IndexIntroductionCritique of Puritan Life in The Scarlet LetterConclusionIntroductionThroughout the late 18th and 19th centuries, romance was a very popular literary style adopted by many novelists. Nature, an important element of Romanticism, is used in the writings of these authors not only for descriptions and images, but also to emphasize the main ideas. A talented author influenced by romanticism was Nathaniel Hawthorne, the creator of "The Scarlet Letter". In “The Scarlet Letter,” Hawthorne uses nature as a romantic source to criticize Puritan life: the harshness of his society, the unjust laws of Puritan theocracy, and the corruption of Puritan humanity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Criticizing Puritan Life in The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne uses a highly romantic view of nature to emphasize the harshness and lack of compassion of the Puritans. For example, in the first chapter, Hawthorne describes the city as "the black flower of civilized society." In this passage he uses a flower, an element of nature, to symbolize the desperation of the prison city. He further emphasizes this symbol by describing the prison grounds as "overgrown with burdock, weeds, Peru apples, and such unsightly vegetation." By portraying the prison and gallows as a grim place of punishment, Hawthorne foreshadows the immoral events that will soon take place. The use of nature to symbolize the prison also creates a dark atmosphere that sets the scene alongside the gallows, the place of death. punishment. During this scene, the women watching show a "peculiar interest in whatever penal infliction might be expected to ensue." The seemingly moral Puritans are depicted as having no compassion for Hester, the "criminal." One of the women even requests that Hester's forehead be branded with the letter "A." These women are described as ruthless people whose religion emphasizes God's wrath, not His love. Hawthorne contrasts the prison and gallows, the evil symbols of Puritan society, with "the wild rosebush... which might be imagined to offer its fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he enters... testifying that the Nature's deep heart might pity and be kind to him." The rose bush, symbol of Nature, is an absolutely pure component, not "contaminated" by the harshness of Puritan society. It is also used as a symbol of hope for the city, contrasted with the evil and darkness of the prison and gallows. Hawthorne effectively uses nature to criticize Puritan society by illustrating the prison and the scaffold as the embodiment of social evil. Hawthorne intentionally uses these descriptions early in the novel to establish the mood. By contrasting nature with Puritan society, Hawthorne successfully criticizes the Puritans. In "The Scarlet Letter" the forest, a symbol of freedom, is contrasted with the city to criticize the cruel and severe laws of the theocracy. Hawthorne's use of the forest also emphasizes the romantic aspect of the novel. The forest is considered a place of evil, where the Black Man dwells. However, Hawthorne describes the Nature of the forest as a "wild and heathen Nature...never subjugated by human law, nor enlightened by higher truth." Although the Puritans believe the forest to be an evil place, Hawthorne describes it as an almost sacred sanctuary that contrasts with the destructive and unforgiving city. Furthermore, Hawthorne uses Dimmesdale and Hester's love to represent the forest as a place of.