The Scarlet Marxist

There scram been many critiques of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. some(prenominal) critiques be far-fetched. Some indict societys views of religion and the wickedness of women in the downfall of the human race. However, when taking a modern Marxist view of The Scarlet Letter, the scope of the entire novel takes a dramatic spin, non that for the characters Hawthorne utilizes to bring passions to light, solely for society and its conventions used towards current souls. When evaluating the characters of The Scarlet Letter, the characters represent a particular come in and social mental synthesis within the time.According to Associated Content, Governor Bellingham is one who . . . free to stand stately as judge of right and wrong, good and bad, but seemingly neer commits wrong himself. (2009). This Marxist evaluation of Governor Bellingham may non execute sense unless you apply it within the realm of Marxism as an indictment on the society and how the disti nguishes tend to be separated. Governor Bellingham would accordingly represent those who are of affluence or those who are on the upper end of the frugal ladder. This separation of the upper kinsfolk from the different classes then forgos Bellingham to make the concepts that he makes ue to his financial status within the community. Had Bellingham non had this type of financial influence, then he would non be allowed to make any kind of judgments on anyone. Bellinghams position as governor gives him certain rights that ordinary citizens would not have. The position in society gives Bellingham a reason, whether good or bad, to heap down what he feels to be justice for all involved. The justice may not be beneficial but for a a couple of(prenominal). Yet, when imageing at the classes, in Marxist theory, if it benefits the upper class, then it is a benefit.The benefit does not carry or trickle down to the lower classes, which leaves those who are not apart of the upper class at a disadvantage. The character Pearl, female child of Hester Prynne can be considered a actually animated and active. She is the product of the somatic family between Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. The child suffered the isolation and condemnation that had been handed to her make for becoming a part of an adulterous affair. Pearl is a unadulterated representative of what happens to persons born or placed into a lower top in society. Regardless of how witty, bright or un-loving Pearl was as a child, the society within the Puritan community would never accept her because she was the soma of higher society deemed inappropriate for persons to participate in. In looking at Pearl in this expression, it is not a stretch to say that she is the rule of the sate presented by the society at that time.Terry Eagleton states that Marxist condemnation sees cook and mental ability as dialectically related, and yet wants to assert in the end the primacy of circumscribe in det ermining clear (Eagleton 537). In other words, Pearls form is created by the content of her character, to take a phrase rom Dr. MLK, Jr. The circumstances in which she was deald puts in her the union of being one who is deeply enthralled with passion. Also, Pearl is one who is intractable to a fault, just as her mother who refused to give up the bring in of her lover. Knowing these things about Pearl would allow one to cast judgment on her and never allow her to ascend to a higher station or class in life. It is this creation of her within the confines of the Dimmesdale and Prynne relationship that would keep her limited to a specific class and socio-economic status in life, had she decided o live within the small Boston resemblance in which she grew up. Roger Chillingworths character illustrates a different kind of class and form altogether.Chillingworth returns to townspeopleship to find that his wife, Hester Prynne has not simply been accused of adultery, but has a child as proof. Prynne never reveals her lover, pushing Chillingworth to a level of loathsomenessister evil that had not been presented within the novel. He never revealed his sure identity to anyone but Hester Prynne. He acted as caregiver and doctor for Dimmesdale. It was also at this time that Chillingworth befriended Dimmesdale o find what was eating at his very soul. This type of deception is contemptible to say the least. However, from the Marxist point of view, the unbent character or form of Chillingworth is a valid indication of the content of his soul. Being a doctor represented being a person of an esteemed stature in society. It also gave him as a division of high society privileges that others in lower classes would never have. He took those privileges and apply them for his own selfish gain (which was to find Prynnes lover).Chillingworth is the classic lawsuit of how the privileged iphon from others to achieve the goal ahead. Eagleton would define Chillingworths chara cter as the following . . . is not the first place a set of doctrines it signifies the way men live out their roles in class-society, the values, ideas and images which tie them to their social functions and so prevent them from a true knowledge of society as a whole. (Eagleton 534) In other words, it is Chillingworths class in society that does not allow him to show mercy to Prynne. His class also allows him to be chancy and crafty to find the real illness that afflicts Dimmesdale, use the guilt from the sin to rive Dimmesdale into a chasm of self hatred and loathing, while he simultaneously decays into the demonic fleshly figure that imposes hatred and merciless upon all who move cross him. Yet, this ghastly figure was indeed Chillingworths true form and content. It is his functioning within the upper class of society that not only gave Chillingworth his form, but also allowed him to participate in the actions leading to Dimmesdales without repentance. For exalted Arthur Dimme sdale, societys position came with a price.He ended up denying his own flesh and blood in the body of Pearl, and he et the fair sex he loved (Hester Prynne) carry the weight of the sin they both committed. afterwards the town branded Prynne and adulteress, Dimmesdale could not bring himself to admit to the public that it was he who shared the night of passion with Prynne which led to the conception of Pearl. His station or class in society would not allow for such a confession. Associated Content refers to Dimmesdale As the ultimately apparitionally pious figure of the town and he is held in high regard. . . (2). It is the status of being the reverend for the town along with his education a young clergyman, who had come from one of the reat slope universities, bringing all the learning of the age into our wild-forest land (Hawthorne 62) that keeps Dimmesdale from initially admitting what had taken place between himself and Prynne. In comparison to Eagleton, Dimmesdale is the representation of the society and the superstructure that is in place (532). Regardless of how he may want to become a permanent part of Prynnes life, the superstructure in place would never allow it to be so.It is this superstructure of society that Hester Prynne rebels against and causes her to live a life of isolation with her daughter , save her lients who come to her. Hester Prynne has been called an adulteress by many. Even within the religious community, Prynne is thought of at the least, wrong for her actions, including not revealing the father of her child. It is the content of her life that takes form in this novel. Prynne, strong-willed and determined, did not give in to the demands of the community which asked of her to give Pearls fathers name. Prynne refused to do so and in her refusal, lost her status within the community, never to have it returned to her. Relating her character to Marxist literary theory is relatively asy. Prynne is one of the few who would gladly gi ve up his or her station or class in society to the protection of one if not al l. Prynne would not be accepted within the upper class of Boston at this time for she did not conform to the way the higher classes, both religious and social, decided that life should be conducted.Dr. G. B. Loring declared that It would be hard to conceive of a greater outrage upon the freezing and self-denying doctrines of that day, than the sine for which Hester Prynne was ill-omened by and for which Arthur Dimmesdale damned himself (1). Prynnes refusal to become part of the culture that denied itself for form and fashion is what pushed her to the outskirts of society. However, even with the refusal to bend in tow, Prynne went on to live a productive life and see her daughter become a dignified young lady. Evaluating The Scarlet Letter from the Marxist point of view is provoke to say the least. Yet, the Marxist point of view gives the reader a broader look at the characters and society as a whole. Through Marxism, it is not just the sin that is looked at, but the condition of the heart, the station and class of man, along with his content and form that makes up society then and now.