The Scarlett Letter: Sin Is Inevitable
The Christian faith is partially based on the concept that sin is imminent, for "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". The Old Testament in the Hebrew Bible portrays this belief through the narrative of Adam and Eve. They were created by God to be flawless but fell short of that expectation; teaching future generations that all humans have imperfections and sinning is inevitable. Likewise, Nathaniel Hawthorne in his novel, The Scarlett Letter, explores these indiscretions and different degrees and interpretations of sin. Hawthorne's plot is centered around Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth who each sin according to 1600's puritan society. Hester, who conceives a daughter through an affair, is condemned …show more content…
The sin of adultery is punishable by death in early puritan colonies; however, Hester is sentenced to time in prison, public humility, and is forced to wear a badge of shame. Upon her release from prison and amid her punishment, Hester finds herself as "the figure, the body, the reality of sin" (...); thus, she is burdened with an overwhelming feeling of guilt. Hester had to accept and cope with the realizations of her sin; subsequently, she begins to divert her attention to performing practical and good deeds around the town. Hester's acquaintances slowly shift their view of her and the scarlet letter she bears. They begin to interpret the scarlet letter as standing for "able" as opposed to "adulterer" and it acts as a "softer pillow for the head that needed one" (133-134). Although originally filled with guilt and agony, Hester embraces the burden of her sin and develops a new-found peace of mind. The town perception of Hester transitions from a sinful woman who deserves nothing, to a kind and caring counselor for those in need. This shift in public view allows Hester to overcome and change some of the potential consequences of her
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
Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Rhetorical Analysis
547 Words | 3 Pages“The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards both convey their ideas on sin and staying true to beliefs. Both authors approach this in different ways. While Hawthorne approaches these ideas through the minister and his black veil in a less straightford way, Jonathan Edwards challenges the reader’s understanding of Puritan ideals of religion by creating a sense of fear amongst his congregation through his anger and directness. Edward was more effective in his methods because he creates a sense of fear and fear many times forces change.
Summary Of Zoellick's 'Mistakes In The Scarlet Letter'
1295 Words | 6 PagesIn The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne presents sin as something that has several tiers and can vary in severity. This is indicated by society's eventual acceptance of Hester Prynne, Reverend Dimmesdale's intense self-judgement, and Roger Chillingworth's
Anne Bradstreet's Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God
864 Words | 4 PagesPuritanism, a version of Calvinism, addresses the sinfulness of man and claims that God has predetermined those who will be saved and those who won’t; despite their sins. In the poem “Here Follow Some Verses Upon the Burning of Our House, July 10, 1666,” Anne Bradstreet recounts a tragic accident that occurred and how she used it to glorify God. Jonathan Edwards conducted sermon titled, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in Connecticut, 1741. In this text he goes in depth into the sinful nature of man, and a just and angry God who doesn’t hesitate. Both passages address the life Puritans should live.
Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God Literary Devices
1763 Words | 8 PagesLiterary analysis of “The sinners in the hands of an angry god” The great awakening was a religious revival that occurred in the 1730s and 1740s. It started in England and then gradually made its way over to the American colonies. During this time, many different preachers and religious speakers went around and gave speeches to the people. Jonathan Edwards was one of Americas most important and original philosophical theologians who also went around and gave speeches about God and hell.
Sin In Nathaniel Hawthorne's A Chapter From An Abortive Romance
1345 Words | 6 PagesThere are a limited amount of things on this earth that are inevitable obstacles and one of those is sin. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote an interesting story called “A Chapter from an Abortive Romance,” that sin plays a significant role in. In this story, the main character, Ethan Brand, was a lime burner that recently returned to his home city from a quest to find the unpardonable sin. (The word “unpardonable” suggests that one commits a sin that is so despicable that this sin is unforgivable by God.)
How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use Biblical Allusions In The Scarlet Letter
1458 Words | 6 PagesHowever, he also uses these allusions to create a new side to his narrative as evident when he describes Hester’s resilience, and to create a new element in the plot as evident in his description of Dimmesdale’s penance and need for redemption. Therefore, Hawthorne demonstrates an effective use of allusions to craft a religious and detailed narrative for The Scarlet Letter by reviewing on parallels between the Bible and the novel’s main characters. There’s more to The Scarlet Letter than these allusions though, and there are many questions to answer about this book. These questions may never be answered fully, but by reading the novel itself, we might find the right places to start searching for answers and formulate our own opinions on the matter. What’s important from this novel is the realistic warning about what might happens when an individual place themselves too highly among others, a message Hawthorne writes to warn against the fervor of transcendentalism of his time.
Consequences Of Sin In The Scarlet Letter
796 Words | 4 PagesThe Consequences of Sin Sin is defined as “an offense against religious or moral law”. The idea of sin and being ostracized for your sins was extremely relevant during the Puritan period when religion was the greatest component of daily life. The Puritans believed that they had entered a covenant with God and therefore any sin, such as crime and adultery were considered a breach of their covenant with God. This view led to the church punishing people who committed sin in order for God not to punish the church as a whole. The consequences and effects of sin is shown through the character development in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter.
Hester's Punishment In The Scarlet Letter
640 Words | 3 PagesHester's punishment was a judicial sentence; however, being forced to stand on the scaffold for three hours, and to wear the scarlet letter "A" for the rest of her life. It was socially humiliating. Hester was sent to prison for committing adultery. Hester was forced to live with the consequences by wearing the scarlet letter "A". Hester is physically and emotionally reminded of her sin, while wearing the scarlet letter "A".
Redemption In Mean Girls And The Scarlet Letter
1150 Words | 5 PagesHester gains redemption from the townspeople through acting philanthropically upon the poor of her town and the government officials that
How Hester Prynne Changes In Scarlet Letter
941 Words | 4 PagesWe are all sinners, no matter how hard we try to hide our faults, they always seem to come back, one way or another. Written in the 19th century, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows us Hester Prynne and how one sin can change her life completely. Hester Prynne changes a great deal throughout The Scarlet Letter. Through the view of the Puritans, Hester is an intense sinner; she has gone against the Puritan way of life committing the highest act of sin, adultery. For committing such a sinful act, Hester must wear the scarlet letter while also having to bear stares from those that gossip about her.
Redemption In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
1035 Words | 5 Pages“Was that Scarlet Letter, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. ”(Hawthorne 51). Because Puritans were so against Hester’s sin, they made her wear an “A” on her chest that stands for adultery. The townspeople wanted everyone who sees her know what she did so that she would be humiliated by it for the rest of her life. Hester was basically rejected by the town, and was scorned by the people everyday.
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.”
Hypocrisy Of The Puritan Society In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
936 Words | 4 PagesThroughout the novel, Hester is fraught by the Puritan society and her suffering is an effect of how evil society is. Hester continues to believe that the crime she committed was not wrong and she should not be punished for it. Her desire to protect and love Dimmesdale, turn her into a stronger person and become a heroine in the book. Although society still views her as a “naughty baggage” (Hawthorne 73) and is punished for her wrongdoing, Hester never thought to take revenge on them, yet she gives everything she has to the unfortunate and leaves herself with very little. She continues to stay positive no matter what society has for her.
Sin, Guilt And Redemption In The Scarlet Letter
433 Words | 2 PagesHawthorne described three things in The Scarlet Letter. Sin, guilt, and redemption. Hawthorne uses people to symbolize them. Hester Prynne was one. Hawthorne allows the reader to get a better understanding by using biblical references.
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