Category: Scarlet Letter

In the fictional novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, the story is told of a young Puritan woman who finds herself pregnant with the ministers child at a time when she is married to a man who has been missing for seven years. As a punishment for her crime, the community determines that she should be doomed to always wear a scarlet letter A on her bodice to announce to all who see her that she is an adulteress. The only way they will allow her to remove the letter is if she names the father of her child. However, naming the father would mean bringing down the pillar of the community in the form of the minister, who has himself decided to remain silent. The story begins following the childs birth and her mothers incarceration period and ends well after this child is grown up and the woman has returned to her old community. Most of the story takes place while the child is still very young, though, as Hesters true husband arrives in town, swears her to secrecy regarding his identity and begins tormenting the guilty man whom hes already identified. The story was written in the nineteenth century, but there is a great deal of information provided within the text about the earlier lives of the authors ancestors, making it a somewhat historical novel in that it reveals something truthful about the past. However, it can also be considered a psychological novel because it explores the deeper motivations and ideas of the characters who struggle with their beliefs and the rigid constraints of their community. However, it is perhaps most interesting to read the book from a feminist perspective as Hawthorne reveals the particular constraints and impossible standards that have been traditionally imposed upon women as he centers his story upon the main character of Hester Prynne. The incredible complexity of this book thus provides something for everyone whether they tend to be more inclined to read from the historical, psychological or feminist perspective.

Historical perspective

It is commonly assumed that the Puritans kept a very strict social order that infiltrated every element of their lives and was supposed to reflect on the level of their individual spiritual righteousness. People who were considered closer to God, such as those who served within the church, were automatically assigned a higher social status than individuals who were considered closer to sins, such as those who were diseased or women. The story of Adam and Eve was justification enough to adopt a social position that women were naturally closer to evil than men while the idea that the farmer had to divide his attentions between God and field meant he was not as close to God as men who spent more time serving the church. This strict hierarchy was considered to be an important moral obligation. These Puritans insisted that they, as Gods elect, had the duty to direct national affairs according to Gods will as revealed in the Bible. This union of church and state to form a holy commonwealth gave Puritanism direct and exclusive control over most colonial activity until commercial and political changes forced them to relinquish it at the end of the 17th century (Noll, 2004). Understanding the depth of this concept makes it easier to understand why Reverend Dimmesdale could not continue to associate himself to any degree with Hester after Pearl was born. Hester was already impure simply because she was a woman, but she is greatly more so because of her highly public fall. The Reverend cant even spend much time with the child he knew was his daughter because Pearl is also doubly defiled. She is female and she is a child born without a father in violation of her mothers marriage vows and the laws of God. All of this is completely in keeping with the historical facts of life within a Puritan town.

Although people living today have an easy time just picking up and moving to a new location when things get bad, this wasnt as easy for people living in Hesters time. Hesters story takes place when the European living sites of people were still termed colonies and were slowly making their way into the forests. Not only were these colonies still very close to the untamed wilderness, but they were infringing on the traditional lands of the indigenous people, the Indians. Although Hester could have made it from her village to another one, and there are hints in the story that she did just that through the many lonely years that she served the sick and dying in her own quiet way, it is unlikely that she could have escaped the persecution of her community simply because they did all depend upon one another and thus her story was known throughout the New England area already. New Englanders evolved an intricate web of interdependence to meet the demand for labor, working for neighbors who sold their labor in return (Jones, 1853). More than this, though, would have been the practical problem of finding a place to live. Building homes and establishing farms required intensive and often backbreaking toil (Jones, 1853) in the days before ready apartment complexes and were activities only undertaken by men. Women were constantly under the care and guidance of men unless they were somehow disgraced, leaving Hester with no real choice other than to stay where she was and learn to accept her neighbors judgment. The same factors that kept Hester in place though are the factors that kept her alive and relatively free to move about her community. The early colonies needed all the people they could get in order to maintain their populations and perhaps grow, even when that person had sinned. At the same time, everyone who lived there needed to contribute in some way to the overall welfare of the colony. Hester was allowed to live because she was contributing to the preservation of the group, even if they didnt approve of the way she was doing this and was left free both because she couldnt go anywhere anyway and that way she could contribute to the community.

Psychological perspective

With an idea of the historical perspective of the story, it is possible to discover a deeper psychological understanding of characters such as Reverend Dimmesdale as he reacts to the psychological manipulations of Roger Chillingsworth. Hawthorne takes time to let Chillingsworth inform Hester all about his vast knowledge of the workings of the human mind. Looking at his eyes, Hester remembers that those same bleared optics had a strange, penetrating power, when it was their owners purpose to read the human soul (Ch. 2, at the end). When the two of them are sitting in Hesters jail cell and Hester refuses to tell him who the father of her child is, he tells her he will be able to find the answer himself. Believe me, Hester, there are few things whether in the outward world, or, to a certain depth, in the invisible sphere of thoughtfew things hidden from the man who devotes himself earnestly and unreservedly to the solution of a mystery & There is a sympathy that will make me conscious of him & Sooner or later, he must needs be mine (Ch. 4, toward the end). Almost immediately Chillingsworth recognizes the ministers guilty actions for what they are and he designs a way to put himself into constant association with the weaker man with the express intention of slowly torturing him for his transgressions. He does this in a very indirect way in which he constantly wages psychological warfare on Dimmesdale by feeding him a regular diet of vague accusations, supposedly innocent teasing and dropped hints that never fully reveal whether the doctor knows the secret or not. These eventually drive Dimmesdale to his death.

The terms used to describe the reverend when he first appears in the story do not sound overly strong or as capable of withstanding the kind of treatment Hester receives at this time. Notwithstanding his high native gifts and scholar-like attainments, there was an air about this young minister  an apprehensive, a startled, a half-frightened look  as of a being who felt himself quite astray, and at a loss in the pathway of human existence, and could only be at ease in some seclusion of his own (Ch. 3, near the end). Although Hester has no choice but to accept the judgment of her neighbors, being unable to keep her child hidden forever and obviously without her husband since her arrival many years earlier, Dimmesdale can escape human judgment as long as both he and Hester keep quiet. However, this attempt to hide his secret inside himself eats away at his conscience until he is no longer able to survive. Throughout the seven years that pass between Hesters trial at the opening of the story and his own death, the reverend is afflicted with a number of mysterious ailments in his chest region forcing the constant attendance of a personal physician and tormentor, Roger Chillingsworth, the secret husband of Hester. Even when he finally gives up and wants to admit to his sins, he is unable to do so all alone and calls on Hester to lend him the strength he needs to make his final confession. Hester Prynne & in the name of Him, so terrible and so merciful, who gives me grace, at this last moment, to do what  for my own heavy sin and miserable agony  I withheld myself from doing seven years ago, come hither now, and twine thy strength about me! Thy strength, Hester; but let it be guided by the will which God hath granted me! (Ch. 23, toward the end). Even in this statement, Dimmesdale recognizes that Hester may still choose not to acknowledge him the way he chose not to defend her so many years ago, understanding that her strength is much greater than his own.

Feminist perspective

This finally brings the reader to the feminist perspective as Hester emerges as the strongest, most righteous character in the story. Although she is described in her younger days to have had an impulsive and passionate nature (Ch. 2, near the end), Hester is never given a great deal of control over her own life and the decisions that will most closely affect her. In spite of this, she somehow manages to seem to be in control of everything she does within the story. An early example of this is the revelation that she never had any say in determining who or even whether she would marry. She didnt want to marry the old doctor and never loved him, yet she was forced to marry him anyway and was shipped away to the colonies to prepare their home for him. She makes all this clear as she speaks with Chillingsworth in her jail cell: Thou knowest, said Hester  for, depressed as she was, she could not endure this last quiet stab at the token of her shame  thou knowest that I was frank with thee. I felt no love, nor feigned any (Ch. 4, just past halfway). Her wild nature is shown in her fathers apparent decision to get her married before she brought disgrace to the family as well as her affair with the towns leading minister when she risked getting pregnant. However, the events of the novel serve to tame this nature into something still strong yet more thoughtful and compassionate for her fellow man.

Hester reveals her strength and independence from her first appearance in the novel as she acknowledges the changes that have taken place in her. Although she is offered a chance to remove the letter by naming the father, Hester informs the town that the steel has already entered her soul and nothing, not even removing the letter, will ever take that away. She says, It is too deeply branded. Ye cannot take it off. And would that I might endure his [the fathers] agony as well as mine! (Ch. 3, near the end). In making this statement, looking directly at the father, Hester is also admitting that she has more strength than the reverend and expresses her first sense of compassion for the trials he has ahead of him. She refuses to allow the censorship of the town to break her and simply finds a way of living within herself and the part of her society that has been left open to her. She chooses to remain where she is in order to stay close to the man that she loves even though she knows she can never be intimate with him again in spite of the way her neighbors vilify her again proving a great strength and determination (Ch. 5). She proves to be quite capable of supporting herself and her daughter by hiring out her sewing abilities and compassionately provides public assistance to those most sorely in need of it, all while keeping her deep secrets and maintaining rigid control over her internal wild spirit that still shines forward when called forth at Dimmesdales death.

Conclusion

Beginning with a historical perspective of the book, the reader is able to gain a deeper understanding of how the characters in Hawthornes book viewed the world around them. It provides an idea of the types of social restrictions that might have forced these characters to act as they do. This leads one into a psychological perspective in which one begins to analyze behavior and what the characters are doing to each other intentionally or unintentionally on a mental or spiritual level. This type of analysis reveals the great weaknesses found in the men of the story and the tremendous resilience and strength of the weaker sex represented by Hester. The feminist perspective this calls forth begins to reveal the degree to which Hawthorne can be associated with the proto-feminists who were attempting to call attention to the often-no-win situation women were placed in even in his own time. While there is no hope for any other outcome given the restrictions of the society and the psychology of the individual characters, Hester stands as a constant signal of truth to her heart and her strength of character is always acting on her beliefs regardless of what society thought.

References

1. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. (1992). The Scarlet Letter. New York: Alfred P. Knopf.
2. Jones, Abner Dumont. (1853). Cotton Mather. The Illustrated American Biography. New York: J. Milton and Company.
3. Noll, Mark A. (2001). Puritanism. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (2^nd Ed.). Walter A. Elwell (Ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House Company.

Adultery has always been one of the most complicated issues concerning the relationships between a man and a woman. Surprisingly, this topic passed the time-testing and still evokes quite considerable conflicts and debates.

With countless interpretations in literature and other arts, this problem and everything that it triggers has been depicted in the most colorful way in The Scarlet Letter, the novel by Hawthorne and in No Name Woman, the short story by Kingston.

Compared to the novel by Hawthorne, Kingstons short novel shows that nothing has changed since the times when women were branded for committing adultery  the society is still just as deaf and blind, unwilling to sympathize with the others and realize the difficulties which those people had to pass through.

Taking a closer look at the way Hawthorne depicts the tortures of the poor woman, one can see clearly that people are attacking the fallen one with the savage-like amusement.

Though this can be explained by the cruel and uncompromising spirit of the ear, it is still hard to believe that the false morals and the environment created by the church influenced people so hard and squeezed the last drops of sympathy out of their hearts. There is definitely more than meets the eye in these violent attacks and the scornful negligence of the poor Hester Prynne.

As the storyteller mentions, the people in Salem were eagerly accusing the young woman without even trying to understand what happened indeed. With their striving for what they call justice, the people of Salem forget about humanity and sympathy: Man had marked this womans sin by a scarlet letter, which had such potent and disastrous efficacy that no human sympathy could reach her, save it were sinful like herself (108).

The book shows clearly that the treatment of adultery was more than intolerance  it bordered hatred and despise. With the pathetic morals and even more pathetic attempts to seem virtuous, these people accused the victim, knowing no mercy. As Lawson claims, I have also suggested that a woman, not being a public persona, has not had a reputation either to protect or display in the same way.

Yet her reputation was never completely unimportant (302). As the plot of the story unwinds in front of the reader, it becomes more and more evident that the most ardent adepts of virtue turn out to be the most sinful people. However, it cannot be denied that the rejection, which she was constantly getting, did have an effect on her vision of the world  it became blurred and almost grey, like a sky on a rainy day.

Hesters refusal to search for compassion and her unwillingness to feel the joy of life once again is what the stings of the spiteful tongues led her to:

Women desire a pleasure, incomprehensible to the other sex, from the delicate toil of the needle. To Hester Prynne it might have been a mode of expressing, and therefore soothing, the passion of her life. Like all other joys, she rejected it as sin. (Hawthorne 102)

Because of the strain which Hester cannot help feeling, she becomes more and more desperate. As she continues her life journey, she feels that it grows increasingly unbearable. However, it must be admitted that the woman is carrying her burden with outstanding decency and pride. No matter what the crowd might say, she is going to take it for the sake of her daughter and her own life.

Compared to her, the nameless woman in Kingstons story creates an impression of an intimidated and despised. In spite of the fact that this woman lives in quite different era with the ideas of women emancipation spreading all over the world, she is still oppressed and intimidated, in contrast to Hawthorns heroine, so willful and determined.

There must be certain reason for such changes, which is, perhaps, the growing strain within, resulting in the need to stone the sinful woman and enjoy watching her suffer.

Kingston depicts her character as the one that has given up for the mercy of the crowd and is unwilling to fight. Both characters have to take terrible rumors about their life and their adultery, yet Hester takes them with an evident scorn, whereas No Name Woman leaves them unnoticed because of her despair.

She is a shame, a disgrace for the family from this time on, and people have the right to neglect her, No Name Woman thinks.

In addition, peoples violence turns out to be even more striking in her case. Brutal and cruel, people tried to make her fear  and they succeeded; they were hunting her like an animal and making her realize her own uselessness:

At first they threw mud and rocks at the house. Then they threw eggs and began slaughtering our stock. We could hear the animals scream their deaths-the roosters, the pigs, a last great roar from the ox. Familiar wild heads flared in our night windows; the villagers encircled us. Some of the faces stopped to peer at us, their eyes rushing like searchlights. The hands flattened against the panes, framed heads, and left red prints (Kingston 2)

Thus, it must be admitted that the attitude towards the women who have committed adultery did not change for better since the times that Hawthorne described; moreover, the negative attitude towards women committing adultery increased.

What strikes most about the situation depicted by Kingston is that people are ready to convince a woman of a sin without even trying to find out what made her step on the slippery slope of adultery and deception. The atmosphere of constant rumors enhances the tension, and the poor woman feels even more miserable when realizing that people have already created their version of her life and her sins.

It is clear that the pressure which the neighborhood puts on the nameless aunt, haunting her with their constant scorns, is much more than a man can take.

It is completely clear that even the little girl in the story considers the secret which her mother trusted her in a dirty and shameful thing; the girl cannot perceive the idea that her aunt is no worse than any average villager in their homeland. Even after the death of the woman, the entire family cannot accept the fact that No Name Woman ever existed  until the girl makes them do so:

Not only does No Name Aunts family not acknowledge her death, they decide not to acknowledge her life. [&] Kingston is unable to do this, though, until the authoritative discourse of her mother, bringing it with the words of her father, the village, and the Chinese culture gives way to the internally persuasive. (Chua 12)

This is another example of how cruel the society can be and what pains it might take to prove someone not guilty to a bunch of the blind, deaf and dumb. Making it clear that the false moral is still reigning in the world, Kingston continues the topic raised by Hawthorne to come to a sad conclusion.

In spite of the evolution and the spiritual progress, people still possess the speck of the ancient times when stoning for a sin was considered an act of righteousness. Inherited from the ancestors, this is the very thing that deprives people of sympathy.

Considering the above-mentioned pieces, one can assume that peoples attitude towards the women committing adultery changed for the worse since Hawthorn created his touching and shocking story. Priding themselves on their virtues which actually prove just as false as their morals, people continue stoning the sinful ones, forgetting about their own sins.

It seems that the time has come to recall the famous If any of you is without a sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her (John 8:7). Tracing the attitude towards adultery in the two stories, one will obviously notice the fact that together with the scorn and despise, people started resorting to physical abuse, which is the case for the No Name Woman.

Such lame attempts to prove their superiority break the life of the poor woman completely and leave her breathless outside the boundaries of society. The villagers are watchful (3) Kingston claims, and this is the hard truth the poor woman has to live with. The villagers are watchful. Keep your eyes open, and be as brave as Hester, otherwise even death will not bring you peace.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Lindenhurst, NY: Triebca Books, 2011. Print.

Chua, Soon-Leng, and Margaret Poh Choo Chua. The Woman Warrior: China Men. New York, NY: Everymans Library, 2005. Print. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 1998. Print.

Kingston, Maxim Hong. No Name Woman. The Woman Warrior: China Men. New York, NY: Everymans Library, 2005. Print. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 2005, 1- 17. Print.

Lawson, Annette. Adultery: An Analysis of Love and Betrayal. New York, NY: Basic Books, 1988. Print.

Genre

The tales in the Scarlet Letter possess several mystery elements. For instance, Hesters lover is not directly mentioned. Mystery is also experienced in the way Hester, Dimmesdale and Chillingworth undergo punishment. In addition, full information about the Puritans colonial attitudes is not given. This leaves the reader thinking.

Setting

The physical setting of the novel represents the Puritans beliefs and lack of development. First, we get to know that the prison and the town scaffold are the most important buildings in town as they are frequently used by the Puritans for religious purposes. Second, the Bay Colony of Massachusetts is likened to an island in the midst of wilderness, indicating that the place is undeveloped

Plot Analysis

First, the market place is described. Second, Hester encounters her husband. Third, Reverend Dimmesdale keeps his secret. Fourth, Hester and the Reverend plans to run away. Fifth, the Reverend gives his Election Day summon.

Sixth, the Reverend confesses his sin to the public before he collapses and dies. Finally, Hester finds her way back to Boston. Basically, the novel starts with the initial situation followed by conflict, climax, suspense and conclusion.

Characters

Hester

She is a very powerful woman who is imprisoned for committing adultery. She is ashamed publicly for her adultery act and she is forced to wear a scarlet with the letter A. While in jail, she embroiders the scarlet letter so as to translate her punishment into a meaningful experience.

Pearl

She is the daughter of Hester, who is born out of adultery. She represents all that Hester gave up when she committed adultery.

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale

He is a likeable minister of the word. He commits adultery with Hester.

Roger Chillingworth

He is a brilliant scholar and husband to Hester. He is also vengeful as he decides to take revenge on the Reverend

Governor Richard Bellingham

He had served as a governor of the Bay colony of Massachusetts for many years.

Reverend John Wilson

He judges Hester for her adultery act at the beginning of the novel.

Mistress Hibbins

She is a sister to Governor Richard Bellingham and a witch.

Themes

The themes discussed in this book include: alienation, revenge, women and femininity, compassion and forgiveness, hypocrisy, guilt and blame, justice and judgment, isolation, the supernatural, fate and free will, and man and the natural world.

Point of View

The narrator pretends to be unbiased, though it is clear that he does not agree with the Puritans as he frequently criticizes the Puritan society.

Style

The writer has used diverse vocabulary in writing the novel. For instance, words like ignominy and cogitating have been used. The writer also uses long sentences separated by commas in writing the novel. Shmoop University describes the novels writing style as ornate, formal, thorny, biblical, shadowy and comma-loving (1).

Persona

The persona in the novel is a third person omniscient narrator.

Images, Metaphors, Schemes

Images, metaphors and schemes that have been used in this novel include: the prison door, Pearl, the scarlet letter, the red mark on Dimmesdales chest, the Meteor, the black man, the forest and the wilderness.

National Mythologies or Ideologies

The Puritans were centered on the idea of purity and believed that God was omnipotent and that salvation was predestined (Hawthorne 2). They related worldly success to salvation. Sins were heavily punished in the Puritan society.

Cultural Context and what transfers to today

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthornes is of great historical significance as it contains many insights that are relevant to contemporary readers. For instance, young people who are deviant and stubborn can relate to the themes of alienation and breaking rules.

In this view, the novel can be explained as a story of a woman who was heavily punished for letting the heart to rule her. Hesters experiences can stimulate sympathy, Dimmesdales hypocrisy can provoke disgust, and Chillingworths revenge can arouse anger among readers.

Among the practices in the novel that are experienced in our current society are rules and punishments. However, the extent to which some crimes like adultery should be punished still remains a controversial issue. Technology has also advanced over the years.

Work Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Plain Label Books, 1850.

Shmoop University. Learning Guides to The Scarlet Letter.(30 Sep. 2008) Web.

The Scarlet Letter is a romantic fiction story authored by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850. The story is set in Puritan Boston during the 17^th century from 1642 to 1649. The play tells of a woman Hester Prynne whom passion draws to a young pastor causing her to have an adulterous affair with him where she conceives a daughter named Pearl.

Hester is humiliated in public for her actions and forced to put on a scarlet letter as a symbol of her sin and evil deeds. Hawthorne explores many themes in the story including guilt, sin, evil and legalism. Symbolism is also present in the story with a strong example being Pearl.

The following is an analysis of the character Pearl in the story The Scarlet Letter where more focus is put on her character (traits, personality and qualities) and what she represents/ symbolizes in the story. It also analyzes the nature of her relationship with her mother Hester.

Pearl first appears in the first scaffold scene as an infant and reappears again at the age of three and later on at the age of seven. She is described as a beautiful flower that is growing out of soil full of sin (Hawthorne 89).

She was named Pearl because her mother purchased her with the only treasure she had when she feared that her husband must have been killed by the Indians. However, Pearl inherited her mothers moodiness, defiance and passion. Her very being does not like the Puritan society strict rules which make her defiance of the rules. She is very mischievous and this makes Hester worried about her.

Pearls personality in the play is described as determined, imaginative, intelligent, obstinate and inquisitive. Pearl has mysterious mixture of moods; she can show signs of happiness in a minute and then suddenly change to being gloomy and silent. Pearl has high and fierce temper and she possess so much bitterness and hatred inside her at a tender age.

She has unusual behaviors and that is why she is often referred to as elf-child, imp, and airy sprite, in the play (Hawthorne 110). Governor Bellingham compares Pearl to children of the Lord of Misrule, while some of the Puritans views Pearls as demon offspring because of her weird behaviors which greatly worries her mother (Hawthorne 109).

Hawthorne describes Pearl as an imp of evil, emblem and product of sin, she had no right among christened infants (Hawthorne 94). Pearl is however aware that she is different from other people and that is why when Hester tries to teach her the ways of God she says I have no Heavenly Father (Hawthorne 95)!

Pearl seems to be stubborn and arrogant at a tender age. When Pearl was three years old, she pelted the scarlet letter using wildflowers and in frustration her mother Hester asked her, Child, what art thou (Hawthorne 178)?

But in return Pearl insisted she wanted to know the origin of the letter. This clearly shows the kind of relationship that Pearl had with her mother. Pearl actually tormented her mother with her evil actions but despite it all Hester still loved her daughter.

Pearl is not a realistic character in the story The Scarlet Letter because she is a complicated symbol of passion and love actually an adulterous act. She is a symbol of Hesters greatest sin and shame and at the same time she symbolizes her mothers treasure.

This means that Pearl is her Hesters punishment and at the same time act as her consolation. Pearl is a symbol that keeps Hester aware of her evils and sins. She also makes her mother aware that she cannot escape from her evil deeds what the Puritans terms as sinful nature (Hawthorne 82).

In conclusion, the story The Scarlet Letter clearly explores the themes of evil, sin, frustration, guilt and passion. Hawthorne has used symbolism in different ways to clearly bring out the dramatic and romantic part of the play. Pearl and the scarlet letter are good examples of symbolism used in the book while Hesters actions, life and the hard time she faced in Puritan community shows the evil, legalism and frustrations in the play.

Bibliography

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Norton: Public Domain Books, 1992. Print.

Introduction

Just like Hester Prynne, Arthurs individuality is based on the outward incidences than on his intrinsic personality. A scholar of the famous Oxford University is how Arthur is portrayed to the reader. Lack of natural compassion for regular men and women is how Arthurs past reflects him especially with his aloofness despite having extraordinary conscience. Arthurs mental anguish as well as bodily failing compels him to have compassion for others as a result of all the guilt being heaped on Hester for their collective transgression which stirs up his ethics.

His parishioners benefit from his meaningful religious leadership as a result of his inner turmoil with Hester emotionally which makes him an eloquent and influential speaker.

Paradoxically, Arthurs assertions of sinfulness are not believed by the townspeople do not. Given his background and his liking for metaphoric speech, Arthurs congregation in general interprets his sermons metaphorically rather than as expressions of any personal guiltiness. As a result, this worsens his spiritual as well as physical condition that drives him to further internalize his guiltiness and self-punishment as well. The towns adoration of Arthur reaches new status after his Election Day sermon that happened to be his last. In his demise, Arthur becomes even more of an icon than he was when he was alive. While others believe Arthurs fate was a case of divine judgment, many consider his affirmation as an emblematic act

Main Body

A surveyor then at the customhouse in Salem, Massachusetts, the narrator starts with a long preamble about how the Scarlet Letter came to be written. In the customhouses attic, the narrator comes across a number of documents, among them a scarlet, gold-embroidered patch of cloth in the shape of an A bundled manuscript. This manuscript contained events that had happened two hundred years ago covered by a past surveyor. After the narrator lost his customs post after a political change, the scarlet letter is the imaginary description of the events contained in the manuscript.

The story begins in the seventeenth-century Boston, and then a Puritan settlement, Hester Prynne, a young woman, is led from the town prison reprimanded for adultery carrying an infant daughter Pearl in her arms and the scarlet letter A on her breast. (Hawthorne, 1950)

Hesters husband, a researcher and much more grown-up send his spouse in advance to Boston. After Hesters husband doesnt show up in Boston even after a long wait, lost at sea becomes the wide-ranging agreement from everyone. Hester gives birth to a child after having an affair while waiting for the arrival of the husband and conceals the identity of the childs father. On the way to the town scaffold, Hester declines to name the childs father despite being scolded by the towns fathers. The scarlet letter as well as public shaming is the penalty for infidelity, a man in the crowd elucidates to an elderly onlooker in the crowd. It turns out, Hesters missing husband is the elderly person who was in the crowd, practicing medicine and going by the name Roger Chillingworth who settles in Boston keen on revenge. (Hawthorne, 1950)

As Pearl grows into a headstrong, playful child, Hester supports herself working as a seamstress. Roger Chillingworth discloses his correct identity to Hester though sworn to secrecy. Hester and her daughter find a small hut on the periphery of Boston they call home since the rest of the society rejects them. The community officials effort to take away Pearl from her mother is thwarted when Hester manages to get help from Arthur, then a young and eloquent minister. Dimmesdale appears to be wasting away, going through what appears to be a mysterious heart ailment caused by emotional distress.

To grant round-the-clock medical care, Chillingworth ultimately attaches himself to the ailing minister by moving in with him. To make out what could be ailing the minister, Chillingworth thinks there is a relation between Hesters secret and the ministers anguish and decides to test him. It did not take long before Chillingworths suspicion was confirmed when a mark on the ministers breast was exposed while asleep one afternoon. Chillingworth formulated new tortures that intensified Dimmesdales mental agony whereas charitable deeds as well as quiet humbleness gave Hester a reprieve from the communitys ridicule. (Hawthorne, 1950)

After a visiting someones deathbed one night, Hester and her seven years old daughter on their way home found Dimmesdale inflicting torture on himself for his transgressions atop the town gallows. A meteor marks a dull red A in the night sky as Hester and Pearl join him and the trio links hands. Acknowledge me publicly tomorrow Pearl requests but Dimmesdale refuses. On seeing the ministers situation getting poorer, Hester decides to intercede. Even after Hesters appeal, Chillingworth refuses to bring to an end the ministers self-torment. (Hawthorne, 1950)

Aware that Chillingworth might guess her next move of exposing the truth to Dimmesdale, Hester plans to meet Dimmesdale in the forest to hatch a plan of taking a ship from Boston in four days time and flee so that the three can live as a family in Europe. Both feel a sense of liberation as Hester removes her scarlet letter and lets her hair down. Playing nearby, Pearl couldnt recognize her mother without the scarlet letter.

A day before the ship is set to sail, Dimmesdale delivers the most articulate sermon ever as the townspeople congregate for a holiday. Hester realizes Chillingworth has booked passage on the same ship too, aware of their plan to flee. After leaving church, with Hester and Pearl, Dimmesdale spontaneously gets on the scaffold and confesses publicly exposing a scarlet letter seared into the flesh of his chest. As Pearl kisses him in appreciation, Dimmesdale falls dead. (Hawthorne, 1950)

Discouraged in his revenge, Chillingworth dies a year later. After they go away to Boston, no one knows what happens to Hester and Pearl. After several years Hester returns alone still wearing the scarlet letter. She resumes her charity work residing in the same old cottage she once lived. Hester occasionally receives letters from her daughter rumored to have married a European aristocrat and having a family of her own. All of Chillingworths money is inherited by Pearl despite knowing she was not the daughter Hesters tragic indiscretion is finally forgiven by all the women. This act eventually brings a sense of liberation to the townspeople and Hester at large. Beside which Kings Chapel has since been built, a new grave near an old and sunken one was built with a space in between quite evident, as if the dust has no right to mingle just like the two sleepers had. Yet both were served by one tombstone. Decorated with a letter A, Hester and Dimmesdale shared the same tombstone after Hester died. (Hawthorne, 1950)

In Judeo- Christian tradition, sin and knowledge are linked. After eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. After being expelled from the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve are made aware of their insubordination as a result of their comprehension that separates them from the divine and from other creatures by being forced to toil and to procreate. These are the two labors that characterize the human condition after being expelled from the Garden of Eden.

Hester and Dimmesdale experienced the story of Adam and Eve because, in both cases, expulsion and suffering occur after sinning. Apart from that, it offers understanding of what it means to be human. For Hester, the scarlet letter functions as her passport into regions where other women dared not tread, more fearlessly than anyone else in New England, the scarlet letter led Hester to contemplate about that particular society at that time. (Hawthorne, 1950)

This sin offers, Sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind, so that his chest vibrates in unison with theirs. As far as the cheating minister Dimmesdale is concerned. The ministers articulate and influential sermons emanate from his sense of empathy. The account of the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is in line with the oldest and most fully certified principles in Christian thought. The minister ends in dishonesty after beginning in transparency. Believable at every point of the sacred pilgrimage to be saved, the fine point is that the minister betrayed himself. (Hawthorne, 1950)

Its attractiveness, a remarkable disparity to all its environs is the rosebush, as the later the magnificently larger-than-life scarlet A, in part as an enticement, will be held out to discover some sweet honorable blossom in the consequent, heartbreaking account and in part as an illustration that the bottomless spirit of nature (perhaps God) may look more compassionately on the sinful Hester and the Daughter Pearl (the roses among the weeds) than the Puritan neighbors do. The natural world images disparity with the severe gloom of the Puritans and the systems throughout the work is something worth pondering about. (Hawthorne, 1950)

Parallel to the way Dimmesdales illness discloses his inner commotion, Chillingworths twisted body replicates the wickedness inside the soul. The state of the heart echoes the noticeable man. The primary purpose of Pearl within the novel is a representation nonetheless of a complex character. The personification of the scarlet letter is Pearl rightly clad in a stunning dress of scarlet, embroidered with gold thread, just like the scarlet upon Hester bosom (Hawthorne, 1950)

It is important not to conflate the two writers despite the narrator having a lot in common with Nathaniel Hawthorne. The two writers worked as customs officers, had Puritan ancestors and lost their jobs due to o political changes. The narrator is carefully created to boost the book aesthetically as well as philosophically. In very momentous ways, Hawthorne sets up the narrator to parallel Hester Prynne. The narrator, just like Hester, is encircled by people from whom there is always a sense of hostility. Different from the career customs officers, the narrator is reasonably young with a lot of vivacities. One of the explanations that could have prompted Hester to wrongdoing and ultimate estrangement ultimately is attributed to the fact that Hester had a youthful enthusiasm for life. The narrator seeks out the few who will understand him, just like Hester.

The account of the scarlet letter as well as the narrators own tale is addressed to this select group. Someday the narrator will be reduced to a name on a custom stamp just as Hester was condensed to a stack of old papers and a scrap of cloth is the link the narrator finds between himself and Hester. The reader is able to universalize Hesters story and to see its relevance to another society through the narrators identification with Hester. (Hawthorne, 1950)

The narrator has difficulty writing Hesters tale despite the commitment to it. The narrator is not able to write until any real career responsibilities are shelved. Furthermore the narrator feels the Puritan ancestors would find it perky. Also, relating to events that took place two hundred years ago will no doubt have a very small audience. To write in such a way as to make the story accessible to all types of people especially to those no longer young at heart is no easy task from the experience the narrator got spending time in company of other customhouse men. Telling Hesters story in a way that makes it both significant well as psychologically emotive to all readers is the narrators challenge that needs to be conquered. Putting an end to the real world of work as well as small-mindedness and give up on the romance atmosphere of the story is the final step of preparation for the narrator to start writing. (Hawthorne, 1950)

Conclusion

Different from the narrators Puritan ancestors allegations, the narrator finds writing both beneficial and sensible. A well-argued discussion on American history and culture is provided by producing exceptionally good American writers. Hawthorne wrote at a time when America wanted to differentiate itself from centuries of European practice by encouraging loyalty through the enlargement of the worlds sense of Americas comparatively short history. To write an exciting story, the narrator, just like Hawthorne, had to balance the need to institute a weighty past with the equally undeniable want to write a story. Just as the eagle above the customhouse door offers both protection and appears geared up to attack, Americanness remains both a guarantee and a danger. The authenticity of American history and culture is enhanced by the account of the scarlet letter; however, American culture can only embrace its own in the world by surpassing its Americanness and institute a common appeal. First recounted through John Pue and then through the narrator, Hesters story is twice refined. The person who reads it gets a better judgment of its seclusion from the present-day life, historic traits as well as a feeling of the past with a record through the consciousness of the storys various phases of action. (Hawthorne, 1950)

Reference

Hawthorne, N. (1950). The Scarlet Letter. Boston: Hayes Barton Press.

Introduction

The Scarlet letter: A romance is a novel by an American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was written in 1850. It tells a story of a young woman, Hester Prynne, that becomes a victim of her own passion. The womans lover cowardly betrays her. However, Hesters husband strives for vengeance. This book is Hawthornes main work. It is a comprehensive text that demonstrates the struggle between emotions and the mind. The main goal of this paper is to analyze The Scarlet Letter to reveal the authors idea of the frustration of revenge and victory over shame.

Analysis

To understand the authors motives, it is important to discuss a social situation in which The Scarlet Letter was written. The main purpose of creating this novel was to demonstrate Puritan societys false virtues (Richardson). The author implied that numerous people were falsely accused of all kinds of sin during those brutal times. In this book, the author raises the question of the impact that sins have on a personality and community.

A modern audience cannot fully comprehend the significance of the violation of moral norms. The Puritans viewed the commission of any sin as evidence of the sinners corruption and preordained damnation (The Scarlet Letter). However, the major theme of this novel is the pointlessness of vengeance and overcoming the fear of condemnation. Hawthorne spent 12 years, observing and understanding the true nature of human beings to elaborately express it in this work.

Hawthorne perceived sin as a state of otherness. Sinners neglect God, other people, and themselves. Eventually, it brings shame on them. The protagonist gets pregnant, and she has to wear a scarlet A on her dress that symbolizes her adultery (Hawthorne 159). Hester is marginalized and cannot interact with people around her. However, she becomes closer to God and realizes the truth about herself. After overcoming various obstacles, she changes the peoples attitude towards herself.

Afterward, they said that it meant Able, referring to the scarlet letter (Hawthorne 164). Two other characters, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth do not feel any pressure from society. Dimmesdale is a reverend. Citizens deeply honor and respect him. Chillingworth is a well-known doctor (Hawthorne 70). However, the reverend realizes his guilt, and it does not let him live in peace with God and the citizens. On the other hand, Chillingworth allows anger to take control of him what makes this character totally isolated. Chillingworth is unable to reconsider the evil way he had chosen.

It is our fate. Let the black flower blossom as it may, Chillingworth explained to Hester (Hawthorne 174). There is no place for forgiveness in his soul. Chillingworths nature becomes irreversibly corrupted.

Hawthorne demonstrated obvious differences between sins caused by passion and sins based on prejudices. Even the reverend realizes this difference (Hawthorne 198). However, he fails to reveal his sins, and the feeling of being guilty eventually worsens his health, and he dies. On the contrary, Hester cultivates virtues of sympathy and empathy (Hawthorne 264). She gains integrity and accepts herself and the world around her. Eventually, Hester overcomes her shame.

The author incorporated various symbols in the narrative. The scarlet letter symbolizes real Hesters nature and experience. Dimmesdale is presented in the story rather as a symbol than a true character. The scaffold is an allegory of sin and remorse concepts.

Conclusion

This book raises the timeless issues of human nature. The author presented the concepts of sin, virtue, and their influence on communities and individuals. These problems are still relevant in modern societies. The author created an outstanding work that is rightfully considered to be a masterpiece of world literature.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Ticknor and Fields, 1850.

Richardson, Jane. The Scarlet Letter; A Criticism of Puritan Beliefs. NewHistorian. 2014. Web.

The Scarlet Letter Critical Evaluation  Essay, ENotes. Web.

Introduction

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote two stories by the title, The Scarlet Letter and Young Goodman in which he displays his authorial voice by mirroring the societies from their dark ends as shown by the puritan cultures. In The Scarter Letter, Hawthorne employs psychological fiction to display the innate evilness of human beings (Johnson 75).

On the other hand, The Young Goodman is a story that revolves around wickedness that exists in the society and the role of characters in discovering these truths.

Although the two stories vary in setting, the author uses similar thematic representations in portraying his concerns about the nature of the society during this moment (Johnson 75). In this paper, my analysis seeks to explore the similarities and differences between the two stories. Further, the analysis shall exhibit how the author succeeds in asserting his themes.

Discussion

Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter primarily consists of characteristic imagery, which tends to represent the underlying nature of the characters as well as events relevant to the thematic concerns of the text (Stubbs 1440). In this authorial piece, the concepts of light and darkness serve as a constant source that carries greater influences to the plot of the text in its entirety.

These literary devices employed by the author succeed in underpinning the general imperative of creating images and color inherent in the Scarlet letter (Johnson 75).

The idealistic choice of light in this piece of literature highlights the characteristic intentions and thought structure of the characters together with their intrinsic qualities as depicted by the author. The application of imagery and symbolism in this piece of work begins with symbolization of the Old general depicts the reawakening of the characters upon being motivated by the actions of the other person.

The narrator in the Custom House asserts through recall the significant image created in his mind by saying that those he worked with regarded him in no other light other than smart and sensible staff. On the other hand, darkness as a descriptive device qualifies in demonstrating the characters as evil (Stubbs 1440).

However, a change in the characteristic behavior of Hawthornes characters accompanies the change from darkness toward the light, which enhances the understanding of the nature and degree of transformation taking place from within the confines of the society. The red color as cited repeatedly in the text with its application in the letter depicts the societys condemnation of the evilness of Hester (The Scarlet Letter 59).

In Goodman, the story takes us through a rather mysterious path full of wickedness in the puritanical society. In this story, the author clearly defines the thin line between goodness and evil, hence giving an impression of creativity (Goodman 36). In The Scarter letter, the author paints the presence of sin not in the literary forests, but rather in the symbolic image portrayed by Hester (Stubbs 1440).

The other similarity that embodies both stories lies in the plot setting where woods appear in both. It is through the journey within and through these woods that the value and behavior of the characters come to change. The innate isolation feature of the protagonists in both stories depicts the authors ability to demonstrate how the two separate worlds discriminate its people by condemning them to the lasting pains (The Scarlet Letter 59).

Goodman spends his life secluded from the rest and similarly Hester carries a symbol for that represents her suffering and humiliation so proudly as though it was a medal. These ironical representations displayed by Hester in carrying herself around with the symbol as an act to demonstrate to the society clearly affords a vivid comparative analysis of various sides of the society such as evil and good.

Conclusion

In this analysis, the critical study indicates that although the two stories differ in numerous ways, they all work to demonstrate how both characters remain on an emotional trail toward discovering their identity in terms of strengths and weaknesses.

For instance, although Goodman finally discovered the inherent wickedness beholden by a man, he achieved in returning with him the knowledge and acceptance of the existence of sin (Stremberg 274). In all the works, the authors have managed to paint their characters in ways that portray their actions and the resultant effects that arise thereof.

Hawthornes depiction of women as the victims of masculinity in the society vividly gain evidence in the case of Hester as she swallows the charges for the sin she never committed. In leveraging the male characters from their real contribution of the evil in the society merits a connotation of darkness existing within the confines of the society at the expense of the less privileged in the society (Stremberg 274).

The author demolishes the worth of females in the heavily puritanical society through Hester as the female protagonists carrying the connotations of invaluable people with no place to occupy in the society.

Although the two pieces have followed completely different paths in their quest to achieve the authorial themes, they all compare well in terms of the ability of the authors to display the ultimate discovery of the nature and place of different people in the society, and their role in shaping the minds and perception.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Penguin, 1986. Print. .Young Goodman Brown and Other Short Stories. New York: Courier Dover Publications, 1992. Print.

Johnson, Claudia. (1995). Understanding the Scarlet letter: a student casebook to issues, sources, and historical documents. New York: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995. Print.

Stremberg, Maria. Hawthornes Black Man: Image of Social Evil. The Explicator 67.4 (2009): 274-275.

Stubbs, John C. Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter: The Theory of the Romance and the Use of the New England Situation. PMLA 83.5 (1968): 14391447.

Introduction

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th-century American writer who remains renowned for his input in the classical literature. Some researchers even phrase him as one of the most significant and influential writers of his age (Lei, 2015, p. 2164). Among the legacy of Hawthorne, it is worth mentioning The scarlet letter, a work which became vital for the writers fame. The plot of the novel immerses the readers into the 17th century to demonstrate the environment of the Puritan era in America. The events revolve around the punishment of a young woman, Hester Prynne, who is accused of adultery. Through the main characters, Hester, her husband Chillingworth and her lover Dimmesdale, the author used symbolism to unveil his message about adamant will and redemption. Moreover, thanks to the historical fiction genre, Hawthorne managed to elaborate on notable aspects of social history.

Plot Summary: Love, Hate, and Guilt

Throughout the plot, the reader finds out about a fictive public scandal in 17th-century Boston. The public attention is caught by the young woman, Hester Prynne, who gave birth to an illegitimate child and is accused of adultery. As a result, Hester must regularly stand on the villages scaffold and wear the scarlet A letter on her clothes. Moreover, she resides in prison, shunned by all the villagers. Despite the humiliation, Hester refuses to name her lover, the father of the child.

During one of the trials, it turns out that Hesters husband, presumably missed, has returned to the village. Enraged by the wifes betrayal, the husband vows to avenge his pride by destroying Hesters love for good. The husband takes up a different persona of a doctor, Roger Chillingworth. With this play, he aims to gain the villages trust and deduce the identity of his adversary.

Chillingworth gets closer to the head of Bostons church, a young priest Reverend Dimmesdale, who experiences health issues. At the same time, Hester is released from the detention and lives isolated on the outskirts of the village. Her sewing skills only help her in earning money for living alone. However, she successfully defends her newborn daughter, Pearl, from the attempts to take the child away. Furthermore, she remains adamant in refusing to divulge the identity of Pearls father.

Gradually, Chillingworth starts to suspect that Dimmesdale could indeed be Hesters lover. After all, Dimmesdales condition appears to be connected to some unresolved mental torment. Chillingworth discusses the matter with the priest several times, trying to make him confess the presumed sins. Eventually, Chillingworth confirms his suspicions when he notices the same A letter on Dimmesdales body, that his wife wears. However, he is unable to act with hostility due to the earlier promise to Hester.

In the end, Dimmesdale and Hester meet in the forest and confirm their love, while Dimmesdale contemplates about the public confession. Despite several failed attempts, he brings himself to the public reveal as Hesters lover and Pearls father. This act frees Dimmesdale from spiritual suffering and allows him to die peacefully. Chillingworth, who was unable to stop the confession, dies on the next year while leaving the fortune to Pearl. Afterward, mother and daughter leave for England, only to return before Hesters death. She wears the A letter to the very end, and after the demise, she is buried alongside Dimmesdale.

The Main Characters: A Triangle of Struggle

The plot and the central themes undoubtedly revolve around three leading characters: Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Among them, Hester should be considered the main protagonist of the whole story. She is described as a young woman who was unhappily married to an elderly husband. Thus, she could not abstain from searching for a true love, which she found in Dimmesdale. Her name is partially symbolic  according to Lei (2015), the name is derived from the Greek goddess of household Hestia, while the Prynne surname alludes to her adultery. However, her nature is characterized by her powerful will and refusal to give up in despair. As Elbert (2014) states, Hester is an epitome of a motherly figure who genuinely cares about her love and child. Hence, Hester managed to endure all the hardships while proudly wearing the scarlet letter.

At the same time, Dimmesdale presents a person who is shameful of his wrongdoings but painfully struggles in the attempt to confess. He is a highly revered head of the towns church. Furthermore, according to the book, he is so passionate about God and religion, that the followers always cling to him (Hawthorne, 2004, p. 64). However, the sin realization slowly kills Dimmesdale since he does not live up to the declared ideals. Eventually, Dimmesdale manages to cope with the shame and release his doubts by voicing the truth to everyone. While he dies soon after, he feels relieved because he finally did the right thing.

Chillingworth represents the dark side of the characters past. Most researchers agree on the opinion that he acts as the novels villain (0saolu, 2015). He sought a happy family live by marriage with Hester but feels betrayed by her sin. Thus, he is ready to use deceit so he could achieve his form of justice. On this premise, Chillingworth pressures both Hester and Dimmesdale in pursuit of his goal. However, his efforts prove to be futile because of Hesters resolve and Dimmesdales newfound courage to confess. At least, Chillingworth manages to change his ways at the end of life by leaving the fortune to Pearl.

The Themes of Resolve and Confession

Among the important topics explored in the novel, one should name the unconditional and steadfast love, as well as the struggle to redeem ones sins as the most central themes. Hesters unwavering personality demonstrates the first aspect from the beginning to the end. Even when her life was crumbling, she abandoned nether her love for Dimmesdale, nor hope for a better future she eventually attained. Secondly, the suffering of Dimmesdale showcases how destructive ones unconfessed sin can become. According to Lei (2015), the character serves as a parallel to the Original Sin of Adam and Eve. Nonetheless, the author shows the hardships of redemption, which still can lead to salvation.

The Society Reflection

While the mentioned themes dominate throughout the novel, one can see one more aspect highlighted by the author. In the description of the 17th century, Hawthorne presents the flaws of society, which remain actual to the present days. Particularly, Hawthorne accentuates the ostracizing of Hester to demonstrate the inability of the community to understand her conditions. Hence, one can apply a famous saying that people fear what they do not understand. Such a failure leads to the isolation of society members who are not evil and just lost their way.

Conclusion

In his historical fiction, The scarlet letter, Hawthorne succeeded in exposing notable moral themes. The plot is centered around the adultery of the main heroine Hester and a local priest Dimmesdale. The capacity of the former to withstand social pressure and the final resolve of the latter to reveal the sin emphasize the topics of spiritual resilience and the redemption of the mistakes. Also, Hawthorne touched the issues of societys everlasting shortcomings, like the misunderstanding and isolation of those who break the public rules.

References

Elbert, M. (2014) The womans law in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, in Bendixen, A. (ed.) A companion to the American novel. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Son, pp. 373-393.

Hawthorne, N. (2004) The scarlet letter. Smyrna, DE: Prestwick House Inc.

0saolu, H. (2015) A Freudian psychoanalytic analysis of Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, The Journal of Academic Social Science Studies, 3(32), pp. 499-511.

Lei, N. (2015) A brief study on the symbolic meaning of the main characters name in The Scarlet Letter, Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(10), pp. 2164-2168.

Abstract

This paper delves into themes related to sin and acceptance.

Introduction

The Scarlet Letter delves into numerous aspects related to guilt, society, the self as well as an assortment of varying themes related to sex and the Puritan way of life at the time

(Hawthorne, 1850). However, despite all this I believe that the Scarlet Letter is a form of social commentary in that it delves into the positive and negative aspects that pervaded Puritan society at the time that people either did not know about or turned a blind eye towards such actions. The novel thus presents the notion that the concepts of sin and acceptance are viewed and experienced differently by different people.

Form of Social Commentary

When examining the novel, it becomes clear that the writing style and the way in which the author delves into the Puritan way of life seemingly shows the double standards that existed at the time. For example, while the character of Hester is slated for punishment for being an adulterer, little is mentioned regarding the man she had sexual relations with. From the way in which she was described and the manner that the people acknowledge her as, it appears that all of the fault is attributed to her.

This I believe was an intentional aspect of the novel on the part of the author to depict how women received the shorter end of the stick so to speak when it came to living within such a society. In fact, it was the character of Roger Chillingworth (the husband of Hester who was thought of as dead) who was the first to voice the unfairness of only Hester being condemned for the crime with little to no attempt at actually finding the person she slept with.

Another aspect to take into consideration is the fact that the Reverend Dimmesdale was revealed towards the latter half of the novel as the father of Hesters child. Yet, what is curious is that while Hester was able to withstand being labeled as an adulterer, Dimmesdale actually progressively got worse throughout the novel despite him not revealing his secret until the end.

Sin and Acceptance

The reason why Dimmesdale and Hester had different reactions to the sin they committed was due to the varying ways in which they chose to accept it. In the case of Hester she chose to own up to her sin and instead of taking the easy way out through suicide she chose to work as a seamstress to support her daughter.

In the case of Dimmesdale he chose to keep it bottled up inside and continued to suffer as a direct result of what he perceived as a moral sin. It is at this juncture that it can be seen that the novel apparently questions the true impact of sin and morality wherein it shows that acceptance of an act and moving forward from it changes the perception of sin (as seen in the case of Hester) as compared to internalizing it and continuously blaming oneself ( as seen in the case of the Reverend).

In fact, the concept of sin and acceptance in order to move on can be considered a crucial part of the novel as exemplified by the deaths of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth wherein their refusal to accept and move on killed them in the end as compared to Hester who accepted her sin and bore it proudly who in the end had a somewhat happy ending.

Conclusion

Overall, it can be stated that the novel is an excellent social commentary of the state of society at the time and reveals how the refusal to own up to a sin can literally eat a person from within and cause their death.

Reference List

Hawthorne, N. (1850). The Scarlet Letter. New York: Ticknor, Reed & Fields.

Belief in the sinfulness of man is an essential element in the work of many writers. This understanding of the imperfect and fallen man weighs heavily on Hawthornes writings. Many compositions of authorship, including The Scarlet Letter, reflect a keen and insightful sense of morality. Despite the many pieces of evidence of virtue, they look paltry compared to the description of weaknesses in the main character of the story, Dimmesdale.

Hawthorne (2016) states that beneath his outward appearance of goodness, there is glaring sin. For Hawthorne, evil works against the nature of good in man and society, and vice is most obviously embodied in man. Nevertheless, the author does not hide the fact that at some point in his life, this villainous character was once another person, worthy and capable of goodness and mercy. Thus, Hawthorne believes that human nature is capable of going both ways. He sees human nature as flawed and equally capable of sin and hatred, but also great love. The author believes in repentance and subsequent atonement after the transgression.

Despite describing the imperfections of human nature, Hawthorne displays a positive outlook. The author argues that all people are worthy of redemption, even if they do not seek it. A prime example is Chillingworths descriptions from The Scarlet Letter. At the beginning of the story, this hero appears to the reader as a modest nature and claims that it is he who is to blame for Hesters moral failure, declaring: It was my folly! and Mine was the first wrong (Hawthorne 467).

Chillingworth has not yet and will never become downright evil because although he is partially responsible for the destruction of Dimmesdale, he bequeaths Pearls money and property that is not blood to him. These expressions of humility and generosity indicate that it is still good in Chillingworth. Thus, Hawthorne puts into his characters the idea that people, despite all their imperfections, can show kindness, do good deeds, and change.

Work Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. The Norton Anthology of American Literature, 9th ed., edited by Robert S. Levine, Michael A. Elliott, and Sandra M. Gustafson, 2016, pp. 451-569.