The Scarlet Letter: A Modern Classic of the Past

The Scarlet Letter: A Modern Classic of the Past - Edward Bulwer Lytton once quoted "In science, read, by preference, the newest works; in literature, in oldest. The classic literature is always modern." Nathaniel Hawthorne's piece of literature, The Scarlet Letter, is an excellent example of this quote. Even though this novel was written in the 1800's it has managed to keep its popularity through time. The Scarlet Letter survived because it faces issues that we still have today, keeping it a story for modern times. The books aspects of conflict, setting, character, and theme all allow The Scarlet Letter - though takes place, and was written so long ago- to withstand the challenge of time.

This novel obtains the same types of conflicts that we still find in today's society, keeping the reader interested through the whole story. Hester Prynne is a young woman sent to Boston in the New World by her elderly husband, who never follows her. After subsiding in Boston for sometime, Hester is caught pregnant with an unknown man's child. Arrested for being an adulteress, she is also marked with a scarlet A as punishment. As she and her child, Pearl, stand on the scaffold her elderly husband returns for her and she refuses to tell who her child father is. Then the conflict begins. Hester's husband, who goes by Roger Chillingworth, takes upon the role of the town's physician while he seeks revenge on Hester's unknown lover. While Chillingworth seeks revenge, Hester her self must struggle with finding and accepting her knew self with the scarlet letter that marks her. But that's not all, the towns clergyman, Dimmesdale, daily faces an inner struggle with himself as he fights a tug of war between the fact that he is Pearl's secret father and between his reputation as a holy man he is terrified of tarnishing. All throughout his struggle, it begins to take a toll on his health and Chillingworth- already suspecting the young clergyman- jumps on the opportunity to move in with him. In result, the characters are trapped in a seven year struggle to find peace with their turmoil's. These same struggles the characters face, revenge, guilt, reputation, and responsibility for your actions, are not anything we don't experience and deal with today. By Nathaniel Hawthorne's use of universal conflicts, the readers are able to connect and sympathize with the characters, creating a timeless storyline even in 18^th century Boston.

Though the setting of this classic may not seem modern, when you look into it more closely, you see that it really can fit in within today. Clearly when the thought of the book's setting being in 18^th centaury Boston comes to mind, the first thought following isn't that it's just like modern society. But Nathaniel Hawthorne uses this specific aspect of the book carefully enough that anyone from anytime can relate to the surroundings. The Boston in the 1800's, as described in the book, is just like any other town with gossipers, the town's frightening citizen- in the novel this is the town witch Hibbins-, and those at the top of the social food chain. All of these characters who are part of the town help shape their surroundings by twisting truths through gossip- such as whom Hester's mysterious lover is, and is the cynical physician really the Black Man, otherwise known as the devil. They also punish wrong doers, but sometimes bend the rules like they did when condemning Hester to only wear a scarlet A instead of putting her to death. All of this that shapes the society and setting back then all happens in today's society as well, relating the reader to social issues today. And one more main setting of the novel that readers today can relate to is the forest outside the town. The forest is a place where the characters can really allow their true selves to come out. The minister Dimmesdale often retreats to the forest to openly contemplate his sin, Hester comes out and tells Dimmesdale about Chillingworth's true identity in the forest, and they both decide to follow their hearts desires and flee to Europe together to live as a family. The forest resembles a secluded and hidden place that everyone has to reveal their secrets without fear.

There were several main characters in The Scarlet Letter that many people today can still relate to through their traits, Hester Prynne is one of the strongest. Throughout the novel Hester had to deal and go through several tough situations like many of us have to today. First she had to deal with the humiliation of being marked as an adulteress, living in a own where everyone knew her sin and made it clear they didn't want anything to do with her. She had to deal with her past- Chillingworth- coming back to haunt her, reminding her that she had a husband, adding onto her guilt. Then Chillingworth made situations worse swearing revenge on whom ever Hester's lover was. That's a lot of stress for a person to have. Then she had to protect hose she loved, Dimmesdale, even though it meant keeping a secret from everyone and making things harder for herself. And of course she had to live the life of a single mom, and raise Pearl on her own, which isn't uncommon today. Hester emerged from all of this though, strong, and even tried to make the best of her horrible situation. People today can look back on her struggles as a reassurance, as a good example of strength. Hester never went through anything that we don't still see in modern society; humiliation, a haunting past, stress, love, and finding strength to get through everyday.

Of course the theme of any book is usually very universal, and therefore can be related too what ever the time period, and The Scarlet Letter is no exception to this. The theme I found while reading this classic is that selfishness is never the right aspect to give into. Through the entire course of the plot both Dimmesdale and Chillingworth, and even Hester sometimes, gave into their own selfish indulgences that eventually led to story's bittersweet ending. Dimmesdale fought to keep his holy reputation spotless, even though it inflicted more trouble upon Hester. And on the day he and Hester planned to run away to Europe and never tell a soul that he had sinned with her, he couldn't stand the guilt of this and once he announced to the town what he did, he collapsed and died. Chillingworth's selfish indulgence also eventually led to his end. Though Hester had requested he give up his vengeful search several times, he was led by his selfish desire for revenge her lover. He thought that only after he succeeded in revenge would he be satisfied. But he became so caught up in revenge, that when Dimmesdale revealed himself, he found he had nothing more to live for, already losing Hester because she despised his vengeful nature, and died less then a year later. And Hester also had her little selfish indulgences that assisted the story line, such as her decision to live in Boston after being marked with the scarlet A. By choosing to live in Boston, so she could just be near Dimmesdale, she was thinking about her self, and not what was the best environment for Pearl to grow up in. People looked at Pearl as a living sin, and many children were kept away from her, which is not the best way for a child to grow up. Also by Hester's choice of staying, she egged on Chillingworth's revenge and was a constant reminder to Dimmesdale about what they had done together. The selfishness that drove each of these characters ended them up in undesirable situations, either dead or alone. And even today we find that when we do things purely for our selves and don't think about how it affects others, we find our selves in places we don't want to be.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, is a timeless, and modern, read during any time period. Though written in the 1800's, we find that the characters face the same conflicts that a many people still face to day such as revenge, guilt, reputation, and responsibility. Even the setting way back then in Boston, is relatable today through the town's average contributions that existed back then and today, and even metaphorically in the forest where the characters can be themselves in there own place for secrets. Hester Prynne is a character that anyone can relate to as she faces situations everyone does at some point in life from humiliation, , a haunting past, stress, love, and just finding the strength to get through everyday. And the universal theme; that selfishness only leads you to where you don't want to be, is a life lesson that everyone needs to learn no matter when you live. As Edward Bulwer Lytton once quoted "In science, read, by preference, the newest works; in literature, in oldest. The classic literature is always modern.", The Scarlet Letter is no exception.