Almost everyone has two sides to their character, one that manifests itself in public and the other that remains confined to the safety of a more private environment. However, there are times when the private side overshadows the public side and slips away. So the person is left there to clean up their damaged reputation or liberated with a sense of relief to finally show their true face to society. He thus creates the plight of the characters in The Scarlet Letter, written in 1850 by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Instead of having the audience start at the beginning of the ordeal, Hawthorne sits the reader right in the aftermath of Hester Prynne's sin. The ruthless nature of Puritan culture condemns Hester for having passion for anyone other than her husband, even if they don't know if he is alive at this point. Her private self, the side that longed for another man, overwhelmed her Puritan public image and fled, leading her down the path of temptation. This puritanical atmosphere clashes with many dark romantic elements, such as the guilt and sin of someone romanticized for the reader, and the evocation of sympathy for the "bad" character, the wrong one in the context of the book, but almost all secretly root for . Hawthorne mixes Puritan culture with Romantic elements to highlight the struggle of the private self to create a false public image and conform to the masses. The past darkness of his Hawthorne reality carried over into his writings. He wrote many short stories, most of which were rejected by publishers. When this happened, he crawled further into his shell and burned every copy and manuscript until the evidence no longer existed. So when the publishers accepted The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne was delighted. The scarlet letter... in the center of the paper... romance. Wayne State University, March 11, 1998. Web. May 4, 2014. DelBlanco, Andrew. "Puritanism." History.com. A&E Television Networks, Web. May 04, 2014. Donavel, David, and Joseph R. Modugno. “Quakers and Accused Witches: Introduction.” Welcome to Nathaniel Hawthorne in Salem. Network. May 04, 2014.Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Permanent bond. Tom Doherty and Associates Inc.: Perma-Bound Classics, Print.Reuben, Paul P. “Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864).” PAL: Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864). Stanislaus of California State University, October 5, 2011. Web. May 4, 2014 "Scarlet Letter: Appreciating Hawthorne's Style." Scarlet Letter: Appreciating Hawthorne's Style. Network. May 04, 2014.Sheldon, Sara. "ELibrary: Sign in." ELibrary: Sign in. Ed. Michele Primavera. Literary Cavalcade, Scholastic Inc., January 8, 2004. Web. May 8, 2014."What is Dark Romance?" WiseGEEK. 13 May 2014. Web. 03 May 2014.