In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, almost everything holds a purpose or a deeper, symbolic message. Hawthorne’s affluent use of literary devices are present throughout the entirety of the text, specifically, his ability to create distinct tones intended to illustrate his message. Through the use of these tones, Hawthorne creates a contrast between the corruption of humanity in Puritan society and the honest purity as seen in nature. Hawthorne draws upon ideas from Romanticism, such as nature and children representing the truth. Using this idea in the novel, he shows how the location of the forest is representative of nature which causes characters to be immersed in truth, showing their true selves. In a similar manner, he uses the scaffold to demonstrate humanity’s …show more content…
By emphasizing romantic ideals, Hawthorne is able to clearly express how the tone of the forest is shown in Pearl, as both represent the same ideas of truth to the Romantics. The tone of the forest is shown throughout the entirety of the time present there. It also shows the forest’s purity because it is hidden, insusceptible to humanity’s reach. Hawthorne directly states to the reader that the wild nature of the forest had never been, “subjugated by human law” (Hawthorne 177). Not only does he state that “human law” has not corrupted the forest, he follows by adding that the forest is neither, “illuminated by a higher power” (177). Hawthorne’s declaration designates the tone and overall atmosphere of the forest as free and honest. This prevails since Hawthorne shows the absence of human corruption or heavenly presence, stating that the only presence there is love. In following the Romantic’s principles, children represent truth. Because Hawthorne writes with Romantic principles, Pearl is able to flourish in the forest because she is the embodiment of honesty, and was also born of a sin of passion. Hawthorne shows her purity as calling her, “untempered light”,