This blog demonstrates an understanding and analysis of the passage in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, ‘The Scarlett Letter’ in which Dimmesdale, Hester and Pearl join on the scaffolding one night. The passage, which occurs in the middle of the novel, marks an important part of the narrative as it is the first time the three characters all stand together; in the place Dimmesdale should have joined Hester and their child many years ago. The chapter in which the passage occurs, marks the height of Dimmesdale’s moral crisis, as this section in the narrative acts almost as Dimmesdale’s confession to God, although it shows that he remains too cowardly to confess in broad daylight and under the watch of others.
Hawthorne uses a range of semantic fields throughout the novel; in this passage he uses a combination of cosmic imagery and religious themes. Hawthorne’s choice of lexis from these fields puts emphasis upon the reoccurring themes the author is trying to convey, particularly focusing on religion. Hawthorne uses cosmic imagery which, although a field in its own right, is linked by him to the religious theme he attempts to convey. In this passage Dimmesdale sees a meteor, believed by Puritans of the time to be a warning from God signalling bad things to come or commenting on happenings within the community at that moment. Dimmesdale relates the meteor to his own situation, believing the meteor creates the shape of an ‘A’ and is Gods way of trying to expose him. This demonstrates the strength of belief in God at the time the novel is based on. “…the dense medium of cloud betwixt the sky and earth” seems to imply heaven, again referring to the meteor as a message from God. Most examples of cosmic imagery within the novel appear to put emphasis upon the religious themes in the novel that Hawthorne wishes to make dominant.
A literary device Hawthorne uses throughout The Scarlet Letter is imagery, for example the use of the name Pearl. The noun ‘pearl’ refers to a precious mineral. This is an allusion to the fact the child is very precious, especially to Hester who calls her “my little Pearl”. Pearl was the result of a sin that cost Hester the chance of a normal life and resulted in her humiliation and punishment, however, Hester’s evident affection towards Pearl is testament to Hester’s kind heart and forgiving nature (Pearl is a physical manifestation of a passionate love affair).
In the novel, the scaffolding is a symbol of Gods penitence and Gods platform on the day of judgement. It’s on the scaffold that Dimmesdale confesses both alone in the dark and also later in the novel in front of the crowds. The scaffolding represents the link between Hester and Dimmesdale; her own public humiliation and his inner anguish are shown highlighting the differences between their relationships.
Figurative language is one narrative technique used in this passage of the novel. The narrator uses the simile “like domes of an immense lamp” to describe great vault resultant of the meteor.
In order to link the novel to the time in which it was written Hawthorne has chosen for the narrative voice to use two techniques that portray the time; archaic lexis and verbose sentences. This is primarily seen in dialog within the text, for example “to take my hand, and Mother’s hand, tomorrow noontide?”. The noun ‘noontide’ is archaic, and the sequence ‘my hand, and my Mother’s hand’ is pleonastic, giving the text an overall realistic and dated sense. The purpose is to make a strong definition between the parts of the novel based on real events that happened and fictional text.
Mystery is a theme running though the novel and particularly this passage; it is not until this far into the book that we are given a clue that Dimmesdale is Pearls father. This mystery adds to the gothic genre to the novel, as this mystery male haunts the novel.
Another predominant theme emphasised in this passage is family through Pearls curiosity, naivety and confusion about why Dimmesdale will not stand with her and her mother in front of the village the following day. This is a theme that Hawthorne emphasises throughout the novel and adds a sense of irony to the narrative as these three characters will never become a family.
The omniscience of the narrator becomes paramount within this passage. The narrator reveals Dimmesdales’ internal thoughts and concealed reactions specifically regarding his moral crisis. “all the dread of public exposure that had so long been the anguish of his life had returned upon him”. This gives the reader an insight and enables them to see what other characters do not know about each other. Sometimes the narrator gives us his own personal views, it is important to remember this is only his opinion and it is not always correct or to be followed.
The main devices used in Scarlett Letter are themes and imagery related to religious beliefs and cosmic imagery. It is clear even the use of cosmic imagery is to emphasise the religious beliefs of the time that this novel is based upon. Religion is so important to this novel, as Hawthorne has almost written the novel in apology for his ancestor’s action and the hurt they caused people due to their beliefs.
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