The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is considered a classic by most literary scholars. Perhaps the most important indicator of its importance as a work of literature is the passing of the phrase “scarlet letter” into popular speech.
The book opens on a woman, Hester Prynn, walking to the scaffold for public shaming. On her body she carries two reminders of her shame. The first is her daughter, Pearl, the child of her adultery. The second is a large scarlet A which she has sewn to her dress with gold thread, as if proclaiming her adultery.
While standing on the gallows, Hester recognizes a stranger in the crowd as her husband, Roger Chillingworth, last seen by her in Amsterdam. Chillingworth visits her in prison after her public humiliation and requests that she not reveal his identity as her husband. During the same visit, Chillingworth asks the name of Pearl’s father. Hester refuses to tell him. He promises to find the father himself.
Some time later, Hester and Pearl move into a cottage next to the woods. There, Hester takes in sewing and gives her time to help those who are too poor or too sick to get help otherwise. Pearl, meanwhile, grows wild and defiant.
While Hester sews and helps the needy, Roger Chillingworth establishes a medical practice and develops a strong reputation. On the basis of this reputation he moves into the home where the ailing local minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, lives. Chillingworth quickly figures out that Dimmesdale is Pearl’s father and embarks upon a campaign of torment which Hester will discover.
In fact, Chillingworth will unwittingly unite Dimmesdale and Hester once more.
It would be a serious mistake to think that The Scarlet Letter is simply about adultery, although that does appear to be what the book is “about.” In fact, several deeper themes run through Hawthorne’s novel, including guilt, forgiveness and punishment and wild vs. civilized, in addition to the actual scarlet letter of the book’s title.
Shame and guilt feature prominently in The Scarlet Letter. There can be no doubt that Hester Prynn is guilty of adultery; Pearl is the proof of that. The public shaming she endured was required by the laws of her time. In fact, many women were executed for adultery. In light of this harsher penalty, shaming seems less harsh. The public shaming, though, was mild compared to the private guilt and shame both Hester and Dimmesdale carried.
Chillingsworth’s forgiveness of Hester is interesting, and meaningful. Juxtaposed against his punishment of Dimmesdale, the forgiveness takes on a more symbolic meaning, as this cuckolded man takes on himself the right to forgive or punishment.
Hester’s retreat to the edge of the woods and Pearl’s wild behavior both bring up the idea of the wild vs. the civilized. Pearl’s transformation after her father’s death raises interesting question about her origins in lust.
Knowing a portion of the story and a few of the themes that run through it should make reading The Scarlet Letter more enjoyable and increase understanding of the book and its multiple messages.