Nathaniel Hawthornes background influenced him to write the bold novel The Scarlet Letter Essay Example For Students

Nathaniel Hawthornes background influenced him to write the bold novel The Scarlet Letter Essay Nathaniel Hawthornes background influenced him to write the bold novel The Scarlet Letter. One important influence on the story is money. Hawthorne had never made much money as an author and the birth of his first daughter added to the financial burden Biographical Note VII. He received a job at the Salem Custom House only to lose it three years later and be forced to write again to support his family IX. Consequently, The Scarlet Letter was published a year later IX. It was only intended to be a long short story, but the extra money a novel would bring in was needed Introduction XVI. Hawthorne then wrote an introduction section titled The Custom House to extend the length of the book and The Scarlet Letter became a full novel XVI. In addition to financial worries, another influence on the story is Hawthornes rejection of his ancestors. His forefathers were strict Puritans, and John Hathorne, his great-great-grandfather, was a judge presiding during the S! alem witch trials Biographical Note VII. Hawthorne did not condone their acts and actually spent a great deal of his life renouncing the Puritans in general VII. Similarly, The Scarlet Letter was a literal soapbox for Hawthorne to convey to the world that the majority of Puritans were strict and unfeeling. For example, before Hester emerges from the prison she is being scorned by a group of women who feel that she deserves a larger punishment than she actually receives. Instead of only being made to stand on the scaffold and wear the scarlet letter on her chest, they suggest that she have it branded on her forehead or even be put to death Hawthorne 51. Perhaps the most important influence on the story is the authors interest in the dark side Introduction VIII. Unlike the transcendentalists of the era, Hawthorne confronted reality, rather than evading it VII. Likewise, The Scarlet Letter deals with adultery, a subject that caused much scandal when it w! as first published XV. The book revolves around sin and punish ment, a far outcry from writers of the time, such as Emerson and Thoreau, who dwelt on optimistic themes VII. This background, together with a believable plot, convincing characterization, and important literary devices enables Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter to the develop the theme of the heart as a prison. The scaffold scenes are the most substantial situations in the story because they unify The Scarlet Letter in two influential ways. First of all, every scaffold scene reunites the main characters of the novel. In the first scene, everyone in the town is gathered in the market place because Hester is being questioned about the identity of the father of her child Hawthorne 52. In her arms is the product of her sin, Pearl, a three month old baby who is experiencing life outside the prison for the first time 53. Dimmesdale is standing beside the scaffold because he is Hesters pastor and it is his job to convince her to repent and reveal the fathers name 65. A short time later, Chillingworth unexpectedly shows up within the crowd of people who are watching Hester after he is released from his two year captivity by the Indians 61. In the second scene, Dimmesdale is standing on top of the scaffold alone in the middle of the night 152. He sees Hester and Pearl wal! k through the market place on their way back from Governor Winthrops bedside 157. When Dimmesdale recognizes them and tells them to join him, they walk up the steps to stand by his side 158. Chillingworth appears later standing beside the scaffold, staring at Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl. In the final scaffold scene, Dimmesdale walks to the steps of the scaffold in front of the whole town after his Election day sermon 263. He tells Hester and Pearl to join him yet again on the scaffold 264. Chillingworth then runs through the crowd and tries to stop Dimmesdale from reaching the top of the scaffold, the one place where he cant reach him 265. Another way in which the scenes are united is how each illustrates the immediate, delayed, and prolonged effects that the sin of adultery has on the main characters. The first scene shows Hester being publicly punished on the scaffold 52. She is being forced to stand on it for three hours straight and listen to peop! le talk about her as a disgrace and a shame to the community 55. Dimmesdales instantaneous response to the sin is to lie. He stands before Hester and the rest of the town and proceeds to give a moving speech about how it would be in her and the fathers best interest for her to reveal the fathers name 67. Though he never actually says that he is not the other parent, he implies it by talking of the father in third person 67. Such as, If thou feelest it to be for thy souls peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer 67. Chillingworths first reaction is one of shock, but he quickly suppresses it 61. Since his first sight of his wife in two years is of her being punished for being unfaithful to him, he is naturally surprised. It does not last for long though, because it is his nature to control his emotions 61. Pearls very existence in this scene is the largest immediate effect of her parents cr! ime 52. She obviously would never had been there had her parents resisted their love for each other. The second scene occurs several years later and shows the effects after time has had a chance to play its part. It begins with Dimmesdale climbing the stairs of the scaffold in the middle of the night because it is the closest that he can come to confessing his sin 152. This scene is especially important because it shows how pitiful he has become. Dimmesdale shows just how irrational he is when he screams aloud because he fears that the universe is staring at a scarlet token on his breast 153. It also shows how much guilt he is carrying by the way he perceives the light from a meteor as the letter A. He believes it stands for adulteress while other people think it stands for angel since the governor just passed away 161. The Time Machine Book EssayUltimately, Chillingworth responds to his wifes betrayal by sacrificing everything in order to seek revenge. After he discovers that his wife bore another mans child, Chillingworth gives up his independence. He used to be a scholar who dedicated his best years to feed the hungry dream of knowledge, but his new allegiance becomes finding and slowly punishing the man who seduced his wife 74. He soon becomes obsessed with his new mission in life, and when he targeted Reverend Dimmesdale as the possible parent, he dedic! ates all of his time to becoming his confidant in order to get his retribution 127. Vengeance was also one of the reasons that Chillingworth gives up his identity. The only way he can truly corrupt Dimmesdale is to live with him and be by his side all day, every day. The only possible way to do that is to give up his true identity as Roger Prynne, Hesters husband, and become Roger Chillingworth. Since the only person who knew his true identity is sworn to silence, he succeeds for a long time in tricking Dimmesdale until Hester sees that he was going mad and finally revealed Chillingworths true identity 204. His largest sacrifice is by far, his own life. After spending so much time dwelling on his revenge, Chillingworth forgets that he still has a chance to lead a life of his own. So accordingly, after Dimmesdale reveals his secret to the world, Chillingworth dies less than a year later because he has nothing left to live for 272. In conclusion, Hawthornes use ! of characterization gives the book a classic feeling by showing H ester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworths feelings indirectly through acts. The novel revolves around two major symbols: light and darkness and the scarlet letter. The book is filled with light and darkness symbols because it represents the most common battle of all time, good versus evil. When Hester and her daughter are walking in the forest, Pearl exclaims: Mother, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me, for I wear no- thing on my bosom yet 192! Hester tries to stretch her hand into the circle of light, but the sunshine vanishes 192. She then suggests that they go into the forest and rest 193. This short scene actually represents Hesters daily struggle in life. The light represents what Hester wants to be, which is pure. The movement of the light represents Hesters constant denial of acceptance. Hesters lack of surprise and quick suggestion to go into the forest, where it is dark, shows that she never expected to be admitted and is resigned to her station in life. Another way light and darkness is used in symbolism is by the way Hester and Dimmesdales plan to escape is doomed. Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the shadows of the forest with a gloomy sky and a threatening storm overhead when they discuss their plans for the future 200. The gloomy weather and shadows exemplify the fact that they cant get away from the repressive force of their sins. It is later proven when Dimmesdale dies on the scaffold! instead of leaving with Hester and going to England 269. A final example occurs by the way Hester and Dimmesdale can not acknowledge their love in front of others. When they meet in the woods, they feel that, No golden light had ever been so precious as the gloom of this dark forest 206. This emotion foretells that they will never last together openly because their sin has separated them too much from normal life. The scarlet letter also takes many different forms in the novel. The first and clearest form that the letter A takes is Adulteress. It is apparent that Hester is guilty of cheating on her husband when she surfaces from the prison with a three-month-old-child in her arms, and her husband has been away for two years 53. Hence, the people look at the letter elaborately embroidered with gold thread and see a hussy who is proud of her sin 54. The second form that it takes is Angel. When Governor Winthrop passes away, a giant A appears in the sky.! People from the church feel that, For as our good Governor Wint hrop was made an angel this past night, it was doubtless held fit that there should be some notice thereof! 16. The final form that the scarlet letter take is Able. Hester helped the people of the town so unselfishly that Hawthorne wrote: Such helpfulness was found in her,so much power to do, and power to sympathize,that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by it s original significance. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a womans strength 167. In closing, one of the most important reasons that The Scarlet Letter is so well known is the way Hawthorne leaves the novel open to be interpreted several different ways by his abundant use of symbolism. This background, together with a believable plot, convincing characterization, and important literary devices enables Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter to the develop the theme of the heart as a prison. Hawthorne describes the purpose of the novel when he says, Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worse, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred! 272. The theme is beneficial because it can be put into terms in todays world. The Scarlet Letter is one of the few books that will be timeless, because it deals with alienation, sin, punishment, and guilt, emotions that will continue to be felt by every generation to come.