Guilt And Sin In The Scarlet Letter

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Throughout The Scarlet Letter, the effects of guilt and sin are evident within the lives of Dimmesdale and Pearl. Chapter twenty-three in particular is able to portray the negative effects that Dimmesdale’s sins have had on his life. As Hester and Pearl are standing on the scaffold, Dimmesdale turns to them and says, “‘Is not this better,’ murmured he, ‘than what we dreamed of in the forest?’” (304; Ch. 23). In this moment, Dimmesdale reveals his internal struggles to Hester and Pearl. The sin that Dimmesdale committed has caused a constant sense of guilt to be instilled within him. This guilt was so intense that readers are able to infer that he carved a scarlet letter into his chest, and ultimately died due to the overwhelming sensation his

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