How Does Hawthorne Use Nature In The Scarlet Letter

Nature plays a very important role in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne uses it as a way to show the reader how the characters are feeling without explicitly saying it. He also uses it as a way to set the mood of the scene, and illustrate important aspects of the story. The use of nature can be seen many different times throughout the book. Most of these are used to describe the characters’ thoughts and feelings. One example when Hawthorne uses nature is when he is describing the evil that is Roger Chillingworth. Throughout the book, Chillingworth gets increasingly unpleasant. His sight for revenge on Dimmesdale is turning him into a hateful man. Hester Prynne sees Chillingworth gathering herbs for Dimmesdale. She wonders what sort of herbs he’s

Pearl is described as being a kind of “wild-child”. She doesn’t listen to her mother ever and is definitely not like the other children in her town. She doesn’t conform to much, almost exactly like the breeze. Hawthorne writes, “...[the breeze]...has its gusts of inexplicable passion, and is petulant in its best of moods, and chills oftener than caresses you...; in requital of which misdemeanours, it will sometimes, of its own vague purpose, kiss your cheek with a kind of doubtful tenderness, and play gently with your hair, and then begone about its other idle business, leaving a dreamy pleasure at your heart” (162). Prynne sees Pearl as being exactly that. To her mother, Pearl is uncooperative even when she’s in a good mood, and is cold more that she is loving, but to counteract these things, she kisses Prynne’s cheek, and Prynne cannot help but absolutely adore Pearl, just because she is who she is. Lastly, Hawthorne compares the sunshine, to the way Hester Prynne feels about her social status. Because of the sin Prynne had committed, she was shunned by her community and cast away. While walking with Pearl through the woods, Prynne notices the sun’s behavior, almost as if it is “running away from her”. No matter what she tries to do, the sun will never touch her skin; never be in her