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Scarlet Letter Gothic Essay

430 Words2 Pages

Gothic novels are often classified by their use of supernatural elements, dismal atmospheres, decaying settings (sometimes in the form of castles or dark buildings), and the mysterious. Additionally, authors may use the element of a manuscript or an item that is purported to be the origin of the story. In the preface to The Scarlet Letter, “The Custom-House,” Hawthorne discovers such a manuscript left behind by a Surveyor Pue, along with a scarlet letter “A” that serves to be an artifact of some magic, intertwining the tangible and fictional realms. Aside from magic, Gothic stories also involve some castle or similarly decrepit structure; Governor Bellingham’s mansion serves this purpose in Hawthorne’s novel. Bellingham’s home was grand and …show more content…

In The Scarlet Letter, the storyline is centralized around the illegitimate affair shared between Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. It is the nature of their affair and its strong opposition with Puritan beliefs that causes such an uproar within the community and makes the corresponding punishment for such a crime so drastic. The affair carries a dark omen with it, and remains a stain on Hester’s past, allowing a sense of darkness (typical of Gothic novels) to shadow her throughout the entirety of the story. Gothic novels may also have a villain who is often characterized as such by some mark or deformity; Roger Chillingworth serves as Hawthorne’s villainous fiend who is identified by his uneven shoulders and poor health. Finally, nature is often utilized as the general atmosphere of a story and is a large source of symbolism. Nature abounds in Hawthorne’s novel, as he uses it as a backdrop for several forms of juxtaposition: light and darkness, obscurity and clarity, and community and individual. These contrasting themes deal specifically with Hester and Dimmesdale’s sinful affair, and appear more sinister due to the Gothic ambience created by the forest surrounding the town. Because of the foreboding created by the woods on the Puritan community, the novel is given an overall atmosphere of misery and dimness, a proper and fitting milieu for the

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