Self Reliance, By Nathanial Hawthorne
Nathanial Hawthorne was a writer that lived in Salem, Massachusetts and struggled with his family’s puritan legacy. He wanted to disconnect himself from religion almost all together because he was ashamed of his past. Hawthorne lived by the idea that Emerson expresses in his literature. “All men have my blood, and I have all men’s” (“Self-Reliance” 11). Hawthorne understood the underlying message that Emerson was expressing; just because the people in one’s life have different beliefs than his, it doesn’t mean they should make him change his own beliefs. This is a reason why he added the “w” in Hawthorne. He wanted to detach himself from his great grandfather because of his strong Puritan beliefs and his involvement in the Salem Witch Trials.
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Instead of dethatching himself from his past in his writing it was the exact opposite. “Sin, evil, temptation, damnation – all the old Puritan bywords – became the central concerns of his fiction – but in a most unorthodox way” (Preface 4). Haunted by his past, Hawthorne’s writing has a shadow of his puritan background that glooms through certain elements within his writing such as The Scarlet Letter and “Young Goodman Brown” which represent his internal battle between Transcendentalism and his Puritan beliefs.
In the late 1600’s, Massachusetts was made up of mainly Puritan colonist who had left England in hope to find religious tolerance (DiscoveryEducation).
However, it wasn’t much better in Massachusetts. People were expected to repress emotions, opinions, and individuality because of the beliefs of Puritanism. Puritans believed that God gave signs through people and their fate which represented favor or anger from Him. Anything that was different from the religious beliefs of Puritanism, since it made up the majority in Massachusetts, was looked down upon. This can be seen in the historical event of the Salem witch trials. In the late 1600’s a series of hangings took place to punish a practice what was supposedly going on known as witchcraft. The fundamentals of this practice included a connection with nature, animalistic qualities such as cries and noises made by humans, and a sense of the individual before the community. The different opinions and actions that the people who were accused of as being witches were looked at as signs from God that represented a connection with the people to the Devil. To punish the accused witches of their actions and thoughts because they did not follow puritan beliefs, they were hanged. The connection that the Salem Witch Trials had on Hawthorne can be seen through the setting of “Young Goodman Brown.” The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. The puritan connections in his writing don’t stop at the setting, but continue to develop …show more content…
within deeper elements of his writing.
Hawthorne’s past of Puritan beliefs can be seen through his writing, his characters, and his symbols. The puritan’s background is that they believed that when they set sail to the U.S from England they wanted to reform the Church of England but eventually realized that it was beyond fixing. Specifically, the puritans believe that God choose a select few to be saved. Hawthorne displays this in his work through the fate of his characters. Towards the end of the story, Hester, Dimmsdale, and Chillingworth all shows signs of aging and decaying. Dimmsdale was decaying but did not want to admit it, he was trying to look strong and deny any assistance; “But he fought back the bodily weakness – and, still more, the faintness of heart- that was striving for the mastery with him. He threw off all assistance, and stepped passionately forward a pace before the woman and the children” (Scarlet Letter 94). No matter how hard he tried to stay strong, Dimmsdale eventually fades physically and spiritually; “The glow, which they had just before beheld burning on his cheek, was extinguished, like a flame that sinks down hopelessly among the late decaying embers. It seemed hardly the face of a man alive, with such a death-like hue: it was hardly a man with life in him, that tottered on his path so nervously, yet tottered, and did not fall!” (Scarlet Letter 92). Without Dimmsdale, Chillingworth shrivels up as well because he symbolizes a leach feeding off of Dimmsdale. “Nothing was more remarkable than the change which took place, almost immediately after Mr. Dimmesdale’s death, in the appearance and demeanor of the old man known as Roger Chillingworth. All his strength and energy – all his vital and intellectual force—seemed at once to desert him, insomuch that he positively withered up, shriveled away and almost vanished from mortal sight, like an uprooted weed that lies wilting in the sun. This unhappy man had made the very principle of his life to consist in the pursuit and systematic exercise of revenge” (Scarlet Letter 95). Not only is Chillingworth symbolized as a leach but he also symbolizes a connection to the Devil and his work. “When, in short, there was no more Devil’s work on earth for him to do, it only remained for the unhumanised mortal to betake himself whither his master would find him tasks enough, and pay him his wages duly” (Scarlet Letter 95). As both men lose energy Hester does so too, but she also experiences a loss in her feminism. “All the light and graceful foliage of her character had been withered up by this red hot brand” (Scarlet Letter 159). However, this was not the case for Pearl, in fact, her energy and spirit were just coming alive. “She had an undulating, but oftentimes a sharp and irregular movement. It indicated the restless vivacity of her spirit” (Scarlet Letter 89). The natural decaying and aging as well as the life coming out in Pearl can represent Hawthorne’s Puritan background coming out through the belief that God choses a select few to be saved. In this case, He chose Pearl to be saved. “So Pearl – the elf child – the demon offspring, as some people, up to that epoch, persisted in considering her, became the richest heiress of her day in the New World” (Scarlet Letter 255).
Before Hester decays, she represents other Puritan beliefs that Hawthorne shades into his writing. The Puritans believed that since the time of Adam and Eve, humans have been sinners from birth, only faith, not good deeds can lead to salvation and the community demanded religious conformity of the community members. Hester represents the struggle of life after a sin is committed and the desire to do good deeds for her sin while trying to be accepted by society. Hester has never fit in and has been by herself for two years. She was tempted because she did not have a man to keep her on the right path and because she was tempted, she committed a sin. As a result of her sin, Hester was publicly shamed and forced to wear an “A” which was a badge of humiliation by society. This badge of humiliation caused Hester to stand out in society and not be accepted by the other community members. In hope to be forgiven for Pearl, who symbolizes her sin, Hester is very thoughtful, for she knows that thoughtless behavior could cause her to lose her daughter. Hester is also motherly with respect to society; she cares for the poor and brings them food and clothing. Hester chooses to give to the poor, despite her own humiliation, financial state and the fact that the poor also look down on her as a sinful woman. This could be a part of her personal penance, but her generosity also suggests that she is a woman with naturally charitable instincts. In fact, she did so many good deeds for people less fortunate than her that to them, her A stood for “Able” instead of “Adultery.” Hawthorne’s symbol of the “A” which socially disconnects Hester from society as well as Pear who symbolizes a sinner from birth continue to show glimpses of Puritan beliefs within Hawthorne’s writing.
In attempt to free his mind from the Puritan ideas he was taught, he moved to Brook farm in 1841 to take part in a transcendental movement. The movement included a philosophy that stated that humans were idealistic by nature, emotions are the “most natural” state that can’t be wrong or bad because the natural state is more reliable than reason, inspiration and imagination were valued over logic, self-reliance was praised, and the individual was considered good and civilization was corrupt, wild was considered better than tamed, and religious molding was rejected. These ideas that he went to take part of provided an outlet from his Puritan beliefs because they collided with each other in some areas. Hawthorne didn’t want to follow the same path of his ancestors. He demonstrates glimpses of this throughout his writing through his characters thoughts. “We have been a race of honest men and good Christians wince the days of the martyrs; and shall I be the first of the name of Brown that ever took this path and kept” (“Young Goodman Brown” 2). Change the name from Brown to Hawthorne and it could have been a line that came directly out of Hawthorne’s own mouth about his family and his decision to take his own path away from the Puritan beliefs of his ancestors. The Transcendental philosophy created not only an outlet for Hawthorne but it also sparked an internal confliction between the two beliefs. The contradiction between the Puritanism and Transcendentalism is seen in “Young Goodman Brown,” the main character, Brown, has doubt in religion all together. In some ways, Hawthorne’s belief streams thought Brown’s thoughts. “He looked up to the sky, doubting whether there really was a heaven above him. Yet there was the blue arch, and the starts brightening in it” (“Young Goodman Brown” 9). Although this is something Brown says during the story, the reader can’t help but get a sense of Hawthorne’s feelings coming through at the same time.
Through these same characters, Hawthorne also shows his ideas on transcendentalism.
In the Scarlet Letter, the community that Hester lives in is the same, everyone there shares the same religion because that is what they have been taught by their Puritan ancestors. There is no individualism within the community. Hawthorne shares that he doesn’t believe this should be the way, “A pure hand needs no glove to cover it” (Scarlet Letter 155). Here, he is taking on a transcendental belief because transcendentalist believe in the truth and they do not want to follow society’s rules or regulations because they are aspiring to be truly themselves while society tries to prevent individualism. Pearl is a great example of transcendentalism. She doesn’t care what society thinks of her even as bad as they treat her for not conforming to their society. Her rejection from society from the very beginning since, “Pearl was born an outcast of the infantile world” and her distance from the other kids because “Pearl saw and gazed intently; but never sought to make acquaintances” is an example of one of Emerson’s ideas in “The Transcendentalist” paper (Scarlet Letter 90). Emerson believes that “for nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure” is demonstrated through how Hawthorne characterizes Pearl (“The Transcendentalist” 10). Also, Pearl has a strong connection with nature and is compared to a bird more than once. “Finding it impossible to touch her as to catch a humming-bird in the
air, he took from his hat the gold chain that was twisted about it, and threw it to the child, pearl immediately twined it around her neck and waist with such happy skill, that, once seen there, it became a part of her, and it was difficult to imagine her without it” (Scarlet Letter 89). Not only is she compared to a hummingbird but the connection to nature and the bird also has a positive connotation with gaining energy and being free. “She ran and looked the wild Indian in the face, and he grew conscious of a nature wilder than his own” (Scarlet Letter 89). This strong connection with nature is an important belief in the transcendental philosophy. Emerson agrees with Pearls actions to stand out from society because, “it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crow keeps with perfect independence of solitude” (Self-Reliance5). Emerson praises the individual not conforming to society’s pressures. Pearl also has self-respect for herself and tends not to be reliant on anyone even when society doesn’t approve of this, once again not conforming to the ways of her community. This is the opposite of Chillingworth in the Scarlet Letter. Chillingworth was Hester’s secret husband who was thirsty for revenge from Hester and the missing father of Pearl. He was a doctor who took on the responsibility to care for Dimmsdale. As the story went on, these two men developed a connections and Chillingworth still symbolizes a leach feeding off of Dimmsdale. Without Dimmsdale, Chillingworth did not survive because he was very dependent on Dimmsdale. Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” shares a similar theme that Pearl is sharing which is that one should stick to their own beliefs and not be influenced by others. The differences in the characters demonstrates the differences between Puritanism and Transcendentalism as well as the conflict between the two within Hawthorne.
Instead of dethatching himself from his past in his writing it was the exact opposite. “Sin, evil, temptation, damnation – all the old Puritan bywords – became the central concerns of his fiction – but in a most unorthodox way” (Preface 4). Haunted by his past, Hawthorne’s writing has a shadow of his puritan background that glooms through certain elements within his writing such as The Scarlet Letter and “Young Goodman Brown” which represent his internal battle between Transcendentalism and his Puritan beliefs.
In the late 1600’s, Massachusetts was made up of mainly Puritan colonist who had left England in hope to find religious tolerance (DiscoveryEducation).
However, it wasn’t much better in Massachusetts. People were expected to repress emotions, opinions, and individuality because of the beliefs of Puritanism. Puritans believed that God gave signs through people and their fate which represented favor or anger from Him. Anything that was different from the religious beliefs of Puritanism, since it made up the majority in Massachusetts, was looked down upon. This can be seen in the historical event of the Salem witch trials. In the late 1600’s a series of hangings took place to punish a practice what was supposedly going on known as witchcraft. The fundamentals of this practice included a connection with nature, animalistic qualities such as cries and noises made by humans, and a sense of the individual before the community. The different opinions and actions that the people who were accused of as being witches were looked at as signs from God that represented a connection with the people to the Devil. To punish the accused witches of their actions and thoughts because they did not follow puritan beliefs, they were hanged. The connection that the Salem Witch Trials had on Hawthorne can be seen through the setting of “Young Goodman Brown.” The story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. The puritan connections in his writing don’t stop at the setting, but continue to develop …show more content…
within deeper elements of his writing.
Hawthorne’s past of Puritan beliefs can be seen through his writing, his characters, and his symbols. The puritan’s background is that they believed that when they set sail to the U.S from England they wanted to reform the Church of England but eventually realized that it was beyond fixing. Specifically, the puritans believe that God choose a select few to be saved. Hawthorne displays this in his work through the fate of his characters. Towards the end of the story, Hester, Dimmsdale, and Chillingworth all shows signs of aging and decaying. Dimmsdale was decaying but did not want to admit it, he was trying to look strong and deny any assistance; “But he fought back the bodily weakness – and, still more, the faintness of heart- that was striving for the mastery with him. He threw off all assistance, and stepped passionately forward a pace before the woman and the children” (Scarlet Letter 94). No matter how hard he tried to stay strong, Dimmsdale eventually fades physically and spiritually; “The glow, which they had just before beheld burning on his cheek, was extinguished, like a flame that sinks down hopelessly among the late decaying embers. It seemed hardly the face of a man alive, with such a death-like hue: it was hardly a man with life in him, that tottered on his path so nervously, yet tottered, and did not fall!” (Scarlet Letter 92). Without Dimmsdale, Chillingworth shrivels up as well because he symbolizes a leach feeding off of Dimmsdale. “Nothing was more remarkable than the change which took place, almost immediately after Mr. Dimmesdale’s death, in the appearance and demeanor of the old man known as Roger Chillingworth. All his strength and energy – all his vital and intellectual force—seemed at once to desert him, insomuch that he positively withered up, shriveled away and almost vanished from mortal sight, like an uprooted weed that lies wilting in the sun. This unhappy man had made the very principle of his life to consist in the pursuit and systematic exercise of revenge” (Scarlet Letter 95). Not only is Chillingworth symbolized as a leach but he also symbolizes a connection to the Devil and his work. “When, in short, there was no more Devil’s work on earth for him to do, it only remained for the unhumanised mortal to betake himself whither his master would find him tasks enough, and pay him his wages duly” (Scarlet Letter 95). As both men lose energy Hester does so too, but she also experiences a loss in her feminism. “All the light and graceful foliage of her character had been withered up by this red hot brand” (Scarlet Letter 159). However, this was not the case for Pearl, in fact, her energy and spirit were just coming alive. “She had an undulating, but oftentimes a sharp and irregular movement. It indicated the restless vivacity of her spirit” (Scarlet Letter 89). The natural decaying and aging as well as the life coming out in Pearl can represent Hawthorne’s Puritan background coming out through the belief that God choses a select few to be saved. In this case, He chose Pearl to be saved. “So Pearl – the elf child – the demon offspring, as some people, up to that epoch, persisted in considering her, became the richest heiress of her day in the New World” (Scarlet Letter 255).
Before Hester decays, she represents other Puritan beliefs that Hawthorne shades into his writing. The Puritans believed that since the time of Adam and Eve, humans have been sinners from birth, only faith, not good deeds can lead to salvation and the community demanded religious conformity of the community members. Hester represents the struggle of life after a sin is committed and the desire to do good deeds for her sin while trying to be accepted by society. Hester has never fit in and has been by herself for two years. She was tempted because she did not have a man to keep her on the right path and because she was tempted, she committed a sin. As a result of her sin, Hester was publicly shamed and forced to wear an “A” which was a badge of humiliation by society. This badge of humiliation caused Hester to stand out in society and not be accepted by the other community members. In hope to be forgiven for Pearl, who symbolizes her sin, Hester is very thoughtful, for she knows that thoughtless behavior could cause her to lose her daughter. Hester is also motherly with respect to society; she cares for the poor and brings them food and clothing. Hester chooses to give to the poor, despite her own humiliation, financial state and the fact that the poor also look down on her as a sinful woman. This could be a part of her personal penance, but her generosity also suggests that she is a woman with naturally charitable instincts. In fact, she did so many good deeds for people less fortunate than her that to them, her A stood for “Able” instead of “Adultery.” Hawthorne’s symbol of the “A” which socially disconnects Hester from society as well as Pear who symbolizes a sinner from birth continue to show glimpses of Puritan beliefs within Hawthorne’s writing.
In attempt to free his mind from the Puritan ideas he was taught, he moved to Brook farm in 1841 to take part in a transcendental movement. The movement included a philosophy that stated that humans were idealistic by nature, emotions are the “most natural” state that can’t be wrong or bad because the natural state is more reliable than reason, inspiration and imagination were valued over logic, self-reliance was praised, and the individual was considered good and civilization was corrupt, wild was considered better than tamed, and religious molding was rejected. These ideas that he went to take part of provided an outlet from his Puritan beliefs because they collided with each other in some areas. Hawthorne didn’t want to follow the same path of his ancestors. He demonstrates glimpses of this throughout his writing through his characters thoughts. “We have been a race of honest men and good Christians wince the days of the martyrs; and shall I be the first of the name of Brown that ever took this path and kept” (“Young Goodman Brown” 2). Change the name from Brown to Hawthorne and it could have been a line that came directly out of Hawthorne’s own mouth about his family and his decision to take his own path away from the Puritan beliefs of his ancestors. The Transcendental philosophy created not only an outlet for Hawthorne but it also sparked an internal confliction between the two beliefs. The contradiction between the Puritanism and Transcendentalism is seen in “Young Goodman Brown,” the main character, Brown, has doubt in religion all together. In some ways, Hawthorne’s belief streams thought Brown’s thoughts. “He looked up to the sky, doubting whether there really was a heaven above him. Yet there was the blue arch, and the starts brightening in it” (“Young Goodman Brown” 9). Although this is something Brown says during the story, the reader can’t help but get a sense of Hawthorne’s feelings coming through at the same time.
Through these same characters, Hawthorne also shows his ideas on transcendentalism.
In the Scarlet Letter, the community that Hester lives in is the same, everyone there shares the same religion because that is what they have been taught by their Puritan ancestors. There is no individualism within the community. Hawthorne shares that he doesn’t believe this should be the way, “A pure hand needs no glove to cover it” (Scarlet Letter 155). Here, he is taking on a transcendental belief because transcendentalist believe in the truth and they do not want to follow society’s rules or regulations because they are aspiring to be truly themselves while society tries to prevent individualism. Pearl is a great example of transcendentalism. She doesn’t care what society thinks of her even as bad as they treat her for not conforming to their society. Her rejection from society from the very beginning since, “Pearl was born an outcast of the infantile world” and her distance from the other kids because “Pearl saw and gazed intently; but never sought to make acquaintances” is an example of one of Emerson’s ideas in “The Transcendentalist” paper (Scarlet Letter 90). Emerson believes that “for nonconformity the world whips you with its displeasure” is demonstrated through how Hawthorne characterizes Pearl (“The Transcendentalist” 10). Also, Pearl has a strong connection with nature and is compared to a bird more than once. “Finding it impossible to touch her as to catch a humming-bird in the
air, he took from his hat the gold chain that was twisted about it, and threw it to the child, pearl immediately twined it around her neck and waist with such happy skill, that, once seen there, it became a part of her, and it was difficult to imagine her without it” (Scarlet Letter 89). Not only is she compared to a hummingbird but the connection to nature and the bird also has a positive connotation with gaining energy and being free. “She ran and looked the wild Indian in the face, and he grew conscious of a nature wilder than his own” (Scarlet Letter 89). This strong connection with nature is an important belief in the transcendental philosophy. Emerson agrees with Pearls actions to stand out from society because, “it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crow keeps with perfect independence of solitude” (Self-Reliance5). Emerson praises the individual not conforming to society’s pressures. Pearl also has self-respect for herself and tends not to be reliant on anyone even when society doesn’t approve of this, once again not conforming to the ways of her community. This is the opposite of Chillingworth in the Scarlet Letter. Chillingworth was Hester’s secret husband who was thirsty for revenge from Hester and the missing father of Pearl. He was a doctor who took on the responsibility to care for Dimmsdale. As the story went on, these two men developed a connections and Chillingworth still symbolizes a leach feeding off of Dimmsdale. Without Dimmsdale, Chillingworth did not survive because he was very dependent on Dimmsdale. Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” shares a similar theme that Pearl is sharing which is that one should stick to their own beliefs and not be influenced by others. The differences in the characters demonstrates the differences between Puritanism and Transcendentalism as well as the conflict between the two within Hawthorne.