The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Puritanism
The Novel
Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Puritan Ancestry
– July 4, 1804: Born in Salem, Massachusetts,
home of the infamous witch trials of 1692.
– Ancestors
• William Hathorne - persecution of Quakers
• John Hathorne - magistrate at the witch trials
– Changed the spelling of his last name to separate
himself from his ancestry
Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Early Life Events
– 1808: Hawthorne’s father, a sea captain, dies,
leaving the family dependent on relatives.
– 1821–25: Hawthorne attends Bowdoin College in
Maine. Franklin Pierce (14th US President) and
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (poet) are
classmates.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Middle years
– 1825-1837: Isolates himself at his mother’s
house, reading great works of Literature,
taking notes, and publishing some works,
mostly anonymously
– 1838: Becomes engaged to Sophia Peabody.
– 1839–40: Works in Boston Custom House.
– 1841: Lives at the Brook Farm Community for
eight months.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Connections
– 1842–45: Marries Sophia and lives in
Concord, Massachusetts, where he meets
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David
Thoreau.
– 1846–49: Works as a surveyor in the Salem
Custom House, a political appointment.
– 1850: Publishes The Scarlet Letter; becomes
a friend of Herman Melville.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Later years
– 1851-1863: Publishes many works, including
The House of the Seven Gables and The Life
of Franklin Pierce, a campaign biography.
– 1853–57: Serves as United States Consul at
Liverpool on appointment by President Pierce.
– 1857–59: Lives in Rome and Florence.
– 1864: Dies on May 19 at Plymouth, New
Hampshire.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
• Outstanding Characteristics
– Psychological and moral insight
• Probes the “secrets of the human heart”
• Examines the nature of sin, evil, guilt, and pride
• Psychological effects of actions
– Craftsmanship
• Unity of structure
• Word choice
• Complex symbolism
Puritanism
• Brief History
– 1535: Church of England breaks away from
Catholicism under Henry VIII
– 1608: Puritans split with the Anglican
Church and go to Holland to further the
reforms of the church
– 1620: Pilgrims go to America to seek
religious freedom (not religious tolerance)
Puritanism
• Five Points of Calvinism (TULIP)
– Total Depravity
– Unconditional Election
– Limited Atonement
– Irresistible Grace
– Perseverance of the Saints
Puritanism
• God’s Relationship to the World
– Both God and the Devil active in the world
• God punishes evildoers
• The Devil walks the Earth and interacts with
people
– Nature conceals God
• Evil lurks in the wilderness
• Native peoples considered “Godless savages”
Puritanism
• New England Life
– Theocracy (rule by God)
• Ministers chosen by congregations under
inspiration
• Ministers declared the will of God
• Church and State were one
– Nature (evil) surrounded them
• Native Americans
• Saw themselves as chosen people in the
wilderness
Puritanism
• New England Life
– Lack of toleration for other beliefs
• Roger Williams exiled - made friends with and
spoke for Native Americans
• Quakers banished, whipped, tongues bored,
ears cut off, hanged
• Attacks on Baptists
• Witch trials
Puritanism
• Puritan Work Ethic
– Hard work for men, women, children
• “Whatsoever he [the righteous man] doeth, he
shall prosper.”
• Thus, more prosperity = more righteousness
– Education
• Needed to learn to read to understand the Bible
• Harvard established to educate ministers
– Fun was a waste of time
The Scarlet Letter
• Romantic Elements
– Remote Settings
– Unusual Characters
– Unconventional “Heroes”
– Mysterious Events
– Emotional, Psychological, and Moral
Themes
The Scarlet Letter
• Major Symbols
– Plants
– Colors
– The Scaffold
– Mirrors and Reflections
– The letter A
– Light
– Pearl
