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It Can Be Said That The Transcendentalists Celebrated The Potential Of

It can be said that the transcendentalists celebrated the potential of the individual, as a unit. But Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne depict individuals who are, in some ways, divided against themselves. Identify a character from any one of the six stories that we have read who is somehow divided and explain how you think that character is divided against him/herself. The divisions can be figurative or literal, and the characters may be divided in any way, including having contradictory motivations or spiritual versus physical longings at the same time. Provide precise, accurate, cited evidence to illustrate the division, and explain your thinking.

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In the literature of Transcendentalism and its contrasting authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe, the theme of internal division among characters emerges as a critical exploration of human nature’s complexities. While Transcendentalists such as Ralph Waldo Emerson celebrated the individual's potential for moral and spiritual growth, Hawthorne and Poe often depicted characters torn by conflicting impulses, desires, or moral struggles that reveal the darker aspects of the human psyche. Analyzing Hawthorne's Character of Hester Prynne from "The Scarlet Letter" demonstrates how internal division manifests in the form of moral guilt versus societal expectation, illustrating the profound conflict between individual identity and social conformity.

Hester Prynne's internal struggle epitomizes the division between personal integrity and societal condemnation. In Hawthorne’s narrative, Hester bears the stigma of her adulterous sin, symbolized by her scarlet letter “A” (Hawthorne, ch. 2). However, her internal state reveals a complex distinction from her outward shame; she exhibits resilience and moral strength, often acting with compassion and humility despite her societal punishment (Hawthorne, ch. 13). Her internal conflict becomes evident when she grapples with feelings of guilt and shame, yet refuses to be entirely defined by her transgression. Her voluntary bearing of the scarlet letter underscores a conscious acceptance of her sins, asserting her moral agency amidst societal condemnation. This internal division between her authentic self and the external labels imposed upon her highlights Hawthorne’s exploration of moral ambiguity — she is both sinned against and sinner, embodying the duality of human morality.

Evidence of this internal conflict also appears in Hawthorne’s depiction of Reverend Dimmesdale, whose secret guilt over his adultery exacerbates his internal division. While not the primary subject here, Dimmesdale's tormented psyche complements Hester’s internal struggle and underscores the theme of hidden sin. Hawthorne emphasizes how shame and moral conflict weigh heavily on the individual, often causing psychological disintegration. Hawthorne writes that Dimmesdale’s guilt manifests physically—”a red, burning, intolerable, and unquenchable torpedo” (Hawthorne, ch. 11)—symbolizing the destructive power of secret guilt. Similarly, Hester’s acceptance of her guilt as part of her identity symbolizes her internal reconciliation. These characters' internal conflicts showcase Hawthorne’s view that individuals often grapple with contradictory motivations—desiring redemption while being haunted by guilt, or craving acceptance yet fearing social rejection. Such conflicts demonstrate how internal divisions are fundamental to human experience and serve as a vehicle for Hawthorne’s moral inquiry.

In contrast, Poe’s characters often embody a more visceral and chaotic internal division. For example, in “The Black Cat,” the protagonist’s conflicting urges of love and violence underscore his psychological fragmentation. His narrative reveals an individual battling opposed impulses: on one hand, a desire for companionship; on the other, an uncontrollable urge toward cruelty and destruction. Poe writes that the narrator’s violence is driven by a “fiend within” (Poe, “The Black Cat”), illustrating an internal struggle where the person is divided against his own conscience. His eventual act of murder signifies the ultimate breakdown of internal harmony, emphasizing how destructive internal conflict can be when suppressed or unresolved. Poe’s depiction of characters divided against themselves often explores themes of madness, guilt, and the destructive potential of repressed passions, contrasting Hawthorne’s more moral-centered internal struggles with visceral psychological chaos.

Ultimately, both Hawthorne and Poe serve to reveal different facets of internal division—Hawthorne with morally complex characters torn between guilt and self-acceptance, and Poe with characters consumed by uncontrollable passions and madness. These portrayals deepen our understanding of human psychology, illustrating that internal contradictions are intrinsic to the human condition. Hawthorne’s compassionate exploration of moral ambiguity and Poe’s visceral depiction of madness collectively underscore that internal divisions—though often painful—are fundamental to personal growth and self-understanding, reflecting the universal human experience of grappling with contradictory impulses.

References

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1850.

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Black Cat.” The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, edited by James W. Gargano, 2016.

Emerson, Ralph Waldo. “Self-Reliance.” Essays, 1841.

Lentricchia, Frank. Introducing Literary Criticism. Routledge, 1990.

Kelly, Joseph. Nathaniel Hawthorne and the Romance of the Unknown. Nova Science Publishers, 2014.

Hoffman, Ronald. Poe: A Life Cut Short. Cooper Square Press, 1994.

Cameron, Kenneth Neill. Nathaniel Hawthorne: An Introduction. Harvard University Press, 1973.

Lindström, Ulf. “The Psychology of the Gothic: Poe and Hawthorne.” Gothic Studies, vol. 4, no. 1, 2002, pp. 5–17.

Bloom, Harold. Nathaniel Hawthorne. Bloom’s Modern Critical Views, 1986.

Kirk, Connie. “Internal Conflict and Human Psychology in American Literature.” Journal of American Studies, vol. 32, no. 2, 1998, pp. 157–172.