Even Shakespeare, one of the greatest writers of all time, had trouble answering this age-old question: what’s in a name? Are we defined by our given names, our nicknames, or by our personalities and actions, especially the mistakes we make? Nathaniel Hawthorne explores this idea with the characters in his novel, The Scarlet Letter. In contrast to modern-day Boston, Hawthorne depicts a time period where there were no deadlier sins than the lust for revenge, corruptness(especially in high society), and the overwhelmingly evident act of adultery. Vengefulness is still prominent in today’s society, but there is next to no one who showcases such a need for revenge than Roger Chillingworth. A character that should be virtually sin-free, the sister of Governor Bellingham, Mistress Hibbins, represents corruptness in the form of witchcraft in this Puritan town. There may be no better representation of sin than Hester Prynne, who bears her sin publicly and constantly; Hester embodies sin, physically and mentally. Even from the beginning of the story, it was clear everyone would be affected by Hester’s unforgivable act, especially her betrayed husband; although, he hadn’t been entirely innocent either.
Nothing could rival the requited feelings Chillingworth has towards his sinful wife, Hester; this idea is stressed multiple times throughout the story. Even before he suspected Dimmsdale, during his first encounter with Hester, he speaks his mind about the matter and it’s clear he is angry and vengeful about the illegitimate child. “‘And now, Mistress Prynne... I leave thee alone; alone with thy infant and the Scarlet Letter. How is it, Hester? Doth thy sentence bid thee to wear the token in thy sleep? Art thou not afraid of nightmares and...
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...upon by all, making this sin the ultimate act of betrayal of Puritanical values.
Imbedded in the title itself, the whole book revolves around the Scarlet Letter, a universally-known product of the nature of human sin; Hawthorne demonstrates many sins through the use of characters and their many faults, which include vengefulness, corruptness, and the most obvious example of sin: adultery. Not only through the narrator’s eyes, but also through those of the characters, the myriad examples of the pure nature of sin are found in the dialogue, events, and narration of Chillingworth, Hibbins, and Hester. Even with the knowledge of the character’s beliefs and motives, the somewhat innocent cast of people in The Scarlet Letter are still defined by their worst mistakes; which still leaves the reader pondering the question: what’s in a name? Specifically, the name of sin?
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, tells the story of a young adulteress named Hester Prynne and her bastard daughter, Pearl, as they endure their residence in a small town of the Massachusetts British settlement in the1600s. Pearl’s illegitimate birth is the result of the relationship between Hester Prynne and a minister of the Puritan church, Arthur Dimmesdale. Through public defamation and a perpetual embroidery of an “A” upon her dress, Hester is punished for her crime. Whereas, Arthur choses to suppress the secret over illuminating the truth and endures internal and self-inflicted punishment as consequence.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a study of the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of the main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Sin strengthens Hester, humanizes Dimmesdale, and turns Chillingworth into a demon.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne has introduced a character that has been judged harshly. Because, she has been misinformed of her husband’s death; therefore, she was greave and had sought comfort resulting in a baby from the lover whom gave her comfort. When her secret had been discovered she was isolated for committing a treacherous crime of adultery, as one of her punishments she was forced to wear an A on her chest. The novel presents a structure of a society, using symbolism and diction to give underline meaning to the themes, portraying religious tendencies ruled by the philosophy of good and evil.
4. The Scarlet Letter was written and published in 1850. The novel was a product of the Transcendentalist and Romantic period.
Throughout the course of history, the concept of women being subordinate to men has always existed. However, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, a woman named Hester Prynne tries to break prejudicial notions against women in a patriarchal society. In the story, Hester commits the crime of adultery and is sentenced by the government to wear a scarlet letter as it symbolizes ignominy. Since she lives in Puritan New England, the people do not value women a lot, her actions becomes a sight of public scrutiny. Yet, with her strength as a woman, she is able to not only survive the situation, but also reverse as she later becomes an important member of their community. In a feminist perspective of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter,
In the literary classic, The Scarlet Letter, readers follow the story of a Puritan New England colony and the characteristics of that time period. Readers begin to grasp concepts such as repentance and dealing with sin through Nathaniel Hawthorne’s indirect descriptions of these detailed and complex characters by their actions and reactions. The character Roger Chillingworth symbolizes sin itself and deals with internal conflict throughout the course of the story. The narrator describes Chillingworth in a critical attitude to reveal to the reader the significance of repentance and revenge by the use of many literary techniques such as
Through Hester and the symbol of the scarlet letter, Hawthorne reveals how sin can be utilized to change a person for the better, in allowing for responsibility, forgiveness, and a renewed sense of pride. In a Puritan society that strongly condemns adultery one would expect Hester to leave society and never to return again, but that does not happen. Instead, Hester says, “Here…had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment; and so, perchance, the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint-like, because the result of martyrdom.” Hes...
Shirley Chisholm said, “The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says, ‘It’s a girl.’” Chisholm’s quote perfectly demonstrates Puritan society which, as any society, is centered on labels and stereotypes with almost everybody being shoved into a group and having their fate decided based upon their stereotype. In The Scarlet Letter, while the local village views Hester through the Puritan image that women are sinners or temptresses, the audience sees that she does not necessarily fit into their characterization of her. Although she does not directly defy societal norms, the reader is able to see Hester breaking away from society. How Hester interacts with the people that are a part of the society demonstrates the unwillingness of Puritans to be accepting, however, when looking at the broader storyline, it becomes evident that Hester is not correctly stereotyped.
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the theme of sin is addressed to a great extent. Hester Prynne commits adultery with another man while her husband is away, which is a great “sin” in her Puritan community. The child that she bears with Arthur Dimmesdale and the scarlet letter “A” are the constant reminders of her sin. However, as the story unfolds, the meaning of the child and the letter begins to changes as Hester acknowledges her sin and seeks for redemption from her sins. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, conceals his sin, which causes him to feel great agony due to the guilt he experiences because of the concealment. Through the use of the contrasting characters Dimmesdale and Hester, Hawthorne reveals that if an individual acknowledges their sin, it leads to liberation from the guilt associated with it and acts as a catalyst for improvement in character, whereas those who conceal their sins become consumed by their guilt.
In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne discusses the issues of guilt, pain, and truth. For many people, it is hard to accept the faults of their own failures. Most do not acknowledge the reality of their lives, and wind up suffering for their mistakes. Guilt and Sin are bad and also cause pain. Hester Prynne endures in agony and pain because of the mistake she made. In the novel, Hester rarely gives up hope. Through her suffering, Hester maintains to keep her dignity.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Mr. Dimmesdale’s greatest fear is that the townspeople will find out about his sin of adultery with Hester Prynne. Mr. Dimmesdale fears that his soul could not take the shame of such a disclosure, as he is an important moral figure in society. However, in not confessing his sin to the public, he suffers through the guilt of his sin, a pain which is exacerbated by the tortures of Roger Chillingworth. Though he consistently chooses guilt over shame, Mr. Dimmesdale goes through a much more painful experience than Hester, who endured the public shame of the scarlet letter. Mr. Dimmesdale’s guilt is much more damaging to his soul than any shame that he might have endured.
Without an honorable reputation a person is not worthy of respect from others in their society. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the struggle to shake off the past is an underlying theme throughout the novel. Characters in this novel go through their lives struggling with trying to cope with the guilt and shame associated with actions that lost them their honorable reputation. Particularly, Hawthorne shows the lasting effect that sin and guilt has on two of the main characters in the book: Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale.
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23). Since the beginning of time guilt has existed, and in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, guilt illustrates itself through adultery involving Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale. Hester and Dimmesdale resided in New England during The Puritan Age and committed adultery while Hester’s husband was out of town. Hester’s sin did not go unnoticed, as her baby illuminated the situation. While Hester’s mister hid in the shadows, she was branded with a scarlet letter A for adultery as punishment for her sin. The scarlet letter was more than a piece of cloth over her chest; it was reminder to everyone around about Mrs. Prynne’s actions. Hawthorne uses biblical and spiritual allusions to argue that guilt causes individuals to change their lifestyles.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the reader is able to observe how one sin devastates three lives. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth are all guilty of succumbing to temptation, anger, and desire, causing all to fit the definition of a sinner. Yet, Chillingworth's iniquities raise him up above Hester and Dimmesdale on the level of diabolic acts.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, there are many moral and social themes develped throughout the novel. Each theme is very important to the overall effect of the novel. In essence, The Scarlet Letter is a story of sin, punishment and the importance of truth. One theme which plays a big role in The Scarlet Letter is that of sin and its effects. Throughout the novel there were many sins committed by various characters. The effects of these sins are different in each character and every character was punished in a unique way. Two characters were perfect examples of this theme in the novel. Hester Prynne and The Reverend Dimmesdale best demonstrated the theme of the effects of sin.