The Importance Of Society In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

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Nathaniel Hawthorne’s purpose in delivering The Scarlet Letter is to show how individuals can be ostracized and isolated from an oppressive society that strictly adheres to their spiritual beliefs and hypocritical morals. Hawthorne highlights the emotional ramifications of rejection by a Puritan society on the human psyche through Hester Prynne, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. Hester is sentenced to be forever defined by the letter “A” sewn to her dress as public humiliation for committing adultery. Hawthorne demonstrates the intense, pitiless religious persecution Hester had to endure, “A female cried, ‘At the very least, they should have put the brand of hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead . . . This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die’” (49). Hester is frequently ridiculed and mocked daily by her …show more content…

society:
Society often has a skewed sense of reality. They speculate about the truth, but in actuality, society only sees what is presented to them. Hawthorne suggests that society thrives on witnessing personal destruction. Gossip and chatter circulated among the village regarding Hester’s situation. Hawthorne suggests that one should attempt to escape the powerful influence of society. He demonstrates this through Hester, who successfully transcended above the harsh judgement of her society. Hester created her own identity by not allowing society to define her by the Scarlet Letter.

f. revenge:
The author conveys a message of forgiveness over revenge. Chillingworth dedicates his life to exacting revenge on Dimmesdale. At the conclusion of the novel, however, Hester and Dimmesdale recognize that Chillingworth’s sin is worse than their own. Hester and Dimmesdale perceive Chillingworth as the embodiment of Satan, as the evil and hateful revenge corrupted him and transformed him into a malicious entity.

5.Explain the evolution of Hester’s scarlet letter throughout the book and how that evolution matches Hawthorne’s

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