The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne American Romanticism The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

What were the values of the Romantics, and how did these values affect the American imagination? For the Romantic writer, the city was far from civilization. To them, it was often of shifting morals, corruption, and death Thus, nature/countryside is their journey-associated with independence, self-awareness, moral clarity, and healthful living. Being in nature allowed them to discover their feelings and intuition The Romantics’ journey is a psychological journey, which ignites/triggers imagination Thus, the truth can be discovered through imagination

Who were the Transcendentalists, and how do their beliefs still influence American life? Transcendentalists were a group of Romantics who believed that everything in the physical world is a reflection of the Divine Soul. The Physical facts of the natural world are a doorway to the spiritual or ideal world. Similar to how Transcendentalists value self- reliance and individualism, so do modern day Americans.

What darker side of human life was recognized by some major American Romantics? Dark Romantics explored the conflict between good and evil, the psychological effects of guilt and sins, and the destructive underside of appearances. They saw and explored the horrors of evil.

Nathaniel Hawthorne Born (1804) in Salem, Massachusetts His ancestors are one of the first to settle in “The New World.” Worked at the Salem Custom House as a port surveyor One of the most and respected authors of the romantic movement One of the first to write about the hidden motivation and psychology of his characters Joined the Transcendentalist movement in 1841 and lived in a utopian farming community

Plot Overview The Scarlet Letter was published in 1849 It takes place in the Puritan town of Boston, MA (1640s) In Puritan New England, a young woman named Hester Prynne gives birth to a baby girl. Hester’s elderly husband has been missing for years, so everyone knows he can’t be the father. The town punishes Hester harshly for her adultery.

Plot Overview Cont’d. The townspeople treat Hester as an outcast. Hester refuses to identify the baby’s father. First they imprison her, then they condemn her to wear a scarlet letter A for the rest of her life. Her lover, whoever he is, seems to escape punishment… or does he?

Crime and Punishment in Puritan Society Life in the Colonies was harsh, but it gave the Puritans the opportunity to form a society based on their religious ideals. Because Puritan Boston was still a theocratic society, crime against church (or God) was the equivalent of a crime against another person or against “the State.” Those considered sinners were publicly—and harshly— punished, as an example to others. In a Puritan community such as Hester’s, no aspect of life was truly private. People kept a close watch on their neighbors.

Crime and Punishment Cont’d. Virtually any offense could land you in the stocks. The Puritans imported this punishment to New England from England. Entire purpose was public display and public humiliation. Stocks were built on a scaffold in the center of the village, where townspeople could mock the offender, and throw rotten vegetables or stones.