The Scarlet Letter The Response to Sin Essay - 1847 Words

We are all sinners. Although one may try hard not to sin, all humans eventually succumb at some time or another to sin. While people may not able to avoid the fate which awaits them, the power of free will allows people to decide how they will respond to sin. While some may respond with guilt and regret, others may react with a sense of redemption and a renewed sense of responsibility. Nathanial Hawthorne, an American author during the 19th century witnessed the power of sin to wreak havoc not only to an individual but a whole community. His novel The Scarlet Letter expresses this very idea by exposing the follies of mankind and the potentially detrimental effects of sin trough Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger†¦show more content†¦She realizes that to redeem herself she has to face the situation rather then escape from it. Readers can see how this desire to accept punishment results in a renewed sense of pride. Had Hester left Puritan society it would then suggest to the readers that the Puritans successfully enforced their punishment. Hester’s sense of pride however does not allow her to feel powerlessness against Puritan society. Even though the Puritans allow Hester to leave Boston and thus forget about the adultery, Hester’s decision to stay emphasizes how she has responded to sin with responsibility. Through her h ard works to help not only herself but her community, it allows readers to see that although on the outside Hester is a sinner, inside she is a saint who seeks to help others in society. Furthermore, readers are to see how acting with responsibility allows for forgiveness from others. The townspeople â€Å"[began] to look upon the scarlet letter as a token, not of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance, but of her many good deeds since.† This quote exemplifies how sin is not a death sentence for Hester. Through hard work and charity it allowed the rigid Puritan society to see her as something different, and as someone who would not let society define who she was. Hester, thus, was not only able to change herself but also the image in which society viewed her by working hard to benefit the public. Likewise, the scarlet letter which wasShow MoreRelatedThe Scarlett Letter: Pearl Analysis907 Words   |  4 Pagesof Pearl, a young girl, in his novel, The Scarlet Letter. Initially, Hester Prynne, Pearl’s mother, marries Roger Chillingworth; however, she soon meets the Puritan Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, and Pearl results 9 month s later. The Puritan society forces Hester to wear a scarlet and gold colored â€Å"A† on her chest as a reminder of her crime - adultery. In society’s eyes, Pearl serves as a reminder of Hester’s sin, establishing Pearl as a living scarlet letter, although she IS ultimately innocent. FurthermoreRead More The Scarlet Letter - Impact of Sin on Dimmmesdale, Chillingworth and Hester1131 Words   |  5 PagesThe Scarlet Letter - Impact of Sin on Dimmmesdale, Chillingworth and Hester   Ã‚   Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a seventeenth century Baptist preacher, commented that, Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of. An individual either faces their actions or runs from them, and Gothic Romance authors often write about the evil that emerges in people when they conceal their sins. Throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstratesRead MoreSummary Of Sin In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne739 Words   |  3 Pagesnovel he explores how people live with their sin. The three main characters Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth each had one thing in common: they all had sin they had to live with every day. Hawthorne shows that sin changed their personalities and how they lived their lives. This can be seen by examining the lives of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Hester Prynne is an essential character in the Scarlet Letter who embraces her sin and turns it into something positive. SheRead MoreA Matter of The Heart Essay1446 Words   |  6 PagesSin is like an open sore that if left to fester will continue to grow worse not improve. Nathaniel Hawthorne examines this concept, as he seeks to connect with his reader. Many of his works revolve around a theme of sin and the effects it has on the mind, body, and soul. Sin is one of those permeating areas that has lasting consequences that affect all of life. Many characters in Hawthorne’s works go through their lives struggling as they try to cope with the guilt and shame associated with theirRead MoreComparing The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthrone and The Crucible by Arthur Miller1394 Words   |  6 Pagesthat display both aspects of this society very accurately are The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel   Hawthorne, and The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. The Scarlet Letter displays a socie ty that treats two people very differently who commit the sin of adultery together. The woman, Hester Prynne, admits her sin, is forced to always wear a scarlet letter A on her bosom, and is ostracized from society. The man, Reverend Dimmesdale, hides his sin from the world, is almost worshipped by the townspeople, but is filledRead More Symbols and Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter1157 Words   |  5 PagesSymbols in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚   In nearly every work of literature, readers can find symbols that represent feelings, thoughts or ideas within the text.   Such symbols can be found in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.   Hawthornes book about an affair between a woman named Hester and a minister named Arthur Dimmmesdale is full of feelings of sin, guilt, hate, secrecy, and honesty.   There are many symbols within the novel that can be interpreted to represent the key topicsRead MoreHester As A Strong Female Character And The Scarlet Letter1572 Words   |  7 Pagesand The Scarlet Letter as a Feminist Novel In The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a question arises: Is The Scarlet Letter a feminist novel? First, what is feminism? Feminism is â€Å"the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men†. Feminism is really about a woman’s strength since the act of feminism causes a woman to go against traditional views and be ridiculed for that. What does feminism have to do with The Scarlet Letter? HawthorneRead More The Benefits of Sin Revealed in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter1661 Words   |  7 PagesThe Benefits of Sin Revealed in The Scarlet Letter      Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter, each of us is born with original sin we have inherited from the misdeeds of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. As Eve bit hungrily into the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, starving for wisdom, little did she know that the entire human race would thereafter be tainted by her sin. Hawthorne and many others believe that ever since, human beings have been inclined to evil, moreRead MoreEssay On John Hathorne878 Words   |  4 Pages   Ã‚  Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne was greatly influenced by his great- great grandfather, John Hathorne, to develop the novel The Scarlet Letter.   John hathorne was involved in the persecution of several people in the Salem, Massachusetts (encyclopedia). JOHN HATHORNE AND THE SALEM WITCH TRIALS   Ã‚  Ã‚   In the year 1692, the Salem Witch Trials began and John Hathorne was chosen by Governor Sir William Phips to be a judge during the trials.   Hathorne believed that Satan had the power to pressure people into harmingRead MoreScarlet Letter Transcendentalism Essay1046 Words   |  5 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter mirrors this concept, nature playing a vital role in the story from cover to cover. From the influence of the nature (specifically the forest, flowers, and sunlight), on the plot, there is a common theme shown throughout the novel. Hawthorne implemented these elements in The Scarlet Letter to emphasize how nature is a ways of shining light on the truth. Perhaps the greatest example of nature revealing truth in The Scarlet Letter is in the forest. The forest