‘The Scarlet Letter’ is a thrilling novel and true work of American classic literature, written to the applaud of all by acclaimed author Nathaniel Hawthorne, around the middle of the 19th century.
Through the rich and captivating storyline of ‘The Scarlet Letter,’ Hawthorne explores the reality of the puritan era of a 1600s Bay Colony in Massachusetts. Hawthorne’s book proves to be a tight one – as it dishes out a stern moral discourse to its readership, dwelling mostly on heavy subjects such as adultery, social shaming, sin, and penitence.
After attaining his formal education from the Bowdoin institute, Hawthorne did not immediately embark on his professional writing career – but instead observed what would rightly be referred to as the preparatory phase of his later career.
Hawthorne, apparently feeling literary inadequate, decided against going into what he loved so much (his writing career) with only the limited language comprehension and composition knowledge he obtained from formal schooling.
So for the next twelve years after Bowdoin, effectively from 1825 – 1837, the author returned to his family home – lodging and isolating himself in an old, mysterious room; one described to be distressing and haunting. Hawthorne occasionally went outdoors attending public and social gatherings during this twelve years of isolation – according to his sister Elizabeth’s later remark of him.
However, the author spent most of his hours in this place of isolation reading and self-educating himself by studying the works of great writers such as those Edgar Allan Poe among other works of literature.
Hawthorne’s inspiration for ‘The Scarlet Letter’ came from a combination of two events. The first was his interest and extended observation of the legacy and cultures of Puritanism – a tradition that had been prominent for generations through the history of his lineage (from at least the early 1630s to his eventual birth in 1804 and continuing into his adult years).
The second was his decade-plus learning and studying of great works in the gothic narrative and English romanticism – during which time he simultaneously spent in an old and haunted family property absorbing the creativity in utter outlandishness and mysteriousness of such place and writings.
Hawthorne began and finished writing ‘The Scarlet Letter’ in six months – following years of preparation and mastery of the framework for the book. The book was published in 1850 and immediately began pulling attention to itself and its author. Sales commenced instantly as the book was constantly reprinted in large amounts to match the ever-growing demands.
‘The Scarlet Letter’ was not Hawthorne’s first published work, but it was the book that thrust his name into the limelight as a literary prospect and later – legend. The book also relieved him of the increasing financial burdens he began facing during this demanding period of his life.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’ is one of the earliest American classics to dissect the captivating legacy and cultures of the puritan era which was popular across America from the early to late 17th century.
Hawthorne found himself in a family with centuries of history in extreme observance of the tenets of Puritanism – which were based on a repressive Christian doctrine and the belief in the supremacy and absolute dominance of God and his laws over men.
Through his book, ‘The Scarlet Letter,’ Hawthorne captures the puritan civilization, beginning from the early years of its coming into the Bay Colony in the 1630s and pioneered by his great grandfathers.
In the book’s reality, the author covers all the fascinating corners of the gothic – in terms of death, romance, sin, curses, repression, evil, and ghosts in haunted houses and places – and appears to question the rationale behind the over control and stifling of peoples’ rights by such an era.
‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a book that appears honorably as one of the earliest books of its genre – and for this had inspired – and is still inspiring – book authors who, through the centuries, study the rich narrative of Hawthorne’s work in creating their genre books.
Several books pass as being similar to ‘The Scarlet Letter’ by Nathaniel Hawthorne in many regards – both from the perspective of it being a gothic fiction and a historical book. However, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë seems to be the closest in our list in terms of relatedness to ‘The Scarlet Letter’ – as both were written about the same time (1849 and 1850 respectively).
Still, Hawthorne’s work is set two centuries behind that of Charlotte Brontë, but both share striking characteristics; for example, both books’ frontal characters are similar in their feminist mindset – despite their different approaches to it – and their struggle to be relevant in society is big on cancel culture for their kind.
Since its publication, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’ has constantly been undergoing printing and reprinting – enough to match the viral global demand for the book. Even though it’s been more than a hundred and fifty years of its first release, the book is still a hotshot in book markets and bookshelves, and it’s not surprising considering the timeless value the book provides for history and religious purposes.
‘The Scarlet Letter’ also educated readers on several important moral subjects, such as the need to have a forgiving heart, take responsibility, self-penitence, and have a truly contrite mentality for one’s actions.
Through its unique characters, there are several things the book continues to teach the younger generations. With Roger Chillingworth, readers will notice how he doesn’t have half the fulfilled life he dreamt of because he is too busy chasing revenge that by the time he realizes he’s taken the wrong path, it is too late as his life no longer has true purpose.
Hester Prynne, as the most frontal character, teaches readers everything about how to be strong and mature by taking responsibility for her actions, having a contrite heart for her actions, and following through on the appropriate penance given by the law.
She also doesn’t give up and fights till the end to get her happy ending and thus reminding readers that no matter how far off they may think they’ve gone down the wrong path, they can always get back on track and recover everything they’ve lost if they’re persistent and determined.
Nathaniel Hawthorne cuts his readership an enjoyable slice of the rich piece of American history through his model book, ‘The Scarlet Letter,’ where he explores the cultures and traditions of a puritan revolaution that controlled the Commonwealth of Massachusetts nearly four hundred years ago.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’ carries the reality of a 1600’s puritan Massachusetts community, and as such, readers can expect a character list awash with religiosity, prudishness, and imperfections.
Quotes from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’ are theocratic and faith-based and show some hints of repressiveness in terms of freedom to independent life – with the foregoing typical to a puritan society such as is found in the book.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’ has its storyline built based on the era of the Puritanism movement which took place around the mid-1600s across several Massachusetts towns.
Hester, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter,’ shows readers how she’s indeed a true protagonist of the book by taking responsibility for her sin of adultery and coming out clean and facing the consequences – while also humbling herself as she observes a humiliating public penance.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’ is stuffed with themes that border around aspects of religion and human morality such as sinning, confessing, and being penalized for such sin – much to the author’s intention of sending some strong moral lessons to his readership.