Nathaniel Hawthorne

In the novel , The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the symbol of the letter “A” changes due to feminist ideas from adultery, to able, to angel, and finally to the independence of her daughter. Body 1 Hester was forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her chest to show that she had committed adultery. The scarlet letter is a sign of her sin, so that everyone is able to see and judge her for what she did. Women in this town were expected to follow strict rules and be very religious.…

especially in literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne was one of the most influential American authors during this time period. He was a novelist and a short story writer whose work contained American themes and greatly contributed to American nationalism. Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4th 1804, to a Puritan family. He was raised under Puritanism which later influenced most of his writing. Hawthorne grew up with his mother by his side because his father died when Hawthorne was only…

written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the 1800s, but the book is placed in the Puritan times of the 1600s. Hawthorne is an anti-transcendentalist, which means he thinks society is good and nature is evil and humans are naturally evil. Puritanism is a very strict religion in the 1600s. If you are a Puritan you are against all earthly pleasure and your life is hell on Earth. Symbolism is a literary device that uses symbols to represent ideas. In this novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses…

Being the bystander is as dangerous as being the perpetrator. Nathaniel Hawthorne exemplifies this adage in his novel, The Scarlet Letter, through his brilliant characterization of the protagonist: Hester Prynne. Hawthorne follows Hester’s lamentable alienation from society through her affair with Arthur Dimmesdale. In her segregation, Hester is revealed as an affectionate, intelligent, and sympathetic figure that is forced to persevere and endlessly battle the constant, everyday struggles of…

Hester was examined according to today’s criteria for the typical American women, she is able to fit in accordance with that model. All in all, Hawthorne did an exceptional job in showing the conditions as to which people who had committed adultery were forced to live with. However, in regards to building Hester and Dimmesdale’s personality, Nathaniel Hawthorne, either purposefully or accidently, flipped the masculine and feminine roles.…

The Consumption of Identity The Scarlet Letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the Romantic Era of American Literature. Throughout this iconic novel the reader profoundly follows the life of Hester Prynne, a woman who bears a Scarlet Letter upon her bosom, while simultaneously bearing the label of “adulteress” upon her soul. This book also encompasses the severe impact of Hester’s adultery upon the Puritan community surrounding her. In many cases, labels are given to people by the…

When Hawthorne was only four years old his father died of yellow fever in Dutch Guinea causing him to live with his Uncle, for his mother could no longer care for him. Growing up he lived in Salem, Massachusetts, born at 27 union street on July 4, 1804. One day, outside playing ball Hawthorne put himself through an injury to his leg leaving him baseless for 3 years, this was the base for his love for the art of literature and writing. After Hawthorne’s injury, his time was spent outside admiring…

Nathaniel Hawthorne creates a tripartite topography made up of the forest and wilderness, the Puritan Town, and the threshold. The forest and wilderness, composed of trees and a brook, embody freedom. The Puritan Town, which is filled with Puritans, the prison, and the scaffold, epitomizes rigidity and hypocrisy. The threshold, although relatively barren aside from a rose-bush and Hester’s cottage, signifies a boundary between Puritan Town and the forest and wilderness. Through the juxtaposition…

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s exquisite book The Scarlet Letter one question surrounds the novel. Is exposed sin better than hidden sin or worse? Written in 1850 Hawthorne answers this question in The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne’s sin is exposed in the opening of the novel while characters like Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth have concealed their sin. Through the development of the characters Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth and the events transpire in each of…

The Minister’s Black Veil The Minister’s Black Veil is a romantic story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This story is based upon a Minister whose life was altered when he started wearing a black veil to Church every Sunday morning. The second people saw this mysterious black veil, they were angry, upset and some were terrified. Back during this time, there were only two reasons why someone would wear a black veil, a funeral or if they committed a horrible sin. Everyone felt the need to ask why…