Scarlet Letter: Selfishness In An American Society

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In the American society, some values have remained prevalent throughout generations. These values starting in puritan american can still be seen prominently in today's society. Puritan America, was made up of English Puritans who migrated to America and based their lives around religion and the values set by the church. Going against the ideals of the church, was considered a sin. The Scarlet Letter is a distinctly American novel because it connects the ideals of Puritan America to the ideals that are still prevalent in America today in that it highlights both one's selfishness at the expense of others' well-being and one's struggle for acceptance from a hostile collective. In America there is a huge sense of nationalism and community. …show more content…

This can be distinguished as uniquely American because it's directly derived from the idea that Americans are selfishness, both in the key terms of money and freedom. America is very lucky in the fact that there is freedom, and sometimes people take that for granted. For example, abusing the 2nd amendment rights, the right to bear arms, is considered a selfish act. Since America, especially today has had an immense amount of shootings, from citizens, America can be distinguishable from other countries. These acts, if committed by a right minded person leads to an infinite amount of guilt. Directly connected to The Scarlet Letter Mr.Dimmesdale’s sin causes him to bare the pain of guilt. On Mr. Dimmesdale’s chest there is an invisible scarlet letter which is connected to his sudden illness, because the burden of guilt is so heavy he physically could not bare it. “...to put his hand over his heart with first a flush and then a paleness indicative of pain” (68). This motif present throughout the novel continues the idea that Mr.Dimmesdale’s selfish act of letting Hester and Pearl be shamed, resulted in a painful amount of guilt. The guilt he carried was such a heavy strain on his life, it killed him. “... the minister, conscious that he was dying- conscious, also, that the reverence of the multitude placed him already among saints and angels - had desired, by …show more content…

Society is based around how people view each other and in America, especially with social media today, people can be hated on very quickly. With the small communities like in The Scarlet Letter the same concept prevails, creating the idea that word spreads fast, mainly in a degrading manner. “And as for the people’s reverence, would that it were turned to scorn and hatred” (107). Mr. Dimmesdale believed that if his sin was exposed to the community, the way people viewed him and his teachings would be reinscribed in their brains as repulsive. He was so afraid of the reaction of the community, it strayed him away from telling the truth. “I have laughed, in bitterness and agony of heart, at the contrast between what I seem and what I am! And Satan laughs at it” (107). This explains how Mr. Dimmesdale’s job is extremely ironic in regards that he is the character in The Scarlet Letter that has the heaviest sin to carry, while he reinforces the idea not to sin to others. This connects to America today, because many people are still struggling to be accepted by today’s society without fitting into the social norms. Today, if one was to go outside the constricting box of normalcy, it would be considered a taboo. So, relating back to The Scarlet Letter instead of creating resentment towards himself, Mr. Dimmesdale kept quiet in hopes society wouldn’t look down upon him and his

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