Early American literature is unique in that it is abundantly influenced by biblical themes and ideas. Given that this country was founded by strict, fundamentalist Puritans, it seems obvious that literature would be pervaded by such things as the presence of evil and its impact on goodness and holiness. The “evil” found in Melville and Hawthorne is interesting because it reflects the biblical idea of ​​evil tempting good and attempting to convert it rather than simply destroy it. Poe's stories reflect the turmoil and evil that is contained within a person and tempt them to commit evil acts. What is fascinating about this literature is that in Billy Budd, The Scarlet Letter, “The Wicked Imp,” 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 enduring idea that humanity was innately evil. Modern society is uncomfortable with the term “evil,” but at the time of this literature it was a common term used freely and with clear definitions. Therefore, due to the strong biblical influence, the above-mentioned tales center on the presence of evil and its temptation and torture of what is holy until goodness is overcome. Melville's Billy Budd is a story in which the biblical influence is quite evident. There are many images of serpents and serpents, 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 all over the... middle of the paper... adultery and temptation in The Scarlet Letter, and murder in both "The Wicked Imp" and "William Wilson" were all easily classified as evil. Today, many of these actions would be tied to the perpetrators' childhood or other traumatic experiences, and the people themselves would not necessarily be held accountable. It is difficult in today's society to classify good and evil because those areas are no longer black and white; however, in early America, evil was easy to identify and was seen as the devil's influence. The above literature of Melville, Hawthorne and Poe all contains enormous influence of the Bible and therefore shows this evil temptation of the devil himself. Unfortunately, in each of the stories, evil always seems to triumph and the characters are forced to realize their own evil and depravity..