Use of Romanticism in Development of Characters in The Scarlet Letter

He puts himself into the minister’s life, and, for a time, Chillingworth is the only person close to him. By creating a bond between the two, he could enact his revenge. Hawthorne uses negative words and phrases like “ugly”, “evil” (92), “black plans” (104) and even “Satan’s emissary, in the guise of old Roger Chillingworth” (92) to describe the physician, which contributes to the revealing of his vengeful nature. The vengeful nature revealed in Chillingworth through Hawthorne’s diction adds to his plan to enact revenge on Dimmesdale, as we get a view into his black heart. Hawthorne writes, “He became, thenceforth, not only a spectator, but a chief actor, in the poor minister’s interior world. He would play upon him as he chose” (105), conveying the absolute control Chillingworth has over Dimmesdale, playing his psyche like a puppet. The effect of the remorseless toying on Dimmesdale rears its terrible head when Hawthorne writes, “‘Who is that man, Hester?’ gasped Dimmesdale, overcome with terror. ‘I shiver at him? Dost thou know the man? I hate him, Hester!’” (122). Chillingworth manipulates Dimmesdale’s guilt against himself, which results in Dimmesdale losing his mind. Also, Hawthorne utilizes setting to intensify Chillingworth's revenge. On page 122 Hawthorne writes, “Certainly, if the meteor kindled up the sky, and disclosed the earth, with an awfulness that warned Hester and the clergyman of the

He comes back from a long, grueling trip to find his wife suffering public shame for an adulterous act. When he arrives in the colony and learns of Hester’s situation, he leaves her alone for almost seven years. He takes this time to single-mindedly pursue Dimmesdale. Though the evil is obvious to see coming from Chillingworth he does see his role in Hester’s downfall. He had married her when she was young and beautiful and shut her out only to read his books. He was not able believe that such a beautiful young woman could marry such a man, misshapen since birth. He seemed to have this idea in his head that she would forget his deformity by all the wonderful intellectual gifts she would receive from him. Chillingworth is a “man of science,” a man of pure intellect and reason with no concern for feelings. He has got himself so wrapped up in the scientific intricacies of the human body that he has lost being able to look it through a spiritual

When he arrives in Boston, he finds his wife on the scaffold with the scarlet letter burning brightly on her chest. He is quick to realize that a relationship with Hester would immediately jeopardize his new reputation. As Chillingworth looks upon the scaffold, his “face darkened with some powerful emotion”, which, he deliberately “controlled by an effort of his will”. When he locks eye contact with Hester, he “slowly and calmly raise[s] his finger” and place it ever so slightly “on his lips”, creating suspense and a morbid tone (42). Instead of facing public humiliation with the woman he loves, he decides to cut off all of their ties in order to protect his reputation. The dark shadow that envelopes him in the sea full of people highlights his malicious motives. The unforgiving Puritan society sets this old man to hide his true identity and love for Hester. Furthermore, after Chillingworth and Dimmesdale had been living together for seven years, Hester reveals Chillingsworth true identity to the reverend. Utterly shocked by the news, Dimmesdale realizes that Chillingworth sin is “blacker than” Hester and his own adultery because it “violate[s] in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart” He hides his true identity in order to live with Dimmesdale and torment his every waking moment. In

In addition to directly targeting Dimmesdale to relentless psychological attacks, Chillingworth's harmful intentions indirectly affect Hester. In this scene the two characters speak to one another prior to Hester being upon the Scaffold. Chillingworth tells Hester that he forgives her, and he accepts the blame for having married her. She says, “thou knowest that I was frank with thee. I felt no love, nor feigned any.”(Hawthorne 79). Hester's willingness to admit she never loved Chillingworth provides validation of why she committed adultery, however Hester fails to realize that Chillingworth's idea for Dimmesdale's retribution is more volatile despite her attempts to explain her reasoning for committing adultery. During the same conversation

What influences an author to write a novel? Many authors use their personal experiences and ancestral backgrounds to shape the plot, themes and relationships in their novels. The events in an author’s life affect the style and content of their literate, which is expressed throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is outcasted from society because of her non-conformity to rigid Puritan morals, similar to how Hawthorne alienates his own daughter Una for having a more masculine personality. These aspects all mirror Hawthorne 's emotions and hardships of his early life through the literary element of characterization. The analysis of Pearl emphasizes how The Scarlet Letter is a reflection of Hawthorne 's life, and how the

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is book filled with complex themes and ideas. The author creates complex characters full of morbidity to carry out the plot. The main characters, Hester Prynne, and her husband Roger Chillingworth, are a prime example of morbid character’s from their gloomy aura, to their melancholy demeanor. Due to Hester’s misfortune and sin, she’s lost her beauty, and in a sense her happiness. This is the same reason Chillingworth has become obsessive in trying to find Hester 's lover and has planned “to see him tremble.”(pg.70)

“The more extreme and sentimental postures of courtly love do not appetite in the Scarlet Letter since the setting is in the 19th century. The quote outlines the story to being associated with Dark Romanticism rather than traditional romance novels. This is because of the fact that the characters in this novel are not cliché and the concept of dark romanticism that revolves around the story. Furthermore, in the article it emphasizes that Hawthorne abstains from romance as the time period contrasts the jolly matters of life. The Scarlet Letter will always be interpreted as a gothic romance as deaths are the result of what happens when two people sinfully express their love in manners that goes against what is set according to the Puritan rule.

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne there are many symbols and motifs. A motif is a recurring image that helps develop the theme. The first motif is civilization versus wilderness. In the book the puritan town is civilization, and it is a place where everything anyone does is on display. There is no hiding from your sins and everyone knows about them, you can and will be quickly punished. In the wilderness there is only natural authority and society's rules do not apply. The next motif in the book is night versus day. Night conceals and enables your actions so no one will catch you. During the day you are more vulnerable to punishment and you have to abide by the rules or you will get caught. Hawthorne uses day and night to show good

In The Scarlet Letter three main values that all played a part in the beginning of America; Romanticism, Rationalism, and Puritism. Throughout The Scarlet Letter all three of these influences play a part in the story. They collide, argue, and cause many problems. Which one of these is the most dominant in this book, Puritism. Puritism controls people's lives and no matter how they try, they cannot escape it.

Dark Romanticism in a story is usually when there is violent events, emphasis on nature, emotion and evil characters. Dark Romanticism was at its peak during the 1800s. Nathaniel Hawthorne is known as a dark romantic writer for his stories such as “The Minister’s Black Veil” (1843) and "The Birth-Mark" (1843). Hawthorne also shows dark romanticism in “The Scarlet Letter”(1850). In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s book The Scarlet Letter” the author uses places and the characters to display dark romanticism to the readers.

Hester imposes her conflict of character upon herself while also having it forced upon her by society. Hester’s first appearance with the scarlet letter marks an immediate change from the confident person she has been to a sober and isolated individual. Walking up to the scaffold becomes “almost intolerable” (Hawthorne 53) because Hester is unprepared for the onslaught of eyes on her during her

There are many pieces of evidence that point to The Scarlet Letter being a romantic text, the elements of romanticism displayed are what make the central theme of the novel more powerful and prevalent. Throughout the Novel the romantic elements of the supernatural, romantic love, and the use of symbols are used to demonstrate the main theme of the novel, that love can persevere through sin and guilt. By using the characteristics of romanticism Hawthorn was able to make his most prominent theme so strong.

During the 1800’s America was in a identity crisis, the need for literary independence weighed heavily on the culture. There was no set genre that defined America and set them aside from other literatures. Thus resulting in the Romanticism literary movement for their desire of a literature that was all American. The Scarlett Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne who during the 19th century was one of the most famous Romantic writers of his time. The Scarlett Letter defines the elements of Romanticism and best represents this time period. Hawthorne emphasized on human emotions that define your inner true self, not by the morality of social standards. In the novel, Hawthorne use of beauty and meaning behind the “unspoiled nature” are used to understand the greater path to spirituality. Throughout the novel, Hester goes from being the character most hated and ridiculed by the town people to a character looked as a symbol of strength. Hester transition empowers the validity of individualism and embodies the worth of individual freedom.

Ludwig von Mises said “Romanticism is man 's revolt against reason, as well as against the condition under which nature has compelled him to live.” Mises 's quote means that people use romanticism to see different things in the world that reason cannot do. Many early settlers were anxious to create their own identity and by doing so, they changed their rational thinking. Because of this, many writers produced instructional texts and more stories, novels and poetry. American Romanticism was a new way of thinking and is characterized as putting focus on an individual 's emotions, imagination and brings ansis to nature. Later, many writers have moved their focus away from political matters and have found a new ways of perceiving aspects known as dark romanticism. Dark romanticism is defined as emphasizing the fatality and proclivity of sin and guilt. This new subgenre explores the conflict between good and evil and later reveals the psychological effects it has on one 's body. Many works of literature have used elements of dark romanticism such as the novel “The Scarlet Letter” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne 's novel illustrates dark romanticism and the effects it has on characters such as Dimmesdale, Chillingworth and Hester Prynne. It is clear that the author depicts dark romanticism by using symbolism, prone to sin and focusing on a character to show that sin and guilt have psychological effects on people.

In the 19th century, a new ideology called Romanticism emerged, pushing back against strict conformist beliefs and relying on nature, individualism, and emotion. Many writings from this time period are still being discussed because of their relatability to modern societal problems. Of the many Romantic writers, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville effectively explain the negative effects of society on individuals. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne narrates a Romantic story of a young woman in the Puritan Era who is convicted of adultery and has to face being a social outcast. On the other hand, in “Bartleby, the Scrivener” Herman Melville examines the story of Bartleby, a copyist who mysteriously refuses to work and is, therefore, put in jail. Both Hawthorne and Melville use the characterization of Hester Prynne and Bartleby as nonconformists to critique the effect society’s evils have on the Romantic ideal of individualism in order to remind their readers that despite the human inclination to conform to one’s society, self-reliance is more important than the status quo to support progress for humanity.