22 October 2004
Individual vs. Community: Research
Many aspects of The Scarlet Letter reflect pieces of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s life. His family traces back to the earliest settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The atmosphere and setting of the novel is gloomy, and Hester Prynne is almost treated like a witch on trial in the Puritan community that she resides in. In relation to the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s ancestor named John Hathorne was a judge during the renown and infamous Salem witch trials. In his own life, Hawthorne was surrounded by Puritans while living in Massachusetts himself. The Puritan community serves as an outside force and pressure in The Scarlet Letter that influences Miss Prynne’s image of herself. Another principle that strongly influenced the novel was the concept of transcendentalism. This is the idea that a personal connection with divine forces should replace the structured system we have for religion. This is incorporated into the novel perhaps even subconsciously since transcendentalism surrounded Hawthorne for a large portion of his life in which case he even submitted himself into an experimental utopian community based on autonomy and transcendentalism. From that same community, he married a transcendentalist named Sophia Peabody. As one may deduce from these facts, Nathaniel Hawthorne was probably inspired by these beliefs and characteristics that he grew up with while writing his novels.
Further Research:
1. What punishments would be imposed on males who commit adultery as opposed to females who commit the same crime?
2. Investigate the hierarchy and roles of different members of a community during this 17th century time period.
3. Research the historical period of The Scarlet Letter to understand common community functions such as public displays of chastisement.