Scarlet Letter Book Review
How does a man who lived his life in near-seclusion so sympathetically portray the life of a young woman shunned from society? What elements of his early life gave Nathaniel Hawthorne such insight into the complex mind of an ostracized woman in the 1600's? Born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, a town infamous for its ill treatment of women, Hawthorne was a descendent of a judge in the Salem witch trials. Widowed when Nathaniel was only four years old, his mother became reclusive, withdrawing from society. His mother's lifestyle influenced his later behavior, both in his lifestyle and his writings. After graduating from Bowdoin College, Nathaniel moved back to Salem and lived a life of solitude for twelve years, seldom leaving his room. He fell into a state of depression, often contemplating suicide. It was at this time that Hawthorne began to write. After struggling professionally and financially for eight years, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne's best-known and most popul!ar book, was published in 1850. The commercial success of the novel brought Hawthorne into public light. In his old age, however, Hawthorne became reclusive once again. The mere sight of somebody coming up the walkway to h
is home would send him fleeing into the woods. Hawthorne's eccentric, unusual, and introspective upbringing greatly impacted his writings, influencing him to portray characters who were involved in secret lives filled with adultery, false identities, and forbidden love. Only a man with a unique mind like that of Hawthorne would have dared to publish a novel containing these "unspeakable" themes. unds. The Scarlet Letter is a classic and memorable novel with powerful themes and extraordinary characters that has made a tremendous impact on the writings of today's novelists and students. Despite the difficult style of writing, the story is well worth the time and effort to read. Nathaniel Hawthorne will always remain one of the most recognized and outstanding writers in American literature. come with guilt and shame and realizing that Chillingworth's mental torture would kill him, Hester privately confronts Dimmesdale and reveals her secret, urging him to run away with her. But fate, in the hands of Chillingworth, would not allow Hester's escape. With no other recourse, Dimmesdale publicly reveals his scarlet letter of guilt, and dies of shame in Hester's arms. Hester and Pearl leave Salem, but amazingly, Hester chooses to return alone years later, still proudly bearing the symbol of her shame. Hawthorne's portrayal of Hester Prynne is thought provoking and especially noteworthy, considering the novel was written in the mid-1800's, long before the women's movement. At the time the novel was written, women were seen as their husband's property and were rarely thought to be strong enough individuals to be able to overcome Hester's everyday ostracism. Hester is a complex, strong character that Hawtho
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Approximate Word count = 1161
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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