The Scarlet Letter

1
The Scarlet Letter

• Author Nathaniel Hawthorne

2
Themes

• Justice
• Hypocrisy
• Freedom
• Moral Choices
• Man v. Nature
• Legality v. Morality
• Individual v. Society

3
Historical Background

• Puritanism
• Theocracy v. Separation of Church and State
• Witchcraft
• 1208-1682
• Europe
• England
• Since 1990
• Africa
• India
• Saudi Arabia

4
Literary Elements

• Romanticism
• Irony
• Foreshadowing
• Personification
• Symbolism

5
Literary Elements

• Symbolism
• Flowers rose, wild rose, wild flowers
• Platform/pillory frames the story beginning
  and ending
• Role of color including light and shadow
• Gold chain
• Hand over heart
• Significance of names

6
Character Development

• Dynamic/static characters
• Trees/forest as a character use of light and
  shadow
• Significant actions and insight to character
• Interactions with other characters
• Motivation for their behavior
• How the characters change

7
Nathaniel Hawthorne

• Born in Salem in 1804
• Related to Judge Hathorne from The Crucible
• Was the most widely read 19th Century American
  author.
• Known for development of character secret
  motivations, guilt, hope, fears, human heart

8
Author notes continued

• In 1848, President Taylor eliminated his job as
  surveyor at The Custom House. This is when he
  wrote the book.
• The Custom House includes background of the Whig
  Party/political climate 1847-1849.
• Within this section the inspiration to write the
  Scarlet Letter is revealed.
• Book published in 1850

9
Scarlet Letter notes

• Hawthorne and Hester Prynnea connection?
• What does the A represent? Does it change
  meaning as the novel progresses?
• Structure of novel
• Layered symbols
• Scaffold scene 1-3, 12, 23 all characters
  present
• Narrator

10
Romanticism

• Gained strength during European industrialization
• Revolt against Age of Enlightenment and
  scientific rationalization of nature
• Emphasized intuition, imagination, feeling
• In literature emphasis on women and children,
  heroic isolation of the artist, a respect for
  nature and focus on supernatural and human
  psychology

11
Puritanism - History

• Critical name given to those who led
  reformations of the Church of England, thought to
  be too much like the Catholic Church

• Accepted the interpretations of John Calvin
  (1509-64) on the nature of man, free will and
  predestination, and other basic concepts.
• Split into three major denominations after
  1660the Presbyterian, Congregational, and
  Baptist sects.
• http//academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/n
  ovel_18c/defoe/puritanism.html

12
Puritanism - Beliefs

• Providence
• Free will and predestination
• Other key concepts
• Covenants Gods promises
• Covenant of grace Godgiven faith
• Covenant of works reward for perfect obedience
  (lost)
• Glorification soul united with God
• Justification conversion
• Natural depravity sinfulness of man
• Regeneration vs. Reprobation predestined
  (good/evil)
• Sanctification leading the life of a saint in
  gratitude
• Unregenerate alienated from God
• Vocation using talents to fulfill Gods call
• http//academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/english/melani/n
  ovel_18c/defoe/puritanism.html