets up the narrator to parallel Hester Prynne. The narrator, just like Hester, is encircled by people from whom there is always a sense of hostility. Different from the career customs officers, the narrator is reasonably young with a lot of vivacities. One of the explanations that could have prompted Hester to wrongdoing and ultimate estrangement ultimately is attributed to the fact that Hester had a youthful enthusiasm for life. The narrator seeks out the “few who will understand him,” just like Hester.
The account of the scarlet letter as well as the narrator’s own tale is addressed to this select group. Someday the narrator will be reduced to a name on a custom stamp just as Hester was condensed to a stack of old papers and a scrap of cloth is the link the narrator finds between himself and Hester. The reader is able to universalize Hester’s story and to see its relevance to another society through the narrator’s identification with Hester. (Hawthorne, 1950)
The narrator has difficulty writing Hester’s tale despite the commitment to it. The narrator is not able to write until any real career responsibilities are shelved. Furthermore the narrator feels the Puritan ancestors would find it perky. Also, relating to events that took place two hundred years ago will no doubt have a very small audience. To write in such a way as to make the story accessible to all types of people especially to those no longer young at heart is no easy task from the experience the narrator got spending time in company of other customhouse men. Telling Hester’s story in a way that makes it both significant well as psychologically emotive to all readers is the narrator’s challenge that needs to be conquered. Putting an end to the “real world” of work as well as small-mindedness and give up on the “romance” atmosphere of the story is the final step of preparation for the narrator to start writing. (Hawthorne, 1950)
Conclusion
Different from the narrator’s Puritan ancestor’s allegations, the narrator finds writing both beneficial and sensible. A well-argued discussion on American history and culture is provided by producing exceptionally good “American” writers. Hawthorne wrote at a time when America wanted to differentiate itself from centuries of European practice by encouraging loyalty through the enlargement of the world’s sense of America’s comparatively short history. To write an exciting story, the narrator, just like Hawthorne, had to balance the need to institute a weighty past with the equally undeniable want to write a story. Just as the eagle above the customhouse door offers both protection and appears geared up to attack, Americanness remains both a guarantee and a danger. The authenticity of American history and culture is enhanced by the account of the scarlet letter; however, American culture can only embrace its own in the world by surpassing its Americanness and institute a common appeal. First recounted through John Pue and then through the narrator, Hester’s story is twice refined. The person who reads it gets a better judgment of its seclusion from the present-day life, historic traits as well as a feeling of the past with a record through the consciousness of the story’s various phases of action. (Hawthorne, 1950)
Reference
Hawthorne, N. (1950). The Scarlet Letter. Boston: Hayes Barton Press.
This paper delves into themes related to sin and acceptance.
Introduction
The Scarlet Letter delves into numerous aspects related to guilt, society, the self as well as an assortment of varying themes related to sex and the Puritan way of life at the time
(Hawthorne, 1850). However, despite all this I believe that the Scarlet Letter is a form of social commentary in that it delves into the positive and negative aspects that pervaded Puritan society at the time that people either did not know about or turned a blind eye towards such actions. The novel thus presents the notion that the concepts of sin and acceptance are viewed and experienced differently by different people.
Form of Social Commentary
When examining the novel, it becomes clear that the writing style and the way in which the author delves into the Puritan way of life seemingly shows the double standards that existed at the time. For example, while the character of Hester is slated for punishment for being an adulterer, little is mentioned regarding the man she had sexual relations with. From the way in which she was described and the manner that the people acknowledge her as, it appears that all of the fault is attributed to her.
This I believe was an intentional aspect of the novel on the part of the author to depict how women received “the shorter end of the stick” so to speak when it came to living within such a society. In fact, it was the character of Roger Chillingworth (the husband of Hester who was thought of as dead) who was the first to voice the unfairness of only Hester being condemned for the crime with little to no attempt at actually finding the person she slept with.
Another aspect to take into consideration is the fact that the Reverend Dimmesdale was revealed towards the latter half of the novel as the father of Hester’s child. Yet, what is curious is that while Hester was able to withstand being labeled as an adulterer, Dimmesdale actually progressively got worse throughout the novel despite him not revealing his secret until the end.
Sin and Acceptance
The reason why Dimmesdale and Hester had different reactions to the sin they committed was due to the varying ways in which they chose to accept it. In the case of Hester she chose to own up to her sin and instead of taking the easy way out through suicide she chose to work as a seamstress to support her daughter.
In the case of Dimmesdale he chose to keep it bottled up inside and continued to suffer as a direct result of what he perceived as a moral sin. It is at this juncture that it can be seen that the novel apparently questions the true impact of sin and morality wherein it shows that acceptance of an act and moving forward from it changes the perception of sin (as seen in the case of Hester) as compared to internalizing it and continuously blaming oneself ( as seen in the case of the Reverend).
In fact, the concept of sin and acceptance in order to move on can be considered a crucial part of the novel as exemplified by the deaths of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth wherein their refusal to accept and move on killed them in the end as compared to Hester who accepted her sin and bore it proudly who in the end had a somewhat happy ending.
Conclusion
Overall, it can be stated that the novel is an excellent social commentary of the state of society at the time and reveals how the refusal to own up to a sin can literally eat a person from within and cause their death.
Reference List
Hawthorne, N. (1850). The Scarlet Letter. New York: Ticknor, Reed & Fields.
The Scarlet letter: A romance is a novel by an American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was written in 1850. It tells a story of a young woman, Hester Prynne, that becomes a victim of her own passion. The woman’s lover cowardly betrays her. However, Hester’s husband strives for vengeance. This book is Hawthorne’s main work. It is a comprehensive text that demonstrates the struggle between emotions and the mind. The main goal of this paper is to analyze The Scarlet Letter to reveal the author’s idea of the frustration of revenge and victory over shame.
Analysis
To understand the author’s motives, it is important to discuss a social situation in which The Scarlet Letter was written. The main purpose of creating this novel was to demonstrate Puritan society’s false virtues (Richardson). The author implied that numerous people were falsely accused of all kinds of sin during those brutal times. In this book, the author raises the question of the impact that sins have on a personality and community.
A modern audience cannot fully comprehend the significance of the violation of moral norms. The Puritans “viewed the commission of any sin as evidence of the sinner’s corruption and preordained damnation” (“The Scarlet Letter”). However, the major theme of this novel is the pointlessness of vengeance and overcoming the fear of condemnation. Hawthorne spent 12 years, observing and understanding the true nature of human beings to elaborately express it in this work.
Hawthorne perceived sin as a state of otherness. Sinners neglect God, other people, and themselves. Eventually, it brings shame on them. The protagonist gets pregnant, and she has to wear a scarlet A on her dress that symbolizes her adultery (Hawthorne 159). Hester is marginalized and cannot interact with people around her. However, she becomes closer to God and realizes the truth about herself. After overcoming various obstacles, she changes the people’s attitude towards herself.
Afterward, “they said that it meant Able,” referring to the scarlet letter (Hawthorne 164). Two other characters, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth do not feel any pressure from society. Dimmesdale is a reverend. Citizens deeply honor and respect him. Chillingworth is a well-known doctor (Hawthorne 70). However, the reverend realizes his guilt, and it does not let him live in peace with God and the citizens. On the other hand, Chillingworth allows anger to take control of him what makes this character totally isolated. Chillingworth is unable to reconsider the evil way he had chosen.
“It is our fate. Let the black flower blossom as it may,” Chillingworth explained to Hester (Hawthorne 174). There is no place for forgiveness in his soul. Chillingworth’s nature becomes irreversibly corrupted.
Hawthorne demonstrated obvious differences between sins caused by passion and sins based on prejudices. Even the reverend realizes this difference (Hawthorne 198). However, he fails to reveal his sins, and the feeling of being guilty eventually worsens his health, and he dies. On the contrary, Hester cultivates virtues of sympathy and empathy (Hawthorne 264). She gains integrity and accepts herself and the world around her. Eventually, Hester overcomes her shame.
The author incorporated various symbols in the narrative. The scarlet letter symbolizes real Hester’s nature and experience. Dimmesdale is presented in the story rather as a symbol than a true character. The scaffold is an allegory of sin and remorse concepts.
Conclusion
This book raises the timeless issues of human nature. The author presented the concepts of sin, virtue, and their influence on communities and individuals. These problems are still relevant in modern societies. The author created an outstanding work that is rightfully considered to be a masterpiece of world literature.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Ticknor and Fields, 1850.
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote two stories by the title, “The Scarlet Letter” and “Young Goodman” in which he displays his authorial voice by mirroring the societies from their dark ends as shown by the puritan cultures. In “The Scarter Letter,” Hawthorne employs psychological fiction to display the innate evilness of human beings (Johnson 75).
On the other hand, “The Young Goodman” is a story that revolves around wickedness that exists in the society and the role of characters in discovering these truths.
Although the two stories vary in setting, the author uses similar thematic representations in portraying his concerns about the nature of the society during this moment (Johnson 75). In this paper, my analysis seeks to explore the similarities and differences between the two stories. Further, the analysis shall exhibit how the author succeeds in asserting his themes.
Discussion
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” primarily consists of characteristic imagery, which tends to represent the underlying nature of the characters as well as events relevant to the thematic concerns of the text (Stubbs 1440). In this authorial piece, the concepts of light and darkness serve as a constant source that carries greater influences to the plot of the text in its entirety.
These literary devices employed by the author succeed in underpinning the general imperative of creating images and color inherent in the Scarlet letter (Johnson 75).
The idealistic choice of light in this piece of literature highlights the characteristic intentions and thought structure of the characters together with their intrinsic qualities as depicted by the author. The application of imagery and symbolism in this piece of work begins with symbolization of the Old general depicts the reawakening of the characters upon being motivated by the actions of the other person.
The narrator in the Custom House asserts through recall the significant image created in his mind by saying that those he worked with regarded him “in no other light” other than smart and sensible staff. On the other hand, darkness as a descriptive device qualifies in demonstrating the characters as evil (Stubbs 1440).
However, a change in the characteristic behavior of Hawthorne’s characters accompanies the change from darkness toward the light, which enhances the understanding of the nature and degree of transformation taking place from within the confines of the society. The red color as cited repeatedly in the text with its application in the letter depicts the society’s condemnation of the evilness of Hester (“The Scarlet Letter” 59).
In Goodman, the story takes us through a rather mysterious path full of wickedness in the puritanical society. In this story, the author clearly defines the thin line between goodness and evil, hence giving an impression of creativity (“Goodman” 36). In “The Scarter letter,” the author paints the presence of sin not in the literary forests, but rather in the symbolic image portrayed by Hester (Stubbs 1440).
The other similarity that embodies both stories lies in the plot setting where woods appear in both. It is through the journey within and through these woods that the value and behavior of the characters come to change. The innate isolation feature of the protagonists in both stories depicts the author’s ability to demonstrate how the two separate worlds discriminate its people by condemning them to the lasting pains (“The Scarlet Letter” 59).
Goodman spends his life secluded from the rest and similarly Hester carries a symbol for that represents her suffering and humiliation so proudly as though it was a medal. These ironical representations displayed by Hester in carrying herself around with the symbol as an act to demonstrate to the society clearly affords a vivid comparative analysis of various sides of the society such as evil and good.
Conclusion
In this analysis, the critical study indicates that although the two stories differ in numerous ways, they all work to demonstrate how both characters remain on an emotional trail toward discovering their identity in terms of strengths and weaknesses.
For instance, although Goodman finally discovered the inherent wickedness beholden by a man, he achieved in returning with him the knowledge and acceptance of the existence of sin (Stremberg 274). In all the works, the authors have managed to paint their characters in ways that portray their actions and the resultant effects that arise thereof.
Hawthorne’s depiction of women as the victims of masculinity in the society vividly gain evidence in the case of Hester as she swallows the charges for the sin she never committed. In leveraging the male characters from their real contribution of the evil in the society merits a connotation of darkness existing within the confines of the society at the expense of the less privileged in the society (Stremberg 274).
The author demolishes the worth of females in the heavily puritanical society through Hester as the female protagonists carrying the connotations of invaluable people with no place to occupy in the society.
Although the two pieces have followed completely different paths in their quest to achieve the authorial themes, they all compare well in terms of the ability of the authors to display the ultimate discovery of the nature and place of different people in the society, and their role in shaping the minds and perception.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Penguin, 1986. Print. —.Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories. New York: Courier Dover Publications, 1992. Print.
Johnson, Claudia. (1995). Understanding the Scarlet letter: a student casebook to issues, sources, and historical documents. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995. Print.
Stremberg, Maria. “Hawthorne’s Black Man: Image of Social Evil”. The Explicator 67.4 (2009): 274-275.
Stubbs, John C. “Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’: The Theory of the Romance and the Use of the New England Situation.” PMLA 83.5 (1968): 1439–1447.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th-century American writer who remains renowned for his input in the classical literature. Some researchers even phrase him as “one of the most significant and influential writers” of his age (Lei, 2015, p. 2164). Among the legacy of Hawthorne, it is worth mentioning The scarlet letter, a work which became vital for the writer’s fame. The plot of the novel immerses the readers into the 17th century to demonstrate the environment of the Puritan era in America. The events revolve around the punishment of a young woman, Hester Prynne, who is accused of adultery. Through the main characters, Hester, her husband “Chillingworth” and her lover Dimmesdale, the author used symbolism to unveil his message about adamant will and redemption. Moreover, thanks to the historical fiction genre, Hawthorne managed to elaborate on notable aspects of social history.
Plot Summary: Love, Hate, and Guilt
Throughout the plot, the reader finds out about a fictive public scandal in 17th-century Boston. The public attention is caught by the young woman, Hester Prynne, who gave birth to an illegitimate child and is accused of adultery. As a result, Hester must regularly stand on the village’s scaffold and wear the scarlet “A” letter on her clothes. Moreover, she resides in prison, shunned by all the villagers. Despite the humiliation, Hester refuses to name her lover, the father of the child.
During one of the trials, it turns out that Hester’s husband, presumably missed, has returned to the village. Enraged by the wife’s betrayal, the husband vows to avenge his pride by destroying Hester’s love for good. The husband takes up a different persona of a doctor, Roger Chillingworth. With this play, he aims to gain the village’s trust and deduce the identity of his adversary.
Chillingworth gets closer to the head of Boston’s church, a young priest Reverend Dimmesdale, who experiences health issues. At the same time, Hester is released from the detention and lives isolated on the outskirts of the village. Her sewing skills only help her in earning money for living alone. However, she successfully defends her newborn daughter, Pearl, from the attempts to take the child away. Furthermore, she remains adamant in refusing to divulge the identity of Pearl’s father.
Gradually, Chillingworth starts to suspect that Dimmesdale could indeed be Hester’s lover. After all, Dimmesdale’s condition appears to be connected to some unresolved mental torment. Chillingworth discusses the matter with the priest several times, trying to make him confess the presumed sins. Eventually, Chillingworth confirms his suspicions when he notices the same “A” letter on Dimmesdale’s body, that his wife wears. However, he is unable to act with hostility due to the earlier promise to Hester.
In the end, Dimmesdale and Hester meet in the forest and confirm their love, while Dimmesdale contemplates about the public confession. Despite several failed attempts, he brings himself to the public reveal as Hester’s lover and Pearl’s father. This act frees Dimmesdale from spiritual suffering and allows him to die peacefully. Chillingworth, who was unable to stop the confession, dies on the next year while leaving the fortune to Pearl. Afterward, mother and daughter leave for England, only to return before Hester’s death. She wears the “A” letter to the very end, and after the demise, she is buried alongside Dimmesdale.
The Main Characters: A Triangle of Struggle
The plot and the central themes undoubtedly revolve around three leading characters: Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Among them, Hester should be considered the main protagonist of the whole story. She is described as a young woman who was unhappily married to an elderly husband. Thus, she could not abstain from searching for a true love, which she found in Dimmesdale. Her name is partially symbolic – according to Lei (2015), the name is derived from the Greek goddess of household Hestia, while the “Prynne” surname alludes to her adultery. However, her nature is characterized by her powerful will and refusal to give up in despair. As Elbert (2014) states, Hester is an epitome of a motherly figure who genuinely cares about her love and child. Hence, Hester managed to endure all the hardships while proudly wearing the scarlet letter.
At the same time, Dimmesdale presents a person who is shameful of his wrongdoings but painfully struggles in the attempt to confess. He is a highly revered head of the town’s church. Furthermore, according to the book, he is so “passionate about God and religion,” that the followers always cling to him (Hawthorne, 2004, p. 64). However, the sin realization slowly kills Dimmesdale since he does not live up to the declared ideals. Eventually, Dimmesdale manages to cope with the shame and release his doubts by voicing the truth to everyone. While he dies soon after, he feels relieved because he finally did the right thing.
Chillingworth represents the dark side of the characters’ past. Most researchers agree on the opinion that he acts as the novel’s villain (İsaoğlu, 2015). He sought a happy family live by marriage with Hester but feels betrayed by her sin. Thus, he is ready to use deceit so he could achieve his form of justice. On this premise, Chillingworth pressures both Hester and Dimmesdale in pursuit of his goal. However, his efforts prove to be futile because of Hester’s resolve and Dimmesdale’s newfound courage to confess. At least, Chillingworth manages to change his ways at the end of life by leaving the fortune to Pearl.
The Themes of Resolve and Confession
Among the important topics explored in the novel, one should name the unconditional and steadfast love, as well as the struggle to redeem one’s sins as the most central themes. Hester’s unwavering personality demonstrates the first aspect from the beginning to the end. Even when her life was crumbling, she abandoned nether her love for Dimmesdale, nor hope for a better future she eventually attained. Secondly, the suffering of Dimmesdale showcases how destructive one’s unconfessed sin can become. According to Lei (2015), the character serves as a parallel to the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. Nonetheless, the author shows the hardships of redemption, which still can lead to salvation.
The Society Reflection
While the mentioned themes dominate throughout the novel, one can see one more aspect highlighted by the author. In the description of the 17th century, Hawthorne presents the flaws of society, which remain actual to the present days. Particularly, Hawthorne accentuates the ostracizing of Hester to demonstrate the inability of the community to understand her conditions. Hence, one can apply a famous saying that people fear what they do not understand. Such a failure leads to the isolation of society members who are not evil and just lost their way.
Conclusion
In his historical fiction, The scarlet letter, Hawthorne succeeded in exposing notable moral themes. The plot is centered around the adultery of the main heroine Hester and a local priest Dimmesdale. The capacity of the former to withstand social pressure and the final resolve of the latter to reveal the sin emphasize the topics of spiritual resilience and the redemption of the mistakes. Also, Hawthorne touched the issues of society’s everlasting shortcomings, like the misunderstanding and isolation of those who break the public rules.
References
Elbert, M. (2014) ‘The woman’s law in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter’, in Bendixen, A. (ed.) A companion to the American novel. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Son, pp. 373-393.
Hawthorne, N. (2004) The scarlet letter. Smyrna, DE: Prestwick House Inc.
İsaoğlu, H. (2015) ‘A Freudian psychoanalytic analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter’, The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, 3(32), pp. 499-511.
Lei, N. (2015) ‘A brief study on the symbolic meaning of the main characters’ name in The Scarlet Letter’, Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(10), pp. 2164-2168.
Although Nathanial Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter in the middle of the nineteenth century, he wrote it using a style and subject matter that accurately reflected the ideals and way of life of early colonists in Puritan-influenced New England. While some of the concepts included in the story may be difficult to understand when looking at them from a modern point of view, when these things are placed in their historical context, they become much easier to understand. For example, the idea that Hester could not just run off with Reverend Dimmesdale seems somewhat crazy to the modern world because she hadn’t seen her husband since she left England and didn’t want to marry him to begin with.
Today’s world would not have a problem with a woman who left her husband under less onerous circumstances.
However, the Puritan society in which Hester was supposed to have lived would have considered this a damnable offense and would necessarily ostracize Hester from all polite society for the rest of her life, regardless of what else she did. To understand this context, then, it is necessary to look at the religious, social, and environmental factors that restricted Hester in the 1600s.
Puritanism dictated just about everything involved in colonial life in 1600s New England, even including how people talked with each other, how they dressed, and what kind of relationships they had. “In addition to believing in the absolute sovereignty of God, the total depravity of man, and the complete dependence of human beings on divine grace for salvation, they stressed the importance of personal religious experience” (Bowden, 2004). Because of this connection to personal religious experience, Hester knew she would not be able to run away from her marriage vows to marry another even if she did stretch them in her relationship to Reverend Dimmesdale. As a Puritan herself, she had to remain in the village as a married woman as was agreed upon in her marriage to Dr. Prynne, aka Roger Chillingworth, until she had confirmation that he was deceased.
Anything less would have violated her own road to salvation even though she had not married him voluntarily. While it is often easy to attribute Hester’s difficulties to her society alone, it must be remembered that Hester herself was a believer in the Puritan religion. Once Hester’s secret was out, it was obvious to the entire village that Hester was not provided with the same degree of faith as the rest of the villagers and was therefore a greater sinner. To win her place in heaven, it was necessary for her to suffer the lowest status on earth to do penance for her past deeds. Although Hester hates her scarlet letter, she wears it both because she is convinced she has committed the worst sin, but also because the society in which she lives will never allow her to forget that she is the worst sinner of them all. This is the reason Hester returns to her old home in the end, taking up her stigma and the scarlet letter until her death.
The Puritans held a strict social order that took into account each other’s perceived righteousness.
Therefore, those who were considered closer to God had a higher social rank in society from those who were considered to be closer to sin. Thanks to the story of Adam and Eve, men were perceived to be closer to God than women and religious men were closer to God than those who worked the fields. “Though not theocracies, most colonies in New England were dominated by Puritan mores and doctrine” (Clark, 1999). Understanding this makes it easier to see how Reverend Dimmesdale could not be seen to be associating himself with Hester after Pearl was born because she was a fallen woman and he was the highest moral authority in the village. They came from opposite ends of the social spectrum, one representing extreme sin and the other representing ultimate righteousness. Pearl’s crime was in simply being born. She was born without a father, in obvious and undeniable violation of her mother’s wedding vows as well as the word of God.
Socially speaking, this meant that she was touched by the devil himself and was therefore unclean and unworthy to associate with the other children in the village or to be treated with any kind of humanity by the other villagers.
With all this harsh treatment of not only herself, but also of her child, it is difficult for a person in modern times to understand why Hester didn’t just pack up and leave for another town.
This is in large part because of the technological advances of the time and the interdependence the colonies had with one another. Colonies were not necessarily so separated from each other to the point that Hester could not have made the journey to the next town on her own. However, if she had, there was no guarantee that there would be a home waiting for her to move into. “Building homes and establishing farms required intensive and often backbreaking toil” (Jones, 1853), meaning unless a wife was expected, there was no reason for a home to be standing empty awaiting a tenant. However, even had she overcome that obstacle, trade that existed between the Puritan colonies would have ensured her scarlet letter would have followed her no matter where she went as long as she stayed within her religious framework. In addition, colonists found it necessary to rely upon each other for sustenance through the long, cold winters of the New England environment.
“New Englanders evolved an intricate web of interdependence to meet the demand for labor, working for neighbors who sold their labor in return” (Jones, 1853). Although Hester’s crime was considered one of the worst crimes that could be committed, it would not have served the colony to have her locked away in prison, nor would it have been possible for her to have rebuilt her life elsewhere. Finally, it was considered necessary for colonists, especially female colonists, to stick close to the settlement as a measure to protect themselves against possibly hostile Indians. This is seen in The Scarlet Letter as it becomes evident that Roger Prynne was detained from rejoining his wife because he had been captured by Indians and had only recently secured his release before stumbling into Salem.
Restricted by these environmental concerns of living in a sparsely populated new colony in the wilderness, the rigid social hierarchy and the even stricter tenets of Puritanism as it was practiced both by the villagers and believed by Hester herself, there was little option throughout the story for any other outcome. The base portion of human nature brought Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale together because of their loneliness and their natural human attraction.
However, the higher calling of their religion, society, and environment necessarily kept them apart. Had just one of these elements been different, the outcome might have been much different. Hawthorne stays true to the literature of the period by presenting a story that both explores human nature as something destined for evil and that delivers a sermon of sorts regarding what it takes to live a ‘good life.
Clark, Michael P. “Puritanism.” Encyclopedia of American Literature. Steven R. Serafin & Alfred Bendixen (Eds.). New York: Continuum Publishers, 1999, pp. 921-24. Web.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Alfred P. Knopf, 1992.
Jones, Abner Dumont. “Cotton Mather.” The Illustrated American Biography. New York: J. Milton and Company, 1853, p. 59. Web.
An ensuing theme in The Scarlet Letter is the theme of hypocrisy which “Hypocrite” by Savanna Keyes well represents. Hawthorne (2015) illustrates a hypocritic Puritan Community by envisioning vital social topics like adultery. The Scarlet Letter has several instances of hypocrisy depicted by some characters, such as the lavish dressing Governor Bellingham wears while enforcing Puritan plainness on his subjects (Hawthorne, 2015). This is an instance of a physical metaphor for hypocritic characteristics illustrating how some individuals present one face to the world while hiding their true nature. “Hypocrite” depicts this perception through deep vivid lyrics defining hypocritic behavior that applies to Hester.
“But I don’t practice what I preach Count every calorie And every flaw I see in my mirror I know that my best disguise is handing out advice Like I’m everybody’s cheerleader” (Keyes, 2018, 00:32).
Trisha Yearwood’s “Standing Out in a Crowd” represents Hester’s treatment after being accused of adultery. She is taunted and criticized for her actions in a polarized community which labels her as an adulterer and a misfit. According to Hawthorne (2015), the experience of standing out in a crowd launches Hester into a state of regret as she starts to recall her life back in rural England, where everything was calm. This flashback portrays how she is not comfortable with being sidelined. The song illustrates how unprepared she is to receive that form of treatment from her fellow people and that she is not ready to go through all that alone.
“Standing out in a crowd Where the spotlight finds you And singles you out What are they whispering about?” (Yearwood, 2005, 00:40).
Although taunted and publicly humiliated, Hester is not ready to reveal the father’s identity to her child. Hawthorne (2015) depicts the power of sin by highlighting how a secret can lead them to a life of misery with Hester and Dimmesdale. For instance, Hester is aware of what would happen to Dimmesdale if she reveals that he is the father and, therefore, vows to take the secret to her grave (Hawthorne, 2015). The same dilemma is present with Dimmesdale, who does not want to face humiliation and persecution after Hester reveals the truth (Hawthorne, 2015). These two illustrations highlight the strength of secrecy, an illustration perfectly presented in “Secret” by The Pierces.
“Got a secret, can you keep it? Swear, this one you’ll save Better lock it in your pocket Takin’ this one to the grave” (Pierces, 2007, 00:01).
Paloma Faith’s “Guilty” perfectly resonates with the theme of guilt in The Scarlet Letter. One instance of guilt is Hester’s guilt of adultery which is publicly exploited and forced to wear the scarlet letter for the rest of her life (Hawthorne, 2015). Dimmesdale is also as guilty as Hester but chooses to let his guilt remain a secret, allowing it to kill him slowly (Hawthorne, 2015) slowly. Chillingworth’s guilt is expressed in hiding his identity as Hester’s husband, who resorts to torturing Dimmesdale to hide his guilt (Hawthorne, 2015). The song illustrates how these characters let their guilts affect their lives as they struggle in a hypocritical society.
“I’ve been a criminal, I made a mistake Believed in the fictional Then let everything slip away I can’t accept my fate Thought the alternative looked so crystal clear Drowned in the muddy waters And I’m living in my worst fears Begging you back through tears” (Faith, 2018, 00:15).
The song “I Look to You” by Whitney Houston narrates the hardships one can go through at the mercy of society. Hawthorne depicts a condemned and humiliated Hester Prynne, a labeled social misfit after getting a child from adultery (Hawthorne, 2015). Her decisions subject her to a complete life of shame without any willing companion to share her pain. The lyrics of the song resonate with her affliction and her despair of having someone to talk to.
“I’m lost without a cause After giving it my all Winter storms have come And darkened my sun After all that I’ve been through Who on earth can I turn to?” (Houston, 2009, 00:21).
After realizing that she is all alone and no one is willing to come to her aid, Hester is in a state of desperation, depression, and brokenness. Although she is not willing to speak the truth, her condemnation gets the better of her as she starts to experience the harsh outcomes of her decision (Hawthorne, 2015). Noelle Johnson’s “Broken” attempts to portray her state through a submissive chorus.
“I’m begging you to come And pull me out of the fire, come and save me Like you did when we were young Oh, please, come bring me up From my lowest, take me higher” (Johnson, 2021, 00:30).
Ed Sheeran communicates a heartfelt rendition with “Autumn Leaves,” depicting the trials an individual can encounter after losing a loved one. The same desperation exists between Hester and Dimmesdale, who are now separated by society, and that the pain will live on following the death of Dimmesdale.
“Another tear, another cry Another place for us to die It’s not complicated Another life that’s gone to waste Another light lost from your face” (Sheeran, 2011, 01:11).
Coldplay’s “Yellow” has a resounding theme of true love despite all odds. Although Hester is aware of society shutting its back on her, Dimmesdale is out to declare his true intentions and be ready to bleed for her, which sees his death. Pearl also illustrates her true love to Dimmesdale, although he is hesitant to come public about his actions. The song serves to show how deep their love indeed was.
“I swam across I jumped across for you Oh, what a thing to do ‘Cause you were all yellow” (Coldplay, 2000, 02:14).
Brian and Jenn Johnson’s “You’re Gonna Be Okay” echoes how social labels afflict an innocent child. Pearl, Hester’s daughter, is deprived of a chance to be happy playing with fellow children. The villagers even label Pearl a witch-baby because she was conceived, arguing that she will grow to become a transgressor like her mother. Dimmesdale also stands in to prevent Pearl from being separated from her mother (Hawthorne, 2015). Hester and Dimmesdale are the only ones by her side, and the song resonates with a mother’s promise always to care for and protect their child.
“And it’s a fight just to keep it together, together I know you think, that you are too far gone But hope is never lost Hope is never lost” (Brian & Jenn, 2021, 00:23).
Lauren Daigle’s “You Say” provides a perfect summary of Hawthorne’s message of self-love. After going through a series of challenges and potential regrets, Hester realizes that she is worthy and has the right to lead a regular life and shun what society throws at her. The song resonates with this idea by presenting an uplifting message of self-love above all challenges.
“You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing You say I am strong when I think I am weak You say I am held when I am falling short When I don’t belong, You say I am Yours” (Daigle, 2018, 01:04).
References
Coldplay. (2000). Yellow [Song]. On Parachutes. Parlophone Records Limited.
Daigle, L. (2018). You say [Song]. On Look Up Child. Centricity Music.
Faith, P. (2018). Guilty [Song]. On The Architect (Zeitgeist Edition). Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited.
Hawthorne, N. (2015). The scarlet letter. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Houston, W. (2009). I look to you [Song]. On I Look To You. Arista Records LLC.
Johnson, B. & Johnson, J. (2021). You’re gonna be okay [Song]. On Peace, Volume II. Bethel Music.
Johnson, N. (2021). Broken [Song]. On Broken [single]. Sonder House.
Keyes, S. (2018). Hypocrite [Song]. On Hypocrite [single]. Savannah Keyes.
Pierces, T. (2007). Secret [Song]. On Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge. Lizard King Records.
Sheeran, E. (2011). Autumn leaves [Song]. On + (Plus). Warner Music UK Limited.
Yearwood, T. (2005). Standing out in a crowd [Song]. On Jasper County. MCA Nashville.
