Nature In Scarlet Letter
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet letter, we are presented to a Puritanical society that resides adulteress Hester Prynne, whom must wear a scarlet letter to mark her shame. Within the novel, Hawthorne uses detailed descriptions of nature and introduces comprehensive characters such as Arthur Dimmesdale and Pearl with the intention of portraying the central message of good versus evil. To begin, Hawthorne illustrates the images of the brook and the forest to put emphasis on the message of good vs. evil. An example being can be the brook, where Hester attempts to throw her scarlet letter into the water but “there lay the [letter]… [an] unaccountable misfortune” (Hawthorne 136). This is significant because it portrays how Hester
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For example, Pearl is ambiguously described as a “lovely and immortal flower” to portray her innocence and beauty, with contrast to her being described as a “little creature” that has a “dark and wild” side to present her as a symbolic embodiment of her mother’s sin and how she’s the natural law unleashed (Hawthorne 60). Moreover, an example showing Pearl’s virtue is on page 173 when she “kissed [Dimmesdale’s] lips” and “a spell was broken” (Hawthorne). This is an important scene because it shows Pearl’s genuine acceptance and forgiveness to her father, whom finally acknowledged her in public. Another character that plays an influential role is Arthur Dimmesdale, whom is “gnawed and tortured by some black trouble” yet has “achieved great a brilliant popularity in his sacred office” (Hawthorne 94). This is significant because although he is a well-venerated reverend, the darkness of his sin makes him a hypocrite and cowardice. In the Puritan society, many townspeople went to Dimmesdale, whom they sought was holy and pure, for repentance of their sins. Similarly, Dimmesdale can serve as a parallel to the Devil, in which the Devil can be tempting and alluring yet is truly evil. In spite of his dark qualities, in the third scaffold scene, Dimmesdale confesses his sin, shedding a light of his moral, pious side. Despite of his prior plan of fleeing to Europe with Hester, Dimmesdale knows he will not be able to live a peaceful life without the reach of God’s knowledge; thus, Dimmesdale allows himself to look past his reputation and confess to the townspeople, finally acknowledging his sin and Hester and Pearl
For example, Pearl is ambiguously described as a “lovely and immortal flower” to portray her innocence and beauty, with contrast to her being described as a “little creature” that has a “dark and wild” side to present her as a symbolic embodiment of her mother’s sin and how she’s the natural law unleashed (Hawthorne 60). Moreover, an example showing Pearl’s virtue is on page 173 when she “kissed [Dimmesdale’s] lips” and “a spell was broken” (Hawthorne). This is an important scene because it shows Pearl’s genuine acceptance and forgiveness to her father, whom finally acknowledged her in public. Another character that plays an influential role is Arthur Dimmesdale, whom is “gnawed and tortured by some black trouble” yet has “achieved great a brilliant popularity in his sacred office” (Hawthorne 94). This is significant because although he is a well-venerated reverend, the darkness of his sin makes him a hypocrite and cowardice. In the Puritan society, many townspeople went to Dimmesdale, whom they sought was holy and pure, for repentance of their sins. Similarly, Dimmesdale can serve as a parallel to the Devil, in which the Devil can be tempting and alluring yet is truly evil. In spite of his dark qualities, in the third scaffold scene, Dimmesdale confesses his sin, shedding a light of his moral, pious side. Despite of his prior plan of fleeing to Europe with Hester, Dimmesdale knows he will not be able to live a peaceful life without the reach of God’s knowledge; thus, Dimmesdale allows himself to look past his reputation and confess to the townspeople, finally acknowledging his sin and Hester and Pearl