Exceptionalism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hawthorne’s more secular view of exceptionalism defies the religious exceptionalist standards introduced in John Winthrop’s sermon “A Model of Christian Charity”. While Winthrop expresses the importance of piety and family in an exceptionalist Puritan society, Hawthorne’s Puritan community in The Scarlet Letter does not emulate these qualities in the way Winthrop intended, demonstrating Hawthorne’s desire to condemn Winthrop’s exceptionalist ideals.
Winthrop’s “recipe” for exceptionalism is firmly rooted in the importance of religion and strong family values. Winthrop states that it’s the citizens’ duty to “improve our lives to do more service to the Lord; the comfort and increase of the body of
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Similarly to Winthrop, Hawthorne’s writing contains a lot of references to Christianity, but they run contrary to the character’s supposed natures. Hester, a sinner, looks like the Virgin Mary. On the other hand, someone who should never sin - the Reverend Dimmesdale - has sinned and is connected to the devil. Pearl, notices that Dimmesdale’s sin has poisoned his body and yells “‘Come away, or yonder old Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already!’” (Hawthorne 118). Because even the most holy man in the community succumbs to sin, Hawthorne clearly condemns Winthrop's standard of a sinless society, deciding that ultimately no community can achieve that exceptional standard. Hawthorne also writes about family, but deviates from Winthrop’s ideal as Pearl does not have a father who provides for her. Hester, a woman, has to “supply food for her thriving infant and herself” (Hawthorne 74), which she does by selling her needlework. By openly breaking Winthrop’s trope of the father as the provider, Hawthorne again rebels against Winthrop’s view of exceptionalism, and demonstrates that Puritan exceptionalism is unattainable. However, Hawthorne invites the reader to consider a different model of exceptionalism where a community is less reliant on religion, people have more nuanced appearances and actions, and where families still work hard but the
Blindness In The Scarlet Letter
1270 Words | 6 PagesThroughout The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne exposes the blindness of the Puritan people through the treatment of Hester, Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale’s external characters. Hester Prynne is labeled as an adulteress and mistreated by society because of their unwillingness to see her true character. Chillingworth, the husband of Hester, leads the town to believe he is an honorable man and skillful doctor, when his true intents root from his vindictive nature Finally, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester’s lover and the father of her baby, acts as the perfect man therefore the town views him as an exemplar model, while he is truly a sinner. In the novel, Hawthorne portrays Hester as a strong, resilient woman, though the members of her community
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612 Words | 3 PagesCharacter Foils In The Scarlet Letter Those who contrast each other make for engrossing storytelling. Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates this truth often in his romantic narrative, “The Scarlet Letter”.
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Hawthorne's Use Of Irony In Scarlet Letter
736 Words | 3 PagesWhen you think of a Puritan society, what comes to your mind? Perfect, flawless, and a religion based on following God? Well, that is what it says on paper, but is it really that perfect? Throughout the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne jabs at the Puritans in an attempt to portray just how flawed they really are. After reading the book, you want to think that Hawthorne is telling the story of sinning in a Puritan society.
How Does Hawthorne Use Cliches In The Scarlet Letter
445 Words | 2 PagesArthur Dimmesdale, the minister, a clergyman had committed the horrid sin of adultery, the same sin as Hester. Dimmesdale’s holy affiliation gave him a kind and pure disposition and this was solidified by his dimwittedness, making him seem almost childlike. By having a character with these qualities, Hawthorne contradicts the stereotype he has set up by having Dimmesdale be “unworth... [y] to [complete his] humblest mission” (71), a quality virtually unheard of among ministers. The author then has Dimmesdale confess his “sin so awfully revealed!”(211) in order for both Hester and Dimmesdale to redeem themselves of sin and restore the goodness.
How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Biblical Allusions In The Scarlet Letter
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Empathy In The Scarlet Letter
513 Words | 3 PagesMany readers like to know about the author of the book they are reading; whether it be an author showing bits and pieces of themselves through their writing or through a small autobiography. Hawthorne allows the reader a small and rare glance into his life and his personal feelings as well as sharing a connection with the reader in the preface of “The Scarlet Letter.” Hawthorne’s familiar and personal tone in the preface draws upon the reader’s empathy, eases the reader into the 1600s, and allows a stimulation of the reader’s imagination. Hawthorne draws a sense of empathy from the reader in “The Custom-House” by sharing parts of his life that large quantities of people can relate to. Although he is a very private man his theory for sharing bits and pieces of himself can be described “as thoughts are frozen and utterance benumbed, unless the speaker stand in some true relation with his audience-it may be pardonable to imagine that a friend, a kind and apprehensive, though not the closest friend, is listening to our talk; and then, a native reserve being thawed by this genial consciousness, we may prate of the circumstances that lie around us, and even of our self, but still keep the inmost Me behind its veil.”
Juxtaposition In Scarlet Letter
140 Words | 1 PagesReverend Arthur Dimmesdale, one of the protagonists of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, stands as a highly conflicted character. The source of his divide stems from the consequences of private sins, and is prevalent within the first paragraphs of Chapter 12, “The Minister’s Vigil,” where the narration chronicles Dimmesdale’s surroundings as he dream walks through the town in a state of limbo. He is portrayed as a model citizen who lacks moral imperfections to the general public yet suffers privately from the juxtaposition of his sins to his position within the community. In this specific passage, Hawthorne uses somber diction and imagery to illustrate Dimmesdale’s strife, while portraying his internal conflict through the formation
Scarlet Letter Rhetorical Analysis Essay
838 Words | 4 PagesPuritan’s harsh beliefs represented the beginning of the Nineteenth Century in the newly colonized America. Their community ruled with an iron fist: unforgiving, pitiless, stern. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses his disagreement with puritan priorities by revealing the hypocrisy widely practiced throughout their community. Hawthorne’s utilization of dim diction aids in the establishment of his scornful tone, while inclusion of symbols and intricate juxtaposition all serve to accentuate the Puritan’s duplicity. All these factors combine to develop a critical tone which rebukes puritan society.
Reading Response To Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'
1146 Words | 5 PagesIn the beginning of the book there is a long chapter giving background on the narrator and story. If it was not for his family he would not be in the position of where he is at today. This gives him a reason to be where he feels most connected and motivated. There was no negative tone toward his old job and workers, but neutral because he was not out there with his writing yet. In this story Nathaniel Hawthorne directly address the readers which can create a bond and connection with the readers throughout the book.
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722 Words | 3 PagesThe exploration of societal pressures. Life can be separated into two equal parts totally independent from one another. The inner self, being the innermost thoughts and feelings of the individual, and the outer self, how the individual decides to conduct itself around the others in society. Often times one of these parts takes control of the other, suppressing its partner. The suppression is often not of equal frequency because of the obligation humans feel to be liked and to fit in causes the outermost self to be given the most thought and worry.
Essay On The Treatment Of Men And Women In The Scarlet Letter
999 Words | 4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, functions as an evaluation of Puritan ideas, customs, and culture during the 17th century. Through this evaluation, we can get a good idea of what core values and beliefs the Puritans possessed, as well as the actions they take in cases of adversity brought about by “sinners”. Some Puritan virtues created stark divisions between groups of people, some of which led to discrimination under certain circumstances. One of the most prominent of these is the treatment and standards of men and women, a concept that surfaced during some of the major points in The Scarlet Letter. The divisions that were created by Puritan standards of men and women played a great role in shaping the plot of The Scarlet Letter, determining the fate of many of the characters.
Puritan Culture In The Scarlet Letter
920 Words | 4 Pages(Hall, 127). This idea of a fair and just society was the centerpiece of Puritan society, and it subsequently led to the virtue of community over the individual which was previously discussed. When it comes to The Scarlet Letter, the ideology that Puritan morality is fundamental to everything is truly front and center. Hester’s struggle due to her past sin is a perfect example of this; The ministry attempted to purify and protect the community by excluding Hester from societal affairs, even going as far as attempting to strip Hester of her custody of Pearl. Overall, Hester’s forced
Gothic Elements In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'
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