The Theme of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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The Theme of the Scarlet Letter

How should society react to sin? With The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne takes us back to our roots, back to Puritan New England, “a land where iniquity is searched out, and punished in the sight of rulers and people” (58), and through this skillfully crafted novel, gives us an answer. According to Hawthorne, it is in the best interest of society to openly punish sin, for eventually the transgressor is reaccepted into society, while those who have sinned and receive no absolution from society suffer terribly.

Hester Prynne has sinned, and as punishment must wear a scarlet A. The A is for all to see that she has committed adultery, and to ensure that she is forever an outcast, one separated from society by her sin. However, as soon as she is released from prison and settles down, she becomes an in demand seamstress. “By degrees, nor very slowly, her handiwork became what would now be termed the fashion” (76). Governors, military men, ministers, and babies gladly wear her work. Yes, never is she allowed to sew a wedding veil, but nevertheless, from the start she is allowed to support herself and her child. At the same time, Hester begins to spend her free time sewing for the poor. She does nothing more than ensure that she and her child have enough to live. She lies low. Seven years pass. Because Hawthorne believes that “except where its selfishness is brought into play, [the human heart] loves more readily than it hates” (145), and because Hester has done nothing except help those around her through charitable works, “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification…it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne” (146). They go so far as to point her out to strangers ...

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...t response. Hester alone receives punishment and through it, survives her sin. Dimmesdale does not survive because society is never given the opportunity to acknowledge his sin, and therefore he is unable to be at peace with himself. Chillingworth does not survive, and is in fact the worst of the three, because he takes it upon himself to do what is society should have done--punish the sin of another. If we are to believe what Hawthorne shows us in The Scarlet Letter, the optimal reaction to sin is to punish it before the sight of all, for we as humans forgive more easily than hate, and with time will reaccept the sinner into society, while we will leave those who have sinned yet remain silent, whether their silence be willing or unwilling, to be destroyed.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York, NY: Bantam Dell, 2003. Print.

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