Romantism

Kyle Morrison
Mr. Warren
AP English 3 – Per.6
October 31, 2012

American Romantic Motifs Authors of American Romantic novels often give death to many of their characters as the consequence of their secret sin. However, mortality is merely an easy way out thus, arguing through the use of dark imagery, symbolism, and isolationism; That the worst effect of wrongdoing is not death but instead living with the mental and physical anguish of guilt. Nathaniel Hawthorne describes the torment of Reverend Dimmesdale, a character in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, with such dark imagery to portray the guilt and suffering of his secret sin, being Hester’s illicit lover and father of Pearl, is much worse than his actual death in the end of the book. Through the novel Dimmesdale, a well-respected minister of the town, debates on whether to tell society that he is the father and lover of Hester or keep quiet and live with the mental and physical misery. Hawthorne depicts Dimmesdale's face saying, “A writhing horror twisted itself across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them,” (58). By describing his face with such vivid detail, it gives the reader a mental image of just how much this sin affects him. Hawthorne also uses a simile comparing how the writhing horror twisted itself around his face to a snake gliding to emphasize the treacherous conditions guilt has shown upon Dimmesdale. Hawthorne not only shows how Dimmesdale is physically affected by the guilt, but is mentally in pain as well. “Mr. Dimmesdale was so overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart. On that spot, in very truth, there was, and there had long been, the gnawing and poisonous tooth of bodily pain.”(173) Here Hawthorne shows that the guilt is almost unbearable. The metaphor he presents comparing the horror of the mind that Dimmesdale was overcome with, with the universe gazing at a scarlet token gives a dark image to illustrate that this remorse felt within him is greater than fatality. Overall, Hawthorne employs dark imagery whenever he talks about how the guilt affects Dimmesdale either mentally or physically - Thus displaying that death is an easy way out without anymore suffering from his wrongdoing. In addition to The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Minister’s Black Veil makes use of symbolism to emphasize the stress that secret sin puts on ones body is more demoralizing than death. Parson Hooper, a much-respected minister in his village being a role model for many, comes to a service one day with a black veil covering his face. This veil symbolizes sin but the fact that he would not tell anyone what it meant keeps his sins secret. Because of this veil and the secrecy as to why he is wearing it, Hooper is condemned to a life of isolation and depression. The veil symbolizes not only sin but also how ashamed he is and cannot show his own face, even while in his deathbed. Just from the use of symbolism in the black veil, Hawthorne is able to have Hooper go from arguably the most respected man in the village, to a man who is feared and looked upon different by society. Because of this blaxck veil he wears, Hooper is isolated from society and starts to live a lonely life. If Hooper had not died, there is no telling what tolls the guilt would have had on his body - illustrating that his death saved him from the endless suffering from his secret sin. Also in “The Minister’s Black Vail”, Hawthorne utilizes isolationism as a way to portray the argument that living with the guilt is far worse than dying. Hooper had a lovely fiancée, Elizabeth, but because of his black veil, he loses her and becomes isolated from humanity. The town still respects him as a minister but is disgusted that he is constantly wearing the dark veil that symbolizes sin, which eventually isolates him from everyone. Hawthorne has Hooper separated from society to stress the mental anguish that it puts on him. The isolationism tactic he uses promotes that living lonely and depressed from your guilt of secrecy, is a harsher punishment than having your life end. Overall, the idea that living with the guilt is worse than death is noted in various Romantic works with dark imagery, symbolism, and isolationism. With the dark imagery in the description of Dimmesdale’s guilt in The Scarlet Letter and the use of symbolism and isolationism in The Minister’s Black Veil, Hawthorne delivers the message that death is only a light punishment compared to the mental and physical pain secret sin puts on ones body.