Sin, Self and Society: Free Will and Existentialism in the Scarlet Letter

In this research paper, the process of free thinking through the eminent existential thinking philosophy is examined in the novel The Scarlet Letter (1850) written by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1850) through the character of Hester Prynne. Through a qualitative research methods and procedures, this paper generates the research question on how the existentialist ideas of individual freedom, self-reliance, and personal accountability are transfused in the character of Hester when she fights and protests against the strict codes of morality of the Puritan New England. In her decision not to align herself with society and to keep the identity of the dad of her child to herself, Hester proves that she has a very strong sense of independence and upright character. The transformation of a social outcast to being a representation of power and independence makes her an ideal free thinker, one who is at war with the institutions of authority and a desire to be an intellectual free agent. It is concluded in the study that The Scarlet Letter (1850) upholds the belief that the freedom of thought resting on the principle of existentialist ideologies can enable human beings to rise above the fullness of language sanctioned moralities and live a life of self-meaning, self-choice and self-authenticity. The present paper belongs to an increasingly interdisciplinary discussion between the study of literature and the philosophy of existentialism, in which both fields have much to contribute to the other. In this way the paper can be said to open a door toward a critical resistance with regard to oppressive socio-political and religious systems through the potential of free thinking.