The Scarlett Letter

The setting of a story is one of the most important factors to the development and outcome of a story. It can drastically influence their behavior and change their actions. Charles Ryskamp suggests in “New England Sources of The Scarlet Letter” that the setting of the novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne greatly influences how the characters act and feel, having a major impact on the events in the novel. The effect of the setting on the characters and events is apparent in the first four chapters of the novel. Because of the dark and gloomy setting of the jail and the scaffolding, the townspeople have a very negative attitude towards Hester and her bright letter A, which stands out in the grayness of the setting. The opening chapter of the
Her arrival instantly silences the gossips among the crowd, with everyone’s attention being drawn to the intricately embroidered letter “A” resting on her chest. The people are conflicted because the “A” is meant as a sign of shame, yet it is impossible to disregard its beauty. For the crowd, the captivating letter is a distraction from the depressing environment surrounding them. Perhaps even more distracting and captivating than the letter, however, is the innocent child in Hester’s arms, Pearl, partially hiding the sign of shame on her chest. While the crowd is extremely critical and vocal about Hester’s actions when she is not present, they are hesitant to berate her as she stands on the scaffolding because of the innocence and youth of Pearl. One woman even goes so far as to try and stop the women from gossiping by saying, “O, peace, neighbours, peace… Do not let her hear you! Not a stitch in that embroidered letter, but she has felt it in her heart.” (Hawthorne, 47) The contrast of the old and rugged scaffolding to Hester’s vivacious appearance and her child causes the commoners to feel a slight sympathy for the sinner, who committed a sin that is normally unforgivable, as it is punishable by
Roger Chillingworth, the physician, who is later revealed to be Hester’s ex-husband, meets with Hester in the jail after her punishment is over. Throughout the encounter, chillingworth is as cold-blooded and unforgiving as the jail itself. The decrepit setting of the jail only adds to the chilling atmosphere of the interview, and the isolation of the jail from the outside world invokes fear in Hester because she knows that Chillingworth could do any awful action that he pleased. The man who is supposed to calm Hester and cure her of her sin only invokes fear and demonstrates his ruthless nature, interrogating her in order to get the identity of the illicit lover. Chillingworth's eyes are described as “[Glowing] so intensely upon her, that Hester Prynne clasped her hands over her heart, dreading lest he should read the secret there at once.” (Hawthorne, 67) The setting of the interview and the satin-like nature of Chillingworth make the encounter impossibly frightening, and it foreshadows the events to come in the novel. The setting of The Scarlet Letter has a substantial impact on the actions and feelings of the characters. As shown in the first four chapters of the novel, the cold and gray settings cause the characters to be impatient and irritable, while the contrasting red letter “A” and Pearl, an innocent