Since, the 1850’s the story about a Puritan woman committing adultery has been read by many and interpreted in multiple different ways for centuries, but in the end the reader is left pondering the question; what is sin? From the eyes of a romantic there is no such thing as sin, for everyone acts upon their own instincts and no one believes in labeling actions or words as being right or wrong. However, throughout the story, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows the difference between romantics and idealist by showing that not much has changed over the years. Hawthorne explains the idea of romanticism through nature for it reveals the truth and it’s where everyones identities are revealed. In The Scarlet Letter, nature is used to portray the characters
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In the novel Hester Prynne lives in the outskirts of the town with her baby girl, Pearl because she felt unwelcome in the town and decided she belonged more in the forest where all sinners belonged. Throughout the story the forest is seen as the place where all sinners go to write their name in the Black Mans book, or the devil, and give up their souls for the wrongs that they have committed. For instance, when Hester finds out that the governor of the town, Governor Bellingham, is considering taking away Pearl she goes to talk to him. After begging for them to leave her with her she encounters the witch, and sister to the governor, Mistress Hibbins who tells Hester, “There will be a merry company in the forest; and I wellnigh promised the Black Man that comely Hester Prynne should make one.” Hester responds with a triumphant smile that, “Had they taken her from me, I would willingly have gone with thee into the forest, and signed my name in the Black Man’s book too, and that with mine own blood!” (The Elf-Child and the Minister, pg. 80). With that being said Mistress Hibbins states that everyone is a sinner and that there will be many new members in the forest tonight visiting the Black Man and giving up their souls, and that Hester too should join her on her journey returning to the place of sin. However, Hester denies the invitation for she tells Miss Hibbins that she …show more content…
The forest became the place where all sinners would gather to give up their souls to the Black Man for the mistakes they have committed. The reason behind nature was to show how a true romantic would view each scenario and show the reader how they believed all lives should be lived. Lastly, Pearl resembled the perfect child for she was raised through nature rather than through society. The main purpose of Pearl and her connection with nature is to reveal that we live in a society where romantics no longer exist and judging people and deciding what’s wrong and right will forever be the rules that we live
In the novel Hester Prynne lives in the outskirts of the town with her baby girl, Pearl because she felt unwelcome in the town and decided she belonged more in the forest where all sinners belonged. Throughout the story the forest is seen as the place where all sinners go to write their name in the Black Mans book, or the devil, and give up their souls for the wrongs that they have committed. For instance, when Hester finds out that the governor of the town, Governor Bellingham, is considering taking away Pearl she goes to talk to him. After begging for them to leave her with her she encounters the witch, and sister to the governor, Mistress Hibbins who tells Hester, “There will be a merry company in the forest; and I wellnigh promised the Black Man that comely Hester Prynne should make one.” Hester responds with a triumphant smile that, “Had they taken her from me, I would willingly have gone with thee into the forest, and signed my name in the Black Man’s book too, and that with mine own blood!” (The Elf-Child and the Minister, pg. 80). With that being said Mistress Hibbins states that everyone is a sinner and that there will be many new members in the forest tonight visiting the Black Man and giving up their souls, and that Hester too should join her on her journey returning to the place of sin. However, Hester denies the invitation for she tells Miss Hibbins that she …show more content…
The forest became the place where all sinners would gather to give up their souls to the Black Man for the mistakes they have committed. The reason behind nature was to show how a true romantic would view each scenario and show the reader how they believed all lives should be lived. Lastly, Pearl resembled the perfect child for she was raised through nature rather than through society. The main purpose of Pearl and her connection with nature is to reveal that we live in a society where romantics no longer exist and judging people and deciding what’s wrong and right will forever be the rules that we live