Early American literature is unique in that it is heavily influenced by biblical themes and ideas. Given that this country was founded by strict, fundamentalist Puritans, it seems obvious that literature would be imbued with such things as the presence of evil and its impact on good and holiness. The “evil” found in Melville and Hawthorne is interesting because it reflects the biblical idea that evil tempts good and attempts to convert it rather than simply destroy it. Poe's stories reflect the turmoil and evil that is contained within a person and tempts him to commit evil acts. What is fascinating about this literature is what we find in Billy Budd, The Scarlet Letter, "The Imp of the Perverse" and "William Wilson", evil is always victorious. In today's society, it is tempting to read stories and watch films in which good always prevails and the characters live happily ever after; However, at the time of these writings, there was still an air of Calvinism and the lingering idea that humanity is inherently evil. Modern society is uncomfortable with the term “evil,” but at the time this writing was written, it was a common term, used freely, and with clear definitions. Therefore, due to the strong biblical influence, the aforementioned tales center on this presence of evil and its temptation and torture of that which is sacred until goodness is defeated. Melville's Billy Budd is a tale in which the biblical influence is quite evident. There are many images of snakes and snakes, which often symbolize Satan. Many critics read the story as an allegory of the Christ story in which Billy and Claggart "play the roles of Jesus and Judas" (Wright 133). There are images throughout...... middle of paper...... adultery and temptations in The Scarlet Letter, and murder in "The Pervert's Imp" and "William Wilson" were all easily classified. like evil. Today, many of these actions would be linked to the perpetrators' childhood or other traumatic experiences and the people themselves would not necessarily be held responsible. It is difficult in today's society to classify good and evil because these areas are no longer black and white; however, in early America, evil was easy to identify and was considered the influence of the devil. The aforementioned literature of Melville, Hawthorne and Poe all contain enormous influence from the Bible and therefore show this evil temptation from the devil himself. Unfortunately, in each of the stories, evil always seems to triumph and the characters are forced to realize their own wickedness and depravity...