Abstract
Project Mentor(s): Sarah Sillin
An oft misunderstood classic of literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne’ Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester Prynne, her minister and lover Arthur Dimmesdale, and their ruthless enemy, Roger Chillingworth. In the Puritan colony of Boston Massachusetts, 1642, Hester’s child born out of wedlock earns her a scarlet letter, marking her forever as a flagrant sinner. In the midst of betrayal, shame, and superstition, Hester shines as an incredible testimony to fortitude. Though lauded as a beautiful romance, within the Scarlet Letter many readers miss the bitter musings of the author’s narration, which constantly reproves the religious community while uplifting the object of their scorn, Hester. To Hawthorne, this is no mere historical fiction: it is a work of penance for a family fallen from grace. Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter is a compelling case for the art of close-reading as crucial for understanding, and should inspire readers to pull back the historical curtain, uncovering a dark and tragic history of men abusing their power. Drawing on his own culture’s understanding of it, Hawthorne betrays a deep knowledge of and respect for the Bible, a book whose influence knew no bounds in the 1600s and 1800s alike. This context of biblical literacy lends a crucial lens through which to view Hawthorne’s narrative: as a deeply symbolic magnum opus. The Scarlet Letter serves as the author’s redemption for the sins of his brutally rigid Puritan forefathers through Hester Prynne, who redeems Hawthorne’s name by exemplifying all the biblical attributes his ancestors had not.
SOURCE Form ID
16
Recommended Citation
Prince, Zoe E.
(2025)
"Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Redemption,"
Journal of the Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression: Vol. 1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/jsource/vol1/iss1/5