Nathaniel Hawthorne is an extraordinary American author, who set the standard for American Romanticism by opposing the upbeat philosophy of the transcendentalist movement of his time. Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, is characterized by American Romantic ideals, conveying the contrast between individual spirit and freedom of nature versus the strict ideals of society and the pressure of conformity. Though Hawthorne’s novel is dark, his work embodies many of the characteristics of American Romanticism including symbolism, the beauty of nature, individual freedom, and the supernatural. First, Hawthorne makes use of a major element of Romanticism in his use of symbolism and nature. For example, as Hester emerges from the prison, on one side of the portal, is a rosebush. The rosebush is a powerful symbol of survival as it has survived “...long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally overshadowed it”. (Hawthorne. 46). The rosebush is a recurring symbol throughout the novel with many hidden meanings. Here it is a reminder of a “sweet moral blossom or the darkening close of a tail of human frailty and sorrow”. (Hawthorne. 46). However, the most prevalent symbol in the novel is the Scarlet letter itself. As the story begins, Hester is taken from the prison with her child and publicly condemned. The scarlet letter symbolizes both Hester’s sin and shame that society has placed upon Hester as an adulteress. The town’s people believe, “Let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will always be in her heart. This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die”. (Hawthorne.49). Yet another example of symbolism is the forest, which symbolizes both good and evil, where nature manifests truth and freedom, yet can be dark, foreboding and evil. Though society associates entering the forest with dealing with the Devil, Hester and Dimmesdale find clarity in nature because they are no l