Puritan Culture and Setting in Scarlet Letter Essay Example

Roger Chillingsworth exhibits narcissistic tendencies which corresponds with his developing sinful acts such as wishing ill on Dimmesdale. Although he immorally sought out revenge, he continuously endured self inflicted torture such as intense fasting, refraining from sleeping, and other forms of physical abuse. Throughout the novel, Chillingsworth makes it known that he intends not to harm those he felt had wronged him. However, his hypocrisy is revealed through the narrator’s ability to access his consciousness. While pretending to be a confidant and healer to Arthur Dimmesdale, Chillingworth becomes more fixated on revenge which leads to his character's demonization. His character leaks envy that is directed towards Dimmesdale as Dimmesdale harbors aspects that Chillingsworth desires: a child, a lover, and the possibility of a loving family.  In addition, he thrashes himself with a bloody whip and lays awake at night due to the plethora of hallucinations that inflict him.  This corresponds to his deteriorating mind and his everlasting quest to exact his revenge. The cynical thoughts that he had been conjuring since the beginning of the novel, prompted his own demise.

Puritan culture and setting within Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter allows the author to explore characters' thoughts regarding sin and their ability to make amends with their faults. Within the New England community, the narrator reveals certain insight that allows readers to interpret the setting. A prominent example of such is developed in the first chapter as the author includes the name Ann Hutchinson. Ann Hutchinson was a Puritan feminist and was banished and ostrosized from the Massuchusetts Bay Colony due to her preaching. Within the Puritan colony, the church was a male-dominated trade which Hutchinson challenged. As the narrator refers to her as “sainted”, readers can infer that the novel's setting is congruent with Hutchinson’s endeavors meaning that they’re both connected to Massuchusetts. Hawthorne is extremely knowledgeable about the Puritan lifestyle and writes the relationship between the townspeople and Hester utilizing his expertise. The novel shows us how “all the towns-people assembled and levelled their stern regards at Hester Prynne ''. Due to their Puritan upbringing, the townspeople scorn and ostracize Hester and she ,although seemingly unfazed by the ridicule, resents them for their vicious mistreatment. This shows how the Puritan society in the Massachusetts Bay Colony affected Hester’s life and added conflict to the plot.

The narrator’s biased commentary served as a conduit revealing the author's beliefs regarding how the character should be interpreted in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The narrator often uses adjectives and distorts the thoughts of the characters which prompts readers to establish and dismantle notions. The narrator mentions that Authur Dimmesdale fails to conquer his fears which causes him to seek out extreme measures of atonement such as carving an “A” unto his bare chest. This may cause the reader to correlate Dimmesdale’s actions with a frail and demented mind. However, the narrator often alludes to Dimmesdale's intellect and refers to his sermons as being insightful regarding the life of a sinner. He was deemed to be the town’s reverend therefore held a position of authority due to the emphasis on religion within the Puritan lifestyle. This shows the duality that characters in the novel face as Dimmesdale preachers about sin with proficiency as he himself is a sinner. Dimmesdale may be praised by the community within the book, yet the narrator continuously reminds readers that Dimmesdale is a sinner using their own voice tainted with ample judgement.

The author’s usage of the color red and the rose flowers acts as a foundational building block to which Hawthorne utilizes while formulating the plot. The rosebush symbolizes the hope and the possibility of true love. The implementation of the rose was prompted in the first chapter as the narrator contrasts the overall gloomy environment with the beauty of the rosebush when he questions its longevity despite the unfavorable conditions. This connects to the theme of sin and atonement as the rosebush appears to be one of the only elements that continuously reveals itself both during and after the sinning occurs. Also, the choosing of the rose out of any flower adds a certain complexity as the rose is not hideous nor harmful, but beautiful and barbed which correlates to the idea that the rose personifies love as love is painful and sweet. In addition, the usage of the color red exemplifies intensity and passion as the red rose shows passionate love while the red “A” represents the sin of adultery. The color red is used as a link between the reader's external knowledge and the novel as a whole. The pronounced symbols throughout the story allow the reader to relate scenes in the novel and the author to formulate a cohesive story.