Table of ContentsIntroductionCritique of Puritan Life in The Scarlet LetterConclusionIntroductionIn the late 18th and 19th centuries, Romanticism was a literary style very popular adopted by many novelists. Nature, a major element of romanticism, is used in the writings of these authors not only for descriptions and images, but also to highlight major ideas. A talented author influenced by Romanticism was Nathaniel Hawthorne, the creator of “The Scarlet Letter.” In "The Scarlet Letter," Hawthorne uses nature as a romantic source to criticize Puritan life: the harshness of its society, the unjust laws of Puritan theocracy, and the corruption of Puritan humanity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Criticism of Puritan Life in The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne uses a strongly romantic view of nature to emphasize the harshness and lack of compassion of the Puritans. For example, in the first chapter, Hawthorne describes the city as "the black flower of civilized society." In this passage, he uses a flower, an element of nature, to symbolize the despair of the prison city. He further emphasizes this symbolism by describing the prison grounds as "overgrown with burdock, pigweed, Peru apple, and similar unsightly vegetation." By depicting the prison and the scaffold as a dismal place of punishment, Hawthorne foreshadows the immoral events that will soon occur. The use of nature to symbolize the prison also creates a dark atmosphere which depicts the place near the scaffold, a place of punishment. During this scene, the women watching are “particularly interested in the criminal sanctions that could result.” The so-called moral Puritans are portrayed as people with no compassion for Hester, the “criminal.” One of the women even demands that they mark Hester's forehead with the letter "A". These women are portrayed as ruthless people whose religion emphasizes God's wrath and not His love. Hawthorne contrasts the prison and the scaffold, evil symbols of Puritan society, with the "wild rose bush... which one could imagine offers its fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner when he enters... as a sign that the deep the heart of Nature could have pity on him and be good to him". The rose bush, symbol of Nature, is a completely pure element which has not been "tainted" by the harshness of Puritan society. It is also used as a symbol of hope for the city, contrasting with the evil and darkness of the prison and the scaffold. Hawthorne effectively uses nature to criticize Puritan society by illustrating the prison and the scaffold as l. he embodiment of societal evil. Hawthorne deliberately uses these descriptions at the beginning of the novel to establish the mood. By contrasting nature with Puritan society, Hawthorne successfully criticizes the Puritans. , opposes the city to criticize the cruel and strict laws of the theocracy. Hawthorne's use of the forest also emphasizes the romantic aspect of the novel. The forest is considered a place of evil, where the Black Man lives. However, Hawthorne describes the nature of the forest as a "wild and pagan nature... never subject to human laws, nor enlightened by a higher truth." Although the Puritans considered the forest to be an evil place, Hawthorne describes it as an almost sacred sanctuary that contrasts with the destructive and unforgiving city. Additionally, Hawthorne uses Dimmesdale and Hester's love to describe the forest.