Good Vs. Evil In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

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During this puritan time in the 1600s. Nathaniel Hawthorne who is an anti-transcendentalist speaks about sin. But not just any sin, secret sin in this novel “The Scarlet Letter.” Hawthorne expresses many themes and symbols in many strange and mysterious ways. Hawthorne is a very dark and devious man. The scarlet letter A that is embroidered on Hester’s bosom symbolizes adultery. Adultery is the sin that she has committed. Hester had a whole husband and made a baby with a man that wasn’t the husband. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbolism of Hester’s Cabin, Leeches, and Dimmesdale to contribute to the overall theme of Good Vs. Evil. First, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses that guy Dimmesdale that I was talking about …show more content…

Evil. Pearl was the baby that was born into darkness and is now a devil baby. The name Pearl was a very unique name and the meaning is very unique as well. The name Pearl is very unique in it’s own way already, but Hawthorne makes it even more unique. “But she named the infant Pearl, as of being of great price, -purchased with all she had, -her mother’s only treasure.” (Hawthorne 81) Hawthorne says that because no matter how evil Pearl is, she happens to be the only thing that keeps Hester sane. Pearl is a very devious child and I think it’s because Hester created her out of sin. “Pearl would grow up positively terrible in her puny wrath, snatching up stones to fling at them, with shrill, incoherent exclamations” (Hawthorne 86) Hawthorne explains that Pearl is always doing bad things but she doesn’t know any better because that’s how she was …show more content…

Also known as the forest and society. The forest is basically the evil of this situation. The society would have to be the good comes out of it. Although the society could be labeled as the bad as well it’s the closest thing to good and pure. “It may seem marvelous, that with the world before her, kept by no restrictive clause of her condemnation within the limits of the puritan settlement. (Hawthorne 73) Hawthorne says that Hester’s place of happiness is in the saneness of her own home. The good and evil is where her home resides. There are many bad things as well. Hester also felt like she never belonged to the society. The way she was treated was very differently because of her adultery sin she’s committed. “In all her intercourse with society, however, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it. (Hawthorne 77) Hawthorne says that society has not welcomed her. It’s pretty sad being from somewhere and they not even accepting you.
In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbolism of Hester’s cabin, Leeches, and Dimmesdale to contribute to the overall theme of sin, Throughout the entire novel, Hawthorne leaves you in suspense. Using tiny symbols to represent major things. Good vs Evil was just one of the many things portrayed throughout the entire book. There were many different themes that went along with this story. Secret sin was one. All of the symbols also can be related to every

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