Premium Essay

Role of Sin in the Scarlet Letter

In: Novels

Submitted By daydude
Words 967
Pages 4
The Role of Sin in The Scarlet Letter
Sin is something society has had to deal with since mankind has known evil. In most circumstances, the sin only becomes a problem when it is kept within and develops itself into something larger than it was in the first place. Keeping secrets is an impairment to one’s life, which in a larger picture affects a whole society. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, “secret sin” is a predominant theme, which in this novel leads to changes in both emotional and physical being. In the early days of the Massachusetts colony, they are neither welcoming nor accepting of sin or different ideas and are suspicious of anything that may topple their perfect settlement. Evil should never be kept secret because it always leaves a deep mark. Hester Prynne hides a substantial amount of sin inside of herself, which only adds to sins that have been made an issue of public interest. Committing adultery is Hester’s sin, and all her secret sins are results of this one. Pearl’s father’s sin, which is closely related to Hester’s sin of adultery, is the reason Pearl is alive. She refuses to tell even under extreme pressure, “I will not speak! And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one.” (Hawthorne 47). We later learn that the father is Arthur Dimmesdale, and this lack of communication cause a barrier between them. Her refusal consequently denies any hope of reconciliation between the two for an extensive period. Hester also conceals that Roger Chillingworth is her husband. This pains her because she must helplessly watch his evil ways take their toll on Dimmesdale. However, Chillingworth’s punishment of Dimmesdale goes against his and Hester’s agreement. Hester promised to keep both Chillingworth and Dimmesdale’s identities hidden or Chillingworth would seek out Hester’s secret lover, Dimmesdale, and kill him.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

The Scarlet Letter Duality

...Things are not always what they seem. Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter uses the central idea of duality to exemplify this. A key symbol of duality Hawthorne presents in The Scarlet Letter is Hester Prynne's embodiment of her sin: the beautifully embroidered scarlet letter. Forcibly placed upon Hester's bosom, the letter punishes her for committing adultery with the town reverend, Arthur Dimmesdale. The badge also intends to outcast her and her daughter, Pearl, from the Puritan society of Boston. Although the "A" originally acted as Hester's punishment, the interpretation of the scarlet letter varies for Dimmesdale and Pearl to juxtapose Hester's unwavering perspective. Besides Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale has the biggest personal...

Words: 889 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Rhetorical Devices Used In The Scarlet Letter

...In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses rhetorical devices in a unique manner to add depth to the story plot that goes much deeper than an adulterer and her consequences. The use of these devices is what makes the novel worth reading. In the novel, irony aimed at the puritan actions which Hawthorne had strong opinions about. Also, the symbol of the scarlet letter plays a key role throughout the novel which surprisingly is transformed into something new. Lastly, out of many devices, another device used is diction. Hawthorne cleverly chooses specific words and phrases to lock in the reader to look deeper into what he is really trying to convey. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, religion has a very strong influence over the community and society in which Hawthorne uses irony to project the...

Words: 902 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Scarlet Letter

...Each Sin Letter Humans are naturally sinful. With that being said, just because every human being knows he or she is sinful does not mean the entire human race needs to know of our sins; however, in “The Scarlet Letter” the reader learns the importance of his or her sin coming forth in ways they did not expect. The letter represents the ways our sins come forth in the world. Reverend Dimmesdale lives in constant fear of his letter being exposed for the entire world to see. Yet, Hester Prynne tries countless times to hide her letter from the world but cannot because her letter is pinned on the outside for the world to see and judge. In “The Scarlet Letter”, Hawthorne’s choice of characters and their sinful nature is a perfect example of human’s sinful nature and the ways we try to hide. Hawthorne chooses the character of Reverend Dimmesdale to represent the humans who are prideful, and “too perfect to sin”. In the religious community, the reverend is someone the citizens look up to; someone they want to follow and in their footsteps to mirror. After all, a reverend or outspoken religious leader should be someone who mirrors Christ’s image on a consistent basis. With that being said, hypocrisy plays a major role is Dimmesdale’s sins. He realizes he is being watched by the citizens and takes pride in knowing the town is looking to him for religious advice or encouragement; however, Dimmesdale’s sin could never be found out by those citizens. In order to cover up his sins, he...

Words: 1023 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Scarlet Letter Romanticism

...Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, tells the story of a woman who commits adultery in a puritanical society. As punishment for her sin, Hester Prynne must wear the ignominious scarlet letter ‘A’ for adulteress. As a result, she is the constant target of ridicule and persecution, which in Puritan society was a punishment almost equivalent to death.Throughout the novel, multiple Puritan beliefs are reflected, however; these tenets of Puritanism are used to reveal a further symbolic or Romantic meaning. Hawthorne himself, claimed that the novel was more indicative of Romantic ideals. Even the style in which the novel was written is reflective of the Romantic Era. Puritan writing was simple and facile to interpret, whereas The Scarlet...

Words: 645 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Scarlet Letter

...Hunter Lindblade Mrs. Byrne English 11 Honors 1 November 2013 Role of Secret Sin in The Scarlet Letter In many of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novels, secret sin plays a large role throughout the stories. Hawthorne’s novel “The Scarlet Letter”, contains the theme of secret sin which plays a very important role in the story of the novel. Secret sin in the novel “The Scarlet Letter” plays an important role because it both physically and emotionally damages the characters throughout the story. The character of Roger Chillingworth undergoes a very drastic emotional and physical change throughout the novel due to secret sin. In the beginning of the novel, Hester goes up to the scaffold since she is punished to public humiliation for committing the crime of adultery. Her husband, Roger Chillingworth, comes to the town to see that his wife has cheated on him with another man and now bears a child that is not his. The result of Hester’s partner’s secret sin on Chillingworth changes his inner and outer emotions immediately. Hawthorne writes “ A writing horror twisted itself across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them, and making one little pause, with all its wreathed intervolutions in open sight. His face darkened with some powerful emotion” (Hawthorne 45). By using very descriptive imagery and similes, Hawthorne showed that the secret sin was starting to change Roger’s inner and outer emotions. Before Roger saw Hester he was a normal person but once he saw her he started...

Words: 1154 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Scarlet Letter Public Shame

...A woman stands in front of her community, judged for her sin and having an object to show it, her only child. Born from an extramarital affair with an unknown man, she is forced to face public scrutiny in a Puritan community. Somewhere in the crowd, the father of the child stands, guilty but not judged. Nathaniel Hawthorne tackles sin and shame in The Scarlet Letter, a story showing guilt and transgression in a society where “religion and law were almost identical” and “the mildest and the severest acts of public discipline were alike made venerable and awful” (Hawthorne 47-48). The heritage of Nathaniel Hawthorne, common beliefs held by the Puritans, as well as Hawthorne’s philosophies on secret sin and public shame affect the style of The...

Words: 1553 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Character Analysis of Pearl

...The Character of Pearl Pearl is a major character in the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Even though she is a young child through most of the book, she plays a very important role. Pearl asks many different questions throughout the text that make the adult characters even question themselves. She is more perceptive and more honest than anyone in the rest of the book. Without Pearl, “The Scarlet Letter” would not be as successful as it is. Pearl is supposed to be an average child, but she is also there to help us realize things we might not have seen on our own, and to symbolize sin and guilt. When we first meet Pearl, most of us realized that there was definitely something special about this little girl. She has a special insight into things in the book that I would have never noticed without Pearl. Hawthorne uses Pearl in a special way to reveal that Dimmesdale has something to do with the scarlet letter. Pearl is not used to being around a lot of people, so when she accepted Dimmesdale so openly it helped the readers realize who he truly was. It says “Pearl, that wild and unpredictable little elf, crept over to him. She took his hand in both of hers and laid her cheek against it.” (92) This is a kindness that most little girls would only share with a family member, such as their father. There is also other information that Pearl gives to reveal to us that she knows who her father truly is. When Hester and Pearl come across Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale on the...

Words: 836 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Feminism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

...Feminism in The Scarlet Letter “All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me…You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you” (BrainyQuote). The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne was published in 1850, it focuses on the character Hester Prynne and her life after she commits adultery. The Scarlet Letter is a feminist novel because through Hester’s tribulations she becomes an independent and empowered female who doesn’t need anyone to take care of her and who helps her community. In the novel, Hester continually breaks the cultural norm for women. Typical “characteristics attributed to the female [are] vulnerability [and] dependency”...

Words: 641 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Reverend Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter

...Essay 1 Arthur Dimmesdale was a leader and pillar in the Boston community but he concealed a major sin from his congregation. Dimmesdale was the father of Pearl, meaning that he had an extramarital relationship with Hester Prynne. Hiding his affair from his church caused Dimmesdale massive amounts of guilt and internal suffering. He was emotionally tortured and driven to the verge of insanity to preserve his place in society. When Hester Prynne was publicly shamed in chapters one and two the entire town found out about her sin. Dimmesdale was extremely guilty that Hester went through the humiliation alone. He wanted Boston to know his part in the affair but also did not want his parish to reject his teachings. Reverend Dimmesdale was...

Words: 1434 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Example Of A Woman In The Scarlet Letter

...A Woman’s Example “The Scarlet Letter”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, illustrates the protagonist, Hester Prynne, being released from prison and then being shunned for committing adultery in the 1850s. She is forced to wear a scarlet A on all of her blouses so that the people of her town would be aware of the sin she has committed. Although this letter she is forced to wear is supposed to make her feel shame for what she has done, this character does not seem to express any sorrow for her actions and seems to be happy with the outcome, which is her beautiful daughter Pearl. This novel showcases a woman’s willingness and ability to support herself through Hester’s strong will not to lose hope despite the rest of the world’s views on her and her...

Words: 1933 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

The Scarlet Letter

...The Scarlet Letter A: Write an analytical essay (900 - 1200 words) on the excerpt from Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter (1850). Part of your essay must focus on the narrative technique and the theme of Puritanism and slut shaming. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel “The Scarlet Letter”, a dark tale of shame and condemnation, centres on a small Puritan society of Boston during the 17th century. Set in Puritan New England, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman who has a baby out of wedlock. Although written many years ago, Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” covers themes and ideas related to modern readers. The themes of slut-shaming and breaking society’s expectations are ones to which many young people can relate to today. Seen in this context, the novel can be approached as the story of a young woman who let her heart rule her head and suffered the consequences. In a dedicated Puritan town, a young married woman named Hester Prynne conceives a child. There is a glitch, however; her husband, a doctor, has been missing for a long time. The society magistrates imprison her for this sin and commands that she must wear a scarlet “A” on her dress as a sign for adultery, shame and sins. Additionally, she must stand on a scaffold, exposed to public humiliation. The reason why is she had an affair with the local minister, Reverend Dimmesdale. The fact that he is a reverend makes the case much worse and also shows hypocrisy in the community, since the minister...

Words: 999 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Before Her Time

...The concept of feminism has always been around throughout the course of human history. Indeed, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter, the protagonist attempts to subvert the patriarchal society within which she resides. Hawthorne positions Hester Prynne as a proto-feminist, standing for women and their rights in a time where women were looked down upon. To begin, Hawthorne describes the prison and the scene around the scaffold in the center of town. Hester had been imprisoned for having adulterous relations with her Reverend, Arthur Dimmesdale, which led to the creation of a child, Hester's daughter Pearl. The town is waiting to see Hester and watch her as she stands on the scaffold for three hours while the town looks upon her, wearing a scarlet 'A' on her bosom as her punishment. The women of the town discuss the harsher punishments they would have given her, proclaiming that "this woman has brought shame upon us all" and declaring she "ought to die" (Hawthorne 49).When Hester exits the prison and a town beadle offers her help, "she repelled him, by an action marked with natural dignity and own free-will" (49). From the moment she steps out of the prison, Hester displays a free will and determination that will become a large part of her life. Despite the women's hostility towards Hester and the "heavy weight of a thousand unrelenting eyes," (53) Hester stands tall and strong on the scaffold. Her eyes gaze over the town members, and towards the back she notices...

Words: 1260 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Example Of Symbolism In Scarlet Letter

...The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne “The Scarlet Letter” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a historic novel that shows how symbolism plays a role not only in a novel, but in life itself. The Scarlet Letter begins in the seventeenth century in Boston, Massachusetts during the time of the Puritan settlement. The Scarlet Letter tells the life story of Hester Prynne who is a loving and passionate woman, but however gets mistreated because she sin. Although, Hester faces criticism and judgment throughout her community she decides to stay, deal with the hatred, and the feeling of being alone for the rest of her life. The scarlet letter takes place in the seventeenth century during the puritan settlement in Boston. Hester Prynne and her...

Words: 1190 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Scarlet Letter

...In the Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne is the protagonist. She expresses a multitude of qualities in her character that an audience could find admirable or disdainful, depending on how looked at. Within the colonial Puritan period and culture she lived in, it was normal and easy to harshly react to Hester’s situation. She may not have been a heroine in the eyes of her people, but she still embodies a beautiful, strong, and confident woman. Hester Prynne has the capability of being a heroine in The Scarlet Letter by dealing with her circumstances in a mature nature, being remorseful, and still loving the world as a whole. Hester Prynne is a woman that obviously made a mistake that resulted in a public awareness. It is easy for an individual to hide mistakes or sins committed, but it takes a very strong individual to embrace it and learn from it. Hester responsibly confronts her situation in a mature nature. Any other woman could have simply fled from such an unforgiving place. “She is my happiness!, She is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life Pearl punishes me too!” (Hawthorne 101) Hester committed the sin of adultery and in that a living product resulted. It is very admirable to see that while Pearl, Hester’s daughter, reminds her every day of what she did, Hester realizes that she must love her child and take responsibility for her actions. Another remarkable trait that Hester embodies is that she shows an utterly remorseful side to her circumstances...

Words: 719 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Scarlet Letter

...In the English language, an alphabet letter is often referred to as a “character.” In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, he presents the letter “A” as a primary character. Throughout the novel, the meaning of the “A” continuously changes and has different meanings for different characters as well. Specifically, Hawthorne indicates that the “A” signifies “Adultery”, “Able”, and “Angel”. Additionally, throughout The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne suggests that the letter “A” signifies abandonment in that Hester abandons traditional Puritan society and her femininity, and she is abandoned by Dimmesdale when he reaches salvation and ultimately dies. When Hester commits adultery, she immediately abandons the strict Puritan ideals of the society that surrounds her. In this theocratic society, where “religion and law were almost identical,” a sin is equivalent to a crime and is therefore severely looked down upon (35). Hester demonstrates her rejection of Puritan society by acting by her own free will: “she repelled him, by action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free-will” (36). In Puritan society, there is no free will. The concept of predestination confirms that the choice of whether a person is going to heaven or hell is already made and therefore, one’s actions cannot change that decision. Bearing the elegantly embroidered scarlet letter on her chest and her illegitimate baby on her bosom, Hester proudly demonstrates...

Words: 1388 - Pages: 6