The Puritans were the first European settlers of New England. Their faith was derived from the stern and merciless dictates of John Calvin. According to Calvin, God predestined some people for heaven, and others for hell.
This terrible idea was the foundation of the Massachusetts colony. To cope with the fear of damnation, the early colonists needed something to reassure them that they were in the “elect,” or the people chosen by God for paradise. Since no one knew for sure about their fate, the Puritans looked for signs of God’s favor. Worldly success was the most common measure. Another standard was the respect one achieved in early Boston. Certain sins almost surely guaranteed you were not in the elect. Among these, having a child out of wedlock was considered one of the worst. Hawthorne writes one of the greatest novels in American literature about these issues. The name of this famous book is “The Scarlet Letter.”
The story begins with the open denouncement of Hester Pyrnne for having an illegitimate child. She is made to stand with her infant Pearl, in public disgrace for three hours and must forever wear the letter A on her dress. The entire world will then understand that she is an adulteress. The city leaders demand she tell them the name of the man guilty of adultery with her. She refuses. With this, the leaders turn to the brilliant, holy young minister, Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale. The young minister passionately begs Hester to disclose the name of the sinful man. Even the baby turns her little face to hear the kind, pained words of the minister. Despite all of Dimmesdale’s admonitions, Hester refuses to betray her fellow sinner. At the end of the interrogation, Pearl starts wailing.
On the edge of the gathering is an ugly man named Roger Chillingworth. He married Hester years earlier before departing to study medicine in Europe. Much older than Hester, he is a cold man, given to malevolence and revenge. As he listens to Rev. Dimmesdale’s plea to Hester Pyrnne, he develops a plan. He will discover the adulterer and hurt him with the hate that now fills his own heart.
As the denouncement ends, the Puritans look at the fallen woman with scorn, smug in their assurance of their own righteousness. Hester takes her daughter to a poor cottage on the outskirts of town, while the Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale carries a crushed pain within himself. Only Roger Chillingworth appears to have an even disposition. There is a reason for this. If it takes him the rest of his life, Roger will find out who was Hester’s partner and exact an evil revenge.
So what happens? Who is the father of Hester’s child? What does keeping this secret cost the man? How does Hester manage to live in a town that holds her in such a despicable state?
Why do all people need confession and forgiveness? Why is mercy usually more valuable than justice? And finally, what does hating cost a person? To find out the answers to these questions, go to the library and check out this classic book, “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
This novel may be one of the greatest literary works demonstrating the need people have to confess their sins and be forgiven. Hawthorne shows how people can suffer when they aren’t honest. He also gives us a riveting example of an act of mercy and forgiveness. The decision to choose evil and the destruction it can cause is also evident in the text.
To really understand the themes in this book, readers need to have some maturity. It is appropriate for upper high school students. I hope you read and encourage others to read this masterpiece. Few books have told the story of revenge and hatred, confession and forgiveness, and love and mercy as well as “The Scarlet Letter.”
