Gordis
ENG BC3180y
Spring 2007

READING THE SCARLET LETTER

The Scarlet Letter is one of my favorite books. In the past, I’ve found that many of my students have read this book before, and have already learned to hate it. My theory is that if you hate it, you haven’t been taught it properly. Here are some thoughts that may help you enjoy this reading of the text:

First, note that in many ways this is a playful book. In "The Custom House," Hawthorne plays with the narrator’s identity, and with the relationship between the narrator and the reader. Pay attention to the narrator’s claims about the "autobiographical impulse" (1333). What does he choose to tell us about himself, and what does he keep hidden?

Pay attention more generally to Hawthorne’s treatment of the relationship between the actual and the imaginary. How does Hawthorne manipulate the relic of the scarlet letter and the account of its history written by Surveyor Pue? Pay particular attention to the paragraph at the bottom of page 1350 and the top of page 1351 which describes the relationship between Surveyor Pue’s narrative and Hawthorne’s. What claims about truth, authenticity, and invention are made here? Consider as well the description on pages 1352-3 of the "neutral territory, somewhere between the real world and fairyland, in which "the Actual and the Imaginary may meet." In class, we’ll assess these passages and try to understand Hawthorne’s text through them. Among other things, we’ll consider Hawthorne’s manipulation of Puritan sources, and the relationship of this novel both to early New England politics and to mid-nineteenth-century American politics.

We’ll also consider the way that symbols function in this text. As you read, think about the kinds of symbols that appear in the text, and the ways that Hawthorne uses them. Pay attention to points at which symbols, tokens, and types are explicitly discussed in the text, and to attempts by characters to read and interpret them. Consider as well ways in which characters try to read and interpret other characters. Hester, for example, becomes "a living sermon against sin"and"the general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point" (3:1367, 5:1375). Meanwhile, she lavishes a great deal of energy on attempts to interpret Pearl’s actions and identity.

The central symbol of the novel is, of course, the scarlet letter A itself. Consider it carefully. How is it used? How do the characters interpret it? Many critics note and play with the A-words that appear in the novel. You may want to take notes on these as you read. Which A-words seem especially significant? What A-words are notably absent from the text?

Finally, be attentive to and enjoy the text’s wicked irony. Dimmesdale is a particular focus of irony, from Bellingham’s comment in chapter 3 that "the responsibility for this woman’s soul lies greatly with" him to the community’s response to his sermon in chapters 23 and 24 (3:1368). (I’m being deliberately vague here--I don’t want to give anything away to the few of you who may not already have read this text.) As you consider the significance of such moments, don’t ignore their pleasures.

In other words, don’t let the status of this text as an American classic rob it of its fun. Enjoy!