In the midst of the Romantic period, specifically the year 1850, author Nathaniel Hawthorne published one of the most beautifully detailed and awe-inspiring books of the 18th century, The Scarlet Letter. This book, although a bit risque for its time period, became a popular novel all over the world due to its intricate use of symbols and themes. From the simplest items such as a prison to more complex concepts such as self-punishment, Hawthorne was able to brilliantly interweave these ideas throughout the entire book, ultimately creating a beautifully written story. Hawthorne was also able to capture his audience’s interest by centering the plot around an affair involving one of the most religious reverends within the town. Due to the extremely religious society that Hawthorne lived in, the book was a very risky move to make since it so harshly criticized the Puritan religion and its followers. Fortunately though, the book became a huge success and is still taught in schools all over the world today due to its elegant and symbolic writing style, but most importantly, its valuable and daring themes involving self-punishment, broken religious morals, and passionate Puritan beliefs. In the book The Scarlet Letter, author Nathaniel Hawthorne used the story to criticize the mental and physical effects of hypocritically breaking religious morals when growing up in a society with vehement Puritan probity.
The Scarlet Letter was not only a major success due to its extreme detail