Suffering In The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter is a book about Puritan Society, adultery, and punishment. The attainment of wisdom through suffering is the main theme developed by Nathaniel Hawthorn In his book The Scarlet Letter. However, in The Scarlet Letter, it seems that the attainment of wisdom through suffering only works if one fully accepts the root of their suffering - their sin. The theme is developed using the characters in the book, mostly through Hester Prynne who accepts her sin, but also through the failure of Minister Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth, who do not accept their sin.
It’s debatable whether Roger Chillingworth is suffering in The Scarlet Letter or is solely seeking revenge on Dimmesdale. However, it can be proposed that Chillingworth, in
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In the beginning, Hester is given a scarlet letter, separated from the Puritan community, and isolated with her daughter, Pearl, due to her sin of adultery. Hester suffers due to her isolation, the Scarlet Letter, public ridicule, and her own guilt. This isolation allows her to attain wisdom because she is no longer a part of the Puritan social structure and has to support herself and her daughter somehow. With time, Hester learns to depend on herself, assess her morals, and develops her own inner strength, leading to many of the townspeople seeing her scarlet letter “A” to mean “Able” in chapter 13. We see her wisdom shine through fully in her confrontation with Chillingworth in four chapters - chapters 14, 15, 19, and 24; In Chapter 14, Hester tells Chillingworth she is going to tell the truth about their relationship (husband and wife) and realizes that he has been afflicted by evil; In Chapter 15, she reflects and comes to the revelation that their marriage was loveless and filled with resentment; In chapter 19, She reacts to Pearl’s behavior in a motherly way, seeing it as childish fear of change as opposed to Dimmesdale who is afraid and wants Hester to do whatever it takes to pacify her; And in chapter 24, Hester returns to the colony and offers comfort, hope, and assistance to the
Roger Chillingworth Committed The Greater Sin In The Scarlet Letter
285 Words | 2 PagesRoger Chillingworth committed the greater sin in the Scarlet Letter. Chillingworth was a malicious man. After the news that Hester had committed adultery, he became more and more like the “Black Man.” He lied about being a doctor and his identity. Additionally, Chillingworth was the overall cause for Dimmesdale’s death, after seven years of torturing his mind.
Blindness In The Scarlet Letter
1270 Words | 6 PagesHe moves in with Dimmesdale, and claims he will care for him, but the public cannot see that his intention is to torture Dimmesdale. Hawthorne explains, “The intellect of Roger Chillingworth had now a sufficiently plain path before it. It was not, indeed, precisely that which he had laid out for himself to tread. Calm, gentle, passionless, as he appeared, there was yet, we fear, a quiet depth of malice, hitherto latent, but active now, in this unfortunate old man, which led him to imagine a more intimate revenge than any mortal had ever wreaked upon an enemy” (126). He deliberately chooses to drive Chillingworth into insanity.
Who Is Dimmesdale's Mental Strength In The Scarlet Letter
872 Words | 4 PagesHowever, Dimmesdale’s guilt is not the only contributor to his mental state. Another factor that bestows this is Roger Chillingworth’s invidious persona and willingness to gain revenge. After comprehending Dimmesdale’s liability for Hester’s sins, Chillingworth subtly begins to torture Dimmesdale with guilt as he feels this is the only way for him to satisfy his revenge (Hawthorne 95-96). Chillingworth’s subtle methods of torment are another factor that causes Dimmesdale’s psychological strength to degrade, and allows Chillingworth to be satisfied with his desire to get revenge on Dimmesdale and Hester. Dimmesdale’s attitude towards confessing his sins and Chillingworth’s attempts to gain vengeance cause Dimmesdale’s inability to face society’s judgment and his fear of
Private Suffering In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'
1030 Words | 5 PagesBoth Dimmesdale and Chillingworth fell victim to their private suffering, and it led to their death. Chillingworth and Dimmesdale were unable to come to terms with their condition, and the overwhelming nature of their internal guilt brought them to their death. During the novel, Hawthorne conveys the message that internal suffering is a far worse form of punishment than external shame because both
Archetypes In Scarlet Letter
1099 Words | 5 PagesHester works towards redemption of her sins after her experience on the scaffold. The townsmen “begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token...of her many good deeds since” (147). The scarlet letter, as the title of the novel suggests, indicates Hester’s death in social status and in spirit. In the beginning of the novel, Hester surrenders to the society’s judgement, thinking about suicide. However, Hester redeems her reputation through labor and receives compliments from the townsmen.
Chillingworth And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
203 Words | 1 PagesIn Chapter 9 Hester and Pearl were going out to the forest to meet up with Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale has not found peace, only but pain and sadness. Even though Hester was suppose to keep secrets she told Dimmesdale right in his face that the doctor Chillingworth was Hester’s husband, then she went on and told Dimmesdale all about the doctor that she was suppose to keep a secret. Hester took off the scarlet letter and called out for Pearl to say that the minister was her father. She reacted very different because she wanted to be a public thing not a secret.
Suffering In The Scarlet Letter And Dimmesdale
823 Words | 4 Pages“While thus suffering under bodily disease, and gnawed and tortured by some black trouble of the soul, and given over to the machinations of his deadliest enemy, the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale…”(Hawthorne 97). Chillingworth tried very hard to hurt Dimmesdale, which made Dimmesdale suffer very much more than he would’ve if Chillingworth left him alone. Dimmesdale’s body slowly shut down by grief and being tortured, all because of the sin he committed. Essentially, Dimmesdale ended up dying because of the sin that was
Redemption In The Scarlet Letter And The Crucible By Arthur Miller
767 Words | 4 PagesThroughout the Scarlet Letter, Hester learned to handle her inner strength by accepting the “ SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom” (Hawthorne 46) and letting it empower her instead of weaken her. This showed that she was attempting to redeem herself by accepting her sin before God. Hester also caused the town to recognize that she was changing the meaning of the “A” from adultery to “Able...so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength”(Hawthorne 127). This showed that despite being an outcast of the Puritan society, she was redeeming herself by using her inner strength and physical capability even in the face of the shame that came from committing adultery. Hawthorne’s message was that it is possible to persevere in a resentful and dark world if people rely on their inner strength.
Scarlet Letter Human Condition Essay
723 Words | 3 PagesThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals a lot about the human condition. A theme that is consistently expressed throughout this novel is the drastic effect of committing a sin, or something that is considered immoral in society. Specifically the book focuses on how secrets can weigh on a person’s mental state and lead to a heavy toll on their daily livelihoods. Hester Prynne, and Arthur Dimmesdale both have to pay a hefty price for the toll that keeping secrets has caused and that is what the novel reveals about the human condition.
Sympathy In The Scarlet Letter
867 Words | 4 PagesSympathy for Characters in the Scarlet Letter First of all, Chillingworth arrived in Boston to reacquaint himself with his wife, Hester. Initially, Chillingworth sends Hester to America, so she can live a better life in the New World. Chillingworth promised he will meet Hester America, but is severely hindered by various issues. The first of the two main issues is trouble at sea, but this far less severe than the second issue.
Impact Of The Scarlet Letter
838 Words | 4 PagesThe narrator interprets the letter differently as, “The letter was a symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, -so much power to do, and power to sympathize”(Hawthorne 111). Although the Puritan’s judgment of Hester is clouded by the scarlet letter, she is still the same generous and helpful person as before. The narrator continues to demonstrate her selfless actions, “It is our Hester, -the town’s own Hester, -who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted” (Hawthorne 111). The townspeople start to notice the kind deeds Hester has done and the way she cares for everyone.
Scarlet Letter Chapter Summary
1454 Words | 6 PagesAs Pearl and her mother leave, Dimmesdale tells Chillingworth that Hester is less miserable for scarlet letter. With full of suspicions, Chillingworth leaves the room and comes back while Dimmesdale is asleep. As he takes off Dimmesdale’s shirt, he expresses feeling of wonder, joy, and horror. Even though Chillingworth knows the truth of Dimmesdale, he does not reveal his feelings and continues questioning Dimmesdale. When Chillingworth is gone, Dimmesdale starts torturing himself with a whip and he fasts.
Dimmesdale's Responsibility For Sin In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
878 Words | 4 PagesThe book “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a complex novel that has underlying themes of sin and the responsibility for sin. The novel takes place in a Puritanical society, but two people, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, fornicate with each other, even though Hester is married to someone else. Only Hester is punished, so Dimmesdale keeps his guilt inside, not revealing it to anyone. Hester’s husband, Chillingworth, then proceeds to ruin Hester’s partner in crime, corrupting his soul and being the ultimate cause for his death. Hester, on the other hand, leads a relatively happy life after she had repented for her sin.
Scarlet Letter Compare And Contrast Essay
354 Words | 2 PagesShe 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.
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.”
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