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Romantic Love
Romantic love is a common theme in literature, and the representations of it can differ widely from one work to another. In this article, I will contrast how Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter handle romantic love. Although both works are considered classics of literature and were produced in the 19th century, they take completely different approaches to the theme of passionate love. I would contend that whereas Pride and Prejudice portrays a more conventional vision of romantic love, The Scarlet Letter analyzes and subverts cultural expectations of love and relationships via careful examination of the characters and their interactions.
The character growth and interactions of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy serve as the vehicle through which the concept of romantic love is explored in the book Pride and Prejudice. Due to their respective pride and prejudice, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are initially hostile to one another at the start of the book. Mr. Darcy’s cold and pompous behavior first turns Elizabeth off, and he despises the Bennet family’s lesser social standing. However, as the story progresses, their bond grows and they start to recognize and value each other’s virtues. Through their witty conversations and frequent misunderstandings, the underlying attraction and tension between the two characters is highlighted. Furthermore, they are able to overcome their pride and prejudice and declare their love for one another, despite their initial resistance. This process of letting go of their pride and prejudice allows them to better understand and accept each other. The text portrays romantic love as something that can be achieved through overcoming obstacles, and it ultimately results in a happy and fulfilling life. The marriage of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy stands as a symbol of genuine love’s victory over pride and prejudice. It implies that love is something to strive for and that it can bring happiness and completion to one’s life. From the Ebook it says “When she is secure with him, there will be more leisure for falling in love as much as she chooses.” (Austen 2008) Pride and Prejudice portrays a beautiful and upbeat picture of love through its depiction of the romance between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.
The romantic passion shown in The Scarlet Letter is more nuanced and critical than it is in Pride and Prejudice. Ernest Sandeen from the article “The Scarlet Letter as a Love Story” reminds us that “Hester reminds her husband that from the first she had ‘felt no love, nor feigned any’. Chillingworth, on his part, admits that he had married Hester simply because he had wished to kindle “a household fire” for his later years. (Sandeen, 1962). The protagonist of the book is Hester Prynne, a woman who commits adultery and is publicly humiliated and shunned for it. She has a hidden, illicit connection with Reverend Dimmesdale, the father of her child, and their love is shown to be both a source of joy and suffering. “The Scarlet Letter is a novel that deals with the never-ending theme of sin. Throughout history, people have committed all types of sins, and whether they are major or minor, people have been punished.” (Anderson, 2020). The text portrays romantic love as something that can be both beautiful and destructive, and it ultimately does not have a happy ending. The rigid Puritan culture is criticized using Hester’s experience. Hester’s adultery is viewed as a breach of the conventional moral values upheld by the Puritans, a religious sect that insisted on rigorous obedience to those principles. As a punishment for her wrongdoing, she is made to wear a scarlet “A” on her attire, and she is publicly humiliated and shunned. Said by the author Ronan McDonald “The scarlet letter A that Hester is forced to wear is finely embroidered with gold-coloured thread. As both a badge of shame and a beautifully wrought human artifact, it reflects the many oppositions in the novel, such as those between order and transgression, civilization and wilderness, and adulthood and childhood.” (Mcdonald, 2022) Their relationship is illegal and cannot be acknowledged in public, which further adds to the complexity and pain of the situation.
Despite being written in the same century, Pride and Prejudice and The Scarlet Letter present very different viewpoints on romantic love. Pride and Prejudice portrays a beautiful and optimistic vision of love through its depiction of the romance between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, which has made it a cherished and iconic book. The Scarlet Letter, on the other hand, offers a more nuanced and critical perspective on love and relationships. More nuanced and critical perspectives on romantic love are presented in The Scarlet Letter. It questions society norms regarding love and relationships and shows that it can be both beautiful and destructive. Whereas Pride and Prejudice depicts a happy ending in which the couple lives happily ever after, The Scarlet Letter depicts a sad ending to the love tale.
Finally, Pride and Prejudice and The Scarlet Letter present remarkably dissimilar viewpoints on romantic love. It is evident from a detailed examination of the characters and their interactions that these writings give many viewpoints on the subject of romantic love. Through its portrayal of a conventional romantic love story between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice suggests that love can be attained by overcoming challenges and may bring happiness and fulfillment to one’s life. The Scarlet Letter, on the other hand, critiques society norms regarding love and relationships and shows that it can be both beautiful and destructive. Ultimately, these works demonstrate how different authors have different versions of romantic love and it is up to the reader to interpret how they view love in the works.
