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Essay #1:
The Scarlet Letter Essay

Title:
Science in The Scarlet Letter

Begin Text:
Throughout history, science and technology have played various roles in American society. Nathaniel Hawthorne related science to his characters in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne used this book to convey his concerns about the science of his time, by using Roger Chillingworth as an example of science through the cycle of transgression. By doing this, Hawthorne displays his opinions about the role science had in America in the 1850’s.

By the mid-nineteenth century, the United States entered the Industrial Revolution. Americans realized how valuable all of their natural resources were and new technology was being developed. When Hawthorne wrote this book, basic factories began to spring up all over the United States, and scientists started to focus on developing machinery to fit the needs of them. This revolution completely changed American life in a scientific, economic, and social way. This change alarmed many citizens, because the change was so drastic. Hawthorne believed that people in this time period were abusing science and the natural land they lived in.

In the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne used Roger Chillingworth to directly represent his opinion of science. Through Chillingworth, he is able to show the great potential science in 1850 had, and how it went, or could go wrong. “ To such a professional body, Roger Chillingworth was a brilliant acquisition. “ (p.108) IN this statement, Hawthorne says that science is a brilliant area of study, and that when used correctly, is a wonderful thing. However, as the story progresses, Chillingworth becomes evil. “But, as he proceeded, a terrible fascination, a kind of fierce, though still calm, necessity seized the old man with its gripe, and never set him free again until he had done all its bidding.” (p. 117). Here, Hawthorne shows his fear of science. When Chillingworth uses it for his own personal gain, he becomes corrupt and can’t turn back. This connects with a fear that Hawthorne had of science during the Age of Industry. He was afraid that the men using science and all the treasures of the men using science then would destroy humanity, instead of helping it like it should. During the Scarlet Letter, Roger Chillingworth was sucked into the cycle of transgression-shame-repentance-acceptance. In the book, Hawthorne uses Chillingworth’s role in the cycle as a symbol for America’s role in the 1850’s. Chillingworth was first drawn into the cycle with his initial transgression. “Not thy soul’, he answered, with another smile. ‘No, not thine!’” (p. 72) At this moment, when Chillingworth decides to torture Dimmesdale, rather than confront him, he uses science for his own selfish gain and revenge. Hawthorne was afraid that the Industrial Revolution would cause the United States to be sucked into the same cycle. As the story progressed, Chillingworth repeated the same sin over and over again. Each time he used science selfishly, he felt more shame and emptiness “…beheld some frightful shape he could not recognize….” (p. 155). Here Chillingworth became aware of how much the cycle of sin has taken a toll on his character. The only way that Chillingworth was able to break out of the cycle was when all the sins had been confessed. After this, he was able to repent by giving an inheritance to Pearl, and move on and accept all of his sins and their consequences in death. During the Industrial Revolution, science took on a new form. Hawthorne feared that this new form would cause all the potential good Science had in America to disappear, and be used for terrible things. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne used the character, Roger Chillingworth, and the cycle of sin to represent his fear of Science in America in the 1850’s. While the Industrial Revolution improved technology and advanced the United States tremendously in science, Hawthorne’s fears were realized. The Industrial Revolution changed the social structure in the United States negatively. It created poverty, caused reed, and irreversible damage to America’s natural resources. The science of the mid-nineteenth century did cause the United States to fall into the cycle of sin, but it wasn’t as extreme as it was in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.