NARRATIVE CODE OF NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S NOVEL THE SCARLET LETTER

A is for Aria

The Scarlet Letter is generally considered to be Nathaniel Hawthorne’s best work and one of the indubitable masterpieces of American literature. The heroine of the novel—Hester Prynne, though on a binary position as a woman in Puritan society, defies power and puts up a tenacious fight against the colonial rule combined by church and state. From her rebellious actions, we can see Hester’s feminist consciousness. With this noble character, she becomes totally different from the traditional women who are always obedient to the unfair rules enacted by men. It can be sensed that a new female image is born. This paper tries to analyze Hester’s feminist consciousness at the respect of her rebellious spirit, self-reliance and strong mind, in this way to evaluate Hester Prynne as a representative of the new female image. Through this kind of analysis, we can better dig in the figure of Hester, and regarding her as a new woman also has a positive social meaning in encouraging women today to strive after the lofty ideal— an equal status between men and women.

“Emblem and Product of Sin”: The Poisoned Child in The Scarlet Letter and Domestic Advice Literature Franny Nudelman (bio) When Hester Prynne is paraded before a solemn and censorious crowd of spectators with both emblems of her crime—the scarlet letter and her infant daughter—on display, she does not reveal the torment she experiences. While she “felt, at moments, as if she must needs shriek out with the full power of her lungs, and cast herself from the scaffold down upon the ground, or else go mad at once,” she successfully conceals her suffering from the crowd. 1 She cannot, however, hide her feelings from her daughter. After spending the day with Hester on the scaffold, the infant Pearl becomes ill. Hawthorne explains that the child, having drawn “its sustenance from the maternal bosom, seemed to have drank in with it all the turmoil, the anguish, and despair, which pervaded the mother’s system” (64). The suffering that Hester suppresses in public is communicated directly to her child. As a result, the infant’s body, “writh[ing] in convulsions of pain,” becomes “a forcible type . . . of the moral agony which Hester Prynne had borne throughout the day” (64). Poisoned by her mother’s feelings, Pearl expresses, indeed typifies, Hester’s moral state. Although Hawthorne tells us that Hester’s artistic embellishment of the relation between Pearl and the letter, intended to “create an analogy between the object of her affection, and the emblem of her guilt and torture,” is merely an elaboration of a prior, organic relation in which “Pearl was the one, as well as the other” (90–1), critics have accepted Hester’s mischievous elaboration of Pearl’s resemblance to the scarlet letter as Hawthorne’s own. Focusing their attentions on the letter itself, and regarding Pearl as its less articulate double, critics have overlooked Hawthorne’s consideration of the difference between the two. Pearl, described by Hawthorne as the “effluence of her mother’s lawless passion” (146), is the “living emblem” of Hester’s guilt not so much because she resembles the scarlet letter, but rather because she embodies what the letter can only represent—the very passions which motivate Hester’s transgression, and the sufferings that accompany her punishment. An important strain in critical writing on The Scarlet Letter has focused on the letter itself and, by extension, “the nature of symbolic perception.” 2 According to these accounts, the “A” anatomizes the properties of the symbol: it [End Page 193] is interesting because it means many things at once and no one thing reliably. An emphasis on the scarlet letter as a form of representation—one that fosters a degree of referential uncertainty—entails an emphasis on the problem of interpretation; critics celebrate the letter’s ability to elicit varied responses and thus create diverse readings. According to Charles Feidelson, the novel elaborates the ways the symbol acquires meanings by reenacting the Custom House narrator’s original encounter with the letter from a series of vantage points. More recently Sacvan Bercovitch has argued that the novel uses the letter to school its readers in the interpretive procedures by which liberal culture transforms difference, or dissent, into consensus. 3 Whether considered from a formal or a cultural vantage point, the letter’s power lies in its referential latitude which allows it to accumulate and sustain a variety of readings under the rubric of its own simplicity. Its indeterminacy is indistinguishable from its inclusiveness, and both determine its critical stature. 4 This emphasis on the problematics of interpretation, implicit in the fluid and inclusive nature of the symbol, has allowed critics to underestimate Hawthorne’s critique of the letter as an agent of discipline. The complex, indeterminate relationship between sign and referent which has generated such critical delight in the letter “A” is, in the context of crime and reformation, an enormous problem, one which Hawthorne addresses with a degree of care and deliberation. Bercovitch can describe the Puritan community as the novel’s “interpretive hero” because, taking a lesson in the hermeneutics of liberalism, it keeps finding and embracing new meanings for the letter (Office, 47). The community makes a mistake, however, by believing that the...

ABSTRACT: In almost all areas of social life, people seem to be constrained by something, due to their class, gender, group, ethnicity, education etc. Although it is not easy as an individual to fight against the restrictive mechanisms regulated by some official or social bodies, the very existence of human is a force that tends to resist any kind of oppression. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the female protagonist, Hester Prynne, is depicted both as the object of oppression and subject of resistance in the Puritan society. In the novel, the reader is exposed to themes related to power relations among the members of the society through the extensive use of symbols. The excessive use of symbols seems to create a bridge between the fanaticism exerted in the Puritan society and the reader led to question the gender roles violently and strictly stipulated by the same members of the society, both females and males. In this study, the signs, symbols and motifs that can be associated with the oppressive authority in The Scarlet Letter, shedding light upon the psychology and intellect of Hester Prynne are examined.

<i>National Hawthorne in the College Classroom: Contexts, Materials, and Approaches</i>, by Diller, Christopher, and Samuel Coale, editors.

The extent to which the four main characters of The Scarlet Letter are capable of enduring hardships in the face of the rigid structure of the Puritan society is studied in this research paper. Endurance being a far-fetched meaning of sustainability; if said differently, this paper is a study of their sustainability. These characters are namely, Hester Prynne, her legal husband Roger Chillingworth, the pastor Arthur Dimmesdale, all of them caught up in a love triangle and Pearl, Hester Prynne’s daughter, born out of wedlock. Using a qualitative research approach, a narrative analysis is conducted where initially the reader is given an insight into the story line of The Scarlet Letter. Ensuing, is a brief description of the Puritan period and its society, the significance of symbolism in the novel, and an examination of the transformation of the four characters throughout the duration of the novel. Hester Prynne, the bearer of the scarlet letter, faces extremely challenging times due to her behavior. A detailed observation of how she gradually and positively integrates into this environment of an unforgiving Bostonian Puritanical society through her fortitude to face up to it, is done in this paper. Finally, the power of endurance of the characters being evaluated, Hester Prynne turns out to be the victor. Thereby, proving that despite great adversity, a female is yet able to endure hardships and show her tenacity in male dominated societies.

Bringing <i>The Scarlet Letter</i> into <i>The Scarlet Professor</i>: A Composer's Reflections

The Scarlet Letter (1850), written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, examines Hester Prynne's intense internal and social conflict as she tries to start over after being publicly shamed for her infidelity. In a strict Puritan society, Hester, who has been marked with the scarlet letter "A," sets out on a path of self-redefinition and salvation. Her attempts to live honorably in spite of being shunned highlight the difficulties associated with guilt, social criticism, and individual fortitude. Hester challenges the moral absolutism of the community and shows how moral growth and perseverance can lead to redemption by transforming the symbol of her humiliation into one of quiet strength through deeds of kindness, humility, and redemption. In American literature, The Scarlet Letter is an imposing monument because of its profound engagement with the themes of sin, shame, repentance, and personal redemption within a strict admonishing society, in addition to its aesthetic elegance and psychological depth. The story, which is set in the 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony, explores the intricacies of social reprimand and human feelings. This paper proposes to examine how Hawthorne's characters, particularly Hester Prynne, strive to live a genuine life in the face of internal pain and moral condemnation. The study begins by offering a compendious overview of the broader thematic concerns of this paper, positioning The Scarlet Letter within its historical, cultural, and literary contexts. Hawthorne’s depiction of psychological conflict and the symbolism attached to objects like the scarlet letter itself are essential to represent Hester’s story that harmonically exposes how social hierarchy and moral absolutism can encumber genuine personal fulfilment. Puritanism is not just a background in The Scarlet Letter; it is a defining influence that shapes character development, social interactions, and philosophical perspective. Hawthorne, a descendant of Puritans himself, critically examines this legacy, challenging its effectiveness and justice in addressing human weakness.

Human tragedy is characterized by its continuity over and over in human history. Many writers elaborate different tragedies, each according his\her own experience and understanding of world tragedies. The present study shows a comparison of such tragedies between two novels; one by Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter and the other by Edith Wharton's Ethan From. The study sheds light on the way each novelist presents different sorts of human agony, the points they meet and the points they differ.&#x0D; Both Nathaniel Hawthorne's (1804-64) Scarlet Letter (1850) and Edith Wharton's (1862–1937) Ethan Frome (1911) are compelling classics of American literature with characters trapped in tragic circumstances they seem unable to escape. Remarkably, the two novels represent turning points in the lives of their authors. Whereas his previous work suffered from popular indifference, Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter gained him the attention he had formerly lacked, no small part of it negative. Actually a conservative in many regards, with the publication of The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne became viewed as a radical and a subversive by conservative reviewers. (Bloom, Bloom’s Classic Critical Views, p. 1) At the same time, Wharton's Ethan Forme has long held a canonical place as the most artistically perfect and formally accomplished of her fictions. (Lawson, 154) Moreover, both novels are based on real incidents. In his introduction to The Scarlet Letter "The Custom House", Hawthorne reports how he discovered by accident a decayed, embroidered "A" and some documents telling of its history and the story of one Hester Prynne:&#x0D; [T]he object that most drew my attention to the mysterious package was a certain affair of fine red cloth, much worn and faded, There were traces about it of gold embroidery, which, however, was greatly frayed and defaced, so that none, or very little, of the glitter was left.&#x0D; (SL, "The Custom House", p. 20).

My Life with Hawthorne

AMERICAN LITERATURE ASSOCIATION, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, JULY 7–11, 2021The following panels are planned:Hawthorne and FatherhoodOrganized by the Nathaniel Hawthorne SocietyChair: Charles Baraw, Southern Connecticut State University “Divided Paternity: The Scarlet Letter's Unstable American Father,” Muhammad Imran, University of Sahiwal“The Sacred Father De-gendered: Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter,’” Eitetsu Sasaki, Momoyama Gakuin University [Virtual Presentation]“‘The Death of the Father and the Death of Romance in Hawthorne,” Ariel Silver, Columbus Ohio Institute of ReligionHawthorne and AestheticsOrganized by the Nathaniel Hawthorne SocietyChair: Ariel Silver, Columbus Ohio Institute of Religion “Come Home, Dear Child—Poor Wanderer”: Hawthorne's Struggles with Theological Aesthetics,” Amy Oatis, University of the Ozarks [Virtual Presentation]“‘Playing (with) Fantasy: Hawthorne's Aesthetics of Reading in The House of the Seven Gables,” Yuta Ito, University of Utah“Hawthorne's Notebooks and The Marble Faun: The Aesthetics of Revolution,’” Sharon Worley, Houston Community CollegeKLAUS P. STITCH COMMENTS ON HESTER PRYNNE IN BERLIN AND THE SCARLET LETTER AS SUBTEXTKLAUS P. STICH, A FORMER MEMBER OF THE NHR EDITORIAL BOARD, HAS SUBMITTED THE FOLLOWING THREE PARAGRAPHS ABOUT A RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOK, JENNIFER CHIAVERINI’S RESISTANCE WOMEN (2019), THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST TO HAWTHORNE SCHOLARS:“There is no remoteness of life and thought,” declares Hawthorne's Peaceable Man, “no hermetically sealed seclusion, …., into which the disturbing influences of this war do not penetrate.” His 1862 comments on the American Civil War are no less fitting as a response to Hitler's war against humanity. Today's readers of Hawthorne do not often chance upon connections to his work in contemporary American fiction, especially not in a historical novel about Hitler's social, cultural, and military wars. In Jennifer Chiaverini's Resistance Women (New York: William Morrow, 2019), The Scarlet Letter becomes a subtext in her delineation of the marriage in 1926 of Mildred Fish, a U. of Wisconsin graduate student, to Arvid Harnack, a visiting German scholar, their move to Berlin in 1930, and their pivotal role in the underground resistance during Hitler's rise to Power. The Harnacks and several others in the novel such as the U.S. Ambassador William Dodd and his daughter Martha are historical characters who became active in the resistance movement against Hitler.Mildred's well-received lectures at the U. of Berlin on American literature, especially her talk on “Romantic and Married Love in the Works of Hawthorne,” turn Hester Prynne into a quasi-icon of sexual and political rebellion. Her scarlet letter “A” implicitly comes to stand for Anti-authoritarianism: rejecting Hitler's ideal of “Kinder, Kirche, Kűche [Children, Church, Cuisine]” for women's social role and rebelling against his virulent totalitarianism. Moreover, the unexpected power of Hester's boldly embroidered “A” makes one of the Jewish women of the resistance toy briefly with the idea of transforming her yellow cloth star, a Star of David to be worn by Jews in public, into “a gorgeous [one] … of golden satin embellished with beads and elaborately embroidered with ebony silk thread.” Yet, what created mere outrage in the Puritans’ Boston would surely have meant death in Hitler's Berlin.Inevitably, death by execution is the fate of the Harnacks and most others in the resistance movement, except for a very few only gazing as quasi-Hawthornean bystanders at the margin of social upheaval. Side-stepping, I am thinking here of, for instance, Robin Molineux witnessing the “inflammation of the popular mind” and “trumpets vomit[ing] a horrid breath,” as well as Faith Brown's husband who, to borrow from Emily Dickinson, lacked a microscope in his emergencies. And I am certainly thinking of more than a few for whom Hester's letter “A” started Chiaverini's narrative of their resistance.

Public shaming has a long history in the United States, and the image of the “scarlet letter” is an integral part of that history. This essay examines how American media accounts in the first year of the coronavirus pandemic invoked the image of the scarlet letter to describe the shame of infection at an individual, institutional, and national level. The first section discusses the colonial sources that Hawthorne used in creating the image as well as the ways in which his romance associates it with social shame and stigma. The second section focuses on media accounts that equate wearing a mask, or declining to wear a mask, with wearing a scarlet letter like Hester Prynne. The final section considers how the scarlet letter has been used in accounts of communal infection rates and forced closures. In their invocations of the scarlet letter, reporters, essayists, and bloggers have repeated the central conflicts between individual freedom and social responsibility, moral good and legal constraint, mobility and isolation, and selfishness and empathy that have long dominated scholarly interpretations of The Scarlet Letter. In doing so, they demonstrate the continuing potency of the cultural work of Hawthorne's classic novel.

The Scarlet Professor and Me: An Operatic Journey

During the nineteenth century, the theme of the individual in opposition to the community was prolific in politics, culture, and literature. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, the bearer of the scarlet letter, struggles with her community’s ostricization of her because she commits adultery, resulting in a pregnancy. Although the isolation is difficult for her, she maintains her dignity through her sustaining strength. Although the community solely blames Hester for the sin because she is the mother of her illegitimate child, Pearl, Hester is not the only one who suffers as the individual excluded from the community. As one of the reverends in the community, Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale’s unresolved guilt isolates him from his parish. The community isolates Pearl because she has an irrevocable connection to her mother and her mother’s sin. Community is a singular thing, but it is made up of individuals. As soon as an individual rebels from the group, as Hester does, the entire group must denounce the individual because she mars their image as a whole, and as individuals. When it comes to religion, a community must disapprove wholeheartedly, especially of Hester’s deviant sin. Ignoring the sin implies acceptance and therefore approval. The community needs to show God and its church that it condemns the sin and the sinner and are more devout Puritans than the individual.

Ecofeminism, a branch of feminism focuses on women’s interactions with the natural world. It is the academic, political and philosophical movement that seeks to develop a connection between nature’s depletion and women’s exploitation. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, set in the Puritan-patriarchal culture depicts how women were persecuted, tormented, condemned and governed by men in all parts of their existence. Though Hester Prynne, the protagonist of the novel is outraged by the Puritans, she receives God’s affection for her through the gentle impact of nature which inspires her to focus her energy within and seek the inner goodness that urges her to cultivate her inner strength. By applying ecofeminist theory, the present paper attempts to examine the relationship between women and men and women and nature. The current research also assesses nature’s cordial relationship with Hester Prynne and highlights the difference between men and women in their perception of nature.