The Scarlet Letter: Elements of Transcendentalist and Anti-transcendentalist
Transcendentalist elements
The Scarlet Letter contains both transcendentalist and anti-transcendentalist views and way of existence organizing around the central theme of sin. Hester’s sin is her adultery with Dimmesdale, which produces her child Pearl. Dimmesdale’s sin is his failure to publicly admit his act of adultery with Hester. And Chillingworth’s sin is his brutal torture of Dimmesdale, despite the latter’s remorse and sufferings.
=) Self-confident, Self-reliant, and Dignity of Manual Labor:-
In The Scarlet Letter, it is initially determined by the local government that the typical penalty of death for adultery is
mercifully reduced due to the fact that Hester’s husband. Hester is condemned to stand on the stage for three hours at mid-day for public guilt and wear the scarlet letter on her chest for the remainder of her life. Although Hester is initially filled with sadness and shame for being subject to ridicule and harsh judgment by the towns people. she chooses to be self-confident and self-reliant.
=) Transformation and Innate Human Goodness:-
During the early years of her seclusion from society, Hester experiences some transforming or changing in herself, to the credit of human nature, that, except where its selfishness is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates. Hatred by a gradual and quiet process will even be transformed to love unless the change is impeded by a continually new irritation of the original feeling of resentment.
Anti-transcendentalist elements
Transcendentalist aspects shown primarily in Hester and Pearl, anti-transcendentalist elements are also presented in Hawthorne’s famous novel. These elements include moral corruption, guilt, hatred, revenge, etc. that are expressed prominently in the characters of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. These two characters represent aspects of anti-transcendentalism because Dimmesdale is a man of dignity and a religious and Chillingworth is a rational man of high academic learning.
=) Human Sin and Psychological Effects:-
Dimmesdale’s decision to keep his sin a secret inning of the novel, at the first scaffold scene. He is found to have “an about him, a worried, a surprised, a half-frightened look – as of a being who felt quite wrong and at a loss in the pathway of human existence. Dimmesdale’s wandering from the path of human existence illustrates the fear of his own sin, which makes up his dark moral corruption.
=) Evil and Physical form during this time, another anti-transcendental characteristic is seen in Chillingworth - that he literally becomes a devil in physical form. At first, his expression had been calm, meditative, scholar-like. Even Chillingworth notices that he himself has changed from a kind, trustworthy man with “constant if not warm affections” to a devil, as he admits it to Chillingworth recognizes his own transformation, he refuses to change for the better and forgive Dimmesdale.
To the end, there are both transcendentalist and anti-transcendentalist aspects presented in this novel. Although the elements of “sin” and “evil” are pervasive in the story, this ends to the optimistic remark about human nature highlighting the basis of transcendentalism. Chillingworth and Dimmesdale display human possibilities of committing evil acts and self-destruction, Hester and Pearl represent the human treatment, surviving. Perhaps Hawthorne is suggesting to future generations that although human nature is both good or bad, goodness will always exist.
Transcendentalist elements
The Scarlet Letter contains both transcendentalist and anti-transcendentalist views and way of existence organizing around the central theme of sin. Hester’s sin is her adultery with Dimmesdale, which produces her child Pearl. Dimmesdale’s sin is his failure to publicly admit his act of adultery with Hester. And Chillingworth’s sin is his brutal torture of Dimmesdale, despite the latter’s remorse and sufferings.
=) Self-confident, Self-reliant, and Dignity of Manual Labor:-
In The Scarlet Letter, it is initially determined by the local government that the typical penalty of death for adultery is
mercifully reduced due to the fact that Hester’s husband. Hester is condemned to stand on the stage for three hours at mid-day for public guilt and wear the scarlet letter on her chest for the remainder of her life. Although Hester is initially filled with sadness and shame for being subject to ridicule and harsh judgment by the towns people. she chooses to be self-confident and self-reliant.
=) Transformation and Innate Human Goodness:-
During the early years of her seclusion from society, Hester experiences some transforming or changing in herself, to the credit of human nature, that, except where its selfishness is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates. Hatred by a gradual and quiet process will even be transformed to love unless the change is impeded by a continually new irritation of the original feeling of resentment.
Anti-transcendentalist elements
Transcendentalist aspects shown primarily in Hester and Pearl, anti-transcendentalist elements are also presented in Hawthorne’s famous novel. These elements include moral corruption, guilt, hatred, revenge, etc. that are expressed prominently in the characters of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. These two characters represent aspects of anti-transcendentalism because Dimmesdale is a man of dignity and a religious and Chillingworth is a rational man of high academic learning.
=) Human Sin and Psychological Effects:-
Dimmesdale’s decision to keep his sin a secret inning of the novel, at the first scaffold scene. He is found to have “an about him, a worried, a surprised, a half-frightened look – as of a being who felt quite wrong and at a loss in the pathway of human existence. Dimmesdale’s wandering from the path of human existence illustrates the fear of his own sin, which makes up his dark moral corruption.
=) Evil and Physical form during this time, another anti-transcendental characteristic is seen in Chillingworth - that he literally becomes a devil in physical form. At first, his expression had been calm, meditative, scholar-like. Even Chillingworth notices that he himself has changed from a kind, trustworthy man with “constant if not warm affections” to a devil, as he admits it to Chillingworth recognizes his own transformation, he refuses to change for the better and forgive Dimmesdale.
To the end, there are both transcendentalist and anti-transcendentalist aspects presented in this novel. Although the elements of “sin” and “evil” are pervasive in the story, this ends to the optimistic remark about human nature highlighting the basis of transcendentalism. Chillingworth and Dimmesdale display human possibilities of committing evil acts and self-destruction, Hester and Pearl represent the human treatment, surviving. Perhaps Hawthorne is suggesting to future generations that although human nature is both good or bad, goodness will always exist.
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