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Nathaniel Hawthorne, originally Hathorne, was born July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. Nathaniel Hathorne Sr. died in 1808, leaving Hawthorne's mother alone to take care of him and his two sisters. Shortly after Senior's death, the Hathorne family moved in with relatives, and stayed with them for 10 years. A leg injury from a game of "bat and ball" left Hawthorne bedridden for year, where he began to develop a taste for reading and deep thinking. In 1816, Hawthorne and his family moved to a home in Maine, which was built for them by Hawthorne's rich uncles. In 1820, Hawthorne returned, alone, to Salem to continue schooling, although he was displeased about being so far away from his mother and sisters, and complained about homesickness. With his familial connections, and aid from his wealthy uncles, Nathaniel Hawthorne attended Bowdoin College, where he met and befriended many other influential people, such as Franklin Pierce, the 14th president, future poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and others. Hawthorne graduated in 1825.

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Nathaniel Hawthorne - Later Years and Death

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Nathaniel Hawthorne - Later Years and Death

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After his graduation from college, he returned to his mother's household for many years, a period Hawthorne dubbed his "solitary years". During this time, Hawthorne began writing several short stories and published a few, such as Twice-Told Tales, and many others. After the meeting of his neighbor and future wife, Sophia Peabody, his "dark spell" was lifted. Hawthorne and Peabody married in 1842, and moved to Concord, Massachusetts, where they had their first child, Una. A few years later, the family moved to Salem, where Hawthorne's other two children, Rose and Julian, were born. In 1846, Hawthorne was appointed as Surveyor of the Custom House. During his time working at the Custom House, Hawthorne suffered from writer's block, and had difficulty writing, unhappy with the work he was producing. A dismissal from office though, in 1848, due to a change in presidential administration, proved to be a blessing to Hawthorne. Hawthorne, with free time on his hands now, was able to strive through his writer's block, and continue writing, producing many works, such as some of his most well known, like The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables. The Hawthorne family moved around several times throughout the years, meeting numerous others of importance, and became friends with many of them, such as Herman Melville, a fellow author who dedicated his story Moby Dick to Hawthorne. In 1853, the Hawthorne family moved to Liverpool, where Nathaniel Hawthorne would be the United States' consul. This was due to the election of Franklin Pierce as president, and Hawthorne's friendship with him. After the family's extensive time in Europe, they returned to Concord, Massachusetts in 1860. During the American Civil War, Hawthorne some notable figures, including Abraham Lincoln. In 1864, Hawthorne's health began to fail, and on a trip to the White Mountains, in Plymouth, New Hampshire, he passed away in his sleep on May 19.

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The biggest theme in The Scarlet Letter,  of all the numerous prevalent themes, is the theme of Sin. All of the major characters in the story are influenced and shaped by the theme of Sin. Hester Prynne has committed an inexcusable crime to the Puritans, the act of adultery, and is slandered, disgraced, and condemned by the people. Her punishment is a lifetime of wearing the scarlet letter, and is isolated from the rest of society, due to her breaking an upheld social convention and moral law. Even her attempts for forgiveness, through her acts of charity, aren't enough to make up for the crime she has committed, the sin she has accumulated. Dimmesdale has sinned not just through his act of adultery with Hester Prynne, but as well with his act of denying such an event, and placing the blame solely on Hester, and sullying his profession with such heinous acts, in the eyes of the Puritans. His sin lays on Dimmesdale's mind and heart, taking away any chance of peace, and leaves Dimmesdale to his own demons, to remind him of his wrongdoings. It torments him and takes away his energy, spiritually and physically, and makes it impossible for Dimmesdale to stay on the path of priesthood, with the sin so heavy. Finally, Chillingworth's sin, unlike the other two characters, whose sins are closely related, has to do with his selfish desire for vengeance, and the pleasure he gains from tormenting Dimmesdale. Chillingworth discover's that Hester cheated on him with Dimmesdale, and he's getting his revenge in any way he can, tormenting Dimmesdale with games, and enjoying his suffering with sick, vindictive amusement. Chillingworth's crime is his inability of forgiveness, and his selfishness for retaliation.

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Scarlet Letter Theme - Guilt and Frustration from Guilt

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Scarlet Letter Theme - Guilt and Frustration from Guilt

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Another prominent theme in The Scarlet Letter is the theme of Guilt, the weight of deeds on character's shoulders, and the frustration and anger created by their circumstances. Hester Prynne feels guilt from the act of adultery, which has caused her and her daughter to be ousted from the town, isolated in the woods, which frustrates Hester, because she can't escape from the consequences of her actions, they're always staring at her in her face. Dimmesdale feels more guilt, with his act of adultery with Hester, and his hypocrisy of hiding such events and slandering Hester's name. Due to his profession, Dimmesdale hurts, spiritually, from his guilt, and suffers throughout the story because of his actions. He goes on fasts and other ceremonies, to attempt to atone for his crimes, but he is given no peace of mind, and is still tormented by his inner conscience. Chillingworth's guilt is a selfish one. He only wanted a wife for the sake of one, and realizes that he should've known that with him in Europe, his wife would find someone else, however, he is still frustrated with Hester and Dimmesdale's adultery, and proceeds to get revenge by psychologically tormenting Dimmesdale, and continue to add to his suffering.

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Scarlet Letter Symbolism - The Rosebush and the Prison Door

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Scarlet Letter Symbolism - The Rosebush and the Prison Door

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The Scarlet Letter has many symbols throughout its story, each with a deeper meaning behind it. Immediately, in the first chapter, the symbol of the rosebush in front of the prison door is presented. The prison door is a symbol of the harsh strictness of the Puritans, their unwillingness to bend from their ways, the cold judgement of the Puritans. In a sharp contrast, the rosebush represents the exact opposite, the ability to forgive and accept, kindness, the act of mercy. Furthermore, prisons are seen as places of darkness and sin, and of justice, whereas the rosebush , which is thriving even in this harsh environment, is seen as love and compassion, and an individual's ability to survive even in circumstances that press down on them.

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Another symbol shown is the meteor that explodes into an "A" in the night sky, which is seen by the townspeople as well as Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl. To all the characters, they saw it as a sign from God, but between Dimmesdale and the town, they interpreted it different ways. For Dimmesdale, he saw it as God saying that He sees him, and his sins, and that he deserves a scarlet letter as much as Hester did. This is due to Dimmesdale's current inner torment from his guilt, and his self-loathing caused this to be his first explanation. However, to the community, they saw it as an "A" for angel, a message from God saying that their dear Governor Winthrop, who just recently passed, is up there in heaven with Him, and is in good hands.

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Historical Background - Puritan Life and Punishments

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Historical Background - Puritan Life and Punishments

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In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Puritan lifestyle was the way of life, and all aspects were upheld, or else there would be consequences. For instance, male supremacy was rampant, and even furthered by Puritan ministers. Women had no say in church or council meetings, and were given names of Patience, Fear, and other names. Another aspect of Puritan life was mandatory church.Punishments would be fined to those who missed church, and those who attended would be kept awake, and in the case of children, quieted if they made a disturbance. Finally, of the Puritan lifestyle, punishments of crimes were important, and were to be heeded at all costs. The namesake of The Scarlet Letter was a legitimate practice for some of those who committed adultery. Whippings and public executions were commonplace in this society. And throughout all of this, the Puritans didn't feel remorse or guilt, they felt they were doing the right thing, that they were doing God's work, and that what they were doing wouldn't even be half of what God would do to them.

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Historical Background - The Salem Witch Trials

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Historical Background - The Salem Witch Trials

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The Salem Witch Trials are a mark in America history, and looked back on with some regret today. In 1692, after the apprehension of three women who were thought to have bewitched a young girl, one of them, Tituba, claimed that she was a witch. This event sparked a mass hysteria leading to accusations and claims of hundreds being witches, as well as the executions of 20 people. Later, it's been said that most, if not all, of the women weren't witches, but were still executed. Two of the judges of the trials regretted their sentencings. Nathaniel Hawthorne's ancestor, John Hathorne, who was the last judge, however, didn't repent for his actions. (As a fun fact, this, along with another ancestor of Hawthorne's, William Hathorne, who was a strict judge and important member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, was most likely why Hawthorne added a "w" to his last name, so as to disassociate himself from his ancestors) During this period, and after, suspicion and distrust were common, and tensions were high.

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“Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, www.notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Hawthorne-Nathaniel.html.

“Nathaniel Hawthorne.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Aug. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathaniel_Hawthorne.

“Themes in The Scarlet Letter.” Conflict between Faith and Doubt in Galileo, www.bachelorandmaster.com/britishandamericanfiction/themes-in-the-scarlet-letter.html#.W5vGXdJKjrc.

Shmoop Editorial Team. “The Scarlet Letter Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory.” Shmoop, Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008, www.shmoop.com/scarlet-letter/symbolism-imagery.html.

“Puritan Life.” Ushistory.org, Independence Hall Association, www.ushistory.org/us/3d.asp.

“17th Century Massachusetts.” History of Massachusetts, 11 Aug. 2018, historyofmassachusetts.org/17th-century-massachusetts/.