Sin and Redemption of Scarlet Letter Essay - 1146 Words

Sin and Redemption: The Transformations of Prynne, Chillingsworth, and Dimmesdale In â€Å"The Scarlet Letter,† Hawthorne presents the consequences of sin as an important aspect in the lives of Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingsworth, and Arthur Dimmesdale. The sin committed, adultery, between Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale had resulted in the birth of their innocent little girl, Pearl. This sin ruined the three main characters’ lives completely in different ways. With the sin committed, there were different ways the characters reacted to it: embracing the sin, concealing the sin, and becoming obsessed and consumed with it. With each reaction to the sin there were also different actions of redemption. The sin of adultery and the power to†¦show more content†¦The letter went from a â€Å"badge of shame as an adulterer to a â€Å"symbol of her calling† as being able to help others in need (111). All of her hard work and determination allowed her to succeed and the townspeople embraced her and spoke good words of her, saying she was â€Å"so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, [and] so comfortable to the afflicted† (111). Though she committed adultery and went through a great deal of public humiliation, she did not let it destroy her. Instead she embraced her sin and was able to redeem herself through hard work and determination. The sin of hypocrisy and secrecy is represented through the character, Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale, the minister of the town, got a married woman pregnant and concealed the fact that he did from the rest of the townspeople for many years. In the beginning of the novel, the townspeople viewed Dimmesdale’s â€Å"eloquence and religious fervor† as bringing a positive innocent man to the town (46). Though he portrays an outwardly goodness about him, he truly is mendacious on the inside. His guilty conscience caused him to become extremely sickly. The townspeople believed that Dimmesdale’s health â€Å"had suffered severely, of late, by his too unreserved self-sacrifice to the labors and duties of the pastoral relation† (74). Truthfully though, the young minister was â€Å"pale, and holding his hand over his heart† as a clue of is suffering from hiding his sin (78). Later, it isShow MoreRelatedAlienation From Sin, And Redemption In The Scarlet Letter B y Nathaniel Hawthorne1883 Words   |  8 PagesIn the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses many themes to form the plot. Three prominent themes throughout the novel are sin and its consequences, alienation from self and society, and redemption. Adulteress Hester Prynne wears a scarlet letter at all times, her lover Dimmesdale becomes mentally and physically sick from his guilt, and her husband Roger Chillingworth ruins his life by only seeking for revenge. Hawthorne uses many symbols through the novel to showcase the powerful beliefsRead MoreNegative Effects Of The Scarlet Effect1551 Words   |  7 PagesEffects of the Scarlet Letter on Dimmesdale The scarlet letter is the Puritan’s method of broadcasting Hester’s sin to the world, but it also has an internal effect on Dimmesdale. Puritanism is a strict religion where pleasure is strictly forbidden and is punishable. When Hester Prynne is discovered to have committed adultery, she is forced to wear a scarlet A, which is short for ‘adultery’. When this is first revealed, Hester stands in the jail carrying baby Pearl and, with the people jeering, isRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter And The Making Of A Pearl892 Words   |  4 PagesSarah Thompson Mr. Carter English III 7 November 2017 The Scarlet Letter and the Making of a Pearl Every pearl begins as a dangerous and harsh intrusion into life. A piece of dirt is inserted into an oyster’s environment where it doesn’t belong. The oyster can either respond by dying, or by accepting and surrounding the sand with care. With continual care, the oyster turns the small speck of dirt into a beautiful pearl. The Scarlet Letter is a story of how one woman takes a scandalous event and ratherRead MoreWhat Is the Moral of the Scarlet Letter Essay1116 Words   |  5 Pages The scarlet letter is a text written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850 a fictional work which tells about the history of England during the puritan age and the story of women named Hester Prynne. The author feels this text as a romantic work because the text includes about love and the adulteress. The text involves facts and fiction of the author such as the â€Å"Custom-House is a fact and real, while the author was working as a surveyor in the Salem custom house inRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne928 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom Hathorne. The Scarlet Letter (1850) is a book about a woman in a Puritan society named Hester Prynne who committed adultery while her older husband was away and is forced to wear the Scarlett letter on her chest. Redemption is a constant theme throughout the book with his main characters Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl. Hawthorne uses Hester as an expression of rebellion of Puritan ways by how she is forced to wear the letter on her chest which gives her the feeling of redemption although it doesn’tRead MoreAnalysis Of Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter 1217 Words   |  5 PagesNovember 10, 2014 A Sin is a Sin Nathaniel Hawthorne was a brilliant writer of the 19th century. Hawthorne created a novel that reflected the time period of the Puritans in New England. The Scarlet Letter contains a representation of the people during that time period but can also be related to the reader’s time period. Originally, God created the world with complete perfection until man fell, and sin entered the world. In the eyes of God, a sin is a sin. There is no worse sin that one can commitRead MoreScarlet Letter Sin Essay1093 Words   |  5 PagesHawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne commits a sin by sleeping with the town’s minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. At first, Hesters daughter, Pearl, acts as a constant reminder of her sin. Later, Pearl is transformed into a symbol of innocence. Finally, Pearl redeems Hester from her sin. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, Pearl is recognized as a symbol of sin, innocence, and redemption. Hawthorne demonstrates in The Scarlet Letter how Pearl is a symbol of sin. Pearl is Hester Prynne’sRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1153 Words   |  5 Pages i. 1. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a romantic novel that takes place in sixteenth century Boston, Massachusetts. 2. As a romantic novel, it focuses on the various relationships between the characters and the drastic experiences caused by the scarlet letter between the four main characters being Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingsworth, and Pearl Prynne, with the condemnation of the Puritan society 3. The unknown narrator follows the novel’s main antagonistRead MoreEssay on Hester Prynne1260 Words   |  6 Pages Hester Prynne nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Nathaniel Hawthorneamp;#8217;s The Scarlet Letter, a dark tale of sin and redemption,centers around the small Puritan community of Boston during the 17th century. In the midst of this small community is Hester Prynne. She is a woman that has defied the Puritans, taken the consequences and in the end conformed with the Puritans. It did, however, take great effort to settle down and become a women of honor again. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Hester PrynneRead MoreAnalysis of Sin in The Scarlet Letter1393 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"He that falls into sin is a man; that grieves at it, is a saint; that boasteth of it, is a devil† (Thomas Fuller). Every human being who has lived has sinned. As such, sin cannot be judged or punished merely for the act. Rather, other considerations should be taken into account. Sin is a universal concept of imperfect behavior independent of religious affiliation and is practiced universally. The range of acts and thoughts covered by sin is vast; Hawthorne critically explores the strict, inflexible