Nathanial Hawthorne successfully exposed the Puritan lifestyle in its entirety in his famous novel, The Scarlet Letter. He was born in the 19th century, but set his story in the 17th century, revealing his profound knowledge of Puritanism. His desire to examine curious human nature inspired him to begin in this particular time period. “Hawthorne's works investigate human nature, especially its darker side. He set many stories against the dark backdrop of Puritan New England, the world of his ancestors” (Clendenning). Nathanial was one of the few authors of his time willing to step forward and describe a darker lifestyle to readers, attracting the attention of many critics. It has received a plethora of analysis, both favorable and unfavorable. However, he also set many of his other writings in this specific time period. Although Hawthorne was born in the 19th century, he ran the risk of portraying a darker period in which Puritanism was prominent. Its main motive was to illustrate the act of seclusion practiced on known sinners, unfortunately despised by many critics. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay During the sixteenth century, a religious movement known as Puritanism emerged within the Church of England. Most Puritans moved away from the organizational church to participate in a deeper form of worship. They were often the subject of satire because they supposedly lived exclusively by His word and used the Bible to guide their lives. The Puritan movement to create a sovereign church helped establish New England. Under siege by church and crown, he sent a branch to the northern English colonies of the New World in the third and fourth decades of the 17th century—a migration that laid the foundations for the religious, intellectual, and social order of New England ( Delbanco ). Thousands of Puritans inhabited what would become New England and claimed that they had not separated from the Church of England, but had simply emigrated to pursue a more hypocritical method of reverence. Their method appears hypocritical to historians, however, since Puritan documents indicate a rigidly religious lifestyle. Hawthorne grew up aware of the Puritan regime that his relatives embraced throughout his life. His curiosity allowed his knowledge to expand adequately on the subject, and he eventually went so far as to set his books in this era. “Hawthorne's legacy was that of the rigorous Puritanism with which Hawthorne grappled in his short stories and novels, The Scarlet Letter perhaps being the best known” (Nathaniel). Puritanism was widespread throughout New England and continued to expand into the westernmost territories. Nathaniel could have chosen any city that practiced this lifestyle; however, he had emotional ties to Massachusetts. "This old town of Salem—my native place, though I have lived far from it, both in childhood and in manhood—has, or possessed, a hold upon my affections, the strength of which I have never known accounted for during my seasons. of actual residence here” (Hawthorne). He ended up moving away from Massachusetts after completing The Scarlet Letter, but fondly remembered his years in Salem after realizing the positive effect it had on his life. The experience in a different city gave him a newfound appreciation for his home, and he continued to set his novels in [Puritan] Massachusetts. Most of Hawthorne's works dealt with dark themes, which attracted numerous critical readers itsconsequences were of the utmost importance during the Puritan era, so his preference for dark theses was easily incorporated into his writings. “Hawthorne often dealt with themes of morality, sin and redemption. Among his early influences were the parables and allegories of John Bunyan and Edmund Spenser” (Clendenning). John Bunyan became a preacher after being baptized and began giving sermons without permission from the Anglican Church. This landed him in prison for quite a while, so to pass the time he wrote his most famous work: The Pilgrim's Progress. (John). “Bunyan's extraordinary imagery was firmly rooted in Reformation doctrines of man's fallen nature, grace, imputation, justification, and atonement, all of which Bunyan appears to have derived directly from Scripture” (John). Bunyan's themes seem to coincide directly with Hawthorne's and provide readers with another sense of his aspiration to write novels set in Puritan times. Bunyan's ability to incorporate the darkness of fallen nature with the light of the gospel inspired Nathaniel to highlight the flaws in human nature and the supposed methods of punishment for these individual and social imperfections. However, even with sufficient inspiration, Hawthorne could not escape the derisive voice of his critics. “The Scarlet Letter was one of the first mass-produced books in the United States upon its release in 1850 and garnered much praise and criticism for the novel's alleged morbidity” (Nathaniel). Despite Hawthorne's dark settings in his novels, he considered himself a romance writer. He believed that his analysis of aspects of human nature adequately regarded his writings as romantic. Unlike most fiction writers of his time, he was not primarily interested in arousing the reader with sensational or sentimental effect. Hawthorne called his writings "romanticism", which he defined as a method of showing "the depth of our common nature". For Hawthorne, romance meant facing reality, rather than evading it (Clendenning). Nathaniel was not obligated to bring warm satisfaction to readers through his work, but rather to give them a sense of reality, no matter how ugly the genuineness might be. However, he created this veracity with grace, providing intriguing plots and relatable characters. Readers develop empathy for Hester as she expresses her feelings for Dimmesdale and sympathize with little Pearl as she longs for a father figure within her family. The people resent Dimmesdale for abandoning his family on the gallows and blame Chillingworth for preventing the three of them from being together. By placing Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl on the scaffold as they create an electrifying union, it dampens the atmosphere as they find themselves in a place of contempt. Likewise, when Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest, the reader cannot help but consider the malevolence that lurks within the trees. Only bad things happen in the forest and those who enter willingly must be evildoers. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, has received much comment and popularity due to its prevalent setting and melancholy themes. The Puritans certainly glorified the Lord, but in doing so they created a corrupt society by taking lawsuits to the extreme. Isolation, as seen with Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter, is an outdated form of humiliation that is sure to psychologically harm any human being. Nathaniel's exploration of human nature revealed this/>.