How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Public Shaming In The Scarlet Letter

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In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hawthorne uses public shaming and how Hester and Dimmesdale are affected by public shaming (or lack thereof) to emphasize the unintended consequences of public shaming -- that instead of deterring unlawful acts, it simply causes people to hide the fact that they committed such acts and recognize the disadvantages of the strict social conventions that led to the public shaming.
Even though Dimmesdale never goes through public shaming, he is still affected by it since he buries his secrets and it makes him realize the downfalls of the strict Puritanical doctrines the town lives by. He buries the fact that he has committed adultery, and in doing so, he becomes acutely aware of his own and other’s …show more content…

Due to his recognition of this difference, he is able to empathize with the people : he is able to understand their sorrows and guilt instead of being elevated on a pedestal of holiness like his clergymen peers. His awareness also provides him inspiration as to what subjects would touch the townspeople the most, which is why his sermons are so well liked by the people. This is because of Dimmesdale’s ability to think outside of the strict constraints of Puritanical doctrines; he recognizes that by adhering to them, he will not be able to help and reach the people as well. He is also hiding his adultery for the same reason : if he is publicly shamed, he does not think that he will be able to help the people. Despite this seemingly being an ironic statement, in a way, it is actually a show of Dimmesdale’s intelligence: by maximizing his suffering by keeping the fact that he is an adulterer secret, Dimmesdale is able to better relate to the people and therefore better able to help them -- which is his main concern as a …show more content…

In fact, it is even stated that Hester does not restrict herself to thinking within the Puritanical doctrines:“The world’s law was no law for her mind… She assumed a freedom of speculation”(Hawthorne 116). She also questions Puritan ideals by questioning the meaning of womanhood, “Was existence worth accepting, even to the happiest [of women]?... the whole system of a society is to be torn down and built up anew.”(Hawthorne 117). By giving Hester a critical view of public shaming and Puritan society in general, Hawthorne is exposing to the flaws of Puritan society--it does not work. It is also important to note that besides becoming more rational, Hester does not become more religious -- something that Puritan ideals would have valued. This is because it is never explicitly mentioned in the book that Hester increases her devotion to God. This lack of change further emphasizes Hester’s detachment of Puritan ideals since she is not thinking about the basis for their ideas -- to be favorable in the eyes of God. Later, the scarlet letter changes from being a symbol of shame to a symbol of reverence; Hester becomes a trusted confidante due to her experience and knowledge of the

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