What Are The Fatal Flaws In The Scarlet Letter

Sin is a prevalent theme throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. The main character, Hester Pryne’s sin of adultery instigates the entire novel. The novel follows Hester’s journey in dealing with her sin in a strict Puritan town. Nathaniel Hawthorne provides an example of how someone’s sin can affect many individuals.

She symbolizes evil in the sense that she is born through sin and therefore she represents the punishment that God inflicts on Hester's adulterous act. Pearl also symbolizes the guilt that her parents are experiencing. She defies the puritans' law by being cheerful when she is associating with nature instead of suffering. Another way in which pearl symbolizes punishment is the fact that she keeps pestering and bothering her mother. “‘Hold thy peace, dear little Pearl!’

”(Hughes, “On Sylvia Plath”) her poetry “grew out of terrible and shattering and inally unbearable expierences”(Souces 4) Hughes attributes Plath’s depression to her childhood relationships, specifically the death of her father. Her father appears as a theme throughout her works because this event deeply impacted Plath’s life. Plath references her father in her works outright and also in her references to bees. Plath, also herself denotes the relationship between her father and her suicide in the poem “Daddy” saying “I was ten when they buried you.

The narrator portrays him as an intelligent but angry old man that does not have any interest in his wife any longer unless it is plotting revenge. One theme in this chapter is something that can slowly destroy people mentally, guilt. The irony that took place in this story is that Chillingworth is trying to find the father of his wife's child. The main theme in chapter three and four is obeying the law of the people and if failed to be done it will end in punishment. Journal Entry 3: Chapters 5-6 For the rest of Hester’s life she will be forced to wear a red embroidered “A” at all times on her clothes.

In the course of the play Haemon presents himself as a defender of Antigone 's actions and sense of morality which involves her determination to bury her deceased brother, Polyneices who has been sentenced as a traitor by Creon. The father and son part in anger, as he demands his father to make the right judgment for Theban society by granting Antigone’s request, while his father follows his obstinate path of aggression. Haemon’s actions eventually lead him to commit suicide due to his desperate situation, this eventually leads to the death of his mother when she also takes her own life. The death of his family ultimately lead to Creon 's insanity at the play 's climax.[1] Haemon 's entrance in Antigone takes place right after he was informed of father’s verdict on Antigone’s life. He decides to reason with the king by explaining the sentiments of Theban people, while secretly attempting to plea for Antigone 's life.

John Proctor displayed his character traits of aggression and anger throughout the story in fear of his integrity being ruined. He was considered a tragic hero because of his downfall in trying to protect his integrity. Even though Elizabeth Proctor had the traits of innocence and compassion she still lacked affection towards her husband. This in turn led John to commit adultery with their housekeeper. These two characters demonstrate these traits throughout the story.

Sophocles goes against the social expectations of Antigone and Kreon to show how both characters’ downfall is attributed to their hubris. The irony, which emphasizes Antigone and Kreon’s arrogance, allows Sophocles to again solidify the necessity of following divine

For example, in Macbeth’s case, him being engulfed in greed leads to him wanting more, but is, unfortunately, slain and killed for trying to do so. On the other hand, Mary only betrays and murders her husband to get revenge on him for trying to leave her which leads to her feeling regret for what she does. Furthermore, Doodle’s brother decides to leave Doodle to die in the rain because he is a disappointment which ultimately leads to Doodle’s brother to feel guilt and sorrow. Overall, because they decided to betray others around them, these three main characters were faced with the effects of their actions on people around them and ultimately

Othello's pride is also turned to shame as he listens to the villainous Iago and murders his innocent wife. In doing this, he also loses those things most precious to him. First, he loses his true love as Desdemona forgives him from her deathbed by trying to hide his guilt. When asked "Who has done this deed? " she replies: "Nobody-I myself" (5.2.123-4).

One’s actions can sometimes lead to the distortion of his/her perception as well as destroying their self-image. This concept is presented in the book Oedipus Rex written by Sophocles, in which the Oedipus, the protagonist, goes through numerous of emotional phases as his actions, predetermined by the oracles, cause him to be in complete devastation. Oedipus therefore seeks for misery as he blames his actions for his destined deeds. Moreover, in Oedipus Rex written by Sophocle critical diction highlights how one’s guilt can lead to his/her demise as well as the people’s around them. In the book Oedipus Rex, the author enhances how one’s guilt an lead to his/her demise as well as the people’s around them through critical diction to indicate

Haemon’s pride leads him to reject his father’s authority and destroys himself out of anger and grief Haemon is so upset that he stabbed himself because he seen that Antigone was dead. People of power such as kings are often forced to chose between family and law. In the book by Sophocles, King Creon has to make such a decision. He issues the edict to outlaw the burial of his traitor nephew, Polyneices. In reaction, his niece Antigone disobeys the law and buries her brother out of loyalty to her family.

Moreover, following Banquo’s murder, Macbeth’s guilt is revealed through visual hallucinations of Banquo’s ghost. Furthermore, when Macbeth hears of his wife’s death, Macbeth believes life is meaningless and is nothing “but a walking shadow...” (Shakespeare V.v.24-28). To summarize, the desire for power and murderous deeds leads to Macbeth’s immense guilt, ultimately leading to his mental decline.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is heavily centered on showing diverse ways the Puritan people could face guilt and sin. As the plot develops, the four main characters: Hester Prynne, Pearl, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingsworth, all reach individual climaxes by dealing with the effects of guilt and sin differently. Hester confronts the guilt of adultery head on by flagrantly wearing a scarlet letter on her chest, Pearl deals with guilt and sin by being a living symbol of Hester’s egregious offense, Arthur Dimmesdale confronts the guilt of sin privately which leads to mental instability, and Roger Chillingsworth faces guilt and sin by being consumed by the darkness it causes. There are several climaxes in The Scarlet Letter due to the main characters facing the central conflict, the effects of guilt and sin, in various ways.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale commits a mortal sin by having an affair with a married woman, Hester Prynne. As a man of the cloth in Puritan society, Dimmesdale is expected to be the embodiment of the town’s values. He becomes captive to a self-imposed guilt that manifests from affair and his fear that he won’t meet the town’s high expectations of him. In an attempt to mitigate this guilt, Dimmesdale acts “piously” and accepts Chillingworth’s torture, causing him to suffer privately, unlike Hester who repented in the eyes of the townspeople. When Dimmesdale finally reveals his sin to the townspeople, he is able to free himself from his guilt.

Consequently, Arthur Dimmesdale is the cause of Hester Prynne's shame for he is the man whom Hester loves. No one knows he is the father of Pearl, Hester won't say and he isn't strong enough to speak up. He struggles with this knowledge that Hester is being punished and not him. The only truth that continued to give Mr. Dimmesdale a real existence on this earth was the anguish in his inmost soul, and the undissembled expression of it in his aspect, (Hawthorne 142). Being a minister of God the citizens look up to him, and he feels guilty about his hidden sin.