Book Review (Rucksack): The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850

The Raccoon: Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman, struggles as a single mother in a society that has physically branded her for adultery.  Her daughter, former lover, and ex-husband torment her and each other until everyone has the courage to face their sins.

UNMASKED: There are many levels on which a reader can process The Scarlet Letter.  Perhaps, even I read too far into the characters and plot. Nonetheless, Hawthorne’s novel is a surprisingly engaging tale regardless of how you perceive it.  

The Scarlet Letter combines the complex psychological machinations of Edgar Allen Poe’s writings, the forbidden, yet sweet and uncomplicated romance of The Giver, and the unique social complications of The Crucible.  Its length is the perfect balance of deep, intellectual content and succinct narrative.  The novel does not require much time for reflection in order to comprehend what is happening, but the chapters stayed with me during all hours, and I am still finding new lenses to view the story from.

Similar to any well-written poem, it takes some participation on the reader’s part to get the full “Scarlet Letter” experience.  If you choose to embrace it, every page will gift you a new perspective on some aspect of life.

Strengths:

• Hester is an inspiring character who takes ownership of the novel. (See this weekend’s Candy Box post for elaboration)
• Hawthorne explores the human psyche through characters placed in a cleverly confined environment.
• The ending is very satisfying and leaves just the right questions to the imagination.

Weaknesses:

• Hawthorne seems to worry that his metaphors will be overlooked if he does not make them exhaustively clear.  While many people dislike when their English teachers ask them to analyze seemingly insignificant concepts, this force-feeding of meaning is much worse.
• One fifth of the book is an introduction involving politics and characters that have no bearing on the following story, as well as a far-fetched tale of Hawthorne encountering the scarlet letter and discovering records of Hester.  I genuinely regret reading this section.

Rating: 17/20 needles, and by needles, I mean overly explicit metaphors.  The word needle is used because Hester knits for her physical and spiritual livelihood, just as I write for mine.  But the needle also demonstrates that the metaphors were a constant prick in my side.  So, to wrap up, the needles are metaphors, for metaphors.  And there are seventeen of them, because that is the abstract quantity of positive associations I hold toward this book.

Ideal Setting: Read this when you are waiting in the forest to consult your ex-husband about your ex-lover, or are involved in any similarly harsh confrontation, to remind yourself that only you can decide what affects you.