Identity In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You,” the American writer, cartoonist, animator, and book publisher, Theodor Seuss Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss, once stated. Much like how Dr. Seuss encourages the theme of being original, and keeping the identity of oneself, so does Nathaniel Hawthorne in the novel The Scarlet Letter. In the historical fiction, Hester Prynne, must publicly wear a scarlet “A” to represent “adultery” because she has a child, Pearl, with a man other than her husband. On the contrary, a preacher named Dimmesdale, hides the fact that he is Pearl’s father to the public. Hawthorne uses symbolism of a rosebush, the character Dimmesdale, and the archetype of a forest to further
prove his message to the reader. Ultimately, Hawthorne’s main message is that when one is honest about his/her identity, salvation will be earned.
Hawthorne proves that salvation is earned when one is true to one’s identity by the symbolism he uses with a rosebush.
The Scarlet Letter begins with the description of a prison door and a reference to a rosebush located just outside the prison door; “But on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rosebush, covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him,” (Hawthorne 1). Hawthorne uses the rosebush outside of the prison door to symbolize Hester, and the rest of mankind. The roses represent each individual person, and the thorns symbolize the fact that each individual has imperfections, and makes mistakes. The placement of the rosebush next to the prison signifies the ultimate forgiveness in nature. This particularly applies to the character Hester in the sense that she has made mistakes, and is condemned in society, however she still has integrity, and in doing so is able receive ultimate forgiveness, and happiness within herself. Hawthorne uses the symbolism of the rosebush to prove his message that salvation is earned when one is honest about who he/she
is.
Hawthorne uses the dynamic character Dimmesdale to further demonstrate the message of being oneself to earn salvation. For example, in the beginning, Dimmesdale’s identity is kept secret from the public, and as a result he secretly tortures himself because of his guilt; “In Mr. Dimmesdale’s secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge” (Hawthorne 18). Hawthorne emphasizes Dimmesdale’s self punishments, to show the immense amount of shame Dimmesdale has for not being honest about his identity. This accentuates the notion that since Dimmesdale has not yet been publicly convicted for his crime, his dishonesty to society causes him to be uncontent with himself, therefore resulting in a large amount of self - condemnation. Later, Hawthorne changes the way Dimmesdale feels by having him confess to the public that he is Pearl’s father. Hawthorne describes the way Dimmesdale feels after confessing his sin as “one who, in the crisis of acutest pain, had won a victory,”. This shows that once Dimmesdale displayed his true identity, he went from feeling remorseful to feeling triumphant, as if he had earned salvation. Hawthorne uses Dimmesdale’s dynamic character to justify to the reader that redemption can only be earned by being honest about one’s identity.
To highlight on his message about being true to one’s identity, Hawthorne uses the archetypical reference to the forest which essentially represents a place of freedom and escape. As Hester and Dimmesdale are in the forest, they spend time away from puritanical society, without having to pretend to be different identities, particularly Dimmesdale, since the town was not aware that he was Pearl's father. “Such was the sympathy of Nature-that wild, heathen Nature of the forest, never being their true selves away from the puritan society:subjugated by human law, nor illumined by higher truth-with the bliss of these two spirits” (Hawthorne 192). This signifies the fact that Hester and Dimmesdale can be their true identity in the forest which adds to the idea that Dimmesdale is ultimately more content and free, as he escapes from his fake identity back in society. The forest acts as a safe haven for Dimmesdale and Hester because they can openly be together without the harsh judgement of the puritan society, which signifies that they are ultimately happier, living as their genuine selves. This underlines Hawthorne's message of staying true to one’s identity in order to earn salvation.
Essentially, Hawthorne stresses the importance of being oneself in order to earn salvation. To prove this message to the reader, Hawthorne uses the symbolism of a rosebush, the dynamic character of Dimmesdale, and the archetype of the forest. There comes a point when one must come to terms with one’s identity, and break free from the guilt and sorrow of denial. Imagine if everyone in society was able to break free from the fake identity that many put out to the public. How do you think society would be different?