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The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne was a writer during the American Renaissance during the 1830’s to
1865. Hawthorne was born in 1804 and died in 1864. At the age of thirty-six, he was
married to Sophia Peabody. In his works, Hawthorne portrays the darker and lighter side of
humanity. He was recognized in short stories and novels. Hawthorne’s writings involved
themes of alienation, guilty, and pride. His use of the American social landscape came
from his Puritan ancestors. Hawthorne believed one will not escape the responsibility of
one’s actions. His most famous work written was The Scarlet Letter.
The Scarlet Letter takes place in a small, Puritan community. It begins with Hester Prynne
being punished for committing adultery. She emerges from the prison with her daughter,
Pearl, and a scarlet A on her chest. The story tells of the scorn and isolation Prynne faced.
She refuses to name the father of her child. The story continues on with the guilt of the
minister, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, faced. Prynne’s husband, Roger Chillingworth,
comes to town as a physician. He makes a vow to discover the father of Prynne’s child. He
suspects Dimmesdale and torments him. In the end, Dimmesdale stands before the town
and confesses his sin. After confessing, he dies in Prynne’s arms.
The Scarlet Letter is based on Puritan beliefs. Puritans upheld to higher morals based on
purity. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne shows the conflict in the community that has
come from impure behavior. Hawthorne makes use of individual characters that have
created tension in the community. Based on individual actions, the characters face
alienation and guilt within the community. These actions were not acceptable in the
community and created conflict. Out of the three characters, Hester Prynne is the most
important character that shows the conflict that has come between an individual and the
community because of her actions.
Hester Prynne committed adultery, which is not considered pure behavior. Because of this
act of impure behavior, she is forced to live a life of alienation and scorn from the
community. Her character chooses to not disclose the name of the father of her child,
which leads her to face this community’s scorn alone. She is an individual in the
community that is not accepted because of her actions. The Puritan community upholds
beliefs of marriage and believes a union between man and woman is sacred. When Hester
Prynne commits the sin of adultery, she goes against the standard beliefs of marriage. This
