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

Hawthorne is known for being a Romantic writer with a Romantic subject: a rebel who refuses to conform to society's code. Most

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem Massachusetts and died on May 19, 1964 in Plymouth New Hampshire. Mr. Hawthorne was injured when he was young and during that time he became fascinated with literature and writing, eventually he went to college and made friends many of whom are famous classic writers. After graduation he returned home and wrote many of his famous book, The Hollows of the Three Hills, An Old Woman's Tale, My Kinsman, and many more. During this time Hawthorne worked for the Boston Custom House, where he met his first wife. They eventually got married, moved to Massachusetts, and had three children. Due to financial reasons they moved back to Salem and he got a job at the Salem Custom House, soon he was let go due to the election of a new president named Zachary Taylor. During this time he started writing again, this is when he wrote The Scarlet Letter.

In the nineteenth century novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes different origins of allusions and archetypes to emphasize how individuals in order to encourage individuals to forgive sins and work towards redemption.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in Salem Massachusetts. Hawthorne was born into a puritan household. One of his ancestors, William Hathorne, immigrated from England to The America’s in 1630 (where he settles in Massachusetts). His ancestor William became in Salem and was known for his harsh sentencing. Due to this Nathaniel latter added a “w” to his name to lose relation to his family.

The Scarlet Letter is regarded as the first symbolic novel in American Literature for Nathaniel Hawthorne 's skillful use of symbolism and allegory. The novel is also said to be the greatest accomplishment of American short story and is viewed as the first American psychological novel, which makes Hawthorne win an incomparable position in American Literature. Hawthorne’s “unique gift” for using this kind of skills taps into the roots of man 's moral nature and gives vivid explanation of the implications in his works (Lei). Hawthorne is outstanding for his skillful employment of symbolism and psychological insight. Hawthorne set the stage for all other American Literature writers.

Nathaniel Hawthorne,  a anti-transcendentalists, born during the early 1800’s, born in Salem, made a book called The Scarlet Letter. The Scarlet Letter was a book about Puritans in New England, during the 1600’s in a small Puritan town. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism of The Scarlet Letter, Pearl and Burrs to contribute to the overall theme of sin.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the most contemporary American writers of all time, was the great nephew of Judge Hathorne. Who was one of the prime judges of the Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts. Although Nathaniel hated his uncle for his efforts during the horrific trials, he became obsessed with his ideals of puritanism. Through these ideals he became a anti-transcendentalist; someone who believes that naturally we are born evil and society is the only thing that keeps us from provoking chaos. Therefore, Hawthorne’s novels, The Minister’s Black Veil and The Scarlet Letter were both set in puritan towns in the 1600’s, even though he was alive in the 18th century. The Scarlet Letter, which Hawthorne is best known for, is a fictional story

Hawthorne’s background was rough at times but at the same time he had lots of support from his family. Nathaniel was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. Hawthorne’s family ancestors were some of the first puritans to live in New England (Merriman). His father, a sea captain, died in 1808 when Nathaniel was four

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4 , 1804, exactly twenty-eight years after America gained its independence from Britain. He was born to a family with strong puritan ancestry because his family had been in Salem, Massachusetts since not long after Plymouth Rock had been settled. Nathaniel the middle child of three, his dad died of yellow fever not long after his younger sister was born. Because of this they moved to a new house in Salem as odds are they moved into what Hawthorne named “Castle Dismal”. As a kid Nathaniel loved writing, which his uncle and also teacher discovered, this encouraged him to write he eventually made a handwritten newspaper named “The Spectator”.

Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter unfolds the tale of Hester Prynne, who brought forth a child through adultery and battles a life faced with the consequences of her sin. Throughout her life, Hester is consistently reminded of her affair as she wears a scarlet letter representing “A” for adultery, experiences alienation, and encounters hostility from the Puritan community. However, Hester is not the only individual who suffers with consequences of adultery as both her significant other, Dimmesdale, and daughter, Pearl, endure miserable lives of shame, guilt, and rejection. Hawthorne demonstrates that the revelation of the truth can allow one to gain a sense of freedom.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born to his father Nathaniel and his mother Elizabeth Clark Hawthorne on July 4,1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. Nathaniel Hawthorne Sr. was a sea captain that unfortunately died while he was lost at sea from yellow fever. This resulted in his family having financial problems that eventually forced them to move in with Elizabeth’s well-off brothers. At a young age, Nathaniel Hawthorne suffered a leg injury that had made him unable to get around for some time. While recovering, he became interested in reading and soon that

Nathaniel Hawthorne, the great romantic novelist of the nineteenth century, is one of the founders of American literature. Influenced by time periods, social background, family origin, and life experiences, his novels reflect a strong flavor of Puritan ideology. In his novel “The Scarlet Letter” for example, is a tragic love story that takes place in a strict Puritan society. Hester Prynne, a woman whose reputation is now forever sullied, is given a punishment to wear a scarlet letter on her chest to constantly remind her of her sin. Her significant other, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, feels constant guilt of his sin throughout the novel as well, due to the fact that Hester is solely punished and becomes an outcast, rather than them both.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804 (Belasco). Hawthorne’s ancestry relates all the way back to the witch trials that took place in Salem during 1692 and 1693; his ancestor John Hathorne, was one of the three judges during the trials (Nathaniel Hawthorne). After Hawthorne graduated from Bowdoin College in 1825, he moved back to Salem and lived with his mother while he worked on his writing for the next twelve years (Belasco). During this time, he changed his last name, adding a “W” to it, to distance himself from those before him.

In order to entirely comprehend the theme Hawthorne depicts in The Scarlet Letter, one must delve into his upbringing. His theme of isolation was developed throughout his early adolescence leading into the beginning of his adulthood. When Hawthorne was merely four years of age, his father had died unexpectedly (Whitney). This death marked the beginning of Hawthorne’s fear of abandonment and ultimately led to his renowned theme of isolation. Following his father’s death, Nathaniel Hawthorne was looked after by his mother and his uncle (Whitney). A strong emotional connection arose between Hawthorne and his mother, but he was often denied her presence. Hawthorne felt as though “he was being managed, played upon, and manipulated by the uncle who seemed so often to step between himself and his mother.” (Johnson 26). On July 31, 1849, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s mother passed

The novel, The Scarlet Letter, is an epitome of individuality during Puritan times. Each character in the novel represents the idea that internal evolution creates an inevitable outcome; life or death. Character development delineates changes in behavior, disposition, and mentality by reflection upon sin and the correction thereof. Therefore, there are numerous characters compared to the literary device, which include Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. In fact, on more than one occasion, Hawthorne refers back to a “moral blossom” which symbolizes lessons to be learned. Subsequently, while Hester and Dimmesdale flourish in the light of redemption, Chillingworth deviates from this path and decays in his aggrieved, petulant stubbornness.