Revenire Cuprins
AN ACADEMIC APPROACH TO TEACHING THE SCARLET LETTER
Conf. univ. dr. Anda Ştefanovici
Universitatea “Petru Maior”, Tg. Mureş
Abstract: Teaching literature creatively enhances students’ motivation and interest in the material
to be studied. That means to draw parallels in the students’ own culture and to make the text
relevant to the students’ own experience. As such, the students’ task was to find in the text
contemporary issues, make a list of them and then argue and interpret the list. The list included
items such as: teenage pregnancy, babies born out of marriage, sex and adultery, woman pride,
society rejection and consequent isolation, woman’s role to freely choose her own destiny, equality
of sexes, etc. The students’ interpretation tried to oppose and, at the same time, find similarities
between the 2 (two) opposing cultures (American and Romanian): the former as creator of Hester,
and the latter, as receiver. The aim of the course, that of making the students interested in an in
depth, cross-cultural study of The Scarlet Letter was achieved by means of the questions, the tasks,
and the essays (some of which are illustrated in the paper) given to students as food for thought and
for application. Further research into the topic was also done by means of the discussion questions
(inviting personal reactions to the text), illustrated at the end of the paper.
Motto: “The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove
one's self a fool; the truest heroism is to resist the doubt; and the profoundest wisdom, to know
when it ought to be resisted, and when it be obeyed”. (Nathaniel Hawthorne)
Introduction
CREATIVE TEACHING is predicated upon the ability of the teacher to motivate students by
arousing their interest in the material to be studied. However, this is not always an easy task. Such
teaching demands a lively imagination, ability to analyze and anticipate students’ needs, and a
willingness to experiment.
Among WAYS TO MOTIVATE STUDENTS, the following can be mentioned:
(1) To show the relevance of ideas found in their reading to their own lives;
(2) To create in them a desire to extract greater meaning from what they read;
(3) To guide them to discover major points by which they can judge the relative importance
of the ideas they encounter.
As a GENERAL METHODOLOGY used in teaching literature creatively, our teachers:
(1) Make constant use of examples in explaining complex sentence structures;
(2) Explain the nuances, range of meaning, and special references of a new word rather than a
single lexical meaning;
(3) Draw parallels in the students’ own culture to clarify the meaning of idiomatic
expressions;
(4) Give ample background explanation of new facts not within the students’ experience;
(5) Encourage the students to deduce the meaning of new words from their relationship to
familiar words in the sentence or paragraph;
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(6) Make frequent use of paraphrases to help the student organize his ideas and relate them to
those of the author. The paraphrase is useful both for oral and writing practice.
Taking the above as a springboard for plunging into the interpretative process of The Scarlet
Letter in a modern way, the students’ task was to demonstrate a paradox: many of the moral issues
and stigmas of Puritan society are still grappled with today (a bridge over 4 centuries and two
continents: 17th century setting, 19th century romancer, 20th century reader; America and Europe)
Although written 150 years ago, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter contains concepts
and insights relevant to contemporary readers. The themes of alienation and breaking society’s rules
are ones to which many students of English can readily relate. Viewed in this light, the romance can
be approached as the story of a woman who let her heart rule her head and suffered the
consequences. Hester Pynne’s plight can arouse sympathy, Arthur Dimmesdale’s hypocrisy can
provoke anger, and Roger Chillingworth’s evil revenge can elicit disgust among today’s readers.
Students minoring in English were asked to think of possible contemporary issues found
while reading the romance. The list with their findings was presented to the class and the
interpretation given by them to each issue was recorded.
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
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Baby born out of marriage
Deceived husband
Husband taking revenge
Cowardly lover
Teenage pregnancy
Sex and adultery
Woman pride
Community reaction (isolation)
Feminism
Consumer society (free to choose her own destiny)
Child in need of both parents
Child desiring ‘right’ moral behavior
Economic, sexual and psychological freedom
Emancipation Vs Hypocrisy
Woman morally superior to man
The seminar questions, tasks and discussions, which resulted in a challenging and most
rewarding experience for both the teacher and the students were registered and are summarized in
the following lines.
1. Students were asked to define some key-terms as they appear in The Scarlet Letter, such
as: scarlet letter, adultery, sin of passion, sin of principle, community member, ostracized,
and then to find similarities or dissimilarities between their meanings in Hawthorne’s
times and our present times. They had to prepare their responses at home, by individual
research. Students’ responses were shared in a whole class discussion later.
2. Many ideas / themes explored in The Scarlet Letter are still important today and
frequently recur in literary works (Cf. Elizabeth Poe, Assistant Professor at the University
of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, U.S.A).
• Alienation. Robert Cormier: The Chocolate War (1986), Ouida Sebetyn: Words by Heart
(1983), Gloria D. Miklowitz: Good-Bye Tomorrow (1988).
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Breaking Society’s Rules about Sexual Relationships. Chris Crutcher: Chinese Handcuffs
(1989), Alan Paton: Too Late the Phalarope (1953), Cynthia Rylant: A Kindness (1990).
Appearance Versus Reality. Nathaniel Hawthorne: “The Minister’s Black Veil” (1963),
Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1962), Bram Stoker: Dracula (1978).
Love Triangles. Emily Bronte: Jane Eyre (1971), Boris Pasternak: Doctor Zhivago (1986),
William Shakespeare: The Moor of Venice (1962).
Religious Communities. M.E. Kerr: What I Really Think of You (1983), Arthur Miller: The
Crucible (1976), Elizabeth Speare: The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1978).
Single Parenthood. Ron Koertge: Where the Kissing Never Stops (1988), Norma Fox
Mazer: Silver (1988), Cynthia Voigt: A Solitary Blue (1987).
Puritan New England. Paul Fleischman: Saturnalia (1990), Arthur Miller: The Crucible
(1976), Elizabeth Spears: The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1978).
Volunteers reported their findings on the six themes, after previously reading at least two of
the titles given as a bibliography of literary works grouped by themes found in The Scarlet Letter.
3. Refer to recent American / Romanian history events (e.g. historical events in which
American /Romanian groups of people broke society’s rules and the outcomes of these
events) or literary works that are relevant to the themes previously discussed.
4. Make two lists of the rules Puritan society, and modern society, respectively, sets
concerning sexual relationships. Find the items that are identical or different on the lists.
5. Devise a list of Hawthorne’s “words of wisdom”. Interpret the passages starting from the
Puritan cultural background. Was Hawthorne a true Puritan? Read “Endicott and the Red
Cross”, included at the end of the Signet Classic edition of The Scarlet Letter, and
summarize Hawthorne’s general attitudes toward the Puritans.
E.g. “It is remarkable that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the
most perfect quietude to the external regulations of society” (The Scarlet Letter: 159)
6. Hawthorne provided his readers with vivid descriptions depicting the time, place, and
mood or the setting of The Scarlet Letter. Referring to the mood, Hawthorne cloaks The
Scarlet Letter in a mood of somberness and foreboding. To understand the relationship
between the mood and the story itself, choose the color that reflects, according to you, the
predominant mood of The Scarlet Letter. Why is this an appropriate choice? For which
scenes might different colors be appropriate? What are those colors and why are they
appropriate?
7. Discuss more modern uses of the word scarlet such as Scarlet O’Hara (Margaret Mitchell:
Gone with the Wind), and scarlet woman.
8. Discuss the implications of each of the major character’s names, beginning with Hester
Prynne that rhymes with sin.
9. Hester Prynne held some unorthodox thoughts about the relationship between men and
women. Describe her assessment of the situation in her day and her thoughts about how it
would have to change; to meet what she felt would be a more ideal situation. (page 275).
Would Hester be a perfect fit in today’s society? Argue your point.
10. Compare and contrast Hawthorne’s book, and the woman character he created, to the film
starring Demi Moore in the role of Hester.
The fruitful discussions had as an end product (extended learning) an individual essay on
some more general topics, in the field of comparative studies, such as:
1. Read novels by Hawthorne’s contemporaries and compare them to The Scarlet Letter.
2. Explain how The Scarlet Letter is the story of a love triangle. Refer to other such stories
you have read about in history or literary works.
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3. Explore parallel situations between the Reverend Dimmesdale and contemporary political
or religious leaders (American or Romanian) you may have read about in the news.
4. Sometimes rich symbols like Hester’s “A” take on contemporary meanings never
imagined by the author. Could the scarlet letter “A” have any possible association with
AIDS, or drug addiction or abortion? Explore these possible associations and/or think of
other meanings the “A” could encompass.
5. The meaning of the ”A” given by the town magistrates to Hester in the beginning was that
of “adulteress”. Over time, newcomers transformed its meaning and the letter took on new
significance, e.g. “able”, as a sign of respect. She discovers economic survival in her
needlework and spiritual survival in raising her child and helping those less fortunate. Just
as the scarlet letter gained new meanings during Hester’s lifetime, so it may hold
meanings beyond those associated specifically with Hester’s sin. Within the novel,
professor Poe suggests, the “A” might be enlarged to embrace all those who, like Hester,
have been alienated or who feel alone. It might even be interpreted to symbolize America,
a country born in the sin of revolution but which eventually prospered – just like Pearl.
6. Students majoring in History and minoring in English could also research historical facts
relating to the Puritan settlement of Boston, or Hawthorne’s ancestors and their
connection with the Puritans of early New England.
7. The scarlet letter that Hester was required to wear on her breast is frequently referred to in
other literary works as well as in everyday speech. Students keen on music could write a
short essay about the lyrics in the song “The Sadder but Wiser Girl” in The Music Man
that say “I hope, I pray for Hester to win just one more “A” / “The sadder but wiser girl’s
the girl for me”.
8. In Where the Kissing Never Stops by Ron Koertge, Walker’s mother sarcastically answers
his question about what she told the neighbors about her new job with the following:
“Well, I thought of telling them the truth and saying that I was making a hundred dollars
as might as an actress and a dancer in a revival of old-time burlesque, but I knew they
would sew a scarlet A on my best sweater and dunk me in the river, so I said I was
drowning kittens for a dollar an hour and that seemed to satisfy them” (14)
The interpretation tried to oppose and, at the same time, find similarities between two
opposing cultures (American and Romanian): the former as creator of Hester and the latter, as
receiver. The social contexts in which the character was created, and under what conditions she was
read and interpreted by a different people, from another continent, 150 years later, were also subject
to discussion. The conclusions would show how Hester transgressed the alleged boundary both
between the 17th century and 20th century America, and between America and Romania. We have
still been waiting for our sinful nature to be acknowledged. Just like in the case of the father, the
mother and the child in The Scarlet Letter - the whole trinity of love - for whom the world has done
nothing, so we are waiting today for a “divine, still human” recognition and forgiveness of our
weaknesses. This is what will make us self-confident, true, and real.
As a follow-up, the students were asked to do further research on the following
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (inviting personal reactions to the text):
• What is Hawthorne’s answer to the question on which the story (romance) hinges: would we
live our lives differently if we could live them over? Do you agree with his conclusion? What
value is there in speculating on a situation that could not happen in actual life?
• How does Hawthorne achieve skill as a writer? Does he compare favorably with any writer of
our national literature in style and subject matter? Give examples.
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• Did you think the story had to end as it does? Could another outcome have been possible?
Explain your answer.
• How does the scarlet “A” Hester has embroidered serve as a defiance of her penalty?
• Was the letter supposed to be “in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and
fantastic flourishes of gold-thread”?
• Was Hester’s embroidery, in your opinion, an act of boldness, spitefulness or mockery?
• Hester is led to pillory for public observation. What is your reaction to this aspect of her
punishment? Do you think it is unduly cruel? How does it compare with the actual
punishments recorded by John Winthrop in his Puritan Journal?
• Is The Scarlet Letter a protofeminist novel? Had Hester not been a woman, would she have
received the same punishment? When Hester undertakes to protect other women from genderbased persecution, can we interpret her actions as pointing to a larger political statement in the
text as a whole?
Conclusions
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, is both a noteworthy American classic and a piece
of great American literature. The Scarlet Letter transcends time, continuing to accomplish what
only such illustrious works can – loft its audience into an alternate reality so compelling that they
emerge, perhaps, changed by the experience. Its frequent dramatization on stage and film reveals
the compelling nature of its characters, plot, and themes.
Hawthorne’s story still resonates today not only because of the enduring capacity of human
beings for cruelty, but also because our social environment still contains Colonial assumptions and
practices. Particularly insidious is the belief in essential, hierarchical differences between men and
women. Hester Prynne followed her heart in an act that countered dominant social order. She was
cast off that order for a single sexual act that produced her Pearl (her name has symbolical
implications: purity and serenity). Furthermore, she did not denounce this natural act of love.
Through Hester, Hawthorne brought to point interesting, ever-lasting issues such as teenage
pregnancy, babies born out of marriage, sex and adultery, woman pride, society rejection and
consequent isolation, woman’s role to freely choose her own destiny in a consumer society. Hester
managed to bridge across two continents, with two different cultures and conventions. She is still an
apostle of a would-be world; she is still waiting for justice through economic, sexual and
psychological freedom. “Earlier in life, Hester had vainly imagined that she herself might be the
destined prophetess of sounder relations between the sexes, but had long since recognized the
impossibility that mission of divine and mysterious truth should be confided to a woman stained
with sin, bowed down with shame, or even burdened with a life-long sorrow” (The Scarlet Letter:
275).
Her strength and sexuality help to explain her strong appeal for Hawthorne and to his readers,
but they are also the elements that Salem’s society must put in check. The Salem tribunal, (Cf. “The
Scarlet Letter: A Female Journey for a New Society Based on the Novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne”)
castrates her sexuality so that “there seemed to be no longer anything in Hesters’ face for Love to
dwell upon; nothing in Hester’s form, though majestic and statue-like, that Passion would ever
dream of clasping in its embrace; nothing in Hester’s bosom, to make it ever again the pillow of
Affection. Some attribute had departed from her, the permanence of which had been essential to
keep her a woman.”(2) Hester Prynne symbolized woman as a natural, sexual being, a symbol that
her society had to remove.
Perhaps Hawthorne’s story is still vivid to a modern audience because women are still objects
of cruel social practice. Across history and culture, women have been ostracized for reasons of
sexuality and desire.
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Hester’s resilience in the face of social alienation is what keeps the story of The Scarlet Letter
from becoming a tragedy. She is strong and self-reliant. One critic observes that “Hester always
precedes us as the most representative portrait of an American woman” (as cited in “The Scarlet
Letter: A Female Journey for a New Society Based on the Novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne”: 3).
Although she loses her agency in traditional female realms, she gains agency in others. “The scarlet
letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread” (The Scarlet Letter: 217).
Furthermore, her solitude through her social marginalization allows her time and observation for
speculation about possible forms for a new society.
We have presented an academic approach to teaching The Scarlet Letter that encourages
student involvement. Rather than treating The Scarlet Letter as an artifact, we must study as a
cultural or curricular obligation; this approach emphasizes the significance this classic literary work
holds for the lives of its readers. The approach focuses on the individual cultural background, his
experience while reading the work and the sharing of this experience with other readers, in this
case, his colleagues. The approach incorporates reading, writing, speaking, listening, and creative
thinking as they relate to the literary work. At the same time, it is important that we, as teachers not
expect all students to respond to the romance as literary scholars. Nurturing an interest in the parts
of the romance which appeal to students, and not dwelling on aspects beyond their comprehension
or concern can enhance the reader’s relationship with the novel that results in the approach of the
text personally (considered long-termed) and not mechanically (short-termed and easily forgotten).
References
[1] Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. A Romance. Ohio State University Press, Penguin
Books, 1986.
[2] Highlights of American Literature. A Course in American Literature for the Advanced Study of
English. Washington, D.C.: English Teaching Division, Information Center Service, United States
Information Agency, 1970.
[3] “The Scarlet Letter: A Female Journey for a New Society Based on the Novel by Nathaniel
Hawthorne”, presented by National Players, the resident touring company of the University of
Maryland, as a Study Guide for Teachers, April 16, 2001.
[4] White, R.V. Process Writing. London & N.York: Longman Group UK Limited, 1991.
[5] White, R.V. Teaching Written English. London: George Allen & Unwin, 1990.