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.