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“Nathaniel Hawthorne: Custom House.” Shmoop, Shmoop University, 11 Nov. 2008, www.shmoop.com/nathaniel-hawthorne/custom-house.html.

“Themes in The Scarlet Letter.” Conflict between Faith and Doubt in Galileo, www.bachelorandmaster.com/britishandamericanfiction/themes-in-the-scarlet-letter.html#.W56ywNJKhEY.

“Who Is Nathaniel Hawthorne? Everything You Need to Know.” Childhood, Life Achievements & Timeline, www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/nathaniel-hawthorne-2429.php#major-works.

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Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (Cont.)

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Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony (Cont.)

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Within the next couple of years, hundreds of colonists began to move to the colony, and within the next ten years, more than 40,000 English colonists had moved to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Communities located on the coasts began to become overcrowded, leading to colonists moving inward to create farming towns. As the population rose, churches and schools were built. The new colonists had brought over diseases, which drastically hurt the Native Americans, killing 90% of the ones living in their location. Around this time, the witch trials began to start, leading to innocent women getting hanged for being accused of being witches. Population continued to grow in Boston, despite disease outbreaks.

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Life in the Puritan 17th Century Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Life in the Puritan 17th Century Massachusetts Bay Colony

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The Massachusetts Bay Colony was a British settlement in Massachusetts. This colony was one of the most profitable and successful in New England. Being Puritans, the colonists were heavily religious. The Puritans set sail from Southampton, following John Winthrop. Before departing, the soon-to-be colonists listened to Reverend John Cotton preach. William Blackstone, one of John Winthrop's old friends from the University of Cambridge, was living in New England and invited the Puritans to live with him on his peninsula.

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Another example of symbolism in 'The Scarlet Letter' is Hester's daughter, Pearl. Hester chose this name for her daughter, claiming that she was her only treasure. Pearl also symbolizes sin, due to her coming from Hester and Dimmesdale's acts of adultery. Hester does everything she can to ensure that her daughter has the best life that she can have, and it is sort of similar to how she handles the scarlet letter. Hester worked hard for her daughter in the same way that she worked hard to change the meaning of the letter 'A'. Both Pearl and the letter were results of adultery, and they both were treated similarly.

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An example of symbolism in 'The Scarlet Letter' is Hester Prynne's scarlet A. At first, the letter symbolises the sin and crime of adultery. It was used to mark her so people would remember what she has done. This was supposed to bring down her spirits, but it did sort of the opposite. Hester chose to own the symbol, beautifully embroidering it into her clothing and making it her own. Even through the criticism, she was able to be herself and she worked hard. The 'A' soon had another meaning: ability. People were able to recognize how Hester was handling the "punishment" and they could see that she was taking it strongly, gaining her respect.

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Another dominant theme in 'The Scarlet Letter is Love. Love is what leads to sin in the novel. This theme can be seen throughout the story. For example, Hester showed love for sewing. She put great work into her craft and it went towards the rich and the poor. Hester Prynne also showed love to her daughter, Pearl. Pearl was named that because Hester claimed she was her only treasure. Hester also only wanted the best for her daughter. Love can also be seen when Hester and Dimmesdale commit adultery. Love and sin tie together in the novel and they both are dominant themes.

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One of the most dominant themes in 'The Scarlet Letter' is Sin. Hester Prynne, the main character in the book, has committed adultery. Through the eyes of others, she is seen as someone who has no morals and is judged constantly. She is forced to stand on the scaffold for three hours and is forced to wear a scarlet letter A on her chest. This will remind others of her sins and it will follow her forever. There are also others in the novel who have sinned, such as Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. Dimmesdale has concealed his acts of adultery with Hester, and it affects him more than it affects Hester due to him being a Puritan minister and it drains him.

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At his job in the Custom House, Hawthorne had to do tedious work. Hawthorne ended up quitting the job to take up a new experiment, resulting in him purchasing a $500 share in a new utopian community. In this community, it was said that Hawthorne would be able to increase his labor skills while gaining profit, but also having time for study. While in this new community, Hawthorne met his future wife, Sophia Peabody. Hawthorne ended up leaving the community due to him not having energy for writing, and the two moved to Concord, Massachusetts where he continued with his writing.

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Study.com, Study.com, study.com/academy/lesson/symbols-symbolism-in-the-scarlet-letter-examples-analysis.html.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia.
“Nathaniel Hawthorne.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 30 June 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Nathaniel-Hawthorne.

“History of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.” History of Massachusetts, 13 Aug. 2018, historyofmassachusetts.org/history-of-the-massachusetts-bay-colony/.

“Nathaniel Hawthorne.” Biblio - Uncommonly Good Books Found Here., CRC Press, www.biblio.com/nathaniel-hawthorne/author/19.

Shmoop Editorial Team.

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Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American author who was born in Salem Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. He passed away on May 19, 1864, but before this, he had had many accomplishments. Hawthorne is the author to many different books, some of which being best-sellers. Some of his greatest works include 'The Scarlet Letter', which ended up being one of the first mass-produced books in America, selling 2,500 copies in just ten days, 'The House of Seven Gables', 'The Blithedale Romance', 'The Marble Fawn', and 'Mosses from an Old Manse'. (These are just some of his most recognizable books, but there are dozens more to list). Although Hawthorne gained recognition from his books, they didn't provide him with a reliable income, (when he first started out). Hawthorne turned to a job working at the Boston Common House for a source of income.