The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter

Background Notes Background Notes

(“notes section” of notebook):(“notes section” of notebook):

Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne

I. Background on Nathaniel I. Background on Nathaniel HawthorneHawthorne

1804-1864 (Born on July 41804-1864 (Born on July 4thth)) Born in Salem, MassachusettsBorn in Salem, Massachusetts His ancestors were wealthy, His ancestors were wealthy,

influential people.influential people.– William HathorneWilliam Hathorne– John Hathorne: presided over the Salem witch John Hathorne: presided over the Salem witch

trials in trials in

1692 1692

His father died of yellow fever when His father died of yellow fever when he was four years oldhe was four years old

Hawthorne, his mother, and his Hawthorne, his mother, and his sisters lived with his mother’s sisters lived with his mother’s relatives after his father’s deathrelatives after his father’s death

He graduated from Bowdoin College He graduated from Bowdoin College in Maine in 1825in Maine in 1825

E. He returned to Salem where he E. He returned to Salem where he struggled as a short story writer for struggled as a short story writer for 12 years12 years

F. In 1842, he married Sophia F. In 1842, he married Sophia PeabodyPeabody

G. He published G. He published The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter in in 1850, which finally brought him 1850, which finally brought him recognition as an authorrecognition as an author

H. He died on May 16, 1864 in H. He died on May 16, 1864 in Plymouth, New HampshirePlymouth, New Hampshire

II. Hawthorne’s Literary II. Hawthorne’s Literary TimesTimes

A. Wrote during the Romantic PeriodA. Wrote during the Romantic Period

1. return to nature1. return to nature

2. belief in goodness of humanity2. belief in goodness of humanity

3. rediscovery of artist as a supremely 3. rediscovery of artist as a supremely individual creatorindividual creator

4. exaltation of the senses and 4. exaltation of the senses and emotions over reason and intellectemotions over reason and intellect

Example of art from the Romantic Example of art from the Romantic PeriodPeriod

The Lady of Shallot (1888)

B. The Romantic Period lasted from 1830-B. The Romantic Period lasted from 1830-18651865

C. Literary contemporaries: Emerson, C. Literary contemporaries: Emerson, Thoreau, Melville, Stowe, Poe, WhitmanThoreau, Melville, Stowe, Poe, Whitman

D. D. The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter is considered a piece is considered a piece of American Romantic literature because of American Romantic literature because it is set in a remote past (the Puritan era it is set in a remote past (the Puritan era 200 years prior to Hawthorne’s time) and 200 years prior to Hawthorne’s time) and because it deals with the interior because it deals with the interior psychology of individual characterspsychology of individual characters

E. Revolt against rationalism/logicE. Revolt against rationalism/logic

The Scarlet Letter—ThemesThe Scarlet Letter—Themes

Civil law versus Natural lawCivil law versus Natural law The nature of sin and the effects of The nature of sin and the effects of

sin on the individualsin on the individual In In The Scarlet Letter, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne analyzes Hawthorne analyzes

the effect of one sin on the four main the effect of one sin on the four main characters who are closely intertwined characters who are closely intertwined because of that sin (Hester, Pearl, because of that sin (Hester, Pearl, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth)Dimmesdale, Chillingworth)

The individual’s relationship to The individual’s relationship to societysociety

TheThe ScarletScarlet LetterLetter—Setting —Setting

Puritanism in the Massachusetts Bay Puritanism in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, 1642Colony, 1642

The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter has unity of place. All has unity of place. All action occurs in the center of Boston action occurs in the center of Boston and the outskirts of this village. and the outskirts of this village.

Accurate historical references are made Accurate historical references are made to the actual governors, ministers, and to the actual governors, ministers, and practices of the Massachusetts Bay practices of the Massachusetts Bay Colony of 1642-1650. Colony of 1642-1650.

NOTE: Hawthorne did not live during NOTE: Hawthorne did not live during that time and was not a Puritan. that time and was not a Puritan. Hawthorne wants the reader to react Hawthorne wants the reader to react to these attitudes.to these attitudes.

III. Historical CommentaryIII. Historical Commentary

PuritansPuritans1. A religious group that 1. A religious group that migrated from England to migrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay the Massachusetts Bay Colony in New England in Colony in New England in the early 1600sthe early 1600s

2. Believed in a “pure” 2. Believed in a “pure” interpretation of the Bible interpretation of the Bible which did not include some which did not include some of the traditional practices of the traditional practices of the Church of Englandof the Church of England

3. Religion and government were 3. Religion and government were closely intertwinedclosely intertwined

4. Ministers counseled the magistrates 4. Ministers counseled the magistrates in all affairs concerning the in all affairs concerning the settlement and its citizenssettlement and its citizens

5. The Puritans had strict rules against 5. The Puritans had strict rules against theatre, religious music, sensuous theatre, religious music, sensuous poetry, and frivolous dresspoetry, and frivolous dress

6. Remember: The Puritans did not seek 6. Remember: The Puritans did not seek religious freedom for ALL; they still religious freedom for ALL; they still persecuted and banished individuals persecuted and banished individuals whose beliefs were different from their whose beliefs were different from their ownown

7. People were completely 7. People were completely INTOLERANT of sin. They believed INTOLERANT of sin. They believed that any sin committed in the that any sin committed in the community would cause God’s wrath community would cause God’s wrath to be visited on them. An illness or to be visited on them. An illness or misfortune would show God’s misfortune would show God’s disapproval.disapproval.

8. Puritans looked for sins that had 8. Puritans looked for sins that had been committed in the community so been committed in the community so that the sin could be brought out in that the sin could be brought out in the open and the members of the the open and the members of the community could express their scorn community could express their scorn for that sin.for that sin.

9. Puritan theology valued hard work. 9. Puritan theology valued hard work. Idleness was an invitation to sin.Idleness was an invitation to sin.

IV. ThemesIV. ThemesA. AlienationA. Alienation

B. Appearance versus realityB. Appearance versus reality

C. Breaking society’s rulesC. Breaking society’s rules

D. Private versus public lifeD. Private versus public life

E. Effects of revengeE. Effects of revenge

V. Religious TermsV. Religious Terms

A.A. repentance: deep sorrow for a sin repentance: deep sorrow for a sin

B.B. preternatural: out of the ordinary; preternatural: out of the ordinary; supernaturalsupernatural

C.C. contrition: sorrow for a sin, with a contrition: sorrow for a sin, with a sincere desire to atone for itsincere desire to atone for it

(religious terms, contd.)(religious terms, contd.)

D.D. penance: punishment for a sinpenance: punishment for a sin

E.E. atonement: to make amends for a atonement: to make amends for a sinsin

F.F. penitence: the state of being penitence: the state of being regretful for sinningregretful for sinning

VI. SymbolsVI. Symbols

A. the color blackA. the color black

B. the forestB. the forest

C. the brookC. the brook

D. the rosebushD. the rosebush

E. IndiansE. Indians

F. Hester’s clothingF. Hester’s clothing

G. Pearl’s clothingG. Pearl’s clothing

H. Pearl’s nameH. Pearl’s name

I. the meteorI. the meteor

J. golden embroidery on the “A”J. golden embroidery on the “A”

VII. Style (paraphrase!)VII. Style (paraphrase!)

Hawthorne focuses his attention on Hawthorne focuses his attention on the problem of evil and the NATURE the problem of evil and the NATURE OF SIN. He is not a moralist, but like a OF SIN. He is not a moralist, but like a psychologist, he analyzes the inner psychologist, he analyzes the inner world of the human mind and heart. world of the human mind and heart. In TSL, he analyzes the effects of ONE In TSL, he analyzes the effects of ONE sin on the four main characters who sin on the four main characters who are closely intertwined because of are closely intertwined because of that sin.that sin.

Essential QuestionEssential Question

What is a sin? Is a crime against civil What is a sin? Is a crime against civil law necessarily a crime against law necessarily a crime against moral law? moral law?