Religion In The Scarlet Letter

2 Pages 514 Words

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is about symbolism of the ages in which we lived. People and objects are symbolic of events and thoughts. Throughout the story Hawthorne uses Pearl, Dimmesdale, and Hester to signify Puritanism and Roman Catholic philosophies.
Hester, through the eyes of the Puritans, is a massive sinner. She has gone against the Puritan ways and committed adultery. For this harsh sin, she must wear a symbol of shame for the rest of her life. The symbol of a red letter “A”. The Roman Catholic philosophy of Hawthorne puts down the Puritan beliefs. She is a beautiful, young woman who has sinned but eventually is forgiven. Hawthorne portrays Hester as "divine maternity" and she can do no wrong. Not only Hester, but the physical scarlet letter (a Puritan sign of disownment) is shown through the author's tone as a piece of beauty.
Pearl is Hester’s daughter. She is portrayed as a pure puritan, but only as a child of a sinner who should be treated as such. Ugly, evil, and ashamed of what her mother has brought upon her. One should notice that Hawthorne carefully, and sometimes not so subtly, places Pearl above the rest. She wears nice clothing, is intelligent, and is well rounded. More often than not, she shows her cynical wit and free thought. A trait of the Romans.
One of Pearl's favorite pastimes is playing with flowers and trees. Remember that anything affiliated with the forest was evil to Puritans. To Hawthorne, however, the forest was a natural and peaceful setting. "And she was gentler here [the forest] than in the grassy-margined streets of the settlement, or in her mother's cottage. The flowers appeared to know it". (194) Pearl fit in with nature. Also, Pearl is always happy, which is a negative to the Puritans. Pearl is a virtual shouting match between the Puritans views and the Romantic ways.
To most religions the most important members of a community are the religious leaders. But e...