Hidden Sin In Scarlet Letter

C.S. Lewis, British author and poet, insightfully stated, “We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin...But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin.” The self-condemnation caused by sins will always remain despite the evolution of time. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, describes characters Hester and Dimmesdale and their struggle with the guilt of hidden sins as well as the shame of revealed sins. Throughout the book, the author illustrates the conflict of revealed verses hidden sins through two primary characters.

The penalty of revealed sin is showcased through a character named Hester Prynne. Found guilty of adultery, she was forced to wear a letter upon her chest. The letter signified her disgrace, as stated, “The scarlet letter, which it

As a Puritan minister, he was well respected among the community. What they didn’t know, however, was that he was the culprit behind Hester 's adultery. Due to the lack of discipline received from the community, Dimmesdale ”loathed his miserable self”(99). The townspeople would never reprimand him, thus his guilt made him despise himself. Dimmesdale would also inflict pain upon himself using a “bloody scourge ”(99). He would harm himself in many ways as penance for his sins. Although he had never revealed his sin, he was followed by guilt that turned his life into misery.

The Scarlet letter demonstrated the moral consequences of both hidden as well as revealed sins through two prominent characters. Hester, whose sin had been revealed, went through a grueling life judged by her community for her sins until she was able to prove her compassionate nature. While Dimmesdale, who hid his misdeed, was loved by his community despite admitting he was no saint, which drove him into a misery. For the both of them, however, no matter how much time has passed the shame as well as the guilt had never