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Scarlet Letter Changes

Decent Essays

Society, like everything else in the world, changes. Our ideas of what is right and wrong, what is sinful and pure, and what is normal and taboo shift as the years go on. These changes can be viewed clearly in classic American literature, particularly in the mid-nineteenth century. During this time period, there were radical changes in our views on religion and slavery. Also during this time period, The Scarlet Letter and The Devil and Tom Walker were published, and John Brown gave an impassioned speech about human rights at his trial. This essay will cover how these topics relate to one another.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the protagonist, Hester Prynne, commits the sin of adultery and is forced to wear a scarlet “A” on her clothing as punishment (chap. 2). However, even though Hester partially feels remorse for her actions, she keeps on living her life normally and at times acts like the scarlet letter isn’t even there. After the shock wears off, people stop viewing her as a sinner and start viewing her as simply Hester again. In the author’s own words, “the scarlet letter had not done its office” (Hawthorne, chap. 13). Likewise, while John Brown was sentenced to execution for …show more content…

After doing so, he seems to realize exactly what he has done, and begins carrying around two Bibles with him at all times as a sign of his zealotry (Irving, 12). Despite this fact, he is still a ruthless usurer, and still mercilessly hounds after people to get his money back, all in honor of Satan. Tying in with Dimmesdale’s theme that everyone sins no matter how pure, Tom Walker sins despite acting like he is holy. While Dimmesdale is portrayed as holy and repentant, Walker is viewed as doing no more than putting on a facade in order to fool those around him and perhaps even God

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