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Thinking activity on Scarlet Letter : Transcendenalist and Anti-Transcendentalism elements in the novel

 Transcendentalist and Anti-Transcendentalist elements from in "The Scarlet Letter"

"The Scarlet Letter"

 This famed historical fiction novel was published in 1850 by Nathaniel Hawthrone. Set in Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne who conceives a daughter through an affair and then struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. The book explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt. (Wikipedia). This novel contains both transcendentalist and anti-transcendentalist views which centred around the centre theme of the novel.


What is Transedentalism?

Transcendentalism began as a religious concept rooted in the ideas of American democracy. It is a Philosophical movement which developed in the 1830s and 1840s in the eastern religion of the united States as a protest to the general state of cultural and society. The Romantic Movement gave rise to the New England Transcendentalism. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a leading figure of this movement. In the Nathaniel Hawthrone’s novel “Scarllet Letter”, we can also find transedentalist elements. The movement is entirely opposed to puritan’s so called morality.


Transcendentalists elements in "The Scarlet Letter"

In the novel Nathaniel Hawthrone usese the transcendental elements of the rosebush and the forest. By using these elements he tries to exemplify the existence of good and evil within the natural world.

Hester was punished for her adultery, after that she faced several difficult stages which presents her as a transcendental and self sustaining character.
The one of the major themes of this term is Individual v/s society. Because of the punishment for her adultery; she was outcasted and living with her daughter in the forest. They were not allowed to attend a church or even Pearl was not allowed to go to the Puritan school. Children and people of Puritan society mocked and cursed on Hester.. They both were living alone in the forest but in actual sense they were free than to the other people of society.

While living with society, she is considered as sinner or somewhat a bad woman; actually she hasn’t. The forest has a great affect on Hester Prye. She was not able to live with her lover Dimmesdale in the town, but in the forest she felt more comfortable; she has that freedom of talking with Dimmesdale.While living in the forest, she is entirely free form that burden of Puritan so called morality and high values. In a way she felt her own self among that forest. It is an important characteristic of this term, which allows one to think for himself/herself. Generally it ignore the influences of society or other. Transcedentalists try to find themselves through nature as Hester did.
                                                                                                                  
What is Anti-Transcendentalism

 Anti-Transcendentalism was an opposition movement to the Transcendentalist. The Transcendentalist were writers who supported the beauty of Nature, the kindness of Humans and a distrust in government.  

 Anti-transcendentalism is a predominant theme within the novel. Through the characterization of Hester, Hawthrone developed the idea that individuals morally flowed. As Hester was punished for her adultery; Hawthrone showcases his idea by presenting the feelings of vegeance towards Hester. The Puritan community considered her as; she was forever impure since she was an adulterer even though they had little proof to show that her husband is even around. The another imperative character is of Dimmesdale. He is minister in the town as well as respected man of Boston. But in reality he is also a sinner who is the responsible for Hester's pregnancy but he is not able to take responsibilites of her. He is guilty but is not ready to accept it because of his power position. Through this novel Hawthrone brings out that so called rigidity of Puritan society. 
Refrences 
  

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