Psychology In Conflict--Nathaniel Hawthorne's Art Of Characterization In The Scarlet Letter

The thesis aims to conduct a detailed study of Nathaniel Hawthorne's masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter, through the lens of psychology. While The Scarlet Letter has usually been interpreted as a story of sins and sinners, my attention is focused on Hawthorne's remarkable art of characterization-psychology in conflict. The thesis consists of four chapters and a conclusion part.Chapter 1 is an introduction to Hawthorne's writing style. Chapter 2 provides some background information about The Scarlet Letter. The understanding of a novel would not be complete if the historical and social background was not taken into account. The Scarlet Letter is a love story set against the harsh backdrop of the Puritan colony in 17th century Boston. Hawthorne is frequently credited with portraying Puritanism in this novel in a remarkable authentic and convincing manner.Chapter 3 deals with the varied literary techniques employed in this novel. Six categories are studied with reference to their use in the novel. Chapter 4 is devoted to a detailed analysis of the psychological characterization of the main characters when they are in conflict with society, another character, or when two opposing ideas are in conflict within their minds. While some novelists make their novels interesting by inventing large numbers of characters, devising many subplots carried out in a diversity of settings, Hawthorne arouses readers' interest by intensifying his simple plot through a technique of psychologicalcharacterization. Therefore, the novel distinguishes itself from the other love stories in the nineteenth century and is called "a psychological romance".A conclusion is drawn in the light of the previous chapters that the tragedy of The Scarlet Letter has mainly sprung not from the intolerant Puritan society's imposition of false social ideals on the characters, but from their own inner world of frustrated desires. This love story enables Hawthorne to reach a tragic vision: to explore the inner world of his created characters, to understand the inner necessity of everything they do, and thus to pity and forgive them in the very act of laying bare their weaknesses.