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Scarlet Letter Guilt Quotes

Decent Essays

Though the third character (Chillingworth) does not suffer much mental pain, but in his case the psychology of vengeance has been closely examined and declared in explicit terms.Facing the mass of people, she has a blazing blush and yet a haughty grin on her face, As Hawthorne explains Hester’s belief and mind-set are laid bare at each step. The fiery blush reveals her embarrassment caused by the town,s exposure, while the haughty grin shows her disobedience of society’s ethical code and of the persons who are accountable for enforcing that rule. “…she took the baby on her arm, and with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbours (43).” As shame is related with yearning of disappearing from society , Kilborne explains the shame of Hester ; …show more content…

She also realizes that her shame, were she worthy to be rid of it, might “speak a different purport.”(471) Hawthorne does feel moral sympathy for Hester, but her place in the story is to exhibit that persons who appoint our moral concern may however value proper censure. The shame and the humiliation appear to have totally flattened Hester’s heart, even though the disgrace and the anguish pain have prepared a “Sister of Mercy” out of Hester. Much of the aloofness of Hester is because of the fact that her life has curved from fervor and feelings to contemplation. This conversion has a psychological

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