Transcendentalism : Anti- Transcendentalism in the novel "Scarlet Letter"

Hello, readers here my blog part of activity. This blog sumitted to Department of  English Maharaja KruashnKumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

Meaning of Transcendentalism:-


An idealistic philosophical and social movement which developed in New England around 1836 in reaction to rationalism. Influenced by romanticism, Platonism, and Kantian philosophy, it taught that divinity pervades all nature and humanity, and its members held progressive views on feminism and communal living.

A system developed by Immanuel Kant, based on the idea that, in order to understand the idea that, in order to understand the nature of reality, one must first examine and analyse the reasoning process which governs the nature of experience.

Transcendentalism is a philosophical movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in the eastern United States. It arose as a reaction, to protest against the general state of intellectualism and spirituality at the time.

A core belief of Transcendentalism is in the inherent goodness of people and nature. Adherents believe that society and its institutions have corrupted the purity of the individual, and they have faith that people are at their best when truly "self -reliant" and independent .

Meaning of Anti- Transcendentalism:-

Anti - Transcendentalism was an opposition movement to the Transcendentalist. The Transcendentalist  were writers who supported the beauty of Nature, the kindness of Humans and a dis trust in government. Anti - Transcendentalism was a literary subgenre that focused on human fallibility and proneness to sin.

The Scarlet Letter:-

' The Scarlet Letter contains both Transcendentalist and Anti Transcendentalist views and ways of life organising around the central theme of sin. Published in 1850 by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the dark romantic story of the Scarlet Letter was immediately met with sucess. The Scarlet Letter was Historical fiction which written by American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.

It is a story of Hester Prynne. In the novel central theme is that legalism, sin and guilt. It's also reflected puritan thought and mind of society during that time through Characters.

Transcendentalism in 'The Scarlet Letter' .Transcendentalism one of the central thought is that Nature. Characteristics of Transcendentalism in Everything is reflection of the divine soul, Nature is good even, man is good, Idealists / Individualistic, Intuition, Man and nature in partnership.

Here nature means of accessing this divine spirit, while rejecting all forms of social limitation from formal education to organised religion. In the novel Dimmesdale is Priest of church and most people have belief Priest means divine soul.

Author describes nature in the difference way and man it means Dimmesdale show Priest so society have perception like Dimmesdale is Priest and as man is good person. But he love Hester and he is father of pearl. Hester and pearl both lived as social outcasts who can't attend Church services and social function.

Same happening with her daughter, Pearl is not accepted by the puritan school and also children are kidding her because her mother's adultery. To support her infant child Pearl, Hester settles on the outskirts of town, in an abandoned cottage that is next to seashore and surrounded by the forest to West.

Alone, she utilizes her skills in needlework to make a living and Pearl. She does not leave town, perhaps with a dream to reunite with her lover again someday. The Woods, the seaside, and the nature surrounded Hester and Pearl are also the places where the innocent Pearl is free to express herself, to develop her free spirit character.

Transcendentalists in religion they don't believe in organised certain religion. For the Transcendentalists, God cannot be confined to a single name or Religion.

Anti Transcendentalism in Scarlet Letter . characteristics of Anti Transcendentalism in realistic, nature is indifferent and man is evil, man's dark side, experience, spirituality based on Puritanism/ calvinism, suspicions. In Roger Chillingworth character is example of indifferent human nature. In novel evil and changing of community. As Hester was on her punishment of adultery,

Dimmesdale was feeling very much guilty but he could not accept it easily because of his power position. He knows that sin was not done by Hester but he was also as guilty as Hester and child was also his.

Chillingworth was not happy to see that Hester her wife has given birth to a child out of Wed log in his absence.

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