In the book The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne never refers to a specific class system and certainly does not mention the middle class. He simply uses words like rich and poor. Although he leads the reader to believe that there is this two class system with no grey area in the middle he does alot to create a middle common class in the story. “…the period when Hawthorne was writing saw the appearence of the middle class in its recognizably modern form.” (Gilmore 598) It is suggested that this middle class was formed when there was a seperation between public and private spheres, gender arrangements, and the change from naturalism to historical contingency. There was now an inversion of gender roles according to Gilmore that lead to the ultimate forming of the powerful modern middle class. “The middle class mother assumes a relation to the social like that of a free market individualist, while the middle class father embraces feminized sentiment” (Gilmore599)
Hawthorne is considered one of the great writers of the nineteenth century that played a large role in the creation of the modern middle class. Gilmore believes that the reason he was so unclear about the class structure in his writing was because of his own struggle to fit into the class structure. Hawthorne was a very talented man who struggled to earn a living through literature leaving him somewhere in the middle of the rich and the poor. It is said that this group of people (the middle class) do not want to be categorized and in The Scarlett Letter they are given a vague name “The People”. Hawthorne also describes the class system of the Puritan times as feudal. He writes that the Puritans replaced the “System of ancient prejudice” that are associated with “nobles and kings”. That is the way the classes were viewed during the Puritan times, there was the rich and then everyone else was lumped into the poor category. “It is a community of rulers and the ruled,” (Gilmore 601).
Hester’s refusal to step forward in the marketplace and identify her lover shows the seperation of the public and private spheres and puts hester at the fore front of the movement for post-Puritan life. Hester assumes the role of the nineteenth century middle-class mother and takes on duties that are considered admirable such as volunteering as a nurse. Gilmore describes the new middle class womans role as a “…self sacrificing dispenser of nurturance.” (602)
Just as Hester is described as this post-puritan new middle class woman her male counterpart is formed through Dimmesdale. He is the new middle-class father. He admires Hesters refusal to speak out in public and he himself supports the idea of the seperation of the public and private spheres. He struggles as a minister to put on a faccade and speak to his parish while his private self is much different that what his public sees.
Hawthorne paints a picture of the forming of the modern middle class through courageous characters that are trying to break free from the grip of strict Puritan life. The middle class is not ever mentioned but through careful reading one can find references to this new class system all thoughout the story.
