Archetypes and Allusions in The Scarlet Letter - Elzinga

Archetypes and allusions are common literary devices used in many novels, particularly classics.  One novel that uses both of these quite often is The Scarlet Letter.  It alludes to many biblical topics some of those being Satan, the story of Adam and Eve, and God’s promise of painful childbearing.  The author also uses the classic archetypes of the martyr, or scapegoat, the outcast, the saint, and the concept of forbidden love, which is present in many classic works of literature.   

First, some of the many allusions that take place in The Scarlet Letter are those to Satan, to the story of Adam and Eve, and to God’s promise of painful childbearing.  The allusions to Satan take place in a couple of different forms.  One of the forms is in the mention of the “Black Man” as an object of fear and terror.  The other is through Chillingworth once he figures out that Dimmesdale is the one with whom his wife cheated.  Chillingworth becomes consumed with torturing him and keeping him from redemption, much like the character of Satan himself.  He takes glee in this just like the Devil.  He is defeated when Dimmesdale announces his sin in the only place where he could achieve redemption, much like the Devil when Jesus is crucified on the cross.  Another allusion Hawthorne makes is to the story of Adam and Eve.  Hester is seen as the one who led Dimmesdale into the sin, and they both paid dearly for it.  This is exactly like Eve leading Adam to eat the apple, and their subsequent expulsion from the garden of Eden.  She is also then viewed as an outcast from the rest of the village, similar to how Adam and Eve had to live out of the garden.  An additional allusion in the novel is that to God’s promise of painful childbearing as another punishment.  Pearl is similar to this because she is Hester’s punishment and pain.  Whenever Hester looks at her she is reminded of the sin that she committed and the shame that she endures.  She is reminded of the passion and of the love, and this is like another form of torture for her.  The use of allusions is very common in classic novels.

Another classic literary device used in novels is the use of archetypes.  Some of the ones that are used in The Scarlet Letter are the martyr, or scapegoat, the outcast, the saint, and the concept of forbidden love.  Hester Prynne embodies the martyr because even though she was only one of the people who committed the sin she is the one who has to endure the public punishment.  She is the one who is used as the example for the society.  Through her public shame and embarrassment, Hester represents what will happen to anyone else who commits that act.  When the community sees her they are reminded of the consequences of their actions and continue to abide in the Puritan law.  This is exactly why the martyrs of the Dark Ages took place, the burnings and drownings of those who broke the law happened to discourage everyone else from breaking the same laws.  She is also the scapegoat since she is the one who paid publically for both her and Dimmesdale’s crime, and for any similar crimes that may have been committed.  Hester also embodies the outcast.  Everyone in town is embarrassed by her, they refuse to speak to her, and continue to treat her terribly.  She lives outside of town in a house that is somewhat hidden from the rest of the village.  In all of these ways, she is an outcast.  Another archetype that is used by Hawthorne is the saint.  Dimmesdale is viewed by everyone as a young minister, perfectly holy, and the best example.  When he gets sick they simply assume it is because he spends so much time reading and studying.  They hold him on a pedestal as the best a human can strive to be.  They assume that he is so holy that God just wants to take him sooner than most.  In these ways he embodies the saint, the perfect person.  Finally, another archetype that is used is the concept of forbidden love. This is seen in many classic literature pieces, the most prominent of those being Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.  Hester and Dimmesdale are kept apart by circumstances.  At first they are forbidden to be together because she is married, and he is a man of God, who would never break the ten commandments.  Later, they are kept apart by him being a man of God, and because she is the town outcast, who is shamed, and an adulterer.  This type of lady is simply not appropriate for a reverend to be with in the eyes of God and of the townspeople.  These are just a few examples of classic archetypes used in The Scarlet Letter.

In conclusion, The Scarlet Letter contains many different allusions and archetypes.  The allusions are to Satan, the story of Adam and Eve, and to the promised pain of childbirth.  The archetypes are the martyr, the scapegoat, the saint, and the concept of forbidden love.