The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, has several examples from the Romantic Era. For instance, " The rust on the ponderous iron-work of its oaken door looked more antique than any thing else in the new world. Like all that pertains to crime, it seemed never to have known a youthful era" (Hawthorne 41). The prison door is grayish black, has spikes, and is described as old and ugly. It is expected that such a door would portray the same characteristics as the person behind the prison doors."The penalty thereof is death. But, in their great mercy and tenderness of heart, they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and ten and thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom" (Hawthorne 54). Hester had been punished for her sin and was forced to stand on the platform for several hours in front of an audience. She also had to wear a Gothic scarlet letter "A" on her bosom. This portrays the Romantic Era and its darkness due to the punishment of having to be stared at.
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