Symbolic Settings in Hawthorne’s *The Scarlet Letter*
Settings in The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne, deeply connected to his Puritan ancestors, crafted a story highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. His admiration for their resilience was balanced by concerns about their rigid rules. The Scarlet Letter reflects his complex view of Boston’s Puritans through its characters, plot, and themes. The novel is set in the theocratic and patriarchal Puritan society of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Several settings, rich in symbolism, enhance our understanding of the novel and its Puritan backdrop. The Market Place, the Forest, the Scaffold, the Prison Door, and Hester’s Cottage exemplify how settings amplify the novel’s themes.
The Scaffold and Puritan Society
The Puritan village, with its marketplace and scaffold, embodies rigid rules, sin, punishment, and self-examination. The scaffold symbolizes public humiliation and penance, where Dimmesdale seeks atonement. The scaffold scenes are crucial structuring devices, framing the narrative and highlighting key themes, with all major characters present in each.
- First Scaffold Scene: Hester and Pearl endure public shame, while Dimmesdale observes from a distance.
- Second Scaffold Scene: Occurring at night, it focuses on Dimmesdale’s guilt and remorse. Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale unite, and Hester resolves to save Dimmesdale from Chillingworth.
- Final Scaffold Scene: Mirrors the first, with all characters in the marketplace. Dimmesdale, dying, confesses, freeing himself and Pearl. The scarlet letter appears on his chest.
The Forest: Freedom vs. Puritanism
The forest contrasts sharply with the Puritan town. In town, individuals face strict rules and judgment. The forest, or Nature, represents freedom and acceptance. Nature responds positively to rule-breaking, as seen when Hester removes her scarlet letter, and the sun shines on her. The forest allows Hester and Dimmesdale to speak openly. However, Puritans associate Nature with temptation and evil, believing the Black Man resides there.
Hester’s Cottage: A Liminal Space
Hester’s cottage, on the town’s outskirts, symbolizes her liminal existence between societal repression and the forest’s freedom.
The Prison Door: Symbol of Puritan Ideals
The Prison Door is a significant setting, symbolizing the Puritan lifestyle. Its heavy oak and iron spikes represent the inescapable nature of Puritan ideals, while the rust indicates their flaws. The opening door suggests escape, though difficult. The dark shadow behind it represents those trapped by Puritanism, while sunshine symbolizes enlightenment. It also symbolizes Hester’s life opening to criticism and shame.
As a way of conclusion, it is important to mention that Nathaniel Hawthorne is a master of symbolism. The setting of The Scarlet Letter is crucial because the society and government of the time are opposed to Hester’s actions and individual freedom of conscience.