Influences of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Life on His Novel "The Scarlet Letter"

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Recommended: Critical analysis of the scarlet letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the greatest American authors of the nineteenth century. He published his first novel Fanshawe, in 1828. However, he is widely known for his novels The Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables. His novel, The Scarlet Letter, can be analyzed from historical, psychological and feminist critical perspectives by examining his life from the past, as well as his reflections while writing The Scarlet Letter. In order to understand the book properly, it’s necessary to use these three perspectives.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4th, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts. His ancestors were comprised of businessmen, judges, and seamen, all who were Puritans with a strict religious discipline. His father died while on a voyage when he was four years old, leaving his mother to raise three children on her own, with the help of some relatives. When Nathaniel’s wealthy uncle discovered his talents with writing, he was sent to Bowdoin College from 1821 to 1825.

In 1846, Hawthorne managed to obtain a position as a surveyor in the Salem Custom House; however, two years later in 1848, he was dismissed because of his affiliation with politics. As quoted in Encyclopedia of World Biography, “Hawthorne obtained in 1846 the position of surveyor (one who maps out new lands) in the Salem Custom House, but was relieved of this position in 1848 because of his political ties” (Advameg, Inc, 2010). However, his dismissal from the Custom House gave him a chance to write his biggest success, The Scarlet Letter.

Nathaniel’s Puritan family background had greatly influenced his novel The Scarlet Letter. One of the early Puritan settlers, Major William, arrived with Governor Winthrop in 1630. As quoted in Britton, “William believe...

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...ght, believing that they are stronger than the stereotypes they receive. Upon analysis, the novel is best understood through a view of historical, psychological and feminist perspectives.

Works Cited

Advameg, Inc. (2010). Nathaniel Hawthorne. Encyclopedia of world biography. Retrieved

(2010, March 22) from http://www.notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Hawthorne-

Nathaniel.html

Hawthorne, N. (1850). The Scarlet letter. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

Seabrook, A. (2008 , March 2). Hester prynne: sinner, victim, object, winner. Retrieved from

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87805369

SparkNotes Editors. (2003). SparkNote on The Scarlet Letter. Retrieved March 15, 2010, from http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/scarlet/

Vishakh. (2003, Jan 23). Women in colonial america. Retrieved from

http://everything2.com/title/Women+in+Colonial+America.

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