Scarlet Letter Compare And Contrast Essay
Evolution is defined as a “process of change” and sin leads to changes in a person’s life. Hester Prynne was guilty of adultery. She committed the sin with Arthur Dimmesdale. In addition, Hester wears a scarlet letter in the form of an A on her dress as a sign of shame, but Dimmesdale has a burnt A on his chest, that is not visible to the public. Although they bear some minor similarities, the differences between Hester’s and Dimmesdale’s responses to their guilt are pronounced. Dimmesdale dealt with the shame in very peculiar ways. He puts his hand on his chest and at some point in the story, he fasts. He created his own hell. Furthermore, he hid the truth from everyone. This is because Dimmesdale wanted to maintain his positon in society. Over time, this causes him to fall apart physically and spiritually. Dimmesdale only …show more content…
She is brave and does not deny that she sinned. She realizes that she needs to let go of the misery that the scarlet letter has brought upon her. Rather than letting it define her, Hester uses the letter. She helps out in the community. It does not define who she is. The differences between Dimmesdale and Hester can be seen throughout the book, The Scarlet Letter. For instance, Hester accepts her sin and punishment and works past it. On the other hand, Dimmesdale, feels more and more guilty and eventually dies because of it. Dimmesdale suffered more internally and Hester suffered more socially. Hester makes most of the sin. Hester and Dimmesdale can be compared and contrasted in the way they handled their scarlet letters. While Hester is stubborn, Dimmesdale is extremely cautious. Hester and Dimmesdale both committed a sin and were affected by that sin greatly. Additionally, keeping a secret from others can be a sneaky task and may turn out bad for an individual. This action can result in someone paying the ultimate price. “She loved him and he loved her but it wasn’t that
Blindness In The Scarlet Letter
1270 Words | 6 PagesThroughout The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne exposes the blindness of the Puritan people through the treatment of Hester, Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale’s external characters. Hester Prynne is labeled as an adulteress and mistreated by society because of their unwillingness to see her true character. Chillingworth, the husband of Hester, leads the town to believe he is an honorable man and skillful doctor, when his true intents root from his vindictive nature Finally, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester’s lover and the father of her baby, acts as the perfect man therefore the town views him as an exemplar model, while he is truly a sinner. In the novel, Hawthorne portrays Hester as a strong, resilient woman, though the members of her community
Who Is Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
693 Words | 3 PagesIn The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, both Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. However, one suffered more than the other did because the punishments were different. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale suffered more than Hester because, unlike Hester, he had nothing to live for and because of the guilt he had to keep hidden. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale suffered greatly through his conscience and had nothing to ease it. Dimmesdale had nothing to live for because he didn’t have a family or someone that needed him.
Who Is Dimmesdale's Suffering In The Scarlet Letter
522 Words | 3 PagesIn addition, Dimmesdale fells guilt even though he still does not confess. Narrator says, “The scarlet letter burned on Hester Prynne’s bosom. Here was another ruin, the responsibility of which came partly home to her” (narrator 154). This ruins Hester life. People in her town wanted her to leave the town or be punished such as wear a big red A on her bosom for the rest of her life.
The True Meaning Of Dimmesdale's Scarlet Letter
184 Words | 1 PagesRumors flew regarding how Dimmesdale got his scarlet letter: he carved it himself out of guilt, Chillingworth’s strong hatred increased its power, and that it was burnt onto him out of regret. All these rumors reflected the pain Dimmesdale got because he only thought of protecting his own reputation at first. Revealing that hiding anything and only to protect personal benefit will destroy one’s spirit and soul. Dimmesdale’s death impacted many characters. Chillingworth had no more sin to feed on and therefore withered; Pearl, found a happy new life in Europe.
Who Is Chillingworth's Death In The Scarlet Letter
935 Words | 4 PagesIn The Scarlet Letter, a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a young woman, named Hester Prynne, committed adultery due to her theory of her husband was dead. Hester was thrown in prison and given the letter “A” symbolising “adultery” which she has to wear on her bosom for the rest of her life. The narrator starts the novel with Hester’s trial on the scaffold after her time in prison. Then, the audience meets Roger Chillingworth, who is Hester’s husband from England. In the novel, Roger Chillingworth is the most villainous.
Essay About The Mistakes Hester Prynne Ever Made
599 Words | 3 Pages“It’s okay to not be perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s okay to do something that you wish you hadn’t done, because if we don’t do those things we never grow.”- Dawn Stanyon. Hester Prynne was one of the main characters in the book The Scarlet Letter
Arthur Dimmesdale's Guilt Quotes
1158 Words | 5 PagesDimmesdale suffers differently from Hester, because while she “bore it all” to the townspeople (181), his fears forced him to hide his sin, living a life full of “nothing but despair” (177). Hester, though made a social pariah of the town, has a more honest and healthy way of dealing with her sin. Because Hester is forced to face her wrongdoings under the watchful eye of her Puritan neighbors, she did not have the same guilt of secrecy that Dimmesdale did. Dimmesdale, by hiding his sin, allows himself to become a captive to his guilt. The way that Dimmesdale dealt with his guilt was unhealthy for him, both mentally and physically.
Hester Prynne Symbolism In Scarlet Letter
665 Words | 3 PagesOnce he confessed his sin to the community, his guilt was gone too. Even after Dimmesdale repented, God still did not like the sin because his has still committed an unforgivable sin. But, once he repented, he felt as though he was separated from that sin. God shows mercy on those who repent, and He showed mercy on Dimmesdale by, in a way, taking away his shame. He took away his shame by taking away
Arthur Dimmesdale's Marking Quotes
561 Words | 3 PagesThroughout the beginning of The Scarlet Letter the marking on Arthur Dimmesdale’s chest is not directly mentioned, and it would appear that Dimmesdale has no correlation with the main character Hester Prynne at all. The only indication that the reader is given is Hester’s child Pearl reaching up at Dimmesdale (Hawthorne 40), but this is well before the marking is ever mentioned. Dimmesdale just seems to be a regular priest, or clergyman as they were called, who is trying to figure out with whom Hester had committed adultery. This can be seen as how guilt will conceal itself and hide away before it begins gnawing at a person’s insides. The guilt will slowly
Analysis Of Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter
896 Words | 4 PagesEveryone in the community saw Hester at her weakest point, therefore her character and abilities could only grow from there. The power of the Scarlet Letter has provided Hester with a new found freedom for
How Hester Prynne Changes In Scarlet Letter
941 Words | 4 PagesWhile her punishment changes her physical appearance, it has a far more profound effect on her character. Hester seems much older and worn down with the scarlet letter on her bosom. To Hester, the scarlet letter is a
Dimmesdale's Responsibility For Sin In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
878 Words | 4 PagesHester’s personality was “warm and rich,” while Dimmesdale was on the brink of insanity, his personality and soul twisted and
Essay On Evil In The Scarlet Letter
719 Words | 3 PagesThe townspeople “[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 was supposed to represent sin was instead “fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom.”
Hester And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
743 Words | 3 PagesSome of the differences between these two characters are also what makes them alike, as well as setting them apart from the rest of the characters in the book. Hester and Dimmesdale’s need to repent and face their punishments in their own ways leads the reader through the book with surprises at every turn. The characters face challenges from holding in a secret, and facing a punishment all relating to the same actions taken before the book begins. Hester, the mother of Pearl ,as well as the main character, was
The Sin Of Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
1404 Words | 6 PagesBecause of the effects that Dimmesdale’s sin had on those living in his society, his sin is the greatest of all those presented in the novel, as illustrated by Hawthorne through Dimmesdale’s interactions with others. Because, unlike Hester, Dimmesdale hides his sin from the
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