Investigation of Secrecy and Guilt in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

1. The Scarlet LetterPlot/Setting By Nathaniel Hawthorne Lectures 4&5

2. Plot/Setting • The novel is set in the mid 1600s in Boston, Massachusetts. • The plot encompasses a seven year period. • The plot involves the love triangle of wife-lover-husband. • The major theme of the novel is developed in the context of good vs. evil.

3. The Scarlet Letter, long considered Nathaniel Hawthorne’s greatest novel, is a complex investigation of the effects of secrecy and guilt. Set in seventeenth century Boston, the novel follows the life of Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman convicted of adultery and forced to wear a red patch, the letter A, as part of her punishment. • Hawthorne’s sympathetic depiction of Hester’s struggle with this restrictive self-image is largely responsible for the book’s status as an American classic. • After her emergence from Boston prison at the book’s beginning, Hester faces a number of obstacles as she tries to reestablish herself in the restrictive Puritan community. The town has labeled her a sinner, so she must first find a way to challenge the community’s perception of her and her daughter, Pearl, the child and the proof of her “guilty passion.” Her talent for sewing and embroidery becomes her primary medium for self-expression. • Not only does she decorate the letter she has been forced to wear, but also she dresses Pearl in beautiful, elaborate clothes in order to counteract the intended shame of the punishment. • Hester must also face the fact that Pearl’s father, the Reverend Mr. Dimmsdale, refuses to acknowledge his part in the affair. Despite pressure from the authorities, she keeps his secret, although it soon becomes clear

4. Characters • Hester Prynne- wearer of the scarlet letter • Pearl- child of Hester; living symbol of Hester’s sin • Roger Chillingworth- learned scholar; doctor • Arthur Dimmesdale- admired young minister • Governor Bellingham- governor and magistrate of Massachusetts Bay Colony • Rev. John Wilson- senior minister of colony • Mistress Hibbins- Gov. Bellingham’s sister

5. Point of View Omniscient…Hawthorne reveals the inner and outer workings of the characters and provides social criticism, history, and psychology.

6. Major Symbol • The scarlet letter itself is the central symbol. It changes meaning for the characters in the novel as Hester’s character changes. The A becomes a pathway to redemption for some characters as well. Watch the many ways Hawthorne uses the scarlet A as a symbol…

7. The Custom House • Hawthorne claims to have gotten the idea for this novel from the papers of Jonathan Pue. Among the papers, Hawthorne allegedly found an embroidered scarlet A and information on Hester Prynne.