How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Nature In The Scarlet Letter

910 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: When is nature used in the scarlet letter

The definition of a theme is the subject of a piece of writing. Nature is a popular theme used in many novels. The theme of nature is especially important in The Scarlett Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the novel, Hawthorne uses nature to convey the motifs of both good and bad. One of the motifs of nature would be the wilderness. The second motif would be civilization and its effect on nature.
The motif of wilderness shows a positive side of The Scarlet Letter. In The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne uses wilderness to convey an idea of freedom that is not conveyed in the civilized part of society. The motif of civilization sheds a negative light on nature. Civilization is always gloomy and depressing in The Scarlet Letter.
“Yonder she is, standing in a streak of sunshine, a good way off, on the other side of the brook… like a bright- appareled vision in a sunbeam, which fell down upon her through an arch of boughs” (Hawthorne, 200). By using this quote, Hawthorne shows that in the wilderness light finds a way to shine down on Pearl. When no other characters are around, Hawthorne is able to show just how exceptional Pearl is. The significance of …show more content…

“Before the ugly edifice the wheel-track of the street, was a grass plot, much overgrown with burdock, pigweed, apple peru, and such unsightly vegetation, which evidently found something congenial in the soil that had so early borne the black flower of civilized society, a prison” (Hawthorne, 46). This quote from The Scarlet Letter shows how the prison affects the surrounding plants and vegetation. The plants around the prison have grown out of control and have made the area around the prison look ugly. The plants have grown out of control to show the prison in a negative light. Hawthorne is able to uses nature to show the negative effects of what peoples views can have on a certain

Show More
Related

  • Janie and Hester: Dealt Unfair Hands But Played the Game

    838 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beginning with the very first words of The Scarlet Letter the reader is thrust into a bleak and unforgiving setting. “A thong of bearded men, in sad-colored garments,” that are said to be “intermixed with women,” come off as overpowering and all-encompassing; Hawthorne quickly and clearly establishes who will be holding the power in this story: the males (Hawthorne 45). And he goes even further with his use of imagery, painting an even more vivid picture in the reader’s mind. One imagines a sea of drab grays and browns, further reinforcing the unwelcoming feeling this atmosphere seems to inheren...

    Read More

  • Relation between Pearl and Nature in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    1051 Words  | 3 Pages

    First it is necessary to examine how nature is identified with sin against the Puritan way of life. The first example of this is found in the first chapter regarding the rosebush at the prison door. This rosebush is located "on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold"(36) of the prison. The prison naturally is the place where people that have sinned against the puritan way of life remain. Then Hawthorne suggests that the roses of the rose-bush "might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him"(36). This clearly states that Nature is kind to prisoners and criminals that pass through the prison doors. Hawthorne strengthens this point by suggesting two possible reasons for the rosebush's genesis. The first is that "it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness..."(36), while the second reason is that "there is fair authority for believing [the rose-bush] had sprung up under the footsteps of the sainted Ann Hutchinson..."(36). By Hawthorne's wording it appears as if he is emphasizing the second reason because he suggests there is "fai...

    Read More

  • The Symbolic Use of Nature in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    1364 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic The Scarlet Letter, nature plays a very important and symbolic role.  Hawthorne uses nature to convey the mood of a scene, to describe characters, and to link the natural elements with human nature.  Many of the passages that have to do with nature accomplish more than one of these ideas.  All throughout the book, nature is incorporated into the story line. The deep symbolism conveyed by certain aspects of nature helps the reader gain a deeper understanding of the plight and inner emotions of the characters in the novel.

    Read More

  • Characterization through Imagery and Metaphor in The Scarlet Letter

    1265 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the first Chapter of The Scarlet Letter, "The Prison-Door", the reader is immediately introduced to the people of Puritan Boston. Hawthorne begins to develop the character of the common people in order to build the mood of the story. The first sentence begins, "A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes" (Hawthorne 45). Hawthorne's use of vivid visual images and his Aaccumulation of emotionally weighted details" (Baym xii) creates sympathy for the not yet introduced character, Hester Prynne, and creates an immediate understanding of the harshness of the Puritanic code in the people. The images created give the freedom to imagine whatever entails sadness and morbidity of character for the reader; Hawthorne does not, however, allow the reader to imagine lenient or cheerful people.

    Read More

  • The Forest In The Scarlet Letter

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    The forest is generally sought out as a place where no good happens in many stories such as Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe. It is no different in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. It is where many mysterious things reside in the wilderness. The town in the book can contrast the forest as a sanction where people are are immune from the darkness. They differ, but they also aid in conveying the bigger themes of the story. Some people might see the forest as a “happy place” for Hester and Pearl, but it should really be looked upon as a place of sin when comparing it to its foil, the town, which in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter contrasts to aid in the themes of the nature of evi, civilization versus wilderness, and identity

    Read More

  • Nature In The Scarlet Letter Essay

    835 Words  | 2 Pages

    Some people find nature an escape from civilization. The wild, unsettled territory beyond the city or town limits may symbolize freedom and unconformity. This was true in the Puritan society in the 1850s, where citizens were heavily restricted by their theocratic government. However, in the woods outside of town the rules of the community no longer applied to them, and they could act freely without fear of judgment or persecution. By utilizing specific natural attributes, Hawthorne accentuates the story he wants to depict to his readers. He manipulates aspects of nature, such as the light from the sun or the darkness of night, in order to evoke a stronger sense of setting and character to his audience. In The Scarlet Letter, nature plays a vital role as Hawthorne persistently uses it to emphasize the mood of a situation to his

    Read More

  • Moral and Social Themes in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, there are many moral and social themes develped throughout the novel.  Each theme is very important to the overall effect of the novel.  In essence, The Scarlet Letter is a story of sin, punishment and the importance of truth. One theme which plays a big role in The Scarlet Letter is that of sin and its effects.  Throughout the novel there were many sins committed by various characters.  The effects of these sins are different in each character and every character was punished in a unique way.  Two characters were perfect examples of this theme in the novel.  Hester Prynne and The Reverend Dimmesdale best demonstrated the theme of the effects of sin.

    Read More

  • Scarlet Letter Nature Vs Nature Essay

    1484 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the central themes of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the idea of how nature bridges a connection with human beings. In the novel, it can be thought that Hawthorne portrays nature as a human like entity. That is, in the novel, nature, much like a human, is capable of observing, responding to, reacting to, and interacting with the characters. That being said, in this case, nature goes by both definitions of the word: nature as the wild, untamed outdoors, as well as human nature. As each day cycles through night and day (or light and darkness), so do the events (of the novel) take place during the light of day, or under the cover of darkness. What should be noted

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'

    1549 Words  | 4 Pages

    Symbolism can be found all throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. While most of the symbolism in his work may subtle, it all plays a large role in his novel. Symbolism is often defined as something, like an object, that represents something else or an idea. One may even say he overuses symbolism in his work, “The Scarlet Letter”, but the meaning of his symbols change throughout the novel. For example, the letter “A” has one meaning in the beginning, but it changes a few times by the end novel. Some of the major forms of symbolism within “The Scarlet Letter” are the letter “A”, Pearl, and the Arthur Dimmesdale.

    Read More

  • Society and Characters in The Scarlet Letter

    950 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nathaniel Hawthorne chose the market place and the forest as settings used to symbolically develop his portrait of society and the characters in The Scarlet Letter. In this novel a story unfolds of three people who are torn apart by sin, revenge, and guilt. The market place reveals to the reader a place of restraint and severe Puritan laws. The setting of the forest yields

    Read More

  • Physical and Historical Settings in The Scarlet Letter

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    The story setting is the impetus in The Scarlet Letter because New England during the mid- 17th century had unique customs and values that impelled conflicts and character transformations. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne accentuates certain settings within New England to portray the strictness and hardships in the town, while he counters with the forest and the isolated cottage settings. Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter portrays a strict, rigid Puritan town through utilizing both the physical and historical settings of the time period.

    Read More

  • Light And Darkness In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although unlike Pearl, they represent both light and darkness. They represent both because of the sin that they committed at the beginning of The Scarlet Letter. Yet, they both still have light within them. In the beginning of the book Hawthorne says, “Her prison-door was thrown open, and she came forth into the sunshine which, falling on all alike, seemed, to her sick and morbid heart, as is meant for no other purpose than to reveal the scarlet letter on her breast” (53). This shows that the sun does shine on her but only to reveal the scarlet letter on her chest so people know that she sinned.

    Read More

  • Nature And Pearl In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    688 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, nature and Pearl are depicted as innocence and evil. Hester brings her daughter, Pearl, to live in the forest because they are not accepted by society due to the Scarlet letter. The relationship between these two is Pearl creates a bond with nature mentally since society rejects her as a product of sin. Nature is viewed in the eyes of a Puritan as a place where witches live to perform witchcraft and where darkness inhabits. However, the relationship between nature and Pearl gives her freedom and growth.

    Read More

  • Nature In Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    678 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nature plays a very significant role in Hawthorne’s 1850 novel named The Scarlet Letter. Nature has a very important and symbolic role throughout the entire story that gives imagery and foreshadows actions to the readers. Throughout the story, it can be described as very forgiving. Nature could be an example of almost a light to all the characters in the story. Many chapters in the book are named after nature, or have to do with nature, such as, A Forest Walk, The Child At The Brookside, and A Flood of Sunshine.

    Read More

  • Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter: Society’s Entrapment vs. Natural Escape

    553 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a story of sin, guilt and salvation, centered in the purely Puritan community of Massachusetts in the seventeenth century. Within this community, we found all the central features of the town, the most symbolic of these is the scaffold; many souls are condemned upon it and are subjected to intense inquiry, where reality becomes a brutal punishment. In contrast to the scaffold is the forest beyond the town, here, there is no judgment and reality is relative to the individual. Hawthorne creates this setting for the characters to escape from themselves and society without restraint or worry, the comparison is clear: the market place, especially the scaffold, represents the harsh reality of Puritan society and public judgment and the forest provides getaway and escape.

    Read More

More about How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Nature In The Scarlet Letter

Open Document