The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the
Epitome of 17 th Century Puritan Society
The Scarlet Letter – by
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Essay Notes
1.
Nathaniel Hawthorne Calvinist perspective; predestination; man of God - buy your way in;
2.
Historical work – why?
A.
Moral higher ground?
B.
Individual versus society?
C.
Setting past –not contemporary – first
American author to do this;
3.
Masterful story has 4 parts:
A.
Author /text - word choice and rhetoric; writer’s style
B.
Reader Response – what emotion is evoked in the reader? Fear, anxiety, question our belief system; what causes the reader to propel through the story
C.
Mimetic Reality – realism; real life situation
D.
Fabulism – fable tell a tale with a moral lesson

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the
Epitome of 17 th Century Puritan Society
1.
2.
Opinion
(your stated opinion as a fact)
Hester Prynne is a victim of the cruel and hypocritical
Puritan society
Hester Prynne was punished according to
Puritan law
Quotation
(taken directly or paraphrased from the text)
Shunned by society and used only for her talent as a seamstress when it benefitted the town. She was forced to move to the outskirts of town, alone with her child, husbandless; she was not allowed to embroider for
“pure” events
(weddings and christenings). She was used for all other occasions
Crime committed was adultery; made an outcast of society – by living alone in the outskirts of town – she also had to wear a red letter
“A” to serve as a physical representation of her sin/ crime
3. Hester Prynne & role of women – she was an independent
She was solely responsible for the education of her child, Pearl.
Relevance
( to the thesis and the elements of a masterful work)
Reader Response – creates a sense of pity for the reader; characters – creates conflict within and among the characters
(Dimmesdale,
Chillingworth, with
Hester
Prynne);society begins to question their belief system
Mimetic reality; the reader understands the severity of
Hester and
Dimmesdale’s crime; reader response feel both anger and pity; anger because the character openly admitted to a sin/crime and pity because she is forced to live alone
Reader response – pity because she was responsible for so much on her own; admire her

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the
4.
Epitome of 17 th Century Puritan Society woman in this society
Mistress Hibbins – considered a witch and evil
Occupation was a seamstress
She was neither married or considered sane by
Puritan society;
Hester was befriended by her because she persevered in her and her daughter’s life
Mimetic reality – stereotypical crazy lady; reader response – pity that
Hester and Mistress
Hibbins are both outcasts for reasons beyond their control; we as the reader expect them to struggle together as they are both women in this society; character development – creates a sense of camaraderie between the women (knowledge that they are not alone) – strengthens their relationship; as the relationship strengthens, the relationships between the women and society break down
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the
Epitome of 17 th Century Puritan Society