Romanticism. the biggest subject in The Scarlet Letter. can be seen in every page that is turned throughout the novel. Examples of romanticism can be found from the beginning with the air of genuineness to the terminal with the component of a moral. Nathaniel Hawthorne is custodies down the most romantic author from his clip period. Hawthorne seems to cover all the facets of romanticism in The Scarlet Letter. However Hawthorne seems to zero in on three major elements of romanticism ; he focuses the most on the component of symbolism so is followed by love of nature and supernatural.
Symbolism is the biggest factor of romanticism that Nathaniel Hawthorne focuses on in The Scarlet Letter. During the first chapter the prison is mentioned and so the graveyard is talked about shortly after. This symbolizes the book’s beginning and its terminal. The beginning is Hester’s release from gaol and the terminal Dimmesdale. Hester. and Chillingsworth are all buried at the mentioned graveyard. The rosebush is a symbol from Hawthorne straight to the reader ; Hawthorne says about the rosebush. “ [ … it ] symbolize [ s ] some sweet moral flower [ … ] or alleviate the darkening stopping point of a narrative of human infirmity and sorrow. ” ( 2 ) . The quote speaks of how the rosebush is at that place for comfort since this is such a melancholic narrative.
The missive A symbolizes many different things in The Scarlet Letter. The most obvious representation is adultery. Besides adultery the A represents how Hester has become ‘able’ in how she is really helpful and sort to the “less fortunate. ” It besides represents ‘angel’ . which is what Hester has become. From the clip she is forced to have on the vermilion missive she begins to populate a largely impeccant life. Pearl is the populating vermilion missive and symbolizes the wickedness that changed her life. The creek resembles Pearl “as much as the current of her life gushed from wellspring as cryptic [ … ] ” ( 141 ) .
Pearl is a great symbol throughout The Scarlet Letter. but besides is cardinal in love of nature ; she is acute to nature and shut to it. In consequence. she believes she is a merchandise of nature. Pearl shows her belief in the scene in which Reverend Wilson asks who made her and Hawthorne says. “ [ … ] she had non been made at all but had been plucked by her female parent from the shrub of wild roses [ … ] ” ( 63 ) . Another minute of loving nature is apparent in the scene in which Pearl has broken a bird’s flying with a rock. so stops because she feels guilty. Her ground for experiencing guilty is she harmed something. “ [ … ] that was wild as the sea zephyr. or every bit wild as Pearl herself. ” ( 131 ) . Pearl is the chief beginning of love of nature ; but. Dimmesdale has his experience with it after to speaking to Hester in the wood. Before he ventures into the wood he is creaky ; nevertheless. at the clip he leaves the wood he “ [ … ] leaped [ … ] push [ … ] climbed [ … ] and overcame [ … ] ” ( 171 ) . The wood seems to hold an invigorating consequence on Dimmesdale. which seems to be a small occult besides
The supernatural component is put into this book to maintain readers on the terminal of their seats and show that Hawthorne does non restrict himself with the Torahs of nature. Hester has a personal brush with the supernatural when Hawthorne says ; “ [ … ] the vermilion missive had endowed her with a new sense. ” ( 39 ) . The red missive gives Hester. “ [ … ] sympathetic cognition of the concealed wickedness in others’ Black Marias. ” ( 39 ) . The most blazing illustration of the supernatural is at the terminal of the 2nd scaffold scene when Hawthorne says “ [ … ] beheld at that place the visual aspect of an huge letter- the missive A- marked out in lines of dull ruddy visible radiation. ” ( 107 ) . The ruddy A is an illustration of how supernatural events can duplicate as symbols ( with dual significances ; Angel and Adultery ) .
Nathaniel Hawthorne focuses extremely on romanticism in this novel and does a really good occupation of covering all the elements. While Hawthorne utilizations all facets of romanticism in his fresh three elements stuck out above the remainder. Symbolism seems to hold the most importance to him. His focal point on symbolism is so good written that it revolutionized the historic book Moby Dick. He uses Pearl a batch to demo love of nature and it seems that Hawthorne made Pearl’s merely friend nature. Hawthorne put the occult in the novel to put the narrative apart from the normal restrictions of mundane life. Of all the elements of romanticism that are used by Nathaniel Hawthorne. symbolism. love of nature. and supernatural are the most outstanding.
