Themes

Women are stronger than men

Dimmesdale, who has not been forced to bear a scarlet letter for his play in the sin, complains, “‘But as matters stand with my soul, whatever good capacity there originally was in me, all of God’s gifts that were the choicest have become the ministers of spiritual torment. Hester, I am most miserable!’” however it is ironic how Hester, who has felt with public embarrassment, does not complain, therefore women are stronger than men (Hawthorne, 187).

Nature is more forgiving than the Puritan religion

Hester and Dimmesdale sit together as, "The forest was obscure around them, and creaked with a blast that was passing through it. The boughs were tossing heavily above their heads; while one solemn old tree groaned dolefully to another, as if telling the sad story of the pair that sat beneath, or constrained to forbade evil to come, ” and these trees are more understanding than the Puritan religion which demonstrates nature is more forgiving than the Puritan religion (Hawthorne, 192).

Sinning improves lives

Hester knows that, “The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude!” These all qualities she experienced after sinning providing that sinning teaches lessons to people to help improve their lives (Hawthorne, 196).

The lesser sin should be ignored

After learning of Chillingworth’s identity, Dimmesdale says, “‘We are not, Hester, the worst sinners in the world. There is one worse than even the polluted priest! That old man’s revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so!’” Dimmesdale believes that their sin of adultery is not even comparable to Chillingworth’s sin of wanting to destroy Dimmesdale because sinning for true love is not as bad as sinning out of