Sin And Punishment In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

“On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A” (Hawthorne, chap. 2, para. 10). At first glance, Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter gives the scarlet letter a sense of beauty and elegance in contrast with the townspeople’s simplicity. However, the scarlet letter is proven to represent shame, sin, and punishment throughout the novel, especially in Hester Prynne, the one branded with the mark. The scarlet letter signifies Hester’s punishment and the damage resulting from it.

In the beginning of the novel, the scarlet letter represents Hester’s sins and the punishment resulting from them. When Hester steps out of the prison, she realizes the sense of shame will continue throughout her life. The text states,“Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast… as the figure, the body, the reality of sin” (chap. 5, para. 1). This establishes a connection between Hester and the idea of pure sin. The scarlet letter personifies Hester into an idol of sin; this personification leads to the townspeople to ostracize or shun her in accordance with Puritan ideals. Additionally, church officials use Hester as a sermon on sin

and the punishment incurred for committing them. This public humiliation of Hester lead to lasting damage of Hester’s personality.
As the story progresses, Hester loses her sensitive aspects due to the punishment of the scarlet letter.

In Chapter 13, Hawthorne describes how Hester lost the most vital parts of her personality because of the scarlet letter: “All the light and graceful foliage of her character had been withered up by this red-hot brand… leaving a bare and harsh outline…” (para. 6). This detail demonstrates how the social isolation caused by the scarlet letter has dealt irrevocable damage to Hester’s personality despite the positive connotations attached to the scarlet letter by the townspeople. While she acts generously and kindly during times of strife, she acts without passion or affection towards the people she

helps.
The scarlet letter continues to affect Hester despite Hester making amends with Dimmesdale and forgiving herself for her wrongdoings. After Hester’s passion and love had come back to her in “The Child at the Brookside,” the text states, “[T]here was a sense of inevitable doom upon her as she thus received back this deadly symbol from the hand of fate....As if there were a withering spell in the sad letter, her beauty, the warmth and richness of her womanhood, departed like fading sunshine, and a gray shadow seemed to fall across her.” This illustrates how the scarlet letter retains its power despite Hester’s returning passion and love; it also demonstrates how the scarlet letter embodies the shame Hester feels about her sins. The scarlet letter continues to punish her for her adultery.
The scarlet letter represents the damage incurred from Hester’s punishment for her sins. In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, the scarlet letter is used to humiliate Hester and isolate her from the rest of Puritan society. This separation and ostracization leads to Hester losing her passion for life and affection towards others; this damage continues despite the townspeople’s changing perspective of the scarlet letter and its meaning. Even when she plans a brighter future with Dimmesdale in England, the scarlet letter continues to burden her and hide the sensitive ideals of her personalities. Symbols, even those with positive aspects, can incur irreversible damage if used irresponsibly.