Nathaniel Hawthorne and Alice Walker have produced two classic pieces of American Literature in The Scarlet Letter and The Color Purple, respectively. Both novels are critically acclaimed, and continue to be read on a massive scale even today. These two authors are very similar in the themes they focus on, as well as the messages they attempt to convey through their work. However, differences in perspective, tone, and writing style separate Hawthorne from Walker. Comparing The Scarlet Letter and The Color Purple provides a clear example of all these factors in action.
First these authors both chose to focus on the central theme of the role of women in society. The main idea that women faced severe discrimination and were at an unfair disadvantage in society was effectively used by both authors. In addition, sexual conduct is a topic which both authors explore in a fair amount of detail. This is exemplified in the excessive humiliation society puts on Hester Prynne for her adultery, as well as the constant physical and sexual abuse Celie faces throughout the novel. Perhaps the best description of the abuse Celie faces comes on the very first page, where she describes the actions of the worst abuser in her life, her father, as “He never had a kine word to say to me. Just say You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t” (Walker, 1). Their choices in theme say a lot about these two authors, and part of what makes them so great is their willingness to tackle controversial, impactful topics such as the role of women and their sexuality in society.
Through the establishment of those themes, both authors conveyed a powerful message about strength. In Hawthorne’s novel, Hester accepts her situation and stays strong despite the extremely difficult circumstances she finds herself in. For example, when Madame Hester is first paraded out before the public, she refuses to be controlled by her captors, as the book describes in saying “On the threshold of the prison door, she repelled him,by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will” (Hawthorne 61). This quote details the strength Hester displayed in keeping her dignity. Similarly, through her talks with Sofia, Celie learned to be strong and not accept abuse, which eventually led to her developing a healthy relationship with Mr.___. This is seen during conversation between the two early in the novel, where Sofia says “I loves Harpo, God knows I do, but I’ll kill him dead before I let him beat me” (Walker, 40). This statement opens Celie’s eyes to the possibility of being strong in the face of abuse. The fact that both of these authors chose to portray a positive message speaks to their priorities in writing, and the juxtaposition represented by the message of strength and all the negative events of the two novels is what makes these two authors so brilliant. The presence of a positive message for the reader to take from these negative stories (especially in Hawthorne’s case) is partly what defines these two authors’ best pieces.
The defining difference between the works of Hawthorne and Walker in this case is the perspective from which the authors chose to tell the story. The Color Purple is very unique, because the entire story is told through Celie’s first person perspective, and all the information is given in the form of letters written after the events of the day, rather than being told in the moment. Walker’s decision to write from this perspective has it’s pros and cons. On the one hand, the reader is able to get an in depth look into the main character’s thoughts and feelings, because she the entire novel is told from her view, and the letter writing aspect gives her an opportunity to reflect in depth on the events going on around her. In addition, the mystery of not knowing how other characters truly feel makes the book more enjoyable for readers. However, character development does suffer through Walker’s choice in perspective, because all other characters besides Celie are not fleshed out in detail by not being able to comment on the story. In contrast, Hawthorne chooses the third person omniscient perspective, which is the exact opposite of the first person as used by Walker. The third person omniscient approach is beneficial because it allows the reader to always know what is going on with all characters all the time, which creates a better overall reading experience than only knowing the thoughts of one character. However, a downside to Hawthorne’s choice in perspective is that it does not allow the reader to develop a close personal connection with any one particular character.
Finally, a major difference between the two authors lies in their writing style. Hawthorne’s novel is written with sophisticated and powerful diction, as many people would imagine a brilliant writer to write. Hawthorne uses lengthy and detailed sentences to flesh out his story, always using advanced vocabulary and diction. On the other hand, Walker’s writing style is a stark contrast. While it is obviously a product of the perspective the story is told through and the point she is trying to make, Walker writes in broken English and uses very basic diction and syntax. While there is not a good or bad writing style, the choices made by the two authors in this regard are what most set these famous books apart.
In conclusion, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Alice Walker shared a similar theme of difficulties facing women, and conveyed a very similar message of strength through their novels The Scarlet Letter and The Color Purple, respectively. However, the two authors were very different in both the perspectives they chose to tell their story from, as well as the writing style used. While there is much debate as to the merits of the way the authors write, it is clear that they have both crafted classic American novels.
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