Comparing Nature In The Scarlet Letter And Ralph Waldo Emerson

Most people are bullied or outcast at some point or another in their lives. Society and others are judgemental. Just because a part of somebody is seen as a flaw by others, does not mean it is truly a flaw. Sometimes a person’s so called failings can be learned from. In The Scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hawthorne portrays society as judgemental and harsh, judging people based on one mistake rather than the person as a whole. Hawthorne proves this through imagery of the town’s women punishing Hester too harshly, all the while having nature being accepting and powerful. Hawthorne’s social commentary is supported by Henry David Thoreau and transcendental philosophies. No matter what society thinks of a person, nature will accept them,

The imagery also shows people in the past as being more aware nature, while nature violates societal norms and accepts everybody. Hawthorne writes, “But one side of the portal, rooted almost at the threshold was a rosebush… offer their fragrance...the deep heart of nature could pity and be kind to him”(Hawthorne, 1). In this passage the phrase, “rooted almost at the threshold”, portrays the rosebush as strongly rooted and close to the prisoners. Also it say, “they offered their fragrance to the prisoners as they walked in and the condemned criminal as he came forth for his doom”(Hawthorne,1). The word “condemned” connotes hatred and rejection, while “doom” indicates death or evil. The fact that the rosebush supports the hated and doomed prisoners, shows nature as caring and powerful, going against societal views of condemnation and accepting people rejected by society. In Puritan society, even just one sin marks a person as terrible and unworthy of acceptance, but nature does not care, nature accepts

He says, “Nature whose floods of life stream around and through us, and invite us by the power of its supplies”(1). “Floods” are powerful, and saying, “floods of life stream through us”, suggests nature has a powerful role within every person’s life. Also, connotations of the “power it supplies” are support and internal strength. Because nature is within everybody, and it supplies support and strength to all, no matter what society thinks of or believes about a person, nature is there being caring and accepting. The natural imagery in both, Emerson and Hawthorne’s work portray nature as powerful, caring, and accepting of all, in past times, for their writings are of past societies. Past Puritans, such as the fictional Hester Prynne, may be rejected by society because of sin, but somebody’s sin is not what matters. The person as a whole is what matters, and luckily, sinners like Hester do not need society to accept them as long as nature is around. Society’s harsh judgments are counteracted by nature’s acceptance, giving everybody a place in the world. This acceptance is a proven transcendental