Scarlet Letter

Review and Must Knows for the IOC

THEMES

There are many subthemes within the novel; however,

the most important theme is “Sin”Adultery• Traditionalist perspective• Man made law• Sin of passion• Forgiveable• Committed by Hester• Committed by Dimmesdale• Judged by Dimmesdale• Judged by Chillingworth• Judged by the Puritans

Honesty/Truth• Transcendentalist perspective• Natural law• Sin of rationalism/intellect• Not forgivable• Provides salvation for Hester• Committed by Dimmesdale, but

redeemed in death• Committed by Chillingworth,

never redeemed• Judged by Pearl

PLOT STRUCTURE

3 ways to discuss

1. Use scaffolds as anchorsAnchors are a literary device that creates unity and structure within the novel

Scaffold 1Introduce/establish story12 noon

Scaffold 2: Turning point of the story

Midnight

Scaffold 3Resolution/consequences

12 noon

2. Traditional Plot Structure

Exposition: Chapter 1-4: Hester in Disgrace

Chapters 5-8Hester in the Community

Rising action: Chapters: 9-12

Dimmesdale and Chillingworthdeterioration

Falling ActionChapters 13-15Changes in Hester

ResolutionChapters 20-22DenouementConsequences of Actions

Climax:Chapter 12

2nd Scaffold scenePoint of no return

Chapters 16-19Hester attempts to take charge

3. Perspective; mirror of novel

Traditionalist perspective:Setting: in the villagePuritanismCivil LawHarsh JudgmentExtreme zealotryReligious (theocratic) law

Transcendentalist perspectiveSetting: in the forestPassion, Natural LawHarsh judgmentExtreme zealotryAreligious

The key to this perspective is understanding that both perspectives are extreme and judgmental. The story is about the characters “staying on the moral path” and finding balance between the two perspectives. However, Hawthorne is more

sympathetic to the transcendentalist perspective over the traditionalist perspective.

3. Perspective; mirror of novel

Traditionalist perspective:Setting: in the village• Marketplace• Civilization• Colors: brown, grey• Weeds (dying vegetation)• Overexposed to the sunlight• Social norms/contract• Man made laws• Puritan Code• Place of hypocrisy• Strict judgment• Structure

Transcendentalist perspectiveSetting: in the forest

• Passion, • Colors: green, golds, blues• Lush vegetation, excess• Rivers and animals• Filtered sunshine• Natural Law• Harsh judgment• No forgiveness• Extreme zealotry• Areligious • Freedom– no structure, no

boundaries

Remember, we see characters on “pathways” in both environments.

PRINCIPLE CHARACTERSBe able to discuss their development throughout the novel

Hester– not a Puritan, sent to new world and must learn new ways• Described as beautiful initially; loses beauty over time with conformity to the

Puritan society. • Lives in isolation physically and emotionally• strong willed; inner strength

– Defiant in scaffold scene– Stands by her principles– Raises baby alone– Defends Pearl against establishment– Stands up to Chillingworth– Honors her promises at personal cost

• Humane character: creates pathos– Physically ages and gets worn down– Struggles with her daughter sometimes– Heartbroken; loves the wrong guy– Married to a man she doesn’t love– Isolated within society– Victim?

• Associated symbols: Rosebush• One interpretation: suggests we are all trapped between extremes and must

carefully follow our own path through the “moral wilderness”

Dimmesdale -- only Puritan principle character• Some suggest he is the protagonist: ??• Village minister; Described as young, pale, delicate, sensitive• As a Puritan, he would believe in predestination and the fact that he was able

to commit a sin (adultery) reveals to him that he is not one of the chosen ones to go to heaven; his soul is damned.

• Perceived as a weak character– Will not reveal his true relationship with Hester until very end of novel.– Punishes himself secretly physically and emotionally– Lives hypocritically with a public persona and a private secret– Justifies his behaviors (keeping the secret) by doing good deeds and

ministering to people’s souls– Weak character because he is incapable of resolving his conflicts alone;

relies on Hester’s strength to rectify his sins.• Commits two sins; one against man’s law and one against nature. Must

overcome both in order to find salvation• His inability to resolve conflict leads to his demise.• Suggests the dangers of religious zealotry; harmful; extreme blind faith and

emotion

Chillingworth: Not a Puritan: anti-Puritan: antagonist

• First appears in a mixed civilized and savage costume; reflects the conflict within Chillingworth (man of reason and passion)

• Described as aged and deformed.• Will progress to decrepit (and evil) as the story progresses.• Intellectual and academic pursuit of knowledge; man of medicine and science;

however he is a false man (has no degrees)• Hypocritical because values “truth” despite own hypocrisy• Demonstrates reason and compassion by not harming Hester or Pearl.• Distorts truth and reason in quest for knowledge (at all costs)

– Sin against nature by marrying Hester• Not deliberate• Creates potential pathos with the reader, selfish but forgivable

– Sin against heart= vengeance• Subordinates the heart to intellect• According to Hawthorne, this is the greatest sin• Tries to play God, becomes the devil

• His sin against nature leads to his demise• Suggests the dangers of zealotry in science and reason without compassion or

human understanding

Pearl: not a Puritan, the only transcendental character; symbolic character• Described as intelligent, otherworldly, physically beautiful, unrestrained, emotional, and

passionate.• She is a remarkable creation; natural and precious• She represents a child-like innocent perspective of the world without the burden of man-made

laws/sins.• She is the living symbol of the Scarlet Letter A

– She is the obvious result of the adulterous relationship– she is also a result of natural love and passion that created her– The A changes from red to green to reflect the duality of the love she represents

• Description is often negative (demon, evil, problematic) when described from a Puritan view (Village: Ch 3-12)

• Description is positive (sprite-like, mystical, magical, elfish, happy) when described from a transcendental view (in the forest: Ch 13-20)

• Character of honesty and truth; demands recognition despite consequences.• She is an active reminder of people’s actions.

– Reflects theme of “sins of the father”– Reflects the conflict within the novel over the nature of true sin

• Pearl represents salvation– Her mother’s sin is redeemable and forgiven by man and nature because her sin is pubic knowledge

and Hester embraces her actions and responsibilities– Dimmesdale finds salvation in his confession in the end and finds peace after death.– Chillingworth is denied salvation because of Hester’s and Dimmesdale’s salvation and the nature of

his ultimate sin against the heart.

Role of Secondary Characters• Puritan villagers represent Puritanism and “civilization”

– Generational development• Old world: traditional values, harsher judgment; will eventually die off• New world: 2nd covenant, like 2nd generation values today. More lenient (young

mother) ends up dead, not able to survive in harsh world.• Reverend Mr. Wilson represents the Church

– Extreme religious zealotry• Governor Bellingham represents the State

– Controversy over man made law; social contract

• These two characters work together to reflect the blending and influences of our religion and moral code on the laws that govern our lives within modern society; this is the basis for the emphasis on the separation of church and state in early American society that we still grapple with today.

• Mistress Hibbins represents “the unknown” and temptation. She is non-Puritan– Is she a witch? What does that mean in Puritan society? – Is she evil? Is she a representative of the devil?– Does she represent old spiritual knowledge that goes beyond Puritan beliefs?– Is she a threat to “traditional” thought? Does she represent “other choices”?

• All three characters are present as “outliers” in al three scaffold scenes. Why is this significant?

SYMBOLS

Need to know in order to provide textual evidence for discussion

Colors first: then better understand the other symbols:According to the Universal Symbolism Dictionary from the University of Michigan:

• Scarlet= red, color of passion, anger, adultery, blood• Gold= rich, wealthy, spiritual transcendence• Yellow= natural, light, freedom, truth• Green= duality, nature, life, growth, envy• Brown= dull, lifeless, dirt, no growth, opposite of green• Gray= pale, lifeless, metal, no life, • Black= shadows, oppressive, evil?, temptation• Blue= tranquil, fluid, calm, reflective, sad• Others?

Primary symbol: The Scarlet Letter A:

• Red with gold interwoven• Worn by Hester on her chest for full disclosure• Wears it long after it could have been removed• Represents her sin of adultery and passion• Red= passion, guilt, anger?• Gold= wealth, spiritual transcendence• Dresses Pearl as the Letter A; living embodiment and public

reminder of her act.• Changes meaning throughout the novel:

– Adultery, Able, Angel– Hypocrisy of Puritan code?

• Dimmesdale carves an A into his chest, permanent reflection of his guilt (against two types of sin?)

Green Letter A

• In the second half of the novel, when the perspective has changed, Pearl changes the red A to a green A

• Pearl wears the A on her chest– Reflection of her mother from the transcendental perspective– Theme of “sins of the father/son” relationship

• Reflective of the forest– Made of something living, organic

• Dual meaning of Pearl– precious and valuable, but from a sinful union?

• Dual meaning of sin: passion versus intellect (nature versus man)

Rosebush/Weeds

• Bush = green• Represents Hester growing a new life, • “Wild” in a place of structure and order• Outside of the prison which represents the Puritan code and the

restrictions of “civilized society”

• Roses= red• Represents Pearl; blooming, new life, lovely• Result of the bush blooming and growing

• Contrasted to the weeds and dirt surrounding the rosebush that represent the Puritans themselves and how they are dried up and lack compassion in their structured world

Within the forest: River/puddle/water• Water is a symbol of truth and reflection• Running water is a symbol of change and transition• Water is usually depicted as blue• The puddle Pearl is looking in within the forest, reflects how nature sees her

as compared to how she was seen in the village.• The scene with the A on the bank of a river separating Pearl from Hester is

very important.– To cross the river suggests that Hester must continue to change– The fact that Pearl can cross the river suggests that she is not trapped by social

conventions.– The fact that Hester can not/does not cross the river suggests that she will not

“transcend”– But she also does not leave the path and enter the “moral” wilderness; she remains

anchored to a civilized environment and accepts that social contract and the consequences of that decision.

• For Pearl to leave, she must cross an ocean, a body of water that is wide and deep and completely separate from the New World– Hester chooses to cross again and return.

All symbols you should know

Rosebush Scarlet Letter

The letter A Weeds

Prison (and door) Governor’s Hall and what’s in it

The meteor The forest

The marketplace Water

Colors Scaffold

Green Letter Others?