Romantics Seen Through Hester in the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthrone

Romanticism was a movement in American history around the late 18th century and into the 19th century in which a lifestyle strongly centered around expression and art, music, and literature were apparent. Strong themes such as nature, experience, and imagination can be seen all throughout the works of the Romantics. The Romantic movement occurred in reaction to the Industrial Revolution and the Age of Reason brought on by historical figures such as Benjamin Franklin. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, written in 1849, is a novel from the Romantic era. The many values and concepts from the Romantic lifestyles are shown all throughout the book in its characters and symbols. The most abundant are the corruption of man by religion and science, and the value of truth and light. The book takes place in a Puritan community in Boston, Massachusetts. It follows three main characters through their experience in their corrupt society and their own personal downfall. Hester Prynne is a woman convicted of adultery and forced to wear a letter A on her chest for the world to see her crime. It turns out the town minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, is the father of Hester’s child and her husband, Roger Chillingworth, who had been missing has just arrived back into their town ready for revenge. Hester shows the best depiction of the Romantic lifestyle as she is the median between Roger and Arthur. Roger, corrupt by too much science and Arthur by too much religion. The Romantics believed that too much of either will corrupt mankind making Hester the most Romantic character in the book.

Hester Prynne is first introduced as “[a] young woman [who] was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale. She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy...

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...tray this message clearly. Hester lived this message. She was true to herself and everyone around her wearing her scarlet letter proudly, allowing her to make her own experience, a concept the Romantics values greatly. Romantic literature portrays messages and characters like the ones in The Scarlet Letter to explain the value of truth and experience. Throughout the book evidence of this can be clearly seen making it a good example of Romantic literature. The Romantic Movement started in America by American artists and authors. The Romantics had strong beliefs expressed through their writing, music, and artwork. Many novels from this movement in American history are still read and taught today. By reading this book and many others, American people may learn more about the Romantic Movement in history and about the values expressed through the artwork and literature.