The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter

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Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne

I. Background on Nathaniel I. Background on Nathaniel HawthorneHawthorne

A. Born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, A. Born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, MassachusettsMassachusetts

B. His father died of yellow fever B. His father died of yellow fever when he was four years oldwhen he was four years old

C. Hawthorne, his mother, and his C. Hawthorne, his mother, and his sisters lived with his mother’s sisters lived with his mother’s relatives after his father’s deathrelatives after his father’s death

D. He graduated from Bowdoin D. He graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine in 1825College in Maine in 1825

E. He returned to Salem where he E. He returned to Salem where he struggled as a short story writer for struggled as a short story writer for 12 years12 years

F. In 1842, he married Sophia F. In 1842, he married Sophia PeabodyPeabody

G. He published G. He published The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter in in 1850, which finally brought him 1850, which finally brought him recognition as an authorrecognition as an author

H. He died on May 16, 1864 in H. He died on May 16, 1864 in Plymouth, New HampshirePlymouth, New Hampshire

II. Hawthorne’s Literary II. Hawthorne’s Literary TimesTimes

A. Wrote during the Romantic PeriodA. Wrote during the Romantic Period

1. return to nature1. return to nature

2. belief in goodness of humanity2. belief in goodness of humanity

3. rediscovery of artist as a supremely 3. rediscovery of artist as a supremely individual creatorindividual creator

4. exaltation of the senses and 4. exaltation of the senses and emotions over reason and intellectemotions over reason and intellect

Example of art from the Romantic Example of art from the Romantic PeriodPeriod

The Lady of Shallot (1888)

B. The Romantic Period lasted from 1830-B. The Romantic Period lasted from 1830-18651865

C. Literary contemporaries: Emerson, C. Literary contemporaries: Emerson, Thoreau, Melville, Stowe, Poe, WhitmanThoreau, Melville, Stowe, Poe, Whitman

D. D. The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter is considered a piece is considered a piece of American Romantic literature because of American Romantic literature because it is set in a remote past (the Puritan era it is set in a remote past (the Puritan era 200 years prior to Hawthorne’s time) and 200 years prior to Hawthorne’s time) and because it deals with the interior because it deals with the interior psychology of individual characterspsychology of individual characters

E. Revolt against rationalism/logicE. Revolt against rationalism/logic

III. Historical CommentaryIII. Historical Commentary

PuritansPuritans1. A religious group that 1. A religious group that migrated from England to migrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England in Colony in New England in the early 1600sthe early 1600s

2. Believed in a “pure” 2. Believed in a “pure” interpretation of the Bible interpretation of the Bible which did not include some which did not include some of the traditional practices of the traditional practices of the Church of Englandof the Church of England

3. Religion and government were 3. Religion and government were closely intertwinedclosely intertwined

4. Ministers counseled the magistrates 4. Ministers counseled the magistrates in all affairs concerning the in all affairs concerning the settlement and its citizenssettlement and its citizens

5. The Puritans had strict rules against 5. The Puritans had strict rules against theatre, religious music, sensuous theatre, religious music, sensuous poetry, and frivolous dresspoetry, and frivolous dress

6. Remember: The Puritans did not seek 6. Remember: The Puritans did not seek religious freedom for ALL; they still religious freedom for ALL; they still persecuted and banished individuals persecuted and banished individuals whose beliefs were different from their whose beliefs were different from their ownown

7. People were completely 7. People were completely INTOLERANT of sin. They believed INTOLERANT of sin. They believed that any sin committed in the that any sin committed in the community would cause God’s wrath community would cause God’s wrath to be visited on them. An illness or to be visited on them. An illness or misfortune would show God’s misfortune would show God’s disapproval.disapproval.

8. Puritans looked for sins that had 8. Puritans looked for sins that had been committed in the community so been committed in the community so that the sin could be brought out in that the sin could be brought out in the open and the members of the the open and the members of the community could express their scorn community could express their scorn for that sin.for that sin.

9. Puritan theology valued hard work. 9. Puritan theology valued hard work. Idleness was an invitation to sin.Idleness was an invitation to sin.

IV. ThemesIV. ThemesA. AlienationA. Alienation

B. Appearance versus realityB. Appearance versus reality

C. Breaking society’s rulesC. Breaking society’s rules

D. Private versus public lifeD. Private versus public life

E. Effects of revengeE. Effects of revenge

V. Religious TermsV. Religious Terms

A.A. repentance: deep sorrow for a sin repentance: deep sorrow for a sin

B.B. preternatural: out of the ordinary; preternatural: out of the ordinary; supernaturalsupernatural

C.C. contrition: sorrow for a sin, with a contrition: sorrow for a sin, with a sincere desire to atone for itsincere desire to atone for it

(religious terms, contd.)(religious terms, contd.)

D.D. penance: punishment for a sinpenance: punishment for a sin

E.E. atonement: to make amends for a atonement: to make amends for a sinsin

F.F. penitence: the state of being penitence: the state of being regretful for sinningregretful for sinning

VI. SymbolsVI. Symbols

A. the color blackA. the color black

B. the forestB. the forest

C. the brookC. the brook

D. the rosebushD. the rosebush

E. IndiansE. Indians

F. Hester’s clothingF. Hester’s clothing

G. Pearl’s clothingG. Pearl’s clothing

H. Pearl’s nameH. Pearl’s name

I. the meteorI. the meteor

J. golden embroidery on the “A”J. golden embroidery on the “A”

VII. Style (paraphrase!)VII. Style (paraphrase!)

Hawthorne focuses his attention on Hawthorne focuses his attention on the problem of evil and the NATURE the problem of evil and the NATURE OF SIN. He is not a moralist, but like a OF SIN. He is not a moralist, but like a psychologist, he analyzes the inner psychologist, he analyzes the inner world of the human mind and heart. world of the human mind and heart. In TSL, he analyzes the effects of ONE In TSL, he analyzes the effects of ONE sin on the four main characters who sin on the four main characters who are closely intertwined because of are closely intertwined because of that sin.that sin.

Essential QuestionEssential Question

What is a sin? Is a crime against civil What is a sin? Is a crime against civil law necessarily a crime against law necessarily a crime against moral law? (Remember Antigone’s moral law? (Remember Antigone’s dilemma?)dilemma?)