Sin And The Chance Of Redemption In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Effect 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. After the sin was committed, the development of guilt made Hester and Dimmesdale very miserable because they could not stop thinking about what they have done. Both of the characters kept going back to that moment, feeling remorse …show more content…
She realized that everyone will eventually find out about the sin, so she became courageous and took responsibility for her action. After she had completed her punishment in prison, she moved to a cottage. Hester was guilty for what she had done, but she started to help the poor, even though they rejected her. The guilt deprived her from all the “joys [of life] [because] she rejected it as sin” (Hawthorne 130) Hester ceased enjoying anything that a normal person would think as amusing because it was wrong for her since she became the outcast of the town. Hester changed her attire to a plain, darkshade, with no designs, which corresponded to her emotions. There was nothing she could accomplish to reduce the pain of the guilt since the truth was known by everyone in her hometown. As time went on, Hester regained some purport in her town. The townspeople demanded Hester for her skills and soon she did not need to wear the scarlet letter anymore, but she thought she deserved it. Whether the sin was committed in secrecy or not, both Hester and Dimmesdale went through similar consequences. Redemption was the only answer that will stop one’s suffering and gain peace with their internal
Compare And Contrast Dimmesdale And Dimmesdale
728 Words | 3 PagesHester still loved Dimmesdale and felt deeply for him. She even looked to him for support when she dealt with the high ranking officials in the colony, like wife would look to a husband. When the government offices were debating whether or not Hester should keep pearl, she looked to Dimmesdale for support and asked him to speak for her. From reading the novel the reader can conclude that Dimmesdale felt some degree of love for Hester just not as deeply as true love. Dimmesdale did not not openly admit his sin with Hester, and when someone loved a person they do not want to see that person in pain and usually share in their
Arthur Dimmesdale's Shame In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
1655 Words | 7 PagesHowever, in reality, Hester's infamy was strengthening her, while Dimmesdale’s self-humiliation was weakening him. Although it may seem that his hesitance towards confessing his sin was killing him, it can be seen as the only thing keeping him alive. Hester may have been tormented by her mistake but she ended up being
Shame In Lydia Woodyatt's 'Power Of Public Shaming'
638 Words | 3 PagesShame in the Face of the Public Consequences of crimes are often unfit or unjust, but public humiliation serves as a fit consequence to any situation. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Lydia Woodyatt’s “The Power of Public Shaming, for Good and for Ill,” and Herbert Wray’s “The Two Faces of Shame,” the authors convey the effectiveness of public humiliation. Public shaming is effective by impacting a person’s character through guilt and embarrassment. Public shaming became a way of reshaping human character.
Scarlet Letter Sin Quotes
850 Words | 4 PagesA Sin of Fatal Intent Proverbs 28:13 states, " He that covers his sins shall not prosper: but whoever confesses and forsakes them shall have mercy." Deceitful actions, unholy intentions, hatred, guilt, revenge, and in a word, sin; these are all primary aspects of The Scarlet Letter, a classic novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Yet, the most unmistakable characteristic, which penetratingly echoes through the chapters of The Scarlet Letter and through the mind of the reader, is the calamity which comes with sin and has plagued humanity almost since the beginning of time. Sin is a fact of human nature, and The Scarlet Letter displayed sin not only in depth and in its worst state, but also its deadly effects.
How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Internal Torture In The Scarlet Letter
864 Words | 4 PagesEven after hiding the sin for years Dimmesdale mentions God is merciful and gives him grace so he can achieve salvation. Hester, on the other hand, becomes redeemed in a dissimilar way than Dimmesdale. Hester’s open confession and her redemption is the way she lived her life with the scarlet letter. She lives on the outskirts of town and keeps her head low to separate herself from society. Hawthorne uses multiple voices and the redemption of Dimmesdale and Hester to show how one can be redeemed from
Importance Of The Scaffold In The Scarlet Letter
664 Words | 3 PagesHester stood in front of a crowd to receive her punishment and when she got her punishment the goodwives did not think fondly of her. “When the young woman-the mother of this child- stood fully revealed before the crowd, it seemed to be her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom; not so much by an impulse of motherly affection, as that she might thereby conceal a certain token, which was wrought or fastened into her dress” (Hawthorne 60). When Hester received her punishment she was very self conscience about her scarlet letter. She felt that she had to
How Does Hester Prynne Change In The Scarlet Letter
799 Words | 4 PagesAsrai Brainerd Ms. Morrison Identity & Society 23 March, 2016 In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester accepts their sin and uses it to help the townspeople that are struggling with their own transgressions, while Dimmesdale lets their sin drain him until he becomes weak and empty inside. The change we see in both major characters is actually who they are on the inside showing through their exterior facade. Hester goes from almost rebellious of what her religion has taught her, to someone that people in town go to advice to on how to be a good Puritan in their almost utopian society. While Dimmesdale starts out seeming morally strong because of his position in the town, he has secretly committed a crime that would get both him and Hester executed.
Consequences Of Sin In The Scarlet Letter
796 Words | 4 PagesThroughout the story, it is clear that he wants to confess his sin, when he is yelling at the scaffold at night but he’s too weak to do it publicly. The interactions between Hester and Dimmesdale show her hold over him because she has been publicly condemned for a sin that they had committed together. His inability to reveal and accept the truth makes him extremely weak. When Dimmesdale decides to reveal the truth during his Election Day speech, he passes away because he had waited too
Scarlet Letter Outline
441 Words | 2 PagesHis affair with Hester Prynne left her publicly humiliated, yet he did not face any backlash, as his identity was hidden. This became an issue for Dimmesdale, whose guilt became so intense that Chillingworth even stated, "look again at Hester 's scarlet letter...with all its mysterious horror, it is but the shadow of what [Dimmesdale] bears on his own breast...even this...is no more than the type of what has seared his innermost heart" (Hawthorne 305). Dimmesdale 's inner guilt manifested into intense self-hatred and he reverted back to a broken, guilt-ridden state in which he remained for seven years in an increasingly harmful pattern of self torture. This pain that he felt was immensely greater than that of Hester, who after being publicly shamed, could move on and surpass her individual guilt. As Hester grew stronger and became a more upstanding member of the community, Dimmesdale broke down, his spirit becoming, "so shattered and subdued that it could hardly hold itself erect" (236).
Sin In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
980 Words | 4 PagesHe commits adultery with Hester, but in contrast to her, he does not want to fully acknowledge his sin. Hester publicly confessed to her sin while Dimmesdale does not fully admit to his sin. By withholding in his sin, his health deteriorates. His health worsens and worsens as he continues to withhold his sin. Because of his guilt, Dimmesdale punishes himself, like whipping and starving.
Scarlet Letter Allurement Of Sin
1063 Words | 5 PagesDimmsdale betrays Hester and does not confess to his own sin; he is afraid to take responsibility for his role in the affair. The alleged virtuous women of the town publicly stigmatize and shame Hester. The town council leaves Hester no other choice than to live secluded from society and deprived of social interaction. The public, at first, refuses to grant a job to such a dishonorable woman. However, the townspeople’s actions go further than simply punishing Hester for her sin.
Comparing Letter And Dimmesdale's Pain In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
431 Words | 2 PagesIn The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the comparison between Hester’s scarlet letter and Dimmesdale’s hand over his heart presents the theme that people will experience a permanent and more powerful pain when they attempt to hide their sin intentionally rather than choosing to confess and expose it to the public. The scarlet letter once to be a reflection of sin, but what it stands for can always be changed because it is removable, and it is not a permanent imprint on Hester’s body. Even though both Hester and Dimmesdale are sinners, Hester experiences less torture because the townspeople witness her confession through her action of helping the poor, and they interpret the scarlet letter A as “able” instead of “adultery” because
How Does The Scarlet Letter Be Forgiven
602 Words | 3 PagesThankfully, it wasn't all too late to do. When Dimmesdale finally be "true" to himself, he drifts the three away from their fate. Dimmesdale released himself from self-torture. Chillingworth released himself from endless vengeance and isolation from humanity. Some might say, Hester never came to forgiveness, because she returns to New England and wears the red A on her bosom once again.
Sin In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
251 Words | 2 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, revolves around an indefinite concept condemned from the biblical dawn of mankind (Adam, Eve, and their grave misconduct in the Garden of Eden): sin. The deadly seven exist within all of us; pride dances with greed, lust provokes envy, gluttony begets sloth, and wrath skulks in the recesses of our being. But, as explored through Hester Prynne’s infamous existence, there is a vital spirit and a certain passion that engenders sin. The basic plotline stands thus; a young, married woman engages in a passionate affair with Reverend Dimmesdale, bears an illegitimate daughter while imprisoned, and is constantly ostracized by her community for her terrible sin. However, Hester refuses to reveal the
Foreshadowing In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter
763 Words | 4 PagesAlthough these two are guilty of the same sin, Dimmesdale continues to be praised because he has not yet confessed; however, Hester, who has confessed her sin, is still looked down upon to some degree by the community. In conclusions, various forms or irony can be found in the novel, “The Scarlet
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