Sin In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter is a novel about a Puritan woman who has committed adultery and must pay for her sin by wearing a scarlet “A'; on her bosom. The woman, Hester Prynne, must struggle through everyday life with the guilt of her sin. The novel is also about the suffering that is endured by not admitting to one’s wrongs. Reverend Mister Dimmesdale learns that secrecy only makes the guilt increase. Nathaniel Hawthorne is trying to display how guilt is the everlasting payment for sinful actions. The theme of guilt as reparation for sin in The Scarlet Letter is revealed through Nathaniel Hawthorne’s use of northeastern, colonial settings, various conflicts, and

In chapter six’s passage, Hawthorne emphasis Pearl’s beauty and her grandiose character, even though she was created out of sin and guilt. Hawthorne juxtaposes the town’s perspective of Pearl, as being a child of wrongdoing, to Hester’s view of her being an angelic figure, which a glowing spirit. The text presents the idea that although the town forced Hester to wear the scarlet letter to repent for her sin; however, its effect entirely contradicted its purpose. Not only did the scarlet make Hester realize the beautiful, self-fulfilling outcome of her actions, but it also altered her perception of the difference between wrong and right to one that negated society’s imposed beliefs.

In the novel, “The Scarlet Letter,” the townspeople of the village judge Hester Prynne for her sin of adultery with a man whom she is not married to. In which they have made her wear the scarlet letter “A” to remind her daily of her sin, not to mention her baby, Pearl, also being a daily reminder. Yet the townspeople themselves are not all high and mighty either, because they to have secrets of their own. The puritan children of the

Often times, children remind their parents of the mistakes they previously made. However, if the adults gain enough courage and learn to stand up to their wrongdoings, their children will help them see and reach their upmost greatness. Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates the life of Pearl, a young girl, in his novel, The Scarlet Letter. Initially, Hester Prynne, Pearl’s mother, marries Roger Chillingworth; however, she soon meets the Puritan Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, and Pearl results 9 months later. The Puritan society forces Hester to wear a scarlet and gold colored “A” on her chest as a reminder of her crime - adultery. In society’s eyes, Pearl serves as a reminder of Hester’s sin, establishing Pearl as a living scarlet letter, although

A matter of great sin had swept across the Puritan town of Boston. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a married woman named Hester Prynne had committed the sinful act of adultery and was impregnated. The town pieced together what had happened and put Hester in jail, where she gave birth to her baby Pearl. The verdict of her trial was that she would have to wear a scarlet letter A on her clothing for the rest of her life. Throughout the book, the scarlet letter's meaning changed and symbolized sin, nonconformity, and kindness.

“… Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” This verse is found in John 8:7; in this, Jesus is basically saying how no one can judge anyone because no one is perfect. No one can say anything about anybody’s sin because all sin is equal and everybody sins. In the Scarlet Letter, the Puritans did not think all sin was identical; they saw some sin as worse than others. The Puritans did not follow Jesus’ advice with Hester; today, we still don’t follow it any better.

Sin is Never Forgotten “Sin penetrates to the heart, darkens and hardens it until it extinguishes the light of belief. Each sin has a path that leads to unbelief. Unless that sin is swiftly obliterated by seeking God’s forgiveness, it grows from a worm into a snake that gnaws at the heart” (Said Nursi). If the sin in our lives sits in our hearts it will darken our heart and lead us away from our faith and it slowly kills the light and the life in us. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne sin is shown throughout all of the characters.

Moreover, when Hester throws her scarlet letter off, trying to start a new life, Pearl changes from being calm to “ burst[ing] into a fit of passion, gesticulating violently, and throwing her small figure into the most extravagant contortions” because “she misses something that she has always seen [Hester] wear!”. Pearl shows that the scarlet letter truly symbolizes Hester’s sin, and Hester is not the same person without it, something Hester does not realize. Hester cannot hide her truth and identity; rather, she should accept it and realize that she can interpret her identity herself and not have to punish herself for this sin. Hawthorne uses Pearl’s variable personality and ambiguous role in the novel to depict that the truth is not black and white and often differs from accepted reality, but it can be subjective and change upon the circumstances; it simply requires a different

Hawthorne’s presentation of Pearl can be defined as ‘the sin child’ and profane product of the fall from grace of Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. The author refers to her as the ‘the scarlet letter endowed with life’ (Hawthorne 90) and is seemingly the living likeliness of the letter. Incongruously, Pearls looks more like the Hester before the scaffold. The story depicts extreme repression of Puritan patriarchy where Pearl becomes the target of the attempts of the Puritans to control the literary, historical expression as well as human sexuality. The text thus comes out as a dramatization of a relationship between whose child Pearl is and questions regarding the interpretation of the letter. As such, one of the ways that Hawthorne makes it relevant is through the validity and supremacy of the doubt within the community regarding the child where he represents it as a separate investigation into its own significant

Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of the Scarlet Letter, uses symbolism to display the Puritan’s way of life. Embarrassed with having ancestral ties with the Puritans, Hawthorne reveals the harsh truth on the society not accepting Hester’s sin of adultery by casting Hester into wearing the scarlet letter “A.” From this adultery, Pearl is the creation of Hester’s sin, whereas the scarlet letter is the creation of the Puritan society. From this we can conclude that Hawthorne is symbolizing that Pearl is another form of the scarlet letter, and the scarlet letter is another form of Pearl. Even though the Puritan society craved for perfection, Nathanial Hawthorne displayed contrasting color imagery to prove that individuality is important because salvation can only be earned by being true to yourself.

The effects of sin are often worn on the outside, whether in behaviour, countenance, physical repercussions, or engraved letters. The Scarlet Letter channels Nathaniel Hawthorne’s opposition towards Puritan society into a widely acclaimed novel centered around wrongdoing and its consequences. Utilizing the romantic style of his era, Hawthorne expectedly weaves allegories and emotionally-driven characters into his writing. Additionally, he employs symbolism in elements of his story. For example, each of the As in the story, whether belonging to Dimmesdale, Hester, or represented in Pearl, illustrate separate outcomes of sin.

For example, the first thing she instinctively clutches to is the A fastened on Hester’s chest: “But that first object of which Pearl seemed to become aware was the scarlet letter on Hester's bosom” (Hawthorne). Here, Pearl’s aberration illustrates her deviation from normality. While Hester believes Pearl’s outlandish nature is God’s punishment for her sin, Hester also recognizes that Pearl is a gift from God, representing possible redemption. Pearl’s shift from endearing to demon-like behavior reinforces the idea that Pearl is Hester’s savior, yet also her tormentor. Pearl’s attachment to the A was further exemplified when she “imitated, as best she could, on her own bosom the decoration with which she was so familiar on her mother's” (Hawthorne). Despite society’s belief that Hester can only redeem herself through public shame, wearing the A, Pearl believes that the only escape from sin is in nature, as shown through her creation of a green A. Additionally, Pearl intentionally made the A to provoke her mother, wondering “if mother will ask me what it means,” characterizing Pearl as Hester’s tormentor (Hawthorne). Furthermore, while Pearl is physically attached to the A, she is also mentally, as shown through her constant questioning of Hester. “what does this scarlet letter mean?—and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom?—and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart?” (Hawthorne). Pearl is

Hester continues to face conflict, this time with herself. When Hester faces the reality of the unpleasant situation she is faced with, her self conflict begins. Hester’s feelings are expressed when it is stated, “She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself the infant and the shame were real” (52). Conflict within Hester’s life continues in mothering her curious child. Pearl’s curiosity is revealed when she asks, ‘ “. . . Mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? –and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom?” ’ (161). Hester feels the responsibility of protecting Pearl from knowing her mother’s sinful actions. The constant questioning puts Hester in a contradictory position. Mothering Pearl causes conflict a second time when Pearl is considered an outcast from other

Hester Prynne, the main character of the book "The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, commits adultery, is considered a hussy, and has a child as the result of her sin. She cheats on her husband while he is absent from town and receives a harsh punishment for her behavior already. Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her bosom for the rest of her life. It is now on debate on whether or not Pearl should be taken away from her mother’s guidance. This is due to the fact that she is a sinner and might not be a qualified mother for her child.It is true, that no matter what you did in the past, a child is a blessing and parents change due to the love they have for their children. Therefore, Hester

The novel “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne was published in the 1850s, and takes place in the Boston, Massachusetts area during the 17th Century when Puritans were the main population. Hester Prynne, is accused of committing adultery and is forced to wear a scarlet A against her chest and care for Pearl, Her daughter who is born from the tryst. In the beginning of the novel, both Pearl and the Letter are introduced at the same time aspressed against Hester’s chest. Though she chooses to hold the child close to her and the Letter is thrust upon her, Hawthorne shows the reader how determined she is to take these symbols of sin and integrate them into her life and create her own identity.