Revised Critical Lens

In life we all have an unspeakable secret, an irreversible regret, an unreachable dream and an unforgettable love.  ~Diego Marchi

According to Diego Marchi, “In life we all have an unspeakable secret, an irreversible regret, an unreachable dream and an unforgettable love” In other words, regardless of background, there are certain aspects of life, such as regret and love, that all people experience.  Each person and their experiences are unique, but essentially similar at the core.  These common experiences are what make us human and bind us together.  This is true of people from different backgrounds or time periods.  When authors create characters that embody the human experience, readers are more easily able to identify with them.  This is shown to be true in The Awakening, written by Kate Chopin, and The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.   In both of these works, readers are able to identify with main characters due to their humanity, regardless of time period or background.

In the novel, The Awakening, Kate Chopin creates a character, Edna Pontellier, who realizes and is then defined by an unreachable dream; true freedom.  The desire for freedom is an overarching theme throughout the novel.  As a mother of two and an upper-class woman, Edna’s life has been defined by a sense of obligation and responsibility, which were core conventions for women in the 1800s.    Societal expectations dictate that Edna should be an elegant, respectable woman who embraces her role in marriage and motherhood.  Self-actualization and freedom is not a realistic dream for a woman in the 1800s.  Throughout the novel, Chopin utilizes a caged bird to symbolize Edna and women in the Victorian period.  As Edna awakens, it is clear that she has a passion for life.  She finds beauty in music, art, and life.  She has the potential to soar, like the bird, but is caged by societal expectations.  The experience of feeling limited by societal expectations is something that many readers will find relatable.  Even when she leaves her family and lives on her own, she is still subject to pressure to conform.  Unable to break away completely from societal conventions and unwilling to yield, she takes her own life.  If she cannot achieve her dream in life, she will assert her sense of independence and unwillingness to conform in death.  Although the reader does not intimately know what it is like to be a woman in the Victorian period, the humanity in Edna’s unattainable dream makes her a truly relatable character. 

Similarly, in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne creates an incredibly moving and relatable character in Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale.  Devoted to his congregation and role as a Puritan reverend, Dimmesdale struggles for years with an unspeakable secret.  He has committed adultery and fathered Pearl, Hester’s illegitimate daughter.  He struggles deeply with the concept of sin and guilt to the point where it has caused him physical illness.  This concept of sin is an over-aching theme throughout the novel.  Instead of accepting his sin and incorporating it as a part of his identity, like Hester has done, Dimmesdale spends years buckling under the pressure of hiding it.  Dimmesdale’s own mark on his chest, similar to Hester’s “A” symbolizes his self imposed judgment and secret connection to Hester.  Although Dimmesdale has committed a sin, his battle with guilt and maintaining his secret makes him a relatable character.  Every person has experienced some form of emotional turmoil over keeping a secret.  Like Dimessdale, every reader has something negative and powerful in their past that has in some way had an impact on who they are today.  Dimmesdale is a moving character that illustrates the physical and psychological toll that that the burden of keeping a secret takes on people.  While they may not agree with his actions, readers will be able to relate to the experience of keeping a secret.

Diego Marchi was correct in stating; “In life we all have an unspeakable secret, an irreversible regret, an unreachable dream and an unforgettable love” These common experiences illustrate the similarity and unity between all people.  While we may be vastly different, there are core human experiences that connect us all.  This is evident in readers experiencing emotional connections to characters in novels who demonstrate their humanity.  Although readers may not know what it is like to be a woman in the Victorian period or a Puritan reverend, the human desires and secrets of Edna Pontellier and Reverend Dimmesdale make relatable and relevant today.