The Scarlet Letter: Nature vs. Nurture

Year 2014, Volume: 11 Issue: 2, 267 - 284, 01.12.2014

Trenton Mckay Judson

Abstract

The article focuses on the importance of place and how it informs the narrative in The Scarlet

Letter. Each major place is considered: the town, the governor’s mansion, and the forest. Examining the

characters of the novel and their response to nature and culture shows how they identify and react to their

moral identity. The juxtaposition of characters like Pearl, Hester Prynne, Dimmesdale, Mr. Wilson, and

their varied surroundings offers unique critical study. By looking at how we respond to place, we can come

to a greater understanding of the contrast and comparison of nature versus culture and ultimately how we

define each.

Keywords

Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter, nature, nurture

The Scarlet Letter: Nature vs. Nurture

Abstract

References

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