Hawthorne's Syntax In The Scarlet Letter

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Hawthorne’s syntax in the Scarlet Letter uses elaborate vocabulary, lots of description, and often uses periodic sentences. At the end of the novel Hester comforts local women by reassuring them that one day a “...brighter period” (Hawthorne 166) would lead to the establishment of a relationship between men and women that would be “...on a ground of mutual happiness” (Hawthorne 166). In this sentence Hawthorne purposely chose to state the main idea of the sentence last because then he could build up to it more effectively. By using lots of descriptive words such as “...brighter”, “...ripe”, and “...truth” (Hawthorne 166) the narrator creates a positive connotation around the idea of gender equality. The use of lots of descriptive word and …show more content…
On one hand much of it relates to the natural world, yet at the same time much of it is a reflection of the Romantic attraction to the supernatural. Nature and its content are supposed to be innocent, welcoming, and forgiving. This is revealed through description of the rose bush next to the prison, which is “...a token that the deep Nature could pity and be kind” (Hawthorne 36) and when Pearl is in the forest it becomes “...the playmate of the lonely infant” (Hawthorne 131). The narrator claims that Pearl is “…worthy to have been brought forth in Eden” (Hawthorne 62). This quote is proof of the innocence that lies in Pearl, similar to that of Adam and Eve before they ate the apple. Pearl however, has a strange twist to her that places her on the brink of being an unearthly being. The narrator and her mother both describe her as “...an airy sprite” (Hawthorne 63) and an “...elf child” (Hawthorne 63). Pearl is oddly intuitive considering her age. Her conflicting personalities make her wild and almost rebellious. It is because of this wildness that Pearl is almost taken away from Hester. However, it is also her wildness that allows Pearl to prevent herself from being a cog in her male-dominated world. In chapter eight when Hester meets with the governor old Minister Wilson asks her “...who made thee?” (Hawthorne 75). The correct answer for a Puritan child would have been God. However, Pearl answers that she was plucked off a
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