Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist known for his twisted romance novels. Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1804. Hawthorn lost his father at a young age which left his mother a little distant. He attended courses at Bowdoin College which inspired him to read, and had exposed him to classic literature. Hawthorne took interest in the romantic movement occurring at the time, more specifically the dark romance genre that was popular at the time. He used the popular genre as a way to help support his family, as he had financial issues.

His ancestors were subjected to the strict Puritan lifestyle that was common in places such as Salem and Boston at the time. However, Hawthorn grew up to despise the Puritan lifestyle, and his ancestors, especially his great-great grandfather who was a judge at the Salem witch trials. He had carried the guilt that he had been given from his ancestors, and portrayed it in his novels and short stories. When given the opportunity, Hawthorne would always show his discontent with the Puritan lifestyle by painting Puritans in a bad light. The Scarlet Letter discuses sin. Hawthorne projects his perception of sin in a Puritan society for everyone to see the Puritans the way he does: as strict and unfeeling beings that are hypocritical.

In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne dedicates a full chapter before mentioning the characters to the town prison, and more importantly the rose bush. Hawthorne mentions that “...among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison (55)”. Hawthorne is saying that before anything else was to be built in this new land, first must come a cemetery and a prison. Hawthorne includes this information to show that the settlers of the Boston area know for a fact that there will be sin, hence the prison, and that death typically follows sin, hence the cemetery. It’s as if the settlers are waiting for a crime to be committed, and that they have doubts about not only this new life, but also the other settlers as well. The wild rose bush growing next to the entrance to the prison is perhaps the greatest use of symbolism and irony throughout The Scarlet Letter. In regards to the sinners that walk in and out of the prison, the rose bush is a symbol representing that “...Nature could pity and be kind to him (Hawthorne 56).” This symbol doesn’t mean much until the next few lines where Hawthorne offers to pluck a rose and present it to the reader. This is suppose to be “relief to the dark tale of human sorrow (Hodges, "The Letter of the Law: Reading Hawthorne and the Law of Adultery.").” The rose is suppose to help the reader understand that even though Hester and Dimmesdale seemingly didn’t have a happy ending, there is still the relief that they are free.

The second chapter of The Scarlet Letter opens up with the congregation of the towns people, all in curiosity of what is to come. Hawthorne writes that “...a penalty which, in our days, would infer a degree of mocking infamy and ridicule, might then be invested with almost as stern a dignity as the punishment of death itself. (59)” Hawthorne is implying here that in his present day, there is a variation of punishments, each suitable for the sin. However, at the time sin was sin, there was little change in the repercussions. The towns people encourage this system, even though none of them were clean of sin themselves. Hawthorne clear distaste for the Puritan people, especially the women, is clear in the events leading up to the trial of Hester Prynne, who is being accused of Adultery. Hawthorne describes the women as more intrigued in the public trails and punishments. Hawthorne described the citation as “...any sense of impropriety restrained the wearers of petticoat and farthingale from stepping forth into the public ways, and wedging their not unsubstantial persons, if occasion were, into the throng nearest to the scaffold at an execution. (59).” Hawthorne portrays the women as eager to accuse someone of sin and have them executed for it. After Hester Prynne was convicted of Adultery she was sentenced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her chest for the rest of her life, a punishment the women didn’t find suitable. They thought that it was merciful, and Hester should have been branded with the “A” on her forehead. This is Hawthorne’s way of showing the readers how the true Puritans acted like. Hawthorne wrote about these cruel women to project his views of them.

Hester’s daughter, Pearl, was the product of Adultery.

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