Integrity In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
The definition of integrity in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is a firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values. A character with integrity is willing to sacrifice anything of sentimental or physical value, even their life or reputation, to defend the moral system they govern themselves by. It takes someone of strong character to possess integrity, because the temptation to give in is every so often immensely appealing. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is a character of such integrity, because she upholds her promise with Chillingworth and refuses to flee from the punishment of the scarlet letter “A”. (Hawthorne 55) On the other hand, Dimmesdale was a man of low integrity, because he would not confess the truth about …show more content…
Honest with himself, he was however misleading with the congregation from the fear of facing the punishment and the shame he knew he would face from them. He knew he had done wrong, it was obvious in the penance he imposed on himself, yet he was deceitful with the townspeople giving evidence to the lack of integrity his character had within. It took him seven years and a call of death to finally come clean with his fellow worshippers. It was too late to gain any form of dignity, and if anything he would only be seen as a coward for just dying after his confessed his sin.
In the Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne was a character of high integrity. She lived by her own values and merits no matter what the consequence, and refused to give in to the abundance of temptations that were presented to her. The scarlet letter also provided lessons that Hester needed to learn in order to continue her development as a person. Men living by Dimmesdale’s standard, hiding the fact they have sinned and having to be pushed to the edge to confess, feel integrity takes a back seat to getting what you yearn for. For them, their moral code is only a guide, seldom
Arthur Dimmesdale Quotes From The Crucible
190 Words | 1 PagesIn the well-known novel The Scarlet Letter one of the protagonists, Hester, commits a horrible sin that in her culture was considered to be as bad as murder. Hester committed adultery with one of the most holy people in her community, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Reverend Dimmesdale tried to hide his mistake of adultery and conform to the norm of the society he lived in. Many people consider his cowardice to be his worst action. A famous quote contradicts that notion, “The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice, but conformity.”
Dimmesdale's Guilt
535 Words | 3 PagesFor example, Dimmesdale’s actions show that he has something to hide: “He keeps vigils, likewise, night after night” (Hawthorne 127). Dimmesdale fears if his furtive sin becomes exposed, that his reputation in the community would vanish as well. Fear floods Dimmesdale’s brain at the thought of losing the communities support. He pities himself for risking his reputation: “Whose great heart would have pitied and forgiven . . .” (Hawthorne 127).
Conformity Revealed By Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
836 Words | 4 PagesHumans have a tendency to conform and often neglect the potential consequences of doing so. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author introduces those consequences through a respected clergyman and sinner named Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale struggles with his guilty conscience and cowardice to confess his sin which prompts him to abide by societal rules but question himself in private. Dimmesdale’s conflict between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the novel’s message that everybody must confront their sins or they will fall victim to some form of retribution.
Pride, Isolation, And Guilt In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
256 Words | 2 PagesHathorne has there themes that he make very apparent during The Scarlet Letter. These three themes are pride, isolation, and Guilt. When I think of these three themes and reflect on which characters he could be talking about, and it becomes crystal clear. He is talking about Hester when he talks about the first theme pride. This pride comes into play with the scarlet letter, with the A on Hester 's chest.
Mistakes And Guilty In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
480 Words | 2 PagesWe have all experienced people’s unforgiving ways, and we all know that there are those that will judge based on your mistakes. This is very prominent in The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne, the main character, was judged profoundly by her community. The townspeople of Salem, Massachusetts shunned her for one mistake: Adultery.
Hester Prynne And Arthur Dimmesdale
437 Words | 2 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter depicts the flaws in the human nature of both Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Although each character possesses their own belief and values, both played their part in the sin committed. However, there is always a cause for an individual’s wrong doing and in the case of both Hester and Dimmesdale it, “had been a sin of passion, not principle, nor even purpose” (Hawthorne 152).
Guilt In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'
682 Words | 3 PagesMany readers notice Hester’s surprising reaction to the life she has come to face and the punishments placed upon her. The audience is able to determine that Hester has come to terms with her punishments beginning to accept them. However the narrator clearly establishes that many of the people closest to Hester were the ones inflicting the most guilt onto Hester’s life. Pearl the product of her sin and Roger Chillingworth the man she cheated on both impact Hester’s life the most. Imposing an immense amount of pain and guilt in Hester’s life in similar ways due to the fact that they are a constant reminder of the mistakes Hester has made.
Hypocrisy In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
1036 Words | 5 Pages“Hypocrisy is not a way of getting back to the moral high ground. Pretending you’re moral, saying you’re moral is not the same as acting morally” (Dershowitz). In the 17th century, America was dominated by the Puritan religion. It brought the idea of perfection and high morality. The truth is, however, staying at high moral standing is impossible, as humans are determined to make mistakes at least once in their lives, although it is safe to say humans break the set in stone “moral code” numerous times in their lives.
Exceptionalism In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
586 Words | 3 PagesSimilarly to Winthrop, Hawthorne’s writing contains a lot of references to Christianity, but they run contrary to the character’s supposed natures. Hester, a sinner, looks like the Virgin Mary. On the other hand, someone who should never sin - the Reverend Dimmesdale - has sinned and is connected to the devil. Pearl, notices that Dimmesdale’s sin has poisoned his body and yells “‘Come away, or yonder old Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already!’”
Compare And Contrast The Minister's Black Veil And The Scarlet Letter
119 Words | 1 PagesIn the short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” and the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the stories of two men who keep their sins secret and are hurt deeply. In The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Dimmesdale does not reveal his sin to the community and experiences far more pain than Hester, whose sin is revealed. Years after the original sin, Hester has healed and is accepted by the community, while Dimmesdale still feels guilty, as can be seen when he mounts the scaffold. Dimmesdale’s experience is similar to that of Reverend Hooper, who covers his face after a secret sin and is eschewed by the community. When we refuse to admit our faults, we will feel guilty
Guilt In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
382 Words | 2 PagesHawthorne's use of the increasingly decrepit state of Dimmesdale's physical and mental health illustrates the havoc guilt wreaks upon
Flaws In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
631 Words | 3 Pages“The Scarlet Letter” is known as Nathaniel Hawthorne’s masterpiece and many have analyzed the famous romance novel, to figure out how it can be considered so deft. One of those people is Henry James. James discusses this novel in his scholarly essay “Flaws in The Scarlet Letter”. According to him “The Scarlet Letter”, is Hawthorne’s, “most substantial title of fame”(26). This article explains that symbolism, characters, and research play a significant role when scrutinizing the novel’s worth.
Hypocrisy Of The Puritan Society In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
936 Words | 4 PagesIn the “Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays hypocrisy of the Puritan society, where the protagonist Hester Prynne face many consequences of her actions and the how she tries to redeem herself to the society. During the seventeenth puritans believe that it is their mission to punish the ones who do not follow God’s word and it is their job to stop those from sinning. Therefore, the hypercritical puritan society punishes Hester harshly for committing adultery, but in Hester’s mind, she believes that what she did was not a sin but acts of love for her man. Eventually, she redeems herself by turning her crime into an advantage to help those in need, yet the Puritan society still view her as a “naughty bagger.” (Hawthorne 78)
Weakness In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'
1405 Words | 6 PagesThe strength drains him, leaving him dead after living a life of sin, weakness, and self-hatred. His weaknesses transform his view of himself until he despises who he is. His feeble attitude is what brings him to lose his final strengths. Because of his inability to admit his sins, Dimmesdale, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, transforms from a holy minister to a self-loathing sinner,
Sin And The Chance Of Redemption In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
1029 Words | 5 PagesEffect of Sin and the Chance of Redemption Sin is a powerful action that has an everlasting consequence of guilt. Once done, the person wants to forget about his felonious actions; however, hopefully a person’s conscience is a constant, nagging reminder. In order to be free of the constant pain, redemption is pursued for even the person who sinned in public or private. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne proves that the truth of sin eventually need to be confronted in order for a person to stop suffering.
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