This essay focuses on three American literary works of the 19th century: Nathaniel HAWTHORNE’s famous novel The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850, Herman MELVILLE’s short story Benito Cereno in 1855, and Mark TWAIN’s Pudd’nhead Wilson between 1893 and 1894. While the younger works Benito Cereno and Pudd’nhead Wilson are obviously concerned with the interrelation of blacks and whites, as well as with slavery and its effects on the American society, The Scarlet Letter primarily deals with the Puritan way of life and the law system in New England. Although a direct comparison of the three works seems to be problematical due to their different subject matters, the essay will figure out how crime and punishment is depicted in their broader frame.
HAWTHORNE’s Scarlet Letter is set in the 17th century in Salem, Massachusetts – the stronghold of New England’s Puritanism. The main character of the novel, Hester Prynne, is mother of an illegitimate child (Pearl) and thus a sinner that, according to the strict Puritan laws, has to be ostracised and punished. Her actual punishment is determined by the town’s magistracy and consists in the duty to carry a scarlet letter A on her clothes. The adulteress is also presented to an assembly of townspeople on the scaffold of the pillory. Midst of the crowd that is mocking the sinner is Hester’s missed husband – Roger Prynne – as well as the person whom she committed adultery with – the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Ironically enough, Dimmesdale is regarded as an extraordinary exemplary Puritan priest by both, the townspeople and the town’s magistracy . His guilt remains undiscovered until the end of the novel.
Roger Prynne is a stranger at the beginning, who unexpectedly appears at the market-place out of the wilderness . When Hester spots him on the scaffold, he signalises her not to reveal his identity as her husband and starts an indirect inquiry about her, trying to figure out why she is set up to public shame. A townsman congratulates the newcomer to be back in civilisation after being “a wanderer sorely against [his] own will” and explains what had happened in town and why Hester Prynne is punished on the scaffold.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
3. Analysis of Herman Melville's Benito Cereno
4. Analysis of Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson
5. Comparative Conclusion
Objectives and Research Focus
This essay explores the intersection of crime, punishment, and social structures within three pivotal 19th-century American literary works. The central research objective is to analyze how legal frameworks and moral perceptions are depicted in these texts, specifically questioning how constructed social realities influence justice and the treatment of individuals.
- Exploration of Puritan law and social morality in The Scarlet Letter.
- Examination of slavery and institutional oppression in Benito Cereno.
- Investigation of racial tension and the fallibility of legal judgment in Pudd'nhead Wilson.
- Comparative analysis of how "constructed realities" dictate punishment.
- Evaluation of the role of outsiders and truth-seekers in challenging societal injustice.
Excerpts from the Book
The construction of social reality in 19th-century American literature
Constructed realities are noticeably the basis of all three works discussed in this paper, and they always go hand in hand with crime, punishment and the law. While HAWTHORNE builds up a Puritan reality that never really existed, but might have prevented the New English Puritans from their high degree of moral alienation, Herman MELVILLE constructs a reversed Inquisition in order to force his recipients to make a confession about what had happened during a time of slavery and to exorcise the devil of oppression.
Finally, Mark TWAIN totally deprives the readers of their justifications for oppression on the basis of heritage by constructing a “serious, indeed tragic parody of the detective story” with an inadequate law court judging on the basis of rumours and stereotypes, which can only be overcome by an outsider or a Pudd’nhead.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the three literary works and outlines the essay's focus on the diverse depictions of crime and punishment within 19th-century American society.
2. Analysis of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter: This section examines how Puritan law and the concept of public shaming are used to control characters, highlighting the hypocrisy inherent in the moral judgments of the community.
3. Analysis of Herman Melville's Benito Cereno: The focus here is on the power dynamics of slavery and the use of symbolism—specifically the Inquisition—to mirror the brutal realities and moral failure of the slave-holding system.
4. Analysis of Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson: This chapter analyzes how racial stereotypes and the reliance on superficial evidence, rather than objective facts, undermine the legitimacy of the legal system in post-Civil War American literature.
5. Comparative Conclusion: The final section synthesizes the findings, arguing that all three authors use their narratives to critique the constructed social realities that justify systemic oppression and legal injustice.
Keywords
19th Century American Literature, Crime, Punishment, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Benito Cereno, Herman Melville, Pudd'nhead Wilson, Mark Twain, Puritanism, Slavery, Legal System, Social Criticism, Justice, Hypocrisy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the complex relationship between crime, punishment, and the law as represented in three iconic 19th-century American novels, analyzing how societal norms and legal structures shape the lives of the characters.
Which literary works are central to this analysis?
The works studied are Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Herman Melville’s short story Benito Cereno, and Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson.
What is the primary research objective?
The essay aims to uncover how these authors depict the intersection of moral judgment, legal consequence, and social reality, effectively critiquing the systemic biases prevalent in their respective eras.
What methodology is employed to analyze these works?
The paper uses literary analysis, focusing on narrative construction, symbolism, and historical context to evaluate how each author presents the themes of crime and justice.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body systematically analyzes each novel individually, examining specific themes such as Puritan hypocrisy in Hawthorne’s work, the symbolic "Inquisition" of slavery in Melville’s story, and the dangers of racial stereotyping in Twain’s detective parody.
What are the essential keywords characterizing the work?
The research is defined by terms such as 19th-century American literature, Puritanism, slavery, justice, social criticism, and the construction of legal realities.
How does Hawthorne’s portrayal of punishment differ from Twain’s?
Hawthorne focuses on the internal and societal struggle with morality and sin within a rigid Puritan framework, whereas Twain highlights the structural failure of the law when it is driven by rumors and racial prejudice.
What is the significance of the "reversed Inquisition" in Benito Cereno?
The "reversed Inquisition" refers to Melville's symbolic structure where the power dynamics are shifted, forcing a confrontation with the horrors of slavery and the corruption of those who maintain it.
- Quote paper
- Jan H. Hauptmann (Author), 2007, The Relationship between Crime and Punishment in 19th Century American Writing , Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/118350
