Romanticism And Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter (1850), is a worthy allegorical novel in which symbolism invades al its components. Hawthorne’s works belonged to romanticism or, more specifically, dark romanticism. The author shaped his own literary style. Although his writing style was viewed as outdated when compared to modern literature, he conveyed modern themes of psychology and human nature through the use of allegory and symbolism. Therefore, Hawthorne customarily wrote elongated visual portrayals.Another aspect of his writing which was exclusive to his time was the use of formal dialogue which remained consistent from character to character.Although his dialogue was overly formal, it was an accurate tool to describe human emotion. He also uses some of the techniques used in theatres, for example, the action in his novels are seen as if they were being enacted on stage. The audience’s point of view is of much importance, also the reflections of some characters are perceived as asides
Umpteen of his works were inspired by New England Puritans, combined with historical romance abundant with symbolism and psychological themes. He made use of symbols to express the social and spiritual status at that time of his work, fixating on the ethical sphere. Puritans were members of a religious movement founded in England and whose congregations promoted ideals that helped lay the foundations for posterior democracy. They followed a strict moral code and were always on the look out