An-Analysis-of-Nathanial-Hawthorne

AnAnalysisofNathanialHawthorne’sTheScarletLetterNathanielHawthorne,theauthorofthisbookwasoneofthemostinteresting,yetmostambivalentwritersinAmericanliteraryhistory.Hewascalledthe“MoralHistorianofPuritanNewEngland”andhadastrongfeelingforthepuritanpastoftheseventeenthcentury.Hawthorneisbest-knowntodayforhismanyshortstories(hecalledthemtales)andhisfourmajorromanceswrittenbetween1850and1860:TheScarletLetter,TheHouseoftheSevenGables,TheBlithedaleRomanceandTheMarbleFaun.Anothernovel-lengthromance,Fanshawewaspublishedanonymouslyin1828.TheScarletLetterisfamousforpresentingsomeofthegreatestinterpretivedifficultiesinallofAmericanliterature.WhilenotrecognizedbyHawthornehimselfashismostimportantwork,thenovelisregardednotonlyashisgreatestaccomplishment,butfrequentlyasthegreatestnovelinAmericanliteraryhistory.Afteritwaspublishedin1850,criticshaileditasinitiatingadistinctiveAmericanliterarytradition.Ironically,itisanovelinwhich,intermsofaction,almostnothinghappens.Hawthorne'semotional,psychologicaldramarevolvesaroundHesterPrynne,whoisconvictedofadulteryincolonialBostonbythecivilandPuritanauthorities.SheiscondemnedtowearthescarletletterAonherchestasapermanentsignofhersin.ThenarrativedescribestheefforttoresolvethetormentsufferedbyHesterandherco-adulterer,theministerArthurDimmesdale,intheyearsaftertheiraffair.Infact,thestoryexcludeseventherepresentationofthepassionatemomentwhichenablestheentirenovel.ItbeginsatthecloseofHester'simprisonmentmanymonthsafterheraffairandproceedsthroughmanyyearstoherfinalacceptanceofherplaceinthecommunityasthewearerofthescarletletter.Hawthornewasmasterfulintheuseofsymbolism,andthescarletletterAstandsashismostpotentsymbol,aroundwhichinterpretationsofthenovelrevolve.AtoneinterpretivepoletheAstandsforadulteryandsin,andthenovelisthestoryofindividualpunishmentandreconciliation.AtanotherpoleitstandsforAmericaandallegory,andthestorysuggestsnationalsinanditshumancost.Yetpossiblythemostconvincingreading,takingaccountofallothers,seestheAasasymbolofambiguity,theveryfactofmultipleinterpretationsandthedifficultyofachievingconsensus.TheScarletLetterattainedanimmediateandlastingsuccessbecauseitaddressedspiritualandmoralissuesfromauniquelyAmericanstandpoint.TheScarletLetterrepresentstheheightofHawthorne'sliterarygenius;densewithtersedescriptions.Itremainsrelevantforitsphilosophicalandpsychologicaldepth,andcontinuestobereadasaclassictaleonauniversaltheme.ThethoroughdescriptionofthefourleadingcharactersinthenovelshowsthatHawthornemakesskillfuluseofsymbolism.Itiseasyforustofindandunderstandthefourleadingcharacters’loneliness.Hester,theheroineinthisbookwasrepeatedlysubjectedtotorturebybeingputintotheprisoner,exposedtopublicandwornthescarletletter.Herreligiousbeliefwasshakenbyhumiliationdaybyday.Spontaneously,herconsciousnessofresistancewasproduced.SoHesterperformedverybravelywhenshefacedtothehumiliation.WhatIappreciatedmostwasjustherresponsetothepunishment.Maybethatwastragedybecauseofherlover’sdeath,butIstillrejoicetoseesuchastaunchfemalestandinfrontofme.Dimondale,Hester’slover,amanofhighrankwasalwaystheslaveofreligionbecauseofhissuperstitiontowardsGod.HethoughthewasagainstGodandmostimportantlyagainsthimselfbecausehehascommittedadulterywithHesterPrynne,resultinginanillegitimatechild,Pearl.Thatwaswhyhispsychologicalanguishdeepened,andheinventednewtorturesforhimself.Pearl,adifferentcharacterinthisbookrepresentsthenextgenerationawayfromPuritanicalsociety.SheseemstohavebeenfreedbyDimmesdale'spublicacceptanceofher.AndinacceptingherpubliclyIfeelthatDimmesdaledestroyedthepowerthatpuritanicalethiccouldhaveplayedinherlife.Shewentontofindhappiness.MaybeHawthornewassaying;wemustrebelagainstthepuritanethicandfindreallife-withgenuinewholesomevaluesbasedonloveandnotcontrol.Chillingworth,Hester’shusband,whoisamandeficientinhumanwarmth.Heignoredhiswifeformuchofthetime,yetexpectedhertonourishhissoulwithaffectionwhenhedidcondescendtospendtimewithher.Hewasself-absorbedandbothphysicallyandpsychologicallymonstrous.Hisdeathwasjustaresultofthenatureofhischaracter.Heregardedrevengeastheonlypurposeofhislife.AfterDimmesdaledied,henolongerhasavictim.Thoughthecharacterinthisbookisfew,ithasshowedusaminiatureofthesocialmentalityatthattime.WecannotonlyfindAuthor’scriticalattitudetowardsPuritan,butalsothehopebetweenthelines.Thatisjusttheskillfuldescriptionofeachcharacter’spsychologyandtheprofoundmeaningofthisbookmakesitbecomeanimmortalmasterpiece.ForHawthorne,thehistoryinthatperiodisaheavyburden.Twogenerationsofhisancestorshadbeeninvolvedinthenotorious“witch-drive”movement,inthebeginningoftheScarletLetter,thereisasentence,“Thefoundersofanewcolony,whateverUtopiaofhumanvirtueandhappinesstheymightoriginallyproject,haveinvariablyrecognized,itamongtheirearliestpracticalnecessitiestoallotaportionofthevirginsoilasacemetery,andanotherportionasthesiteofaprison.”TheauthorrevealsthesocialbackgroundofthecolonialperiodintheUnitedStates.Inthe16thcentury,BritishPuritanbegantomigratetothecoloniesintheNorthAmerica.Butunfortunately,whenthesepuritansestablishtheirrule