The Scarlet Letter
By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Written in 1849-1850
Historical Background

Due to the brutal reality of existence in
the New World, Puritans believed that life
was filled with endless toil and heartbreak.
Indian attacks, virulent diseases, and
harsh weather served to harden their
hearts still further. Ironically although they
had set sail seeking freedom from
religious persecution, they came to be as
rigid, humorless, and judgmental as their
persecutors in England.
Historical Background cont.

It was their self-righteousness, intolerance
and narrow-minded bigotry that interested
Hawthorne, himself a descendant of stern
Puritans. Hawthorne explored the Puritan
ideas of self-discipline, obsession with
introspection, sin, and guilt – to learn
about the inner recesses of the human
heart. The world was a setting for the
great drama of humans in relation to God
and Satan, heaven and hell with the fate
of each person’s soul at stake.
Historical Background cont.

The harshness of the religion suited the
harshness of daily life, which was reflected
in the severity of the law. Many
transgressions, including adultery, murder,
witchcraft, kidnapping, and heresy, were
capital crimes punishable by death. Many
were unwilling to bring the death penalty
because of their belief in the sanctity of
life. As a result, many were forced to wear
a letter like Hester, such as M for murder
or B for blasphemy.
Setting
Puritan Boston
 1642-1649
 Historical feeling because of allusions to
real people and places
 A “romance” since Hawthorne selects
details to help establish mood and tone for
his themes rather than for historical
accuracy

Point of View
“The Custom House” essay is told from
first-person point of view; uses “I”
 The rest of the novel is told from the
omniscient (all-knowing) point of view.
 Hawthorne occasionally interrupts the
novel to address the reader directly
(generally looked upon as a writing flaw)

Literary Elements

Romance rather than a realistic novel
Examples – eerie red gleam in
Chillingworth’s eyes, unexplained symbol
on Dimmesdale’s chest, mystery of Pearl’s
impish behavior
These are all examples of the kind of
fantastic elements found in romances.
Literary Elements cont.

Symbolism – a person, place, or thing
whose significance goes beyond its literal
meaning. Sometimes obvious, but
sometimes it is so complex that its
meaning, or what it represents, can be
interpreted in a variety of ways. TSL is
considered the first symbolic book written
in America.
Literary Elements cont.
Metaphors – an implied comparison
between two seemingly unlike things is
made
 Similes – the words “like” or “as” are used
to compare two things directly
 Personification – given human qualities to
inanimate objects
 Foreshadowing – hinting at what is to
come

Literary Elements cont.
Irony – exists when there is a contrast
between an expectation and what actually
happens, or between what is said and
what is meant (such as Dimmesdale’s
inner torment and his outward popularity)
 Allusion – references to people, places,
other books, etc
 Atmosphere – the prevailing mood
established through tone and setting

Key Characters-Hester Prynne
Committed adultery with Rev. Arthur
Dimmesdale, resulting in the birth of their
daughter Pearl
 Must wear the scarlet letter as a symbol of
her crime
 Believes what she and Dimmesdale did
had a “consecration of its own”
 Strong, brave, and independent with an
element of “wildness” in her nature

Hester Prynne cont.
Supports herself and her daughter by
doing elegant needlework
 By the end of the novel she is much loved
for her charity work and good deeds
 Retains her self-respect to survive with
dignity and grace

Key Character – Pearl
Is willful and stubborn
 Is described as “an imp of evil, an emblem
and product of sin.”
 Seems more an “airy spirit” than a human
child
 After showing remorse for the bird she
injured, she is at home in nature, able to
charm birds and beasts alike.
 Is beautiful and graceful

Key Character – Roger
Chillingworth
Is Hester’s husband, a learned physician
who spent all of his time studying
 Takes the name “Chillingworth” to keep
his true identity a secret
 Is misshapen and older than Hester;
initially he is kind and gentle
 Married Hester when she was quite young
in order to warm his cold nature

Chillingworth cont.
Does not blame Hester for her sin, but he
is determined to find and punish her lover
 Subtly tortures Dimmesdale to seek
revenge
 Commits the worst sin by violating, “in
cold blood, the sanctity of the human
heart.”
 Gradually destroys himself in his lust for
revenge

Key Character – Arthur Dimmesdale
Was Hester’s secret lover
 Lacks the courage to admit his guilt
publicly and purge his soul
 Believes what he and Hester did was
indeed wicked, and so suffers from
increasing self-hatred, mental anguish and
despair
 Leaves Hester to support herself and their
child

Dimmesdale cont.
Changes from a handsome young
clergyman, becoming pale and emaciated
from long fasts and vigils
 Often puts his hand over his heart
 Appears to be concerned with doing good,
but is too deeply self-immersed to connect
with others
 Becomes increasingly popular as he
deteriorates physically
 Admits his sin at the end of the novel

Plot Outline
Custom House – speaker claims to have
found the manuscript and a faded letter A
 Ch. 1 – Setting is established; description
of the prison and surrounding plot is given
 Ch. 2 – Hester, released from prison,
stands on scaffold wearing scarlet A
 Ch. 3 – Hester recognizes a man in the
crowd; Dimmesdale asks her to reveal her
lover

Ch. 4 – The man is her husband; he calls
himself Roger Chillingworth. Hester
promises to keep his identity a secret.
 Ch. 5 – Hester, released from prison,
supports herself and her daughter by
doing needlework.
 Ch. 6 – Hester’s daughter, Pearl, shows
her mischievous side.
 Ch. 7 – Hearing town’s plan to take Pearl
away, Hester visits Gov. Bellingham’s
mansion.

Ch. 8 – Dimmesdale intercedes on
Hester’s behalf, and she is allowed to keep
Pearl.
 Ch. 9 – Chillingworth moves in with
Dimmesdale as his medical advisor.
 Ch. 10 – Chillingworth, ripping aside
Dimmesdale’s vestment, is exalted with
what he sees.
 Ch. 11 – Chillingworth subtly tortures
Dimmesdale.

Ch. 12 – Dimmesdale goes to the scaffold,
meets Pearl and Hester; Chillingworth
discovers them there in the mysterious
light. Seven years have passed.
 Ch. 13 – Hester, now much loved by the
community for her charity, looks drab.
 Ch. 14 – Hester confronts Chillingworth
and notices how evil looking he has
become.
 Ch. 15 – Hester’s inner feelings of hatred
toward Chillingworth are revealed. Hester
lies to Pearl about the A.

Ch. 16 – Hester and Dimmesdale meet in
the woods.
 Ch. 17 – Hester tells Dimmesdale that
Chillingworth is her husband; Dimmesdale
and Hester plan to leave Boston together.
 Ch. 18 – In her joy, Hester throws off the
A.
 Ch. 19 – Pearl bursts into tears and
refuses to cross the brook until Hester
puts the A back on.
 Ch. 20 – Returning home, Dimmesdale is
tempted to sin.

Ch. 21 – The town gathers for the Election
Day holiday.
 Ch. 22 – The Election Day procession
passes by.
 Ch. 23 – Dimmesdale reveals the secret
on his chest to the town and dies.
 Ch. 24 – The revelation of the A is
discussed; Chillingworth dies; Pearl’s fate
is revealed; the story’s moral is given, and
Hester’s grave is described.

Themes: The Effect of Sin
Hester commits a sin of passion rather
than intellect.
 She is not tortured by guilt. She believed
her husband was dead and that the love
she shared with Dimmesdale had a
holiness all its own.
 Hester grows strong as a result of
accepting her punishment.
 Dimmesdale grows weaker since he is
unable to justify his sin, even for love.

Themes: The Effect of Sin cont.
Dimmesdale conceals his sin, increasingly
tormenting his conscience.
 Chillingworth commits the worst sin,
violating the sanctity of the human heart.
 Chillingworth places the intellect over the
heart.

Themes: Personal and Public Truth
Hester freely acknowledges her sin.
 She elaborately embroiders her symbol of
shame and guilt; dresses Pearl in scarlet
as a second such symbol, and wears the A
long after she could have discarded it.
 Dimmesdale conceals his sin for seven
long years.
 He suffers increasing torments of
conscience.

Themes: Personal and Public Truth
cont.
He finally admits his guilt immediately
after his Election Day sermon in Ch. 23.
 Chillingworth pretends to be Dimmesdale’s
friend while probing his heart.
 He becomes increasingly demonic by not
being truthful to himself or others.

Themes: Wisdom through Suffering
Hester becomes increasingly loved and
respected. She is sought after for comfort
and counsel.
 Dimmesdale comes to realize the
importance of publicly confessing sin. He
learns that he cannot live with a lie.
 Chillingworth does not grow wise through
his suffering. He never realizes that his
torture of the minister is immoral and evil.
