The Scarlet Letter and Hawthorn’s Theory of Romance :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter and Hawthorn’s Theory of Romance Nathaniel Hawthorn started writing The Scarlet Letter in 1847 and it was published in 1850. The Scarlet Letter is recognize by many "critics as being one of the greatest of American novels."1 Hawthorn created his own individual style of "romance," a style of writing. His own individual style of writing is now called "Hawthorn's Theory of Romance". His "theory of Romance" is emphasized in The Scarlet Letter in many different ways. The techniques Hawthorn used in The Scarlet Letter are basically from his "theory of Romance." Hawthorn uses his "theory of Romance" in many different ways in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorn being a Romantic writer incorporates many characteristics of Romanticism and also includes his "theory of Romance" in the novel. Some romanticism ideas he incorporates are those of heroic characters which would include Hester Prynne "It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself."2 A heroic character is "bigger than those found in ordinary life" and also is strong, brave, noble, risky and powerful. Another characteristic he includes is the writing of mysterious events such as the adultery of Hester, the birth of Pearl and the return of her husband Roger Chllingworth. The uses of the "theory of Romance" by Hawthorn follows an order. The order is initiated by Hawthorn looking for to write on a serious topic. The topic is the adultery of Hester, Pearls birth, the revenge by Chillingworth and the hypocrisy of Dimmesdale. Then he chooses the setting of his characters "On the outskirst of town, within the verge of the peninsula, but not in close vicinity to any other habitation, there was a small thatched cottage."3 The small cottage is Hester's home which is isolated from society. This is a characteristic of a heroic character which is Hester. His next step is to choose characters who have lived in real life and to associate them with fictitious characters. The fictitious characters being Hester Prynne, Roger Chllingworth, Reverend Dimmesdale and Pearl. The real life character being Governor Bellingham. "Here, to witness the scene which we are describing, sat Governor Bellingham himself, with