Details: Scarlet Letter vs. Autobiography of Ben Franklin

The writing of Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter and Ben Franklin in his own autobiography are extremely detailed. Whether the authors are describing setting, character traits and actions, plot, or an idea or belief, the information is thorough and explained to the max. The "Custom-House Introductory" chapter to The Scarlet Letter and the first few chapters following all provide serious details regarding the setting of the story. The small Puritan town being introduced in the story is so completely explained to readers that it is almost impossible not to be able to map out the town in your head while reading the remainder of the story. Hawthorne begins the book this way to set up the basis of the entire story, where every part of the plot will occur and develop. Overall the details are used to illustrate a perfect portrait of the town in readers minds that will help them read the Scarlet Letter with greater understanding and a greater ability to draw conclusions and opinions.

The same attention to detail is used by Ben Franklin in his autobiography, a passage I read for English class recently. Though we read the autobiography in two parts, the first is essential to my connection between it and The Scarlet Letter due to its description of Franklin's travels between American cities and London throughout his life. Franklin describes his travels with persistent detail. Not a single name, time, food eaten and sleep taken is forgotten by the author and each event described brings greater knowledge to the reader and therefore context to the story. Some of the details regarding people Ben Franklin meets, places he has to stay, or actions he has to take in order to continue making a living foreshadow or explain character traits that he is now known for possessing or events that he is renowned for accomplishing. The detail put into every single thing that happened to him during his travels and life achievements add so much more to his autobiography and the amount that readers can gain from it.

Both pieces of literature use this almost excessive detail to enhance their works and provide readers with the best writing possible. This style of simple, yet extremely detailed writing is a part of American culture and society at the time which was simply to inform and get the greater message across to people by giving them all they needed to know, even if it was in the simplest terms that could manage to write.