Comparing The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Riley Chiles Mr. Nelson AP Literature P-7 11/7/14 Comparing Fact and Fiction: The Parallels Within Democratic society has a curious effect on its people. Some citizens seem to have a very hard time imagining a fanatically corrupt religious sect of elite clergy running the scenes. Intriguingly, within arguably the most democratic country of our time, the United States was dominated by a class of religious elite a few centuries ago. Those who participated in said system were known as Puritans. Nathaniel Hawthorne, a transcendentalist of the 19th century, decided to recreate Puritan society in his book The Scarlet Letter, which takes place two centuries prior. This brings up an important inquiry: does his rendition stack up with historical evidence? After intense scrutiny and cross-referencing, a conclusion can be drawn that suggests he did indeed take many steps to remain faithful to the source material. To better understand The Scarlet Letter, we first must explore the author and his purpose for writing such a novel. Nathaniel Hawthorne was a philosophical thinker. He grew up in Salem, Massachusetts and was the descendant of William Hathorne, a Puritan magistrate and judge who became infamous for giving out harsh punishments. This was especially true during the Salem witch trials. Hawthorn’s family past seemed to fascinate and haunt him, and is represented in most of his works. This is coupled with his transcendentalist ideals, and clues the audience to the book’s intendedShow MoreRelatedComparing The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne And The Bell Jar By Sylvia Plath2182 Words   |  9 Pageswithin the intricacies of literature in each era. Specifically, through analyzing The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, one can observe the dynamics of society in regards to the role of women through the lens of the theme of sexuality. 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What stands out the most in the book is the use of archaic diction and figurative language, which serve to paint vivid, descriptive pictures of each character, specifically, Roger Chillingworth. In chapter nine of The Scarlet Letter, ‘The Leech†, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses settingRead More Exposed Sin vs. Hidden Sin in the Scarlet Letter Essay633 Words   |  3 Pagesdeplorable, or utterly wrong. In this essay I will be comparing exposed sin to hidden sin as related to The Scarlet Letter, and the effects it has on people. In Nathanial HawthorneÂ’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne represents the exposed sin while Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth represent the hidden sin. Hester PrynneÂ’s sin is exposed on the scaffold in front of the townspeople. For punishment she is made to wear the letter “A”, for adulteress, on her bosom. HesterÂ’s daughterRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter And The Other Wes Moore1238 Words   |  5 Pages This is a central idea in the novels The Other Wes Moore and The Scarlet Letter. The Other Wes Moore follows the lives of two young boys into adulthood and discusses why their lives turned out so differently, despite coming from such similar backgrounds. The author Wes Moore proposes that maybe it was due to the influences that each boy’s role model’s had. A similar idea is illustrated in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, which tells the tale of Hester Prynne and her close family over theRead MoreArchetypes And Allus ions Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1198 Words   |  5 PagesArchetypes and Allusions in The Scarlet Letter In the nineteenth century novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes different origins of allusions and archetypes to emphasize how individuals in order to encourage individuals to forgive sins and work towards redemption. Sin Allusions. From the Bible. In Dimmesdale’s home, Hawthorne describes a work depicting the Prophet Nathaniel, David, and Bathsheba: â€Å"The walls were hung round with tapestry, said to be from the Gobelin looms, and,Read MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne And Herman Melville1387 Words   |  6 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville were well acquainted with one another and wrote a series of letters back and forth for a time. Their friendship has been seen as â€Å"one of the most famous in American literary history† (Hayford 435). Both authors have received a lot of attention as two of the more prominent writers of the nineteenth century and their names are often thrown together in criticism of that era. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s most famous novel is likley The Scarlet Letter while HermanRead More A Comparison of The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables3606 Words   |  15 Pagesof The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables    Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of Americas most renowned authors, demonstrates his extraordinary talents in two of his most famed novels, The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. To compare these two books seems bizarre, as their plots are distinctly different. Though the books are quite seemingly different, the central themes and Hawthornes style are closely related (Carey, p. 62). American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne