Nathaniel Hawthorne was a prolific writer, weaving some of the best-known stories in American literature. Although Hawthorne's works tend to focus on Puritan themes of sin, he was usually critical of Puritan ideals. Some of Hawthorne's works ("Young Goodman Brown", "The Minister's Black Veil", and The Scarlet Letter) have characters who experience life outside of their Puritan communities and can be classified as outsider narratives. Young Goodman Brown, Reverend Hooper, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Hester Prynne are all outsiders in their communities, but what makes the characters unique is that they chose to be outsiders. The Scarlet Letter, perhaps Hawthorne's most famous work, is also an excellent example of an outsider narrative: most of the main characters introduced in the book can be labeled as outsiders. The most obvious examples of outsiders in the book are Hester and Dimmesdale, although Dimmesdale's isolation is more subtle in the eyes of his community. Stromberg argues that Hawthorne uses these external figures as stand-ins for the Devil (275). Although Hester and Dimmesdale are obviously outsiders, it seems strange to say that they are representative of the Devil since Chillingworth seems to transform into an unpleasant character throughout the book. However, Stromberg expresses the main reason why Hester and Dimmesdale can be considered outsiders in the eyes of the Puritan community: The mark of the [Devil], with which both Hester and Dimmesdale struggle in different ways, is the sign of dissociation from the community. , the sin they committed by violating the laws of their society, and which they commit again in the desire to make themselves happy at the expense of everyone around them. (275)Happiness, a force that usually brings…… to the center of the paper…… minted. Although Hawthorne's characters had a choice, they always made the choice that took them away from their community. However, it seems that Hawthorne did not see this as a terrible option: as his characters distance themselves from their society, their lives become more enlightened. According to Hawthorne, enlightenment, it seems, is more important than belonging. For the two ministers, Dimmesdale and Hooper, the separation from society is quite effective in their professional careers as the new outlook on life makes them more powerful preachers. With Hester and Brown, though there is some question as to how their lives have benefited from their exit from the community. However, if the characters are viewed through a philosophical lens, their exit is of great benefit to them. By leaving the community, Hawthorne's characters find what they have all been looking for: enlightenment.