Thomas Edison E6PX

Ralph Remy

Whereas one kind of religious cause for censorship in Scarlet Letter, 18th century novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, another major form of this censorship is evident in the Victorian English work of literature, Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte through the demand of a theocracy. The historical and religious causes for these religious causes for this censorship are expressed throughout the book and what moves the story along as well. Nathaniel Hawthornes Scarlet Letter and Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre both greatly interpreted the topics of their time period in order for us to better understand it today through their literature. Also, both authors explain their causes for censorship in the plot of both stories and illustrate their rejection and mockery of them as the story progresses. Lastly, both works displayed their methods of overcoming these causes and how they became a better person because of this. Jane Eyre takes place during a 19th century Victorian society that describes all the faults that era in history contained. Jane was an orphaned who was subjugated by the discriminative laws and values of her time period who managed to break free of these bonds and create a better life for herself through her experiences and with the help of many others. The Scarlet Letter is also a novel written in the Victorian age and focuses more on subject of feminism and its rise during this time. Hester, the main antagonist, was forced to live as a pariah along with her daughter, Pearl, because the theocracy she lived did not

value individualism and those who expressed it. Although, because of this, Hester was able to understand the importance of self independence which gave way to her rejection of the ways of the society that thrived upon theocracy. As stated earlier, Charlotte Bronte contributed to discerning and revealing the improper ethics of the Victorian society. Throughout Jane Eyre, Jane went through many of these ordeals such as her experiences in Lowood, a boarding school for girls. The topic of individualism was expressed as the main idea within the novel many times. Jane, was repeatedly, over the course of the story, she was reprimanded on several occasions such as when St. John attempted to explain to her the place of women in a community. This alluded towards the way women were treated during that time and generations before that as well. As a result of her work of literature, people were able to interpret Brontes life as well. This is evident when this citation mentions:
In Jane Eyre Charlotte used her experiences at the Evangelical school and as governess. The novel severely criticized the limited options open to educated but impoverished women, and the idea that women "ought to confine themselves to making Jane's questioning of pseudonym puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. passionate desire for a wider life, her need to be loved, and her rebellious conventions, also reflected Charlotte's own dreams (Charlotte Bronte CURRER BELL).

This citation describes where Bronte derived her subject for this novel and because of this we were able to understand how a Victorian society operated and the faults that occurred along with it. It also enables us to realize that Jane, a penniless orphan who becomes a teacher, obtains a post as a governess, inherits money from an uncle, and marries, was indeed Bronte in a different form and life.

The Scarlet Letter is a great example of how each author succeeded in bringing their point across about the time period they lived in. Hester was shamefully shunned from the rest of her people in Salem, Massachusetts. This event was caused by her committing adultery with the minister, Dimmesdale, and the result was a life of loneliness separate from others. Her one and only companion was the creation of that adulterous affair, her daughter Pearl. This lifestyle helped portrayed the lives of the puritan colony and the strict limitations they had placed upon them the majority of their existence.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804, in Salem, Massachusetts who was a descendant of a long line of Puritan ancestors including John Hathorne, a presiding magistrate in the Salem witch trials.. Hawthorne, himself, was able to properly display Hester dilemma as it derived from his own exposures. Hawthorne was a secluded man as mentioned in:
Returning from Bowdoin, Hawthorne spent the years 1825 to 1837 in his mother's Salem household. Later he looked back upon these years as a period of dreamlike isolation and learned to write tales shown that this period of In truth, he did have social Nevertheless, he consistently dream, though his view of the influence Biography) solitude, spent in a haunted room. During these "solitary years" he and sketches that are still unique. Recent biographers have Hawthorne's life was less lonely than he remembered it to be. engagements, played cards, and went to the theatre. remembered these twelve years as a strange, dark of these years varied (Nathaniel Hawthorne

In this case, Hawthorne is shown to be an isolated individual who, through this isolation, was able to discern the tactics of the puritan government and way of life and incorporate in his novel as well as provide a moral for those reading it.

In any case, both of these works of literature accurately expressed the causes for the main characters subjugation whether it being religious of historical. In Jane Eyre, Jane basically had her emotions and ethic was stripped from her at an early age as it was replaced with the harsh rules and viewpoints of a Victorian society, who cared nothing for orphans. St. John, a narcissist within the plotline of the story, also tried to plant his religious views and ideals of what a womens place in the world was and how God should affect that persons life. For example, this citation:
[B]ut as his wifeat his side always, and always restrained, and always checkedforced to keep the fire of my nature continually low, to compel it to burn inwardly and never utter a cry, though the imprisoned flame consumed vital after vitalthis would be unendurable( Jane Eyre Chapter 35)

demonstrates the reasons for her suffering. However, she was able to overcome this over time and became the great heroine the book made her to be at the end of this tale. This novel alludes towards the neglectful ways of its era and how society viewed the unfortunate such as the poor and mentally challenged. In this case:
The Hospital became famous and notorious for the brutal ill-treatment meted out to the mentally ill. In 1675 Bedlam moved to new buildings in Moorefields designed by Robert incarcerated there called them mad, and damn called "patients" in 1700, and "curable" 34. In the 18th century people used to go to one could peer into their cells, view the laugh at their antics. Entry was free on the first alone, there were 96,000 such visits (Bethlem Royal Hooke, outside the City boundary. The playwright Nathaniel Lee was for five years, reporting that: "They called me mad, and I them, they outvoted me." The inmates were first and "incurable" wards were opened in 1725Bedlam to stare at the lunatics. For a penny freaks of the "show of Bethlehem" and Tuesday of the month. In 1814 Hospital: Wikipedia).

the residents of Bedlam were a major representation of these neglectful acts. It also displays what a harsh and unforgiving system that did not hesitate to throw out the trash of its community. As a result, books such as Jane Eyre were published in order to reveal this and help reform the original system. Undoubtedly, Hester suffered greatly because of the religious ideals of the puritan colony in which she derived from. The physical and mental expression one would usually have is looked down upon by the theocracy. This way of thinking affects her daughter, Pearl, greater than most as she is a free spirit and it is because of this nature that others refer to her as the devils spawn. The theocracy affects Hester significantly more as it forces her the wear a scarlet letter A on her chest -for adultery- which is basically meant to destroy her ego and to remind her continuously of the shame she put their pure community in. Admittedly, Hawthorne does bring up many important things about the conditions of a puritan government and how it affected everyone who lived within its walls. For example:
Bounds were not set on enjoying sexuality within the bounds of marriage, as a gift from God.[34] In fact, spouses (albeit, in practice, mainly females) were disciplined if they did other outside of not perform their sexual marital duties, in accordance with 1 Corinthians 7 and biblical passages. Puritans publicly punished drunkenness and sexual relations marriage.