The Psychological Effects of Sin in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

In the novel ,The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author portrays the psychological effect of sin on Reverand Dimmesdale through internal torture and through Roger Chillingworth in him becoming a fiend. Roger becomes entangled in this idea of punishment and the discovery of the fiend who took his wife, while Dimmesdale becomes so sickened with guilt he begins to hurt himself.

Throughout the novel Chillingworth slowly starts to develop into this fiend like character. His physical form begins to change over time. “What a change had came over his features.” (Hawthorne 106). Here, this was the first time Hester Prynne sees Roger Chillingworth after he had talked with her in the prison. She realizes this change noticing how “Uglier they were” (Hawthorne 106). Ever since the discussion of betrayal and revenge in the prison, Chillingworth had began to become sinister. He had become so focused on discovering who Hester’s lover is, that it was affecting his health and his physical features.

Reverend Dimmesdale is another character who has had psychological effect from sin....