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

713 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Scarlet letter analysis

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

Show More
Related

  • A Comparison of "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Minister's Black Veil"

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    The central theme in The Scarlet Letter is that manifested sin will ostracize one from society and un-confessed sin will lead to the destruction of the inner spirit. Hawthorne uses the symbol of the scarlet letter to bring out this idea. In the novel, Hester is forced to wear the scarlet letter A (the symbol of her sin) because she committed adultery with the clergyman, Dimmesdale. Because the public's knowledge of her sin, Hester is excluded physically, mentally, and socially from the normal society of the Puritan settlement. She lives on the outskirts of town in a small cottage where she makes her living as a seamstress. Though she is known to be a great sewer amongst the people, Hester is still not able to sew certain items, such as a new bride's veil. Hester also has no interaction with others; instead she is taunted, if not completely ignored, by all that pass her by. Despite the ill treatment of the society, Hester's soul is not corrupted. Instead, she flourishes and improves herself in spite of the burden of wearing the scarlet letter and she repeatedly defies the conventional Puritan thoughts and values by showing what appears to us as strength of character. Her good works, such as helping the less fortunate, strengthen her inner spirit, and eventually partially welcome her back to the society that once shunned her.

    Read More

  • Scarlet Letter Rhetorical Devices

    801 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Scarlet Letter starts off by throwing Hester Prynne into drama after being convicted for adultery in a Puritan area. Traveling from Europe to America causes complications in her travel which also then separates her from her husband, Roger Chillingworth for about three years. Due to the separation, Hester has an affair with an unknown lover resulting in having a child. Ironically, her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, is a Reverend belonging to their church who also is part of the superiors punishing the adulterer. No matter how many punishments are administered to Hester, her reactions are not changed. Through various punishments, Hester Prynne embraces her sin by embroidering a scarlet letter “A” onto her breast. However, she is also traumatized deep within from everything she’s been through. Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts this story of sin by using rhetorical devices such as allusion, alliteration and symbolism.

    Read More

  • Free Essay on Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter - Good vs. Evil

    424 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Scarlet Letter is a wonderful and not so traditional example of the good versus evil theme. What makes this a unique instance of good versus evil is that either side could be considered either one. Hester could very easily have been deduced as evil, or the "bad guy," as she was by the townspeople. That is, she was convicted of adultery, a horrible sin of the time. As for punishment, a sentence to wear a scarlet "A" upon her chest, it would hardly be considered a burden or extreme sentence in present day. Another sin that Hester committed was the fact that she never told who the father of her child, Pear, forcing her to be without a father. Hester's silence also caused Dimmesdale to live in torture every day. Chillingsworth was also hurt by Hester's act of adultery and because of her, his life was destroyed and the only thing he could do was seek revenge against the man who had been with her.

    Read More

  • Free Essay on Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter - Spiritual Growth of Hester Prynne

    1274 Words  | 3 Pages

    The character of Hester Prynne changed significantly throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Hester Prynne, through the eyes of the Puritans, is an extreme sinner; she has gone against the Puritan ways, committing adultery.  For this harsh sin, she must wear a symbol of shame for the rest of her life.  However, the Romantic philosophies of Hawthorne put down the Puritanic beliefs.  She is a beautiful, young woman who has sinned, but is forgiven.  Hawthorne portrays Hester as "divine maternity" and she can do no wrong.  Not only Hester, but the physical scarlet letter, a Puritanical sign of disownment, is shown through the author's tone and diction as a beautiful, gold and colorful piece.

    Read More

  • Scarlet Letter, Pearl

    750 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although Pearl is looked at as the result of Hester’s sin, she is a blessing to her mother as well. Her name, “Pearl,” is fitting because of what she means to Hester. For instance “Hester names her”Pearl” because she has come to great price, and Hester believed that Pearl is her only reason for living,” (Johnson: Understanding The Scarlet Letter pg.1). Pearl motivates her mother to keep on going when she is tempted to give up. In the novel, Mistress Hibbins asks Hester to join her in a witches gathering, but she declines saying if she had lost Pearl, she would have gone.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Letter

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hester is being considered as the devil (Bellis 1), which is a sign that the town’s people are slanderous and judgmental. Their judgment has caused her to be isolated. “… A woman who had once been innocent…” is now considered as “…the reality of sin” (Hawthorne 39). They look at her as a threat diminishing their community’s chance for purification because “there was the taint of deepest sin…” (Hawthorne 24). My apprehension of Pearl is that she is the fruit of evil, because she is seen as “immortal” (Hawthorne 11). Because, she has caused a ruckus, her immoral acts have disturbed the nature of their society. They think this is morally correct because, “Political and generational ambivalence has its psychological counterpart…” (Bellis 2), which give them the right to make her an evil outcast.

    Read More

  • The Use Of Symbolism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    1453 Words  | 3 Pages

    Pearl is a symbol for innocence, punishment, sin, beautiful, and a devil child. Pearl is the punishment that came out of Reverend Dimmesdale’s and Hester’s sin. She constantly changes back and forth between different symbols. Hawthorne expresses Pearl’s symbolism very well and in the end it really shows Pearl’s true identity. “Mother,” said little Pearl, “the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child, It will not flee from me; for I wear nothing on my bosom yet”(Hawthorne 202)! Pearl is essentially a product of her mother, Pearl and Reverend Dimmesdale’s sin. Pearl is Hester’s sin and, Pearl is always by Hester either by her side, holding her hand, or hugging her. Pearl always ends up being a little pest but she is the only thing that Hester has going for her. “So Pearl -- the elf-child -- the demon offspring, as some people up to the epoch persisted in considering in her -- became the richest heiress of her day in the New World. Not improbable, this circumstance estimation; and had the mother and child remained here, little Pearl at a marriageable period of life might have mingled her wild blood with the lineage of the devoutest Puritan among them all. But, in no long time after the physician’s death, the wearer of the scarlet letter disappeared, and Pearl along with her”(Hawthorne 287). This quote states that still after everything has happened Pearl had hope and trust. She turned out to be one of the richest and successful people. She has changed so much throughout the novel and it’s amazing to see how Hawthorne used Pearl’s symbolism in The Scarlet

    Read More

  • Theme Of Dualism In The Scarlet Letter

    828 Words  | 2 Pages

    She is a recently convicted adulteress. The Puritan community thinks of her as the worst sinner. The community describes her as the, "unhappy culprit," (Hawthorne 53) and, “the common infamy at which all mankind is summoned to point its finger.” (Hawthorne 72) The community collectively believes it is their right and calling to shame her. They also believe that Hester, “embody their images of women’s sinful passion.” (Hawthorne 73) Hester is fully blamed for the sin she committed, even though adultery is a two-way street. Hester was insulted at scaffold as part of her punishment for three hours. While there, the Puritans called her names like "naughty baggage," (Hawthorne 49) and "brazen huzzy." (Hawthorne 51) The Puritans were so rude, they were described as “pitiless… self-constituted judges.” (Hawthorne 51). The sad truth about Hester 's situation is that she is the best of all the Puritans, but receives the most punishment. She is forced to take all of the blame for a sin that was not all her fault. She is completely compliant with her punishment. This entire situation leads to Hester acting with more humility, instead of lashing out like most people would. Hester also goes against societal standard by giving to charity and sewing garments for the poor. Hawthorne on page 75 mentions her willingness to give by saying she “bestows all her superfluous means to charity.” One of the larger aspects of Hester is her honesty. When

    Read More

  • Essay on the Transformation of Hester in Scarlet Letter

    683 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hester Prynne committed a crime so severe that it changed her life into coils of torment and defeat.  In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester is publicly recognized as an adulteress and expelled from society.  Alongside the theme of isolation, the scarlet letter, or symbol of sin, is meant to shame Hester but instead transforms her from a woman of ordinary living into a stronger person.

    Read More

  • Free Scarlet Letter Essays: Hester and the Puritan Society

    1488 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, focuses on the Puritan society. The Puritan society molded itself and created a government based upon the Bible and implemented it with force. The crime of adultery committed by Hester generated rage, and was qualified for serious punishment according to Puritan beliefs. Ultimately the town of Boston became intensely involved with Hester's life and her crime of adultery, and saw to it that she be publicly punished and tortured. Based upon the religious, governmental, and social design of the Puritan society, Hester's entire existence revolved around her sin and the Puritan perception. Therefore it is evident within The Scarlet Letter that the Puritan community to some degree has constructed Hester's character.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorne's Purpose

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hawthorne was a talented and skilled writer, who was greatly influenced by the the community in which he lived. Instead of giving in to society dashing his hopes of becoming a successful writer, he wrote about Hester to express himself and explain his conflicts with the crooked, oppressive society and beliefs of the time. He discusses the problems in a way that every reader can relate to and sympathize with the characters. He skillfully transforms a symbol of shame and sin into a symbol of maternity and nurturance. The Scarlet Letter is truly a symbol of believing in people's capabilities. It is a symbol of resistance to society if all it causes people to do is reject their identities and who they really are.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nathaniel Hawthorne uses his novel, The Scarlet Letter to critique the Puritan faith. In developing his story of the adulteress Hester Prynne, he uses both religious and natural imagery to show his disdain for the Puritan religion. The Scarlet Letter is a vivid portrayal of his utter dislike for the Puritans and everything that they stand for. Hawthorne is in complete disagreement with them and makes it clear throughout the book.

    Read More

  • Moral and Social Themes in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Physical and Historical Settings in The Scarlet Letter

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    The historical setting is highly significant in the novel since it is intertwined with the public’s belief and values, which shape overall themes of the novel and the main characters’ traits. The main setting of the novel takes place in New England during the middle of the seventeenth century, and the setting is the essential factor that develops the core conflicts among Hester, Dimmesdale, and the Puritan society; in fact, the historical setting itself and the society within it is what Hawthorne intends to reveal to the reader. New England in the seventeenth century was predominately organized around religious authorities, and indeed, a large portion of the population had migrated to the colony of New England with religious purposes. Therefore, the strict and religiously centered historical setting is well demonstrated through Hester’s townspeople when Hester commits adultery. The church authority and the townspeople require Hester to wear the large “A” embroidered scarlet letter, which symbolizes adultery. This act is aligned with the historica...

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Scarlet Letter is a blend of realism, symbolism, and allegory. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses historical settings for this fictional novel and even gives historical background information for the inspiration of the story of Hester Prynne in the introduction of The Scarlet Letter, ‘The Custom-House’. The psychological exploration of the characters and the author’s use of realistic dialogue only add to the realism of the novel. The most obvious symbol of the novel is the actual scarlet letter ‘A’ that Hester wears on her chest every day, but Hawthorne also uses Hester’s daughter Pearl and their surroundings as symbols as well. Allegory is present as well in The Scarlet Letter and is created through the character types of several characters in the novel.

    Read More

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

Open Document