Nature in 19th-Century American Literature
The concept of Nature is central to some of the most important literary movements of the United States in the 19th century. In fact, we might say that it is their different views of Nature that determine the essence of those literary movements. This means that in order to understand the literary works of some of the most prominent American authors, we must understand what concept of Nature they had. For the Puritans, for example, Nature is marred by Original Sin and hence a source of evil and temptation, whereas for the Transcendentalists, Nature is an inherently positive entity and the only way to connect intuitively with Truth.
In this brief essay, I am going to discuss the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Sarah Orne Jewett, and Jack London. Because both Hawthorne and Thoreau are Transcendentalists, I will explain first how Nature was understood in Transcendentalism. Moreover, because Hawthorne was very critical of Puritanism in The Scarlet Letter, I will also explain in what ways the Puritan and the Transcendentalist concepts of Nature are incompatible. This will help us to understand the work of Hawthorne in a better way. I will then focus on the work of Jewett. Although not a Transcendentalist, her work shares many features with that literary movement. Finally, I will discuss the work of Jack London, which provides an illustrative example of a different conceptualization of Nature: that of Naturalism.
Transcendentalism and Nature
Transcendentalism is a philosophical and literary movement that was born in New England in the 19th century. It received influences from European Romanticism, the Enlightenment, and the beliefs of the Unitarian Church. Some of its most prominent representatives are Ralph Waldo Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne, among others. The most fundamental tenet of Transcendentalism is its absolute trust in the power of Intuition (as opposed to Puritan beliefs, according to which truth is explicitly revealed in the Bible). From the Transcendentalist point of view, Truth cannot be achieved through the use of reason. It can only be felt intuitively once the individual detaches himself or herself from society and initiates an introspective search for his or her true self in Nature. In society, the individual cannot be himself or herself, because behavior must be adapted to social norms. Social norms, however, are absent from Nature, and so it is Nature where the individual can find himself.
Nature in The Scarlet Letter
Thus, Nature is a very positive entity in Transcendentalism. While the Puritans see Nature as something marred by Original Sin, the Transcendentalists believe not only that Nature is good, but also that it is the only way to experience truth through intuition. This positive view of Nature can be clearly seen in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The protagonist, Hester Prynne, because of her adultery, is rejected by society, for which reason she exiles herself close to the forest. From a Puritan point of view, to be detached from the society of the Chosen Ones is obviously very negative, but in The Scarlet Letter, such exile into wilderness turns out to be a positive thing. Once she is in Nature, far from the oppressive and rigid norms of Puritan society, she can feel free and grow more as an individual. Moreover, Nature responds in a positive way when people break rules, as can be seen when Hester removes her scarlet letter in the forest, and the sun finally shines on her and she begins to resume some of her beauty and tenderness.
In fact, it is there, in Nature, where she can reunite with her beloved and father of her child, Arthur Dimmesdale. In other words, the protagonist reconnects with the spirit of nature, which enables her to rekindle her relationship with Dimmesdale.