Scarlet Letter

 

I have a confession to make: I have never read The Scarlet Letter from start to finish until recently. My first attempt at reading it was when I was supposed to write a report on it in my Religion in America class in college.  I wound up reading the cliff notes to do the project….and this was the ONE time that I actually ever pretended to read a book and just did not in my whole academic career. I was always the student that WANTED to read the full amount of my assigned readings.

However being at a Christian liberal arts college probably tainted my perspective of it originally. I already felt like an outsider for embracing more modern views of sexuality in the midst of the community that I was trying so hard to be a part of.   To try to complete my education I had tried to pick up periodically over the years because it is deemed a classic but often struggled with it.

There is no wrong way to read a book, but I finally found a perspective on Hawthorn’s work when I took an online class with Stephanie Wytovich this summer that peaked my interest.  I would strongly suggest reading her brilliant background information and commentary on Hawthorn right here.  It was learning more about Hawthorne’s history that intrigued me to read this book.

I had no clue before that he was related to one of the judges that were responsible for the Salem witch trials. Reading Scarlet Letter from the perspective of knowing that he was reacting to Puritianism that was in his family lineage provided me a needed insight on the reflection that Hester plays as an outsider in this classic.

I must admit that reading his short stories on my Kindle wet my appetite towards his approach to intriguing characterization.  And once I started Scarlet Letter this time around I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. I found myself really intrigued by the conflict between Hester Prynne for having and raising a child outside of wedlock and her Puritian community.

Usually its growing older and wiser that usually alters my perception towards a book. However, this time around it was taking time to learn more about Nathaniel Hawthorn’s history that made me change my opinion of this book around.  Learning more about the context that it was written in was extremely helpful in my enjoyment of the book.  Maybe I just needed to be what has been called “sadder but wiser” in my intellectual approach to the novel as well!