Abstract
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is “the culmination of his reading, study, and experimentation with themes about the subjects of Puritans, sin, guilt, and the human conflict between emotions and intellect” (Van Kirk, 2000, p. 7). Since its publication, the novel remains popular generation after generation and has been studied in myriad ways. Following environmentalist scholars Jeger and Slotnick, this paper studies Hawthorne’s masterpiece through the lens of ecology, suggesting that study should be focused on the transaction between people and their settings, which includes both the natural and social environment, rather than looking exclusively at individuals or the environment as sources of human’s health problems. From such an ecological perspective, this analysis of the story focuses on space not merely individuals. The understanding that place is not only land’s natural features but also includes the cultures of the people with their human, social, and economic arrangements is essential. This paper also analyzes the reasons for the trauma of the four protagonists of The Scarlet Letter and the ways their destinies shaped by their different relations to their ecological environment. Finally, the paper illustrates the role nature and love play in promoting mental health and the overall growth of the main characters in the novel. In conclusion, the novel recognizes that the harmony between humans and their environment, both external and internal, and both natural and man-made, is key in enhancing people’s happiness and health level, both physically and psychologically.
Highlights
Nathaniel Hawthorne, born July 4, 1804, enjoyed reading and making friends with books during his childhood
According to the prominent Hawthorne scholar Van Kirk, the novel has remained popular since its publication “generation after generation because its beauty lies in the layers of meaning and the uncertainties and ambiguities of symbols and characters” (2000, p. 7)
The novel has been adapted for the stage in many different times and with different emphasis, and both the novel and its most famous symbols, including the scarlet A, serve as part of the American people’s national consciousness, even including those who have never read the book (Pennell, 2018, p. 7)
Summary
Nathaniel Hawthorne, born July 4, 1804, enjoyed reading and making friends with books during his childhood. Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter provides a good but generally unrecognized example to show the interplay and interconnectedness between the environment, culture and people’s mental health problems and well-being level It displays how the fictional neighborhood in Puritan Massachusetts mistreats Hester and Pearl, and readers discover that a lack of social support deeply shapes personalities of the victims, the development of Pearl, who cannot be blamed for the allegedly sinful actions of her mother. She finds solace in the wild and the natural environment, which offers her nourishment and comfort, and helps all of the characters alleviate stress and anxiety and find connection and belonging in the environment
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