Scarlet Letter Effects Of Sin

The setting of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet letter” is crucial to the understanding of the event that takes place in the story. The setting of the story is in Salem, Massachusetts during the Puritan era. During the Puritan era, adultery was taken as a very serious sin, and this is what Hester and Dimmesdale committ with each other. Because of the sin, their lives change, Hester has to walk around in public with a Scarlet Letter “A” which stands for adultery, and she is constantly being tortured and is thought of as less than a person. Dimmesdale walks around with his sin kept as secret, because he never admits his sin, his mental state is changing, and the sin degrades his well-being. Chillingworth

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter provides a window into the puritanical mind through his character Reverend Dimmesdale. Reverend Dimmesdale comes to understand that one's relationship with God supersedes any other relationship one has, whether it's with one's beloved, one's children, or one's social circle. He expresses it publicly on the scaffold in a dramatic sequence in a passage in chapter 23. Throughout the story Dimmesdale is supposed to be an example of upright godly behavior but he's lying everyday, all the time, in every relationship because he had an affair with Hester. While adultery was illegal, it was also against one of God's Ten Commandments.

As stated previously, the contrasting morals of Dimmesdale and Hester result in both of the characters feeling isolated and in pain. In Dimmesdale’s case, his pain is so overwhelming that he no longer has the strength or will to continue living, especially while feeling the guilt and shame of his sin on his shoulders. When his death finally comes, however, it is Hester who is affected by it more than anyone. After living in guilt for so long, all the while watching Dimmesdale gradually fall to pieces, it is agonizing for her to be so helpless at his side, and to be unable to join him in his redemption. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester cries “Shall we not meet again? . . .

The theme is revealed through Dimmesdale’s ailment, Hester’s exposed sin, and Hester’s oath to Chillingworth. The most discussed portrayal of guilt in The Scarlet Letter is Dimmesdale’s remorse for the affair he had with Hester. He is not only ashamed of the affair in itself, but he is also too cowardly to come forward and take the blame alongside Hester. This shame and self-loathing is what causes his

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a study of the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of the main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Sin strengthens Hester, humanizes Dimmesdale, and turns Chillingworth into a demon.

For Dimmesdale however, his sin is easier hidden. Perhaps the best evidence of this contrast is in an exchange between the two characters; Hawthorne writes, ‘“The judgment of God is on me," answered the conscience-stricken priest. "It is too mighty for me to struggle with!" "Heaven would show mercy," rejoined Hester, "hadst thou but the strength to take advantage of it" (Hawthorne 43). The reader can see here that Hester and Dimmesdale have a totally different mindset when it comes to their shared adversity.

Reverend Dimmesdale was a renowned, prideful man stricken with sin and extreme guilt.  From the time Hester and Dimmesdale made love, he was grievous of his sin but he also felt a great love towards her.  Dimmesdale's stubborn pride troubled him greatly, and although he tried many times, he could not confess his sin to his religious followers.  Dimmesdale felt guilt so strongly that he scourged himself on his breast and patterned an “A” into his own flesh, yet he could not confess his sin until his grief grew so great it caused him to perish.  Reverend Dimmesdale's sin was greater than Hester's because he let his pride conflict with his repentance, and let his life be ruined by his anguish.

It is Dimmesdale’s sin that changes his nature, as his is hidden from view. “But this very burden it was, that gave him sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind; so that his heart vibrated in unison with theirs, and received pain into itself, and sent its own throb of pain through a thousand other hearts, in gashes of sad, persuasive eloquence” (SL

Throughout the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne makes it evident that imposed punishment may not as be as destructive as imposed guilt within the character of Arthur Dimmesdale. Readers learn that Dimmesdale is a Reverend that has committed a crime with Hester Prynne; adultery. Prynne takes full blame and does not reveal the father, thus keeping Dimmesdale safe of punishment or death. As the plot continues, it becomes evident that Dimmesdale struggles handling his guilt due to torment, which leads to self harm,food deprivation, and stress. This ultimately churns into a severe illness and leaves Dimmesdale defenseless when it comes to Chillingworth’s attacks.

The story then follows a chronological story type structure that allows for observations of Hester and Dimmesdale’s character development. The main difference between Hester and Dimmesdale is that Hester chooses penance and is saved, while Dimmesdale chooses to be consumed by guilt and is ultimately drowned by his sin.  Dimmesdale is saved however when he publicly repents his sin on the scaffold. However, instead of bearing a letter A that only brought shame and scorn, Dimmesdale’s sin engraved itself as a ,”Burning torture upon [his] chest,” (Hawthorne 252). By structuring his novel chronologically,  Hawthorne was able to juxtapose the effects of sin, and stress the severity of repressing guilt.

Though Reverend Dimmesdale is to cowardly to reveal his sin, of secretly fathering Pearl, this is not to say that he does not feel the remorse of it. On the contrary, Dimmesdale is ridden with guilt. He cannot bring himself to reveal his actions, so instead he tortures himself in secret. Dimmesdale fasts till he almost faints, and whips himself till he bleeds. He is also haunted by Hester’s former Husband, Roger Chillingworth. Chillingworth exacts revenge upon Dimmesdale, for impregnating his wife, by constantly trying to extract the truth from him. All of Dimmesdale’s pain, guilt, and shame are embodied in a brand on his chest that resembles the scarlet letter. The brand blazes causing Dimmesdale pain, and he believes it is an affliction sent by God. Throughout the book it is clear that Dimmesdale is feeling the retribution of his sin.

Hester and Dimmesdale have both committed adultery, therefore sinning. They both suffer and take their punishment in different ways. Hester is publically humiliated, and therefore suffers. Despite her sinning, she continued to do her job, which was needlework. She did charity work by making clothing for the poor, and even though they did not return the compassion she continued her work regardless of her treatment. Dimmesdale suffers internally with his guilt, but is not punished publically like Hester is. He is still viewed as a good minister and the puritan society continues to listen and worship with him. Another difference between these two characters is that Hester does not act out and takes her punishment and shunning with grace. Dimmesdale has plenty of chances to admit his sin and rid himself of the guilt. He chooses not to many times, therefore suffering more than necessary. This

By revealing this small, hidden regret, he exposes Hester’s tortured state of mind. Unable to reach salvation in the town she desired to live in, she regretfully decided to leave and abandon her sorrows. The burden society placed on her with the scarlet letter was too demanding for her to handle any longer. Similarly, Arthur Dimmesdale was distressed from his ignominy. Afraid of societal repercussions, Dimmesdale had been “overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast” (102). Society’s extensive honor toward him exacerbated his pain, thus causing society to trap Dimmesdale; this prevented him from revealing his dark secret and reaching salvation. Additionally, he began to picture his surroundings as an obstacle designed to hinder his path to redemption. His shortcoming to reach salvation agonized Dimmesdale to the point where he was incapable of recalling “[any] text of Scripture, nor aught else, except a brief, pithy, and, as it then appeared to him, unanswerable argument against the immorality of

Though there is some support to affirm this, in reality it is only partially true. The theme of guilt is very prevalent throughout The Scarlet Letter and Dimmesdale is at the center of it. Readers are exposed to a regretful and emotional side of him as Hawthorne portrays the agony and pain he felt in keeping his name a secret. In expressing his shame all while never revealing his own name he exclaims “Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life” (Hawthorne, 94). This moment best expresses his character because it represents his humility and self-reproach as well as his selfishness and

Dimmesdale is a Puritan minister of the church, and suffers throughout the book for his secret sin, which is he is the father of Hester's baby pearl. As Dimmesdale goes through his life this burden get more and more severe. As Chillingsworth states, “... he knew no friendly hand was pulling at his heartstrings…”(Hawthorne 155) said by schillings worth explaining that there is a dark force acting upon him for his crime, his secret sin. That satan the devil is acting on him for his secret sin. As Dimmesdale is talking to Hester, “...Hester, that wear the Scarlet Letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!...”(Hawthorne 173) said by DImmesdale to Hester explaining how he is affected by their secret sin compared to hers, where she openly confesses, he lets his build inside himself getting worse and worse, for their act of secret sin.