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Sapna Prakash

Mr. Price

AP English

2 March 2017

The Scarlet Letter: A Book of the Damned

Adultery is a crime committed by those who have no heart. The Scarlet Letter, a book

regarding adultery, was written in 1850 by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The genres of this book consist

of romanticism and historical drama, which implies that this piece of literature has an important

lesson to teach. In this book, the topic of adultery and how horrid the consequences are of this sin

is tremendously displayed. The setting of The Scarlet Letter relates to the events from the plot,

relates to the characters, and builds suspense in a numerous amount of ways.

The setting of The Scarlet Letter relates to the events from the plot in ample ways. For

example, the scaffold of the pillory, symbolizes punishment which is what Hester Prynne had

divulged in (Hawthorne 52). If the scaffold were taken out of the book, the fact that Hester

Prynne was being humiliated wouldnt be as severe if she were simply standing on the ground.

She needed a platform to stand upon, so that she would feel vulnerable as the world eyed her

filthy frame which was tainted by sin. Furthermore, The grass-plot before the jail, in Prison

Lane, emphasizes the event in which Hester Prynne committed adultery (Hawthorne 44).

Without the jail, the severity of Hester Prynnes crime wouldnt be established. Instead, the fact

that she committed adultery would be seen as commonplace, as it is in the present day. In

addition, On the outskirts of the town, within the verge of peninsula...was a small thatched

cottage, showcases how Hester was deemed an outcast by society (Hawthorne 72). Everyone

despised her, so in result she was forced to travel far from town, so that her face may not be seen
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frequently. This was the cost she was forced to pay for the sin she committed. How the setting of

The Scarlet Letter relates to the events from the plot and characters of the book is astounding.

The way the setting of The Scarlet Letter relates to the characters of the book shows that

The Scarlet Letter was written with acute attentiveness. To begin, The shadow of the curtain.

[in the Governors mansion]... fell on Hester Prynne, and partially concealed her, relates to

Hester Prynne and the sin she committed (Hawthorne 98). The act of adultery she committed

casted her out of society, and left darkness to consume her. The darkness of the shadow that

consumes Hester Prynne in this moment of the book portrays the fact that she is forever unable

of being pure. Additionally, the quote All at once, as with a sudden smile of heaven, forth burst

the sunshine, pouring a very flood into the obscure forest displays how the setting was

affected by the characters mood (Hawthorne 186). Once Mr. Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne

discovered that they could truly be happy without scorn, the sunshine mimicked their happiness.

The sunshine symbolized the relief that they felt once the guilt of committing an awful sin had

been momentarily taken off of their shoulders. Likewise, the quote The sportive

sunlight...withdrew itself as they came nigh, and left the spots where it had danced the drearier,

mimics the emotions of Hester Prynne (Hawthorne 167). During this time, she felt nothing but

sorrow in her heart. Happiness had been so close for her to grasp, yet it always seemed to slip

away, just as the sun had did in this scene. Not only how the setting of The Scarlet Letter relates

to the characters, but how the setting builds suspense is quite fascinating.

The way that the setting of The Scarlet Letter builds suspense is remarkable. For instance,

there was an ...appearance of an immense letter,the letter A,marked out in lines of dull red

light, caused by a meteor in the sky (Hawthorne 140). This created suspense by making the red

letter appear as if it were ominous. The detailed description of the red letter in the sky is
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imbedded with the feeling of doom, which is why it easily builds suspense. Similarly, the quote

...the meteoric light imparted a new expression; or it might well be that the physician was not

careful then, as at all other times, to hide the malevolence with which he looked upon his

victim, has the same effect (Hawthorne 141). Without the red light which shone from the sky

and illuminated Mr. Chillingworths evil visage, the sight of his villainous expression wouldn't

be as potent. If it were daylight during this moment in the book, this scene wouldn't have the

same effect; instead, it would be less entertaining. With the expression on Mr. Chillingworths

face and the red lighting combined, suspense is built by the eerie aura these two details combined

together gives off. Moreover, The new abode of the two friends...had the grave-yard...on one

side, creates suspense by incorporating a sense of fear into the story (Hawthorne 113).

Graveyards inflict uneasy emotions such as paranoia or fright, because they are usually

associated with the supernatural. Incorporating a graveyard into the story produces suspense

because it is a symbol of death, and it may be a clue that foreshadows what happens later on in

the future. How suspense was built by the setting of The Scarlet Letter is simply outstanding.

How the setting of The Scarlet Letter relates to events from the plot, relates to the

characters, and builds suspense is truly phenomenal. The Scarlet Letter perfectly showcases the

talent of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and perfectly displays how brutal punishments were for

individuals who had committed crimes long ago. Although it portrays individuals of the 1600s as

pitiless, it also reveals a side of them that is forgiving. This work of literature taught a valuable

lesson, which is to cherish your true loved ones. Overall, The Scarlet Letter encompassed the

flawless attributes of an unforgettable book: misfortune, hope, and love.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, Kathryn Harrison, and Gretchen Short. The Scarlet Letter. 2000 ed. New
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York: Modern Library, 2000. Print. Modern Library Edition.