NARRATIVE CODE OF NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S NOVEL THE SCARLET LETTER

The purpose of the article is to identify the distinctive features of the narrative code of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. The research methods include historical and literary methods, receptive and comparative methods, and close reading techniques. The study draws on narratological frameworks developed by R. Barthes, G. Genette, W. Schmid. It has been established that the complex narrative structure of the novel is evident even at the lev- el of its framing apparatus: the work is intertwined with an essay originally conceived as a preface rather than as a separate, independent text. Trying to internally distance himself from the depicted events that took place more than 100 years ago, the writer creates the image of an impartial fixer of information that he gets from direct observers, which allows us to speak of multiple narrators. The author’s distancing from the events is achieved through two techniques common in 19th-century European literature: the “text within a text” approach and the technique of mystification. The essay is presented from the perspective of the narrator of the framing story – the primary diegetic / homodiegetic narrator – who is expressed gram- matically in the first-person singular. The woman’s life story functions as a text within a text, attributed to the secondary narrator (the narrator of the internal story), who is a character in the framing narrative but serves as a primary non-diegetic / extradiegetic narrator in the main narrative, positioned outside the fic- tional world and recounting events from a third-person perspective. It is noted that, in establishing a relia- ble narrator, the primary diegetic / homodiegetic narrator assigns the primary non-diegetic / extradieget- ic narrator a name, biographical details, and even official documents. By emphasizing his role as the editor of an authentic story, the primary diegetic narrator acknowledges having invented the characters’ motives and emotions, indicating a blending of perspectives and leaving it to the reader to determine whose view- point is being presented. The events in Hawthorne’s novel are presented from the perspective of a primary non-diegetic / extradiegetic narrator, while the first-person plural appears in the text through various con- structions. Consequently, the form “we” can encompass the author as well as narrators of all types repre- sented in the text. It is highlighted that the main character, Hester Prynne, possesses a remarkable personality and un- intentionally integrates into a world foreign to her with new principles unfamiliar to that society. Because she bears a child out of wedlock, she finds herself socially isolated. In developing the theme of the towns- folk’s psychological and emotional torment of Hester, motifs of her uncanny ability to perceive the sin of others, the ostensible piety, and hidden sinfulness of the entire community – including children – are em- – including children – are em- including children – are em- – are em- are em- ployed. The theme of social isolation of mother and child is linked to the motif of the circle, symbolizing en- trapment and hopelessness. Hawthorne’s fictional portrayal underscores that the social isolation of moth- er and child enabled the emergence of individuals with a new value system within a fanatically religious community. The motif of sin is further intertwined with that of atonement. The novel emphasizes the theme of the relativity of the meaning behind the scarlet letter. If we con- sider that “A” is the first letter of the alphabet, Hester Prynne’s character gains symbolic significance as the woman from whom the story of American identity begins. On the other hand, the word English “letter” can also mean “message,” so combined with the semantics of “scarlet,” the title The Scarlet Letter may be in- terpreted as “The Precious Message,” with the novel itself serving as a message to both women and men settling in a new country. In Hawthorne’s interpretation of the theme of sin’s atonement, the portrayal of the illegitimate child becomes particularly significant. Through the behavior of the girl and her unique interactions with her mother, the novel consistently shows that, even at a young age, the heroine displayed individuality and was capable of standing up to a harsh crowd. It is emphasized that Hester Prynne rejects the Old Testament notion that children should bear the consequences of their parents’ actions. She refrains from imposing an ascetic lifestyle on her daughter, allows her the joys of childhood play, and lets her follow her own impuls- es. In building the images of Prynne as mother and child, the narrator compares the heroine to Divine Ma- ternity, referencing the prophet Nathan, David, and Bathsheba. Subtle references to two fi gures born out- Subtle references to two fi gures born out- Subtle references to two figures born out- side of marriage yet symbolic for humanity suggestively evoke the idea that young Pearl is an apostle of a new, future world free from dogma. In this light, the episode where the girl dances on the gravestone of one of the most respected settlers becomes significant. Her innocent playfulness is perceived as a symbolic rejection or devaluation of everything that the former Europeans are trying to forcibly implant in American society – a past that must fade away to make room for something new. The impersonal note that the law was broken with the girl’s birth, combined with her ultimately fortunate fate, suggests that through their severe judgment, the colonists unknowingly altered the course of life, paving the way for the development of new principles of social existence. Puritan society in The Scarlet Letter is, in part, embodied by the elderly scholar Roger Chillingworth / Prynne, who could be described in modern terms as an abuser. Chillingworth’s character aligns with the Byronic hero type, popular at the time the novel was written. On one hand, he is a knowledgeable scien- tist with a broad perspective and a free-thinking mind; on the other, he is somber and resentful toward a world in which he believes he is unloved due to his physical deformity. His pursuit of a rival begins as a psy- chological puzzle and eventually turns into a cruel game. Scattered throughout the text are details pointing toward the archetypal image of Faust and the recurring motif of the devil in the novel. The character of Ar- The character of Ar- The character of Ar- thur Dimmesdale is perhaps the most complex in The Scarlet Letter. The novel’s depiction of events as mystical and characters as extraordinary, endowed with irration- al abilities and even demonic qualities, directs us toward the aesthetics of Romanticism, which dominated literature at that time. Considering the thematic elements of The Scarlet Letter, it can be interpreted as an effortless didactic story about new feminine values on the American continent. At the same time, the work can be classified as both a romance and a psychological novel that artistically examines how guilt influenc- es a person’s behavior, emotions, and worldview. The use of mystification and the play of authorial masks invite the reader to decide whether such a woman truly existed or if she was fictional.