2nd Annual Academic Symposium - Hannah Parson

In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne juxtaposes Puritan society with the nebulous American wilderness. The pagan undertones throughout the novel are a stark contrast to the proverbial “City on a Hill.” Each central character in the novel exhibits a unique “brand” of paganism: Hester Prynne is reflective of the famous Greek courtesan Hetaria Phryne, Roger Chillingworth resembles the Native American Indian, and Pearl possesses the distinctive Celtic qualities of Old England. By incorporating these pagan influences into the community, Hawthorne highlights the futility of the Puritan’s utopian dream.