Discuss Nathaniel Hawthorne's Portrayal Of The Theme Of Hidden Sin In The Scarlet Letter

passion.”(Hawthorne 79) The irony in this statement is that the “guilty passion” is not commonly

Physically deformed and mysterious, Roger Chillingworth finally met his wife after being separated from her for almost two years.  He showed no great anger towards her and took upon himself some of the accountability saying it was “...my folly and thy weakness,” (Hawthorne 52) which was the cause of Hester's sin.  Chillingworth's only feeling was one of revenge towards the man who had been Hester's lover.  Chillingworth was obsessed by hate and revenge so much that when Dimmesdale died “... the life seemed to have departed...” (Hawthorne 72) from him and he died within a year of Dimmesdale's death.  Chillingworth never felt guilt or attempted repentance because he “... violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart.” (Hawthorne 133).  He sought to destroy Dimmesdale's

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a brilliant writer of the 19th century. Hawthorne created a novel that reflected the time period of the Puritans in New England. The Scarlet Letter contains a representation of the people during that time period but can also be related to the reader’s time period. Originally, God created the world with complete perfection until man fell, and sin entered the world. In the eyes of God, a sin is a sin. There is no worse sin that one can commit. Man is the one that decided that one sin could be more harshly judged than another. Hawthorne uses the theme of sin to show the importance of one’s faith and conviction and how those principles relate to fallen sinners.

2. “I was a-trembling, because I’d got to decide, forever, betwixt two things, and I knew it. I studied a minute, sort of holding my breath, and then says to myself: “All right then, I’ll go to hell”—and tore it up. It was awful thoughts and awful words, but they was said. And I let them stay said; and never thought no more about reforming.”

‘Health we must have; and health is proportion; so that when a man comes into your room and says he is Christ… …and has a message… …and threatens… …to kill himself, you invoke proportion; order rest in bed; rest in solitude; silence and rest; rest without friends, without books; without messages; six months’ rest…’ (Page 110).

Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist who wrote many novels and short stories who was born on July 4th, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. He originally had his last name as Hathorne - without the ‘w’ – but changed it due to not wanting to draw attention from his ancestor John Hathorne who was the only judge involved in the Salem witch trials. Nathaniel Hawthorne married Sophia Peabody in 1842 and had three kids. They ended up moving all around Massachusetts but then they finally decided that they’d settle in Concord, Massachusetts. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s first novel written is called Fanshawe in 1837. Hawthorne wasn’t sure how he felt about it, so he published it anonymously. Unfortunately, as it turned out, the novel was criticized heavily

Nathaniel Hawthorne's bold novel, The Scarlet Letter, revolves around sin and punishment.  The main characters of the novel sharply contrast each other in the way they react to the sin that has been committed

For those who found themselves at his mercy were shown none. There were no immunity to his madness.

Intro/Thesis statement: Mr. Hawthorne’s works of fiction “The Minister’s Black Veil,” “Young Goodman Brown,” and THE SCARLET LETTER contributed discussion amongst people. It planted questions in our heads about what humanities’ sinful nature means and how it is perceived. These literature pieces are all connected because of their theme being about secret sin. This is because we all yearn for things that are wrong, that could even be considered immoral. People don’t read these literature pieces for the entertainment value but the constant “brain food” it gives the readers questions they never thought to ask themselves. That’s why it’s so important to read them and also understand them. This is why we must focus on their intertwining themes and what makes them “tick”. There are other themes revolving around all three of these works, but they focus on the theme that predominates and unifies them, which is secret sin. This makes it an engaging topic that takes hold of their viewers.

Throughout all the writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne, one thing always reoccurs. What is this one thing? Well, it is secret sin. This Great American Writer of the Romantic era in literature had a firm grasp and understanding of human nature and what it means to be human. The darkness of Hawthorne’s writings come from his own observations of human nature and the treachery that we can commit either in front of others or in secret. A secret sin is nothing more than some sin you committed; but, you are the only one who knows. So it is something that isn’t known by the population. To understand Hawthorns obsession with secret sin we must look

“Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” (Proverbs: 28) These words embody the underlying morals of The Scarlet Letter, an American novel published in 1850, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter presents the unfortunate situation of Hester Prynne, an adulteress in a Puritan community. Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, seeks revenge against Arthur Dimmesdale, the father of Hester’s child, Pearl.

Through out the course of history, those who were considered sinners were often out casted from the society. This is much the case with Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. After a public trial, Hester is considered a sinner due to her birthing of a so called “devil child”. Hester is convicted to the life long bearing of a scarlet letter on her chest. The Scarlet Letter that Hester Prynne wears symbolizes the change in perception of sin through out the novel. Due to the revelations of the governor Winthrop and the reverend Dimmesdale, the way sin is perceived changes from one of shame to the idea that every one is a sinner in their own right.

Throughout the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne debates whether sinners can or cannot receive forgiveness for their sins. Members of the new Puritan society unjustly decide the fate of sinners, yet claim their decisions as God’s wills. Roger Chillingworth, acting as Arthur Dimmesdale’s personal physician, representing “Satan,” cannot receive forgiveness, despite making attempts to make up for his sins.

   "...pain is in itself an evil; and indeed, without exception, the only evil; or else the words good and evil have no meaning." (Chase 127) In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne presents a very clear view of his stand on morality, which he carefully cultivates through the course of the story. The moral, which is "Be true!" applies equally well to all of the characters in the novel. Though his view does seem to stand as true through the length of the story, it does not, unfortunately, transfer as smoothly to our lives today. In essence it is a hedonistic view to take, which requires a slight stretch as to his interpretation as to how evil, and important, an individual's pain is unto

This line affects me the most out of all of the novel thus far. It shows that even in the prime of life, a future can be stolen. She had been celebrating her achievements and loving life when this man you try to help raped and killed her. Why do you focus on the perpetrator? They are not in as much need as the families. I agree that the death penalty is not a solution, but I do wish that you could abolish it without having to get to know the horrible people of death