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Scarlet Letter Influence On Society

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“Ah, but,” interposed, more softly, a young wife, holding a child by the hand, “let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart.” (Hawthorne 63). The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, although normally perceived as lifeless, is one of the most relevant and timeless novels. In the literary world, it is even largely considered one of the first symbolic novels published in America. The depth of symbolism found throughout the novel was truly astounding. The most significant symbols found are the scarlet letter, nature, Pearl, and the Black Man.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. His ancestors, thought to be both a support and a drawback to his writing, were Puritan …show more content…

He also wrote House of the Seven Gables, and The Blithedale Romance.
Nathaniel Hawthorne chose to write The Scarlet Letter during the time when Puritans established The Massachusetts Bay Colony. Their colony acted as a model of influence, and an escape from the corruption in England. Their mission and sense of identity was purity, which can be identified in The Scarlet Letter.
The Scarlet Letter follows the story of Hester Prynne, a woman forced by the Puritan community she resides in to wear a badge of humiliation (a shiny red A sewn to her bosom) for committing adultery. Quickly introduced to Hester’s daughter, Pearl, readers are left wondering who her father is. After several years pass, the leaders of the community, referring to Pearl as a child of the devil, attempt to take her away from her mother, deciding that Hester is incapable of raising her. However, they fail and Hester remains to care for her daughter.
After years of self-punishment, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale admits to the Puritan community that Pearl is indeed his daughter, relieving his soul from the awful secrecy. Shortly after this, having a cleansed soul, he passes

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