The Scarlet Letter is Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s very famous novel. Written in 1850, this book has become a
cornerstone of American literature. Many consider it to be the first great
American novel.
For
those unfamiliar with the story, it is set in 1640s Puritan Massachusetts. Hester
Prynne is a resident of the colony. She is in a loveless marriage, and her
husband may be lost at sea. She is shamed and vilified when she conceives a
daughter, Pearl, through an extramarital affair. She is forced to ear a scarlet
“A” on her clothing as a symbol of her sin.
Though
Hester refuses to reveal the identity of Pearl’s father, the reader quickly
learns that it is The Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, a respected member of the
community. Though young, Dimmesdale is considered a learned theologian. When Roger
Chillingworth, Hester’s much older husband, arrives in Massachusetts, very much
alive, he keeps his identity secret to everyone except Hester and plots
revenge. Suspecting that Dimmesdale is Pearl’s father, he befriends the
minister in an elaborate attempt at retribution. As seven years pass, Pearl
grows into an extraordinary child and Hester becomes more and more a free
thinker.
There
is so much going on in this book in terms of history, characters, plot, themes,
etc. I could devote a series of blog posts to this work. As I often do, I am
going to follow one particular path that I find to be interesting.
First,
I want to write a few words about how I am approaching this novel in terms of
history. Though Hawthorne was very interested in seventeenth century Puritan
history, a Google search shows that there is still debate over the historical
and ideological accuracy of the story. Though I think that this is a topic worthy
topic of exploration, I will put that aside when talking about the novel in
this post. Generally, I would rather
comment upon real Puritan society based upon history books anyway. Thus, I will
consider the world that is talked depicted between these pages as fictional, regardless
of how closely accurate it is or not.
Ironically,
Hester is the most virtuous character in the book. However, her sin is not
excused. She is remorseful for it. In fact, it is eventually revealed that she
tries to show regret for it decades after the fact. Yet, she is surrounded by
the hypocritical, the malicious and the cowardly whose flaws eclipse hers. The
hypocrisy is illustrated by the fact that the text implies that all sorts of sexual
and other indiscretions are going on in Massachusetts. Witches meet in the
forest. Chillingworth is vengeful and malicious. Dimmesdale, though not without
virtue, behaves with cowardice and allows Hester to suffer the scorn of society
while he hides his indiscretion.
Though Hester is flawed, it seems that Hawthorne is
illustrating what he believes is positive and good in the world when he points
out the many admirable aspects to her nature. Hester takes responsibility for
her actions, thinks for herself, is a good mother, etc. These virtues, as well
as the wild naturalness that seems to be inherent in Pearl, seem to be related
to the transcendental belief system, which was becoming popular in America at
the time that this book was written. A discussion of Hester’s positive character
traits, Pearl’s nature and how this all relates to the book’s philosophy can
fill many pages.
The
comparison between Hester and Dimmesdale is interesting. There is obvious irony
when one compares the two. To the citizens of Massachusetts, there is a
contrast. In their eyes, Hester is a sinful and guilty woman exposed to public
shame. Dimmesdale is the upright and moral minister. He is respected and
considered a great mind and a teacher. He is Hester’s minister and presumably
provides her with spiritual guidance.
Yet,
beneath the surface, the roles are reversed. Hester bears her guilt and the
responsibility for her actions openly. She is psychologically distressed but
not hysterical. In contrast, Dimmesdale hides his guilt. Inwardly he has become
a wreck. His inner turmoil manifests itself in physical illness. At one point,
he experiences what in modern times would be described as a panic attack,
"Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great
horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast,
right over his heart. On that spot, in very truth, there was, and there had
long been, the gnawing and poisonous tooth of bodily pain. Without any effort
of his will, or power to restrain himself, he shrieked aloud: an outcry that
went pealing through the night, and was beaten back from one house to another,
and reverberated from the hills in the background; as if a company of devils,
detecting so much misery and terror in it, had made a plaything of the sound,
and were bandying it to and fro."
Over
the course of the seven years that the novel covers, Hester develops a coherent
worldview. Faced with mindless and unrelenting shaming, she rejects the
restraints of Puritan society and many of the institutions inherent in the
world around her,
“Her intellect and heart had their home, as
it were, in desert places, where she roamed as freely as the wild Indian in his
woods. For years past she had looked from this estranged point of view at human
institutions, and whatever priests or legislators had established; criticising
all with hardly more reverence than the Indian would feel for the clerical
band, the judicial robe, the pillory, the gallows, the fireside, or the
church. been to set her free. The
scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread.
Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers— stern and wild ones— and
they had made her strong”
Dimmesdale,
on the other hand, has wallowed, untethered in an intellectual and moral abyss.
His actions are cowardly. When Hester finally suggests that he give up his life
and run away to Europe with her, he meekly agrees. Hester has become his teacher.
There
is so much more to this book. It is deeply philosophical and digs into the
issues of religion, theocracy, transcendentalism, guilt-free thinking, gender,
etc. Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are
complex and interesting characters in their own right. I barely touched upon
Pearl, who is an extraordinary child who seems to represent nature, honesty and
a wildness inherent in the world. The prose and dialogue are rich. The story is
interesting.
As
mentioned above, this is a reread for me. I picked up so much more this time
around. I think that folks who only read this book when young may get a lot
more out of it when reading it later. This is a reminder to me of just how
important rereading is. Thus, I recommend this as both a reread and a first
time read for anyone interested in American literature.
