The nineteenth century American writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne, is well known for his
valuable contribution to literature, which has been ranked among American classics.
Characteristically, he stands as a didactic writer with a clearly set concern to explore man’s
existential issues so as to work-out a philosophical history of mankind or psychological
romance. Yet, his fiction currently entertains ambiguities that pose a challenge to the reader
for getting a suitable grasp of its dramatizations and what they aim at. With reference to his
masterpiece, The Scarlet Letter , which stands as a perfect illustration of his fiction, this
essay unravels a strategy at work in the narrative to enable an adequate understanding of the
ambiguities and discrepancies manifested through the prevailing crises and how they can be
transcended. To this effect, this study outlines the guiding principles to the strategy
provided by the author in the introductory pages, namely the “neutral territory” and human
vulnerability. By implication, beyond the resolution of its inherent crises, the narrative,
through its insights, can serve as a valuable resource in the resolution of existential crises in
our times.

Keywords: Didactic writer, Crises, Ambiguities, Vulnerability, “Neutral territory, Resolution