In the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne presents a number of themes but the most important and significant are guilt, alienation, and redemption. Through out Scarlet Letter we see transference of guilt, and with that comes redemption from sin. Another theme that plays a big role is alienation; in order to amend or do penance for your sin you must be shown away by society.
The transference of guilt commences with Hawthorn's ancestors, and then it transfers to Hawthorne. Hawthorne then decides to write a story to justify the actions regarding his antecedents, who played a big part in Puritanism and in the Salem witch trials. Because of the wrong doings that his antecedents did he felt the need to repent for it. He then transfers his guilt to his story protagonist, Hester Prynne whom commits adultery - which was considered one of the biggest sins in the puritan days. Prynne is to wear a red scarlet letter, the letter A. Then it lingers around Chillingworth - who's responsible for giving guilt. Chillingworth transfers it to Dimmesdale by tormenting him and making him remember his sin everyday for the rest of his life.
Hawthorne uses symbolism to show the alienation of Prynne by making her wear this bright red scarlet letter on her dress for the rest of her life. The scarlet letter stands out because everyone wears black. gray or very dark colors. Prynne becomes an outcast; not even the sun shines where she walks. .
Another important theme is redemption. Hawthorne redeems his guilt by writing the Scarlet Letter. Symbolism is used in order to show how they redeemed their sins. Prynne does penance by wearing the letter A, which is a symbol for several things, anguish, atonement and adultery - but also her good works, able, etc. Reverend Dimmesdale redeems his sin by whipping himself with a whipped lock. He also carves the letter A on his chest and he later dies - we don't know why he dies - presumably because he was too weak to stand the force of his confession.
His name by birth was Nathaniel Hawthorne. ... ("Nathaniel Hawthorne" American Writers II) One of Hawthorne's ancestors was actually a judge in the Salem witch trials. ... (McGraw Hill, pg.67) Hawthorne's father was a sea captain. He died of fever when Hawthorne was only four. ... Reflected Hawthorne. ...
Nathaniel Hawthorne One of the most significant writers of the romantic period in American literature was Nathaniel Hawthorne. ... "Themes of Nathaniel Hawthorne." ... "Nathaniel Hawthorne." ... "Nathaniel Hawthorne." The Salem World of Nathaniel Hawthorne. ...
Nathaniel Hawthorne Hawthorne's "Rap puccini's Daughter" is a timeless short story that still easily applies to common fears of today. Like in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein, Hawthorne uses literature to address the fascination many of us have with science verses religion. When Hawthorne describes Rappuccini's creations in the garden, our imaginations could compare the likenesses to his daughter as well. ... In this description Hawthorne points out that Rappuccini has destroyed the boundaries of science by acting as a God-like figure. ... In short, Hawthorne seems to be add...
Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown" Hawthorne's tales can be and have been interpreted in many different ways. ... (Hawthorne, 2189) This did have a deep effect on Goodman, but he still held on to his faith. ... (Hawthorne, 2190) Then the next travelers that he came across shook him even further. ... (Nathaniel) Like Goodman Brown, Hawthorne's grandfather was a judge in the trials. ... Who's side was Hawthorne on in this story? ...
To some, Nathaniel Hawthorne has earned both of these titles. ... Hawthorne himself was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and set the majority of his works there. ... Avoiding the grim tone Hawthorne usually involved removing undesirable Elements and modifying others. ... (Hawthorne 112) So, because of the young man's hypocrisy, he was very unhappy. ... Hawthorne very e...
In Hawthorne's tale, why does the minister wear a black veil? The minister in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Minister's Black Veil- wears a black veil because Hawthorne is trying to communicate to the reader that all people, whether we can actually see it or not, have a veil that separating them from eternal goodness. ... - Hawthorne is saying through his character Hooper that all people have sin and that it is only by confronting that sin that one can delivered from it. ...
Hawthorne's great-grandfather, a judge in the Salem Witch Trials, inspired Hawthorne's writings to be centered around the inherited evil and sin of humanity. Hawthorne was a firm believer in human imperfection, falls from grace, and generational curses. Although understanding Hawthorne's works can be challenging, by closely examining Hawthorne's biography, along with the subjects and themes of his writings, the reader will better understand how Hawthorne's personal demons inspired him to deliver his messages of human imperfections through his writings. ... Hawthorne wa...
When Hawthorne was four years old, his father, who was a sea captain (also named Nathaniel), died of yellow fever. ... In 1838, Hawthorne met Sophia Peabody, a young woman who shared his shy and quiet nature. ... Hawthorne married Sophia in 1842 and the couple moved to Concord, Massachusetts where their first child, Una was born ("Nathaniel Hawthorne"). ... On May 19th 1864, in Plymouth Massachusetts, Hawthorne died during the night on his way to New Hampshire. ... Hawthorne's most notable attribute is perhaps his utilization of allegory and symbolism, which appear in almost all of ...
