THE SCARLET LETTER--

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a masterpiece of American literature. The novel is a classic tale of pride, guilt and sin set in a Puritanic New England colony. Many characteristics of Romanticism are seen throughout The Scarlet Letter. Some of these characteristics include valuing feeling and intuition over reasoning, shunning the artificiality of civilization in search of unspoiled nature, and preferring youthful innocence to educated sophistication.

Created as a reaction against the logical schools of rational thought, Romanticism is generally defined as the journey from the limits of reason toward the freedom of the imagination. One of the main characteristics of Romanticism is the importance of intuition and feeling over reason, and this idea is plainly illustrated throughout The Scarlet Letter. For instance, before the novel takes place, Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale commit a passionate, sinful act that allows Pearl, a child "of great price" (82), into the world. This sinful adultery, although never referred to as such within the novel, was clearly a passionate act involving the most intimate feelings between Hester and her pastor. Obviously, at the time the act was committed, neither Hester nor Dimmesdale were thinking of the consequences of their actions. Another example of valuing and feeling and intuition over reason is when Hester and Dimmesdale are in the forest and Hester removes the scarlet letter, her token of shame. On impulse, Hester removes her formal cap as well. Then, "all at once, as with a sudden smile of heaven, forth burst the sunshine, pouring a very flood into the obscure forest, gladdening each green leaf, transmuting the yellow fallen ones to gold, and gleaming adown the gray trunks of the solemn trees (186). Hester and Dimmesdale, so caught up in their moment of joy, fail to realize the effect Hester's actions will have on Pearl. Pearl, of course, does not recognize her mother after she is reborn. This momentary "flood of sunshine" (182) symbolizes another moment where feelings and intuition are highly regarded over reason.

Another characteristic common of Romantic literature is the avoidance of civilization in favor of unspoiled nature. This characteristic is seen in The Scarlet Letter several times. Case in point, the forest is an environment of freedom where natural things can occur, like the flood of sunshine when Hester removes her scarlet letter, or Dimmesdale's acknowledging his love for Hester. The characters are free from the strict code of Puritan rules in the forest and can do what they wish. At the same time, the setting of the forest, away from civilization, is the only place where Hester and Dimmesdale can be truthful to each other. Dimmesdale asks Hester to "be thou strong for me. Advise me what to do" (180), and Hester tells Dimmesdale "What we did had a consecration of its own. We felt it so" (179). Outside of the forest, within the rigid confines of Puritan society, Dimmesdale would never ask Hester for help, and Hester would never say the sinful act they committed had a blessing of its own. But within nature, which does them no harm, the two characters are allowed to speak freely and without reserve.

Additionally, another characteristic seen often in Romantic literature is a preference of childlike innocence to educated refinement. An example of this youthful innocence is most definitely Pearl; she is a young, pure child full of energy. Many times in the novel Pearl is depicted as running around or fluttering "with a bird-like movement" (208) around her mother, who is usually in a somber mood. Also, instead of being like the other dismal Puritan children, Pearl chooses to be colorful and dances around, drawing attention to herself. She even defends herself when the other Puritan children try to fling mud at her mother and herself by pushing all the children down to the ground. One other example of preferring childlike innocence to educated sophistication is how Pearl's make-believe enemies, "the pine-trees, aged, black and solemn and flinging groans and other melancholy utterances on the breeze" (87) represent the somber, educated Puritan elders, and the "ugliest weeds of the garden" (87) represent the grave, cultivated Puritan children. Pearl quite clearly prefers being a flippant, cheerful child to being a grave, somber Puritan child.

In conclusion, The Scarlet Letter is full of Romantic characteristics. The importance of beind and perception over reason, the shunning of artificial civilization in favor of untouched nature, and the preference of young innocence to learned sophistication are but a few of the many Romantic attributes scattered throughout the novel. Nathaniel Hawthorne is distinctly a Romantic writer judging from his use of Romanticism in The Scarlet Letter.

back