Hawthorne’s Moral Authority

 

Hawthorne takes the pulsing A

And pins it onto Hester’s chest.

We look upon it constantly

Inside his seamless, rhythmic text.

Does life do this? Does one small thing

Bombard us with persistent theme?

It doesn’t. But we all agree

With Hawthorne’s selectivity.

The scarlet letter in its flame

The reader sears with Hester’s shame.

 

            I speak as an ENFP with an F bigger than France. Hawthorne provokes vicarious feeling, especially when it comes to Hester’s shame. That the didactic Hawthorne so effectively communicates feeling – and not just moral sense – doesn’t surprise me. Hawthorne does more telling than showing – but both his telling and his showing, produce feeling.

            The character of little Pearl some have criticized as implausible. I agree with them to a degree, then throw up my hands and admit that Hawthorne has so much genius he should be allowed to do as he chooses. Even if we cannot believe Pearl completely, we believe that she can capably illustrate whatever Hawthorne intends.

            As Susan Sontag says:

“To be a great writer:

know everything about adjectives and punctuation (rhythm)

have moral intelligence — which creates true authority in a writer.”

            I do wonder to what extent Hawthorne’s diction and rhythmic sense influence the reader’s opinion of his moral authority. As I read The Scarlet Letter I find myself grateful that I never read it in public high school. I would hate to watch my peers form an inaccurate impression of Christianity because of Hawthorne’s apparent moral authority.  In that setting I often felt the weight of defending Christianity (being, quite often, the only saint sitting in the room). I don’t know if I could have, at that time, defended the Puritans against Hawthorne’s apparent moral intelligence. Although Hawthorne’s moral intelligence is not apparent merely – for he rightly depicts Hester Prynne’s need for mercy. But he causes trouble in blaming Hester’s problems on society and not on her sin.

 

Chelsea Kolz, Fall 2012, Senior, The Scarlet Letter