Judgement In The Scarlet Letter

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Judgement: An Ongoing Conflict of Perception From lying to parents, to wearing makeup, it is common in life for people to lie and to conceal various parts of their character. This is likely due to a battle between appearance and the realities of life. Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of The Scarlet Letter, best communicates this through the various characters in the novel, most significantly Arthur Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Hester Prynne. Living in a Puritan society, their community expects them to value honesty and righteousness. However, their actions, along with Hawthorne’s additional descriptions of events, show that not only are there multiple facets to people and their personalities, but also it calls into question people’s liabilities of …show more content…

Often times, people create ideas of others that do not truly represent someone. Moreover, these perceptions often ignore the concept of a person having multiple levels to their substance. While standing on the scaffold, the place of judgement, Hester realizes that her life is essentially the scarlet letter and her baby, “she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real. Yes! - these were her realities - all else had vanished!” (44). Incessant scurrilous comments from others in the town worsen Hester’s misery that stem from “realities.” However, Hawthorne criticizes how people within Puritan society view Hester, lighting a path of redemption from ignominy. The stereotype of an adulteress remains with Hester for several years. This changes when the meaning of her scarlet letter A changes from Adultery to Able, “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification” (121), emphasizing her abilities and willingness to assist others. By this, Hawthorne observes a shift in society’s perception of Hester, pointing to the issue of stereotypes having an everlasting effect on ones life. Hawthorne highlights the message that one should not be punished by a perceived label, rather extolled for their true character and

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