Transcidentalism and anti transcidentalism in the scarlet latter

Transcidentalism:-

A movement in nineteenth-century American literature and thought. It called on people to view the objects in the world as small versions of the whole universe and to trust their individual intuitions. The two most noted American transcendentalists were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau

Anti-Transcidentalism:-

The Gothic Movement and literature is very similar to the Anti-Transcendentalist movement.
- Movement and style of the 1800s that focused on the dark side of human nature.

Transcidentalism:-

-Acquiring Truth through Intuition:-

In addition, Pearl becomes an observant child full of intuition because she somehow feels and guesses that Dimmesdale is her father without him admitting it or without her mother telling it to her. As a three-month old infant, Pearl instinctively responds to Dimmesdale’s voice at the first scaffold scene. As a three-year old child, she tenderly caresses Dimmesdale’s hand when the minister argues on her mother’s behalf to keep her. As a young girl, she asks Dimmesdale to hold her hand and her mother’s hand on the scaffold publicly at “noontide”. At seven years old, she knows that the reason her mother wears a scarlet A on her chest is the same reason as the Reverend Dimmesdale puts his hand over his heart. She also hopes that Dimmesdale can go back from the meeting in the forest to town with her and her mother “hand in hand, we three together, into the town”

Anti transcidentalism

 Devil in Physical Form:-

During this time, another anti-transcendental characteristic is seen in Chillingworth - that is he literally becomes a devil in physical form, “At first his expression had been calm, meditative, scholar-like. Now there was something ugly and evil in his face”. Eventually Chillingworth’s evil becomes so invasive that the Puritan village and little Pearl could see the devil of the Black Man in him. Ironically, even Chillingworth notices that he himself has changed from a kind, trustworthy man with “constant if not warm affections” to a devil, as he admits it to Hester: “A mortal man, once with a human heart, has become a fiend for his especial torment!”. Although Chillingworth recognizes his own transformation, he refuses to change for the better and forgive Dimmesdale. As the minister Dimmesdale dies of his weakness and moral corruption, the devil Chillingworth dies within a year of Dimmesdale because he lacks the subject of his vile revenge.

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