Daniel's Profile

The Scarlet Letter was a bit of a challenging read for me; not because of any particulars of the subject or story itself, but due to the placement in time of the writer and the subject. I read mostly science fiction; this is like stepping into the (r

The Scarlet Letter was a bit of a challenging read for me; not because of any particulars of the subject or story itself, but due to the placement in time of the writer and the subject. I read mostly science fiction; this is like stepping into the (relatively far) past and attempting to understand their mode of thought, humor, and word use. An excellent exercise, but it took me quite some time to get into it.

The introduction by Nathaniel Hawthorne was lost on me, I must admit. I enjoyed his vibrant descriptions of the various characters and personages at the Custom House, but the significance of the time and introspection/reflection on Salem had little meaning to me. Much of his wit was tied to an understanding of the place and its customs, I fear, and I didn't come away with anything meaningful.

However, the story itself was beautifully delivered. While he makes a pretense at suspense, the key players are all immediately visible to a conscious reader.

At times he glories in the strength of Hester Prynne, and hints at his strong desire that men and women should have equality in the eyes of the law and each other. Other times he surrounds the protagonists and antagonist with the "lurid" light of the hell created for themselves through their actions and the depth of their self-incrimination, a punishment far worse than that proscribed by the magistrates in the form of the Scarlet Letter for Hester to wear.

The Letter in Life portrayed by Pearl is a masterful literary construct. At once full of life and whimsical, she is also the continual reminder of a forbidden passion and a perfectly innocent mirror for her mother's (and father's) self-loathing. Children are notoriously absent from the types of books I typically read, or they are trivially portrayed; however, Hawthorne masterfully weaves her presence -- and personality -- into the story, so that in the end her life, and actions, are vital to the redemption of both her parents.

On that note -- redemption, and the sin itself -- Hawthorne displays a masterful disentanglement. As an author, it is very easy to portray your own moral sense beyond the moral sense of the characters via the meta-narrative, and it can oppressively color the story so that the interactions of the characters and their own reactions and feelings towards the situation become buried. Hawthorne, in my opinion, does not fall into that trap. His narrative dances around both celebration and incrimination, without becoming either. The strongest moral statement is left to the reader to construct -- is it the life-long consequence of sin felt by all involved, and the way it destroyed lives? Or, is it the ultimate freedom and absolution achieved through total release and personal revelation?

A beautiful novel, regardless of what it leaves you thinking. I highly recommend it.