Term Paper on "Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Moonlight Theory" the 'Humanization"

Term Paper 5 pages (1524 words) Sources: 0 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Moonlight theory"

The 'Humanization' of Hawthorne's Characters in the Scarlet Letter: An Application of "Moonlight theory" in the Romance Novel

The most common yet controversial and interesting depictions of human experience projected through literature is the illustration of human weakness and suffering, whatever form these may take. It is through the illustration of human weakness and suffering that we, as humans and audiences, are able to give relevance to the story unfolding before us, gauging through our inner selves the severity of the character's actions compared to our own.

This is the situation that American Romance novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne wanted us to feel when he created the novel, "The Scarlet Letter." In this classic romance novel, Hawthorne delved into the issues of sinfulness, hypocrisy, and the rigidity of Puritanic laws in American society during the 19th century. By centering into these main themes, the novelist raised awareness on the rampant but unrecognized existence of hypocrisy in a society that is supposedly religious and righteous in character and actions.

In focusing on the themes of human weakness and suffering in the novel, Hawthorne introduced the "moonlight theory" as one of the governing frameworks that helped him develop the main characters in the novel: Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. The basis of the moonlight theory was explicated further in the Introduction section of the novel, entitled "The Custom House." In this section, Hawthorne shared his motives on the creation of his romance theory, applying this theory in the context of the characters and events that occurred in the novel.

The romance novelist elucidated on the usefulness of the moonlight theory in understanding the characterization of Hester, Arthur, and Roger in the novel. He stated,

If the imaginative faculty refused to act at such an hour, it might well be deemed a hopeless case. Moonlight, in a familiar room, falling so white upon the carpet, and showing all its figures so distinctly -- making every object so minutely visible, yet so unlike a morning or noontide visibility -- is a medium the most suitable for a romance-writer to get acquainted with his illusive guests.

The moonlight theory, in effect, acts as a "medium" through which Hawthorne can best provide different facets into the character's characterization. That is, with the aid of the moonlight, as the novelist explained, characters can be now analyzed and understood based on different perspective through which his/her characterization is depicted.

The discussion and analysis of "Scarlet" contained in this paper will be applied in the context of the moonlight theory. Using this theory from the novel, Hawthorne was able to bring more depth to each main character in the novel, wherein they have two facets from which the audience/readers can interpret their actions and behavior in the novel.

Using the moonlight theory as reference to the characterization of the main characters, this paper posits that this romance theory conceptualized by Hawthorne allowed him to inject a "humanist" aspect into the somewhat stereotypical characterization of Hester as the 'branded' woman, Arthur as the guilty clergyman, and Roger as the vengeful husband. Moonlight theory allowed readers to look into Hester as a youthful innocent lady driven to commit sin because of her passion; Arthur as a simple human being pressured to become a model individual because of his status as a clergyman; and Arthur as an unknown individual who rose to prominence and attention in Hester's town in order to avenge the injustice committed against his former wife by Arthur.

Moonlight theory as applied to Hester's character created a dual perception of her personality in the novel. Generally, Hawthorne characterized her as a strong and principled woman who, in the face of great embarrassment and emotional torment that her own town has given her, remained truthful to her resolve not to divulge the identity of her daughter's father. In this instance, Hester is a strong woman who is able to surmount the emotional torment and social isolation her society has mandated for her to carry all through her life, signified by the scarlet letter "A" branded on her.

Illuminated' by Hawthorne's moonlight theory, Hester is "humanized" and is also considered a helpless individual despite the strength that she had shown during the time she was 'exhibited' for the townspeople to witness her act of adultery. As she was being showcased as an individual who has committed a grave sin, Hester was characterized to have "pure" thoughts about her years in her hometown, a time when life had not been as Puritanical as she is experiencing it at the moment:

Yet there were intervals when the whole scene, in which she was the most conspicuous object, seemed to vanish from her eyes, or, at least, glimmered indistinctly before them, like a mass of imperfectly shaped and spectral images. Her mind, and especially her memory, was preternaturally active, and kept bringing up other scenes than this roughly hewn street of a little town, on the edge of the western wilderness: other faces than were lowering upon her from beneath the brims of those steeple-crowned hats. Reminiscences, the most trifling and immaterial, passages of infancy and school-days, sports, childish quarrels, and the little domestic traits of her maiden years, came swarming back upon her, intermingled with recollections of whatever was gravest in her subsequent life; one picture precisely as vivid as another; as if all were of similar importance, or all alike a play.

At this point in Hester's suffering, a need to regress and go back to the innocent times had taken hold of her consciousness; she was no longer, at the moment, the brave Hester who is facing the crowd and with dignity, still wears the mark of her sin, the scarlet letter "A." This image of Hester dreaming of another life allowed the readers to peek into her inner feelings and thoughts, for throughout the novel, a strong-willed and passionate Hester was characterized. It was only during this moment, perhaps aptly called a moonlit moment, which the readers as audiences are able to look into another facet of Hester's character that may not possibly re-surface again in the novel. Indeed, as the succeeding chapters had shown, Hester returned to being a woman governed by silence, secrecy, and adult suffering -- qualities readers did not witness during the moment when Hester wished life was simpler and more carefree.

Arthur was also another character who became imprisoned by the stereotype and expectations his society has put around him. As a clergyman, Arthur's curse is that he was immortalized by his townspeople as a model individual who cannot possibly commit acts of sinfulness. Apparently, this was not the case in the novel, for he had been the missing individual expected to admit guilt in committing the act of adultery with Hester. During the delivery of Hester's sentence, Hawthorne deemed it appropriate to show, spontaneously, two sides of Arthur's character: one facet demonstrating his ideal qualities and promise as a clergyman, and another facet illuminating the guilt and sinfulness of his deeds, both to his profession and mainly to Hester:

His eloquence and religious fervour had already given the earnest of high eminence in his profession. He was a person of very striking aspect, with a white, lofty, and impending brow...Notwithstanding his high native gifts and scholar-like attainments, there was an air about this young minister -- an apprehensive, a startled, a half-frightened look -- as of a being who felt himself quite astray, and at a loss in the pathway of human existence, and could only be at ease in some seclusion of his own.

This contrast between the confident and guilt-ridden Arthur was achieved by bringing into focus aspects of his behavior that are actually parts of an altogether different personality not disclosed to the public. Just like Hester,… READ MORE

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