Nathaniel Hawthorne was an anti-transcendentalist and believed in the dark side of man, hence his dark romantic novel The Scarlet Letter. ... The Scarlet Letter defines the American Romanticist movement while using symbolic characters and places that give the book seemingly two different stories. ... In addition the prison represents Puritan society, with all of its strict social and moral rules of conduct, and the rose bush symbolizes the individual, standing defiantly on their own, lively and strong, in spite of the society as a whole, against them. ... She, in her decision to have a relatio...

• Word Count: 1687
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

Although Hester is clearly not a Puritan, she does show respect for the Puritan code. ... He never takes a firm stance in the ever-changing meanings of the scarlet letter, yet it is related to his moral vision with the idea of "atonement." Hester and her scarlet letter never achieve simplicity. ... Another vision of Hester's letter is that of its color, scarlet. ... Hawthorne's tragic moral vision is illuminated in his beloved character and the letter she bore. ...

• Word Count: 1352
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School