Essay | Arthur Miller and Nathaniel Hawthorne Compared

Arthur Miller and Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote novels that made society reflect upon itself. These two great American authors tried to discreetly teach society to learn from history and try not to make the same mistakes twice. They criticized people's resistance to change, how the masses can be extremely judgmental, and how this judgment can be unbelievably wrong. Miller and Hawthorne let readers know how close-minded the public can be.

Once Puritanical leaders persuaded society to think one way, they could not have changed or they would have had to admit that they were wrong. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, when Hester took off her brand, even little Pearl could "not abide any, the slightest, change in the accustomed aspect of things (191)." Like society, Pearl needed things to be the same to feel safe and comfortable. In Arthur Miller's book The Crucible, Judge Danforth admits out...
(read more)