American Romanticism in the Scarlet Letter

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From its poetic language to its supernatural influences The Scarlet Letter is a novel that clearly defines the American Romantic movement. It covers all of the main points of Romanticism; exotic local, supernatural influences, poetic language, symbolic undertones and the fight between good and evil. We also see the connection to Romanticism through the characters themselves. One of the most prominent romantic issues in this novel is the fight of good versus evil. The true evil in this novel being Chillingworth, the spiteful husband of Hester Prynne. His entire presence in the novel is only to stir up mischief. From the first moments when he is introduced it is clear he is up to no good. “It was better to stand thus, with so many betwixt him and her, than to greet him, face to face, they two alone. She fled for refuge, as it were, to the public exposure, and dreaded the moment when its protection should be withdrawn from her.” (46) His involvement in the novel is purely out of spite for Hester. Even his appearance begins to change throughout the novel he begins to embody the evil that has consumed him. There are many supernatural elements in the novel, mostly pertaining to the scarlet letter. One of the most important one is the letter that burns on Dimmesdale’s chest. It burns through the entire novel as his guilt grows over the seven years of hiding his secret. It is the burden he must live with as he lives in the shadow of his actions. At the end when he reveals it to the community many see it and some don’t. The letter isn’t the only supernatural element in the novel; Pearl is referred to in the story as “the devil child by Mistress Hibbens, a witch. In the governor hall, the narrator describes Pearl as, "There was a fire in her and throughout her; she seemed the unpremeditated offshoot of a passionate moment" (69) One of the main influences of the romanticism
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