Independence is a "characteristically American" feature of the 19th century. The United States sought independence politically, economically and culturally. It took its independence in 1776 in declaring "That these United Colonies are...Free and Independent States". It made the thirteenth states of America independent from each other as well as from Britain. Furthermore, the United States can supply to its own economic needs, industrial and agricultural. Finally, it acquired its own culture throughout the 19th century. In the field of literature, American writers came to differentiate themselves from the English. They created their own type of writing, the romance. Before going any further, let us make a distinction between freedom and independence. One can be free while being subject to the laws and conventions of society, or one can be free and independent. Freedom is the state of exemption from the power or control of another, exemption from slavery and servitude; one is free to do 'nearly' what one wants, 'nearly' because this freedom is usually limited in a democratic state. Independence is the state of not being subject to the control of others, not subject to influence. Independence is being free, unconstrained, not subordinate, not obsequious. How is this independence expressed in the 19th century American fiction? It is expressed through characters such as Hester in the Scarlet Letter, Edna in the Awakening, Huckleberry in the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, who embody this independence. Although the Scarlet Letter is set in the 17th century, Hester is clearly a woman from the 19th century and that is why she can be included in this analysis. In which ways do these three characters embody this feeling? American people are independent in the way they think, act and behave, and Hester, Edna and Huck reflect this feeling of independence in their way of life and in their points of view.
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