Tone In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

Literary Analysis: Scarlet Letter In the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses; tone, diction, and syntax illustrate that the punishment on humans by others may not be as destructive as the guilt they impose on themselves. Hawthorne uses very long syntax to emphasize the details of his characters. “This creed was never taught for instance, by the venerable pastor, john wilson, whose beard , white as a snow-drift, was seen over governor Bellingham's shoulder; while its wearer suggested that pears and peaches might yet be naturalized in the New England climate, and that purple grapes might possibly be compelled to nourish against the sunny garden wall.” Hawthorne uses a simile “white as a snow drift” to compare his beard to a type of weather known in that region. He also uses descriptive words to show the …show more content…
He describes the puritans as “being of the most intolerant breed” this describes their understanding of things. He also uses harsh words to show how much the village dislikes Hester and Pearl. For example in this sentence Hawthorne makes it clear that the village does not care for Hester and Pearl, “Scorned them in their hearts, and… reviled them with their tongues.” I feel like in this period of time the village were very strict about their beliefs because of the salem witch trials. Hawthorne uses hateful , complex diction to emphasize the pain that society and the scarlet letter creates. Hawthorne describes, “the symbol was red hot with internal fire, and could be seen glowing all alight, whenever Hester in the nighttime and it seared Hester's bosom so deeply.” When Hawthorne used the phrase ‘red hot with internal fire’ and ‘seared’ this symbolizes the pain Hester feels about the punishment she has to go through because of her sin. Also when Chillingham was ‘sick’ the reasoning was for the guilt he felt for Hester because Hester lied to protect him and he had a big reputation in the