The 19th century was a significant period for American literature. It was then that the Dark Romanticists started to produce their works. It was then when American writers finally decided to face the truth and uncover ambiguous past of their land. Was it really characterized by the lack of long and stormy past? Or perhaps it only seems like that on the surface, but having gone deeper and deeper it turned out America had more complex issues at that time? Two of the three Dark Romanticists – Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville - did not agree that America lacked long and stormy past. In their texts, both authors show that American society had to struggle with their own problems that many did not even realize their presence. In this paper, …show more content…
In “The Scarlet Letter” he depicts it as an oppressive 17th – century Puritan society. “The style of Puritanism that Hawthorne presents is drab and gloomy, preoccupied with judgment and punishment, unrelenting and dogmatic,”1 writes Deborah L. Madsen in her book, “American Exceptionalism.” Hester Prynne, the main character accused of adultery, is persecuted by Boston community. Not only adults despise her, but also children who, blinded by the decayed values and norms, humiliate her and her child, Pearl. The character of Hester symbolizes the fight against Puritan enslavement, the need to modernize the prevailing norms that cause nothing but harm to American society. Opposing the society, and not obeying the Puritan religious standards, Hester unconsciously gives the Bostonian community an impulse to contradict deformed norms. With time, Hester 's and Pearl 's isolation and acceptance of fate causes the society to forget and adapt to their sin, and therefore makes it more liberal. The Puritan society is no longer so prejudiced and is even thankful for Hester 's charitable deeds. It can be argued that Hester is the embodiment of the new democratic world which endorses individualism and independence, and supersedence of outdated Puritan