The Custom House

Up until now I've always been under the impression that the introduction of the story has to be about the characters or an event that happened earlier on in the story.  But "The Custom House" is a different type of introduction.  It is an introduction not about any character or event, but the narrator himself. 

The narrator parallels Hawthorne in many ways, but its also important to note that the narrator or speaker can never be assumed to be the author.  Like Hawthorne, the narrator worked at a Custom House.  He is not particularly happy about his job, but he manages to spend his time browsing through old documents.  The narrator and Hawthorne are both decendents of Puritans who they hold in high regard.  The narrator even mentions how ashamed his ancestors would be by saying "a writer of story book! What kind of business in life -- what mode of glorifying Godm or being serviceable to mankind in his day and generation, -- may that be?" (Hawthrone 22).

The Scarlet Letter is a work of fiction, but Hawthorne doesn't necessarily want his reader to view it in that way.  Throughout "The Custom House" Hawthorne makes an attempt to validate his story as true.  First the narrator describes how he came across the documents of Johnathan Pue.  Mr. Pue was a Custome House worker like Hawthorne and the narrator, who wrote a manuscript about a series of events that happened in Puritan times. When the narrator accidentally touches the scarle letter he "experienc[s] a sensation not altogether physical, yet almost so, as of burning heat, and as if the letter were not of red cloth, but red-hot iron. [he shudders], and involuntarily let[s] it fall upon the floor" (Hawthorne 14). 

The Scarlet Letter may or may not be a true story, but it is important to note where it originates from.  If it is a true story, the reader must remember that it is not a first-hand account.  It is based upon the writings of Pue which were interpretted by Hawthorne.

Another important thing to note is the time period Hawthorne is writing in.  The United States of America is a relatively new country at this time.  Hawthorne was one of the first American writers and he also wrote about early American settlers.  Not only is The Scarlet Letter dear to Hawthorne, but also to the shape of a growing America.

My Difficulties With The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classical and renowned author, but I never saw him that way. His stories made sense to me, but they were simply just stories. I’ve always believed that what makes writing great, isn't the main idea, but rather the little details. Perhaps I missed these little details because I never truly understood Hawthorne and where he came from.

For some odd reason I always thought Nathaniel Hawthorne was a rebellious Puritan from the 1600’s. However Hawthorne is actually a writer (and researcher) from the 1900’s. Because he worked in the Boston Custom House, he learned of his ancestors who were alive during the 1600’s, one of which was also a judge on the Salem Witch Trials.

This little bit of history began to tie all the dots for me, and Hawthorne’s work no longer seemed boring. I began to understand why Hawthorne wrote “Young Goodman Brown” and why he was so interested in this Puritan society. I began to see recurring themes and comparisons such as the blurring of good and evil. “The Minister's Black Veil” also pointed toward a realization that all men (and women) have something to hide; good and evil may not be as clear cut as Puritans (and even today’s society) may have believed. And most of all I began to notice the details I had merely glanced over.

The first chapter of a book is always the hardest for me to read, but having completed the book I now see how many little gems Hawthorne had hidden within this 2 page chapter. In fact he even analyzes the rose-bush for us as being a symbol of “some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow” (37). And indeed the rose-bush was; it was the only thing full of life in a place marked with sin (the prison).

The physical scarlet letter A is also filled with gems of its own. Not only is it a red, bright mark of adultery for the wearer, it also affects those around her. Some may see it as a mark to be ashamed of, but others may see it as a mark of commonality. Those who have sinned a sin similar to Hester’s quietly feel the burn which she has to publicly bear. It is a sin with a physical form. Only when Hester removes the mark will she be cleared of her sin. I’m still a bit confused about the full meaning of the mark, but I’m sure it’ll come as I re-read from my new perspective.