Introduction
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a compelling examination of the subject of Puritanism in early colonial America. The work highlights the oppression, hypocrisy, struggle, and fatalism that defined the Puritan way of life via the experiences of its protagonists. This essay will examine how Hawthorne utilizes his characters and their experiences to challenge the reader to ponder the value of personal freedom and resistance in the face of repressive social conventions. This paper analyzes the literary tools used by Hawthorne in writing the novel, with a focus on how they contribute to the theme of Puritanism. The paper identifies setting, characterization, and symbolism as the three literary tools that most influence the novel’s theme of Puritanism.
Discussion
The novel’s setting is essential to the development of the Puritanism topic. In the seventeenth century, the story is set in the Puritan colony of Boston. Everyone is expected to uphold the rigorous religious and moral guidelines of Puritanism, which are embedded in the community’s culture (Hawthorne 32). The setting of the narrative presents a repressive and harsh atmosphere in which individual freedom is denied for the sake of religious obedience. Under such conditions, any cases of non-conformity are considered severe crimes that deserve immediate punishment to protect public order. The community’s rigid ordinances, which control everything from clothing codes to behavior, replicate the strict restrictions of Puritanism.
The major characters’ personalities greatly add to the Puritanism theme of the book. Hester Prynne, the main character, represents individual disobedience and resistance because she rejects the strict teachings of Puritanism. Hester’s decision to engage in adultery and have an unmarried kid is a clear example of her defiance (Rivett and Engen 688). She accepts her sentence and resigns herself to a life of loneliness and social isolation. She is constantly reminded of her violation by her punishment, but she does not give in and refuses to follow the strict rules of Puritanism (Anastasova 70). Her persona adds to the issue of Puritanism by illustrating how stringent norms and individual freedom can collide.
All Puritans strongly believed that all individuals were born with original sin. In other words, they were sure that every person was subject to misbehavior, which denoted that people should have allocated much time and effort to withstand their natural inclinations. The widespread suggestion was that individuals needed supervision, control, or punishment to refrain from unlawful activities. The element of original sin is effectively incorporated into the novel to show that it has characteristic features of Puritanism (Zhang 158). In particular, this discussion refers to the fact that Hester’s adultery plays a crucial or even binding role in the literary work. If she had not engaged in this misbehavior, she would not have needed to bear the “A” letter and suffer from public reprehension. This discussion demonstrates that the author successfully incorporated the concept of original sin into the novel because this idea was widespread among Puritans.
Another literary device Hawthorne employed to highlight the idea of Puritanism in the book was symbolism. The red “A” that Hester is made to wear on her chest serves as a potent reminder of the Puritan community’s moral and religious deception (Hawthorne 123). The letter “A” stands for adultery, which is prohibited by rigid moral and religious standards. Hester is constantly reminded of her transgression and publicly shamed with the “A” symbol. The letter additionally stands for the community’s hypocrisy because the residents of the town, who take great pleasure in upholding higher moral standards, are quick to scorn and denounce Hester for her violation, exposing their own hypocrisy in the process (Rivett and Engen 699). By showing how the stringent moral and religious standards of Puritanism can result in hypocrisy and the restriction of human freedom, The Scarlet Letter emblem relates to the concept of Puritanism.
Another example can be found in the account of Hester’s metamorphosis as she lives with the scarlet letter and becomes more alienated from society. In this case, the scarlet letter stands in for both Hester’s transgression and consequent punishment (Hawthorne). Furthermore, the given symbol shows her final resistance to and defiance of the rigid moral and religious precepts of Puritanism (Hawthorne). She is able to understand the drawbacks of the Puritan emphasis on guilt and shame thanks to her contacts with Dimmesdale (Hawthorne 36). That is why she decides to pursue personal freedom and happiness despite the community’s disapproval.
One should additionally highlight that the image of the church contributed to the presence of Puritanism ideas in the novel. According to this school of thought, religious leaders were significant in society. These individuals were responsible for developing the practices and beliefs that were prevalent in society. That is why Puritans provided the church with an important meaning, and this feature was present in The Scarlet Letter. On the one hand, the church actively advocated for the spread of the doctrine of pre-determined fate. Puritans believed that God already decided who would be saved or damned. Thus, the church was depicted as the rigid and unforgiving institution in the novel, which contributed to the spread of fear and anxiety (Hawthorne). On the other hand, the church is described as a social control body that can implement punishments in case of disobedience. Religious authorities made it necessary for Hester to wear the “A” symbol and suffer from public shaming (Hawthorne 16). This information clearly explains why and how the church was an element of Puritanism.
Another important Puritanism-related idea that is covered in the book is the idea of predestination. Those who hold this idea believe that God has already decided who will be saved and who will be damned, which causes the characters to feel hopeless. The character of Hester, who accepts her punishment and steps down to a life of social isolation and loneliness, exemplifies this fatalism (Hawthorne). The notion that God has already decided one’s destiny, including salvation or damnation, makes the protagonists feel dismal and dejected. This fatalistic outlook is seen in Hester’s acceptance of her punishment and her readiness to carry the weight of guilt and humiliation. As a result of his faith in predestination, Arthur Dimmesdale, the town’s minister, and Hester’s covert lover, suffers from remorse and self-doubt. Roger Chillingworth is another example of predestination because he believed that his life’s purpose was to seek revenge (Hawthorne 107). Hawthorne exposes the flaws in Puritanism’s fatalistic thinking system through the depiction of these characters, encouraging readers to think about the importance of individual responsibility and agency in determining one’s fate.
The narrative also emphasizes the Puritan town’s unpleasant and confining atmosphere. The rigid religious and moral rules of Puritanism produce an atmosphere of dread and repression, where individual freedom is denied in the name of religious compliance (Richardson 103). Hester is a representation of personal disobedience and resistance because she defies these rigid standards. The disobedience and originality of Hester, however, stand in stark contrast to the conformist, repressive, and hypocritical Puritan culture that condemns her, which becomes obvious as the novel progresses (Hill 245). Hawthorne encourages readers to consider whether the strict social and religious standards of Puritanism serve to support or stifle personal growth and progress by challenging the Puritan notion that obedience and conformity are the only legitimate routes to redemption and salvation. This is done through the character of Hester.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Puritanism topic in The Scarlet Letter is a deep and multifaceted investigation of the tension between personal responsibility and divine determinism, as well as between optimism and fatalism and societal conformity. Hawthorne encourages the reader to consider the human condition, the complexity of religious and moral belief systems, and the precarious balance between individualism and communal values through his skillful use of character development, symbolism, and allegory. The Scarlet Letter is still a powerful and enduring piece of literature that enthralls and motivates readers today as a result. The theme of Puritanism is greatly influenced by the literary devices utilized by Hawthorne in composing the book, such as setting, characters, and symbolism. In order to uphold religious obedience, individual freedom is suppressed in the novel’s repressive and regimented setting. The portrayal of the main character, Hester Prynne, shows how individual freedom can clash with Puritanism’s strict moral precepts. Last but not least, the scarlet letter “A” symbolizes the Puritan community’s moral and theological deception.
Works Cited
Anastasova, Maria. “Puritan Projections in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s” The Scarlet Letter” and Stephen King’s” Carrie”.” English Studies at NBU, vol. 7, no. 1, 2021, pp. 69-86.
Hill, Christopher. Society and Puritanism in Pre-Revolutionary England. Verso Books, 2018.
Hawthorne, N. (1850). The Scarlet Letter. Ticknor, Reed, and Fields.
Richardson, Roger C. “Puritanism in North-West England: A Regional Study of the Diocese of Chester to 1642.” Puritanism in North-West England. Manchester University Press, 2022.
Rivett, Sarah, and Abram Van Engen. “Postexceptionalist Puritanism.” American Literature, vol. 90, no. 4, 2018, pp. 675-692.
Zhang, Lifeng. “Analysis of the Narrative Strategies in The Scarlet Letter.” International Journal of Education and Humanities, vol. 6, no. 2, 2023, pp. 156-158.