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Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. Hawthorne's father died when he was four years old forcing his mother, his two sisters, and him to go live with his uncles. In his teen years he grew up in Raymond, Maine but eventually came back to Salem after going to Bowdoin College. After that he spent nearly a dozen years trying to master the art of writing fiction.

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After college Hawthorne was unsuccessful in the beginning but quickly grew into a writing powerhouse. Around five years after he graduated published some impressive stories like "An Old Woman's tale," and by 1835 produced arguably one of the best witchcraft tales ever written "Young Goodman Brown." Although Hawthorne was a pretty successful writer his works gained him recognition but not much income, so Hawthorne worked other jobs. In 1845 Hawthorne moved his family back so Salem because he had got the job as the surveyor of the Custom House. After he was fired from that job it helped him write one of his best works "The Scarlet Letter." Hawthorne continued to write and work until his death in 1864.

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One of the major themes in this book is guilt. This is because all of the main characters feel guilt in some way throughout the book. Dimmesdale for example is plagued by guilt because he knows that he leads a fake and sinful life. He goes to fasts, vigils, scourging, and penance but he gets no relief from those. He feels guilty about being a hypocrite in the way he lives is completely disguised. Chillingworth is another example of guilt. Everything he does is out of guilt, like foiling Hester and Dimmesdale's escape plan. Also when Chillingworth wanted Hester to marry him not because of their love but because of his greed. After Dimmesdale's death Chillingworth is miserable and dies shortly thereafter.

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Another major theme in this book is sin. Sin is so big in this book because that is what the book is based on. These people's sins have sent their lives spiraling downward and they can't stop it. Hester broke a giant moral law when she committed adultery and because of that society condemns her. Her sins also lead to her isolation from everyone else which takes a toll on her mental health. Dimmesdale's sins are the adultery and the fact that he is trying to hide it from everyone else. He is disgusted by himself and knows he has broken moral code. He was on his way to priesthood but instead lived in hypocrisy because of his sin. Chillingworth's sin came through the revenge which turns him into a devil-like character. He thinks he has to retaliate against Hester and Dimmesdale which leads him to be the worst sinner of them all. Sin in this book causes the destruction of the characters' lives and wellbeing.

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Pearl is another important symbol in this book. Pearl represents that the price of sin and the possibility for redemption. Her mother gave everything up for her, she gave up her reputation, her community, her religion, and also the physical risks of childbirth back then. She also represents the only treasure that her mom has because she gave up everything. She ends up being both Hester and Dimmesdale's "pearl of great price." There is also an important part of the book where Pearl gets to release herself from being a symbol. While she is with her dying father her tears are a pledge to "be a woman," which releases her from her symbol of sin. Instead shes a regular woman at this point.

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Scarlet Letter Symbolism: The Scarlet Letter

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Scarlet Letter Symbolism: The Scarlet Letter

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This symbol is the most important one in the book, which is probably why this is the title. In the beginning of the book the letter "A" is put onto all of Hester's clothes to brand her as a sinner and someone who has committed adultery. Hester is determined to change its meaning though. She changes how it looks to make the punishment hers and to own the punishment so it doesn't own her. As Hester continues to try and make her life better people start to give the letter another meaning. They say it means "able," because the townspeople see that Hester is an able woman from her charity work and her drive to give Pearl a good life. Eventually the letter even achieves an almost holy status, giving it a sacred meaning. After Hester returns home and takes the letter again voluntarily it has the meaning of grace

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17th Century Puritan Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony

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17th Century Puritan Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony

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The Massachusetts Bay Colony (MBC) was settled in 1630 by about 1,000 Puritans from England led by Governor John Winthrop. They were granted a charter by the King in 1629 and established many communities in modern day Massachusetts. They established communities like Boston, Lynn, Roxbury, and more. They established a theocratic government that was limited to church members only. The leaders of this government tried to prevent any other religious views from being present in the MBC. Some leaders like Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson as well as the Quakers and Anabaptists were kicked out. By the 1940's the MBC had more than 20,000 people living there.

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17th Century Puritan Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony

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17th Century Puritan Life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony

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Religion was so important in Puritan life back then that they tried to convert the Native Americans in their area, they even translated the bible into their language. Puritans emphasized literacy so much because they believed that everyone should be able to read the bible. Their love for literacy even brought the first typewriter

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

“Puritan New England: Massachusetts Bay.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/colonial-america/colonial-north-america/a/puritan-new-england-massachusetts-bay.

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

“Themes in The Scarlet Letter.” Dramatic Technique in Death of a Salesman, www.bachelorandmaster.com/britishandamericanfiction/themes-in-the-scarlet-letter.html#.W4_RHdJKi00.