Shame And Punishment In The Scarlet Letter

Chillingworth will not bear the shame in regards to his unfaithful wife, nor be burdened with supporting and providing for her. He is truly a cruel and twisted man. This unfaithfulness to his wife is not his only shame; he also is responsible for the daily, mental torture of Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale. “She doubted not, that the continual presence of Roger Chillingworth, –the secret poison of his malignity, infecting all the air about him, –and his authorized interference, as a physician, with the minister’s physical and spiritual infirmities, –that these bad opportunities had been turned into a cruel purpose” (Hawthorne132).

As the book opens, Hester is brought forth from the jail and walked to the scaffold. For the first time being seen in public named an adulterer, Hester shies from the public as they mock her. However, "She never battled with the public, but submitted uncomplainingly to its worst usage; she made no claim upon it, in requital for what she suffered; she did not weight upon its sympathies." (Hawthorne 140). Soon, it did not matter what other people thought of Hester because of her sin. She chose not to live with the humiliation, but she did have to live with herself.

Reverend Dimmesdale is thin and sickly and always clutches at his chest so Chillingworth becomes his hope for getting better. Though Dimmesdale doesn’t believe medicine can heal him, he caves and agrees to let Chillingworth help him. The two men spend time together and Chillingworth believes that he should analyze the reverend spiritually, physically, and mentally in order to cure him. Over time, they think it is a good idea for them ot temporarily move in together, being that Dimmesdale wasn’t married. Some of the townspeople think it is wise but others start thinking Chillingworth has “ugly and evil in his face” and that he has changed. Chillingowrth is dedicated to finding out who committed adultery with Hester. I think this shows shis darker side that he would do anything to reveal whom his wife cheated on him with.

In Chapter 9, Chillingworth 's evil nature starts to show. As Dimmesdale suffers with the guilt of being Pearl 's father, Chillingworth acts as a physician who seems to be taking the life out of Dimmesdale even more. The townspeople are beginning to notice that there is"something ugly and evil starting in his face" (Hawthorne, 124). In chapter 10, this theme of evil continues with Chillingworth, for he continues to get worse. In this chapter, it is clear that Chillingworth 's goal of revenge is to increase Dimmesdale’s inner pain. Hawthorne describes Chillingworth as a "thief entering a chamber where a man lies only half asleep" (Hawthorne, 126) as a way to further symbolize his evilness. Chillingworth harasses Dimmesdale constantly about his secrets asking, "why not reveal them here?" (Hawthorne, 128). But even with all the nagging, Dimmesdale refuses to reveal what 's been making him sick on the inside. In chapter 11, Dimmesdale 's suffering only increases. His sermons hint at his sinful nature, but everyone is being mislead by them for they seem to think that Dimmesdale is even more holy. Dimmesdale is "tortured by some black trouble of the soul"(Hawthorne, 137) and yet, his hidden public confessions are misunderstood. However, Dimmesdale is aware of this, for "the minister well knew- subtle, but remorseful hypocrite- that he was"(Hawthorne, 141). In chapter 12, during the night, Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold, in which it can clearly be seen that

When Hester’s sin initially comes to light, the people of Boston show Hester no mercy. One lady states, “At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead” (Hawthorne 53). Another community member even goes on to say, “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die” (Hawthorne 54). The scornful opinions of community members change over time, and “a species of general regard had ultimately grown up in reference to Hester Prynne” (Hawthorne 166). Hester becomes utterly selfless and devotes her entire being to the charity of others.

A reader may label Dimmesdale the purest of the sinners. Adultery, in the Christian world, is the one of the greatest sins a man can commit, second only to premeditated murder. In a Puritan society, it must be close to the same. Dimmesdale tries to purge himself of this evil sin by scourging and self-denial. However, he shies away from public confession, rationalizing the good he can instill in other men and women with his sermons. We find this illogical reasoning on page He endures Chillingworth's revenge and hatred while trying to preach what he doesn't practice. At his weakest point, Hester tempts him to cave in to the sin and do it all over again. Out of desperation to flee from the torture, he crumbles

However, it is true that he plays a role in the sufferings of Hester and Dimmesdale. But what or who made Chillingworth transform from a man “thoughtful of others, craving little for himself” into the devilish he is known to be (156)? That of course is no other than Dimmesdale. After all, Dimmesdale was the man that slept with his wife during his absence. And the fact that Dimmesdale made Hester promise to conceal his identity only further provoked Chillingworth. He lived by the vow: Dimmesdale “shall be mine” (68). It was this newfound obsession on revenge that made his “dark complexion” grow duskier and “his figure more misshapen” (101). Furthermore, when Hester asks him why he does not torture her, he responds, “I have left thee to the scarlet letter” (156). Chillingworth acknowledges the pain the scarlet letter inflicts to Hester. Dimmesdale, however, constantly believes that his own suffering is greater than the pain associated with the letter, making him both stubborn and heartless. Although Chillingworth aches for the misery of others, Dimmesdale’s self-obsession, selfishness, and self-pity causes more damage to others than all of the manipulative plans of Chillingworth combined. Without a doubt, Arthur Dimmesdale is the biggest schmuck in 19th century

Chillingworth made Dimmesdale suffer by exaggerating his illness, and humiliating him with guilt of his sin “a bodily disease which we look upon as whole and entire within itself, may, after all, be but an ailment in the spiritual part”. the fragility and susceptibility of Dimmesdale states clearly his weakness, moreover.

In Source A, Hester deals with being public shame by standing on a scaffold in front of the town, being mocked and called names. She committed adultery with Dimmesdale when her husband was away, the town did not know who Hester did it with and make her the

The harsh townspeople force her up on the scaffold to be humiliated in front of the whole town. Not only is she sent up on the scaffold with her sin revealed by the “A” for everyone to see, Hester becomes an example of what a woman should not come to be. The author is talking about Hesters experience on the scaffold and her pregnancy, “Throughout them all, giving up her individuality, she would become the general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point, and in which they might vivify and embody their images of woman's frailty and sinful passion”(32). Hester looses her individuality and is labeled by the townspeople and known for the Scarlet Letter. Further, the townspeople singled her out as an alien or outcast of the town forcing her to live an abnormal live. She was ridiculed and known for her one sin, unable to have acceptance back into society. Although the townspeople feel as if Hester has brought sin upon there lives, she clearly have not harmed any of the townspeople physically, and they have no grounds to punish Hester. The cause of the townspeople's harsh disciplinary acts on Hester originates from a strict, unrealistic standards of puritan society and the zero tolerance of any ungodly behavior observed in the town. Due to the absence of proper justice, Hester's sentencing is left up to the harsh townspeople in which they show no mercy or

While Puritan women are weak and dependent upon their husbands, Hester Prynne is empowered and self-reliant. A character designed by Hawthorne to show 19th century women that women’s work could be valuable, Hester supports herself and her daughter by needlework. “For, as the novel unfolds, the letter, intended by the Authorities to signify harsh but just condemnation, is made by Hester to signify something entirely different—able, admirable.” (Bell 109) All aspects considered, the ability of Hester, a woman who committed sin and was publicly punished for this crime, to manipulate this punishment into a virtue

This punishment was the exposition of Hester sin and it sabotaged her social reputation and has lead her to feel a great amount of public

Hester’s reaction to guilt is taking full responsibility for her actions and confessing her sins to the townspeople. As a result of confessing, Hester struggles with the shame but, ultimately learns how to deal with it on her own. She deals with the shame by decorating

"Those who before had known her, and had expected to behold her dimmed and obscured by a disastrous cloud, were astonished, and even startled, to perceive how her beauty shone out, and made a halo of the misfortune and ignominy in which she was enveloped" (39).  Hester, who is being openly condemned for her sins, Hawthorne describes ironically.  To the Puritans, Hester should be dim and obscure, surrounded by darkness and evil.  However, Hawthorne instead describes her shining beauty and the godliness she makes out of her sin and shame by exposing it to the public.  The Puritans condemn Hester for her sin and look towards her as evil, yet she is exposing her sin to the sunshine, to the public, something that Hawthorne praises in the novel.  "A blessing on the righteous Colony of the Massachusetts, where iniquity is dragged out into the sunshine!  Come along, Madame Hester, and show your scarlet letter in the market-place!" (40).  The Puritans feel that they are hurting Hester Prynne by exposing her sin, yet it is only making her stronger and making her grow.

The public thinks Hester, “ought to die” (Hawthorne 39). In a majority of legal cases in the Massachusetts Bay Colony the judicial system punishes the adulterer with a death sentence. The community’s hatred for Hester grows because of their unity. Any just group handling criminals needs to ignore the community’s persistent attempt to alter its’ views. Hawthorne shows the lack of mercy for Hester the community possesses because she of her criminal act with Arthur Dimmesdale. Only the justice system make the decision for the punishment Hester should receive. The “New-Englanders” believe “specific penalties should be the inevitable result of particular crimes” (“Hawthorne's Model of Christian Charity.” 348). A majority of the people in the Massachusetts Bay Colony community believe all adulterers should receive capital punishment. Boudreau points out the fact that all crimes have unique characteristics and should not receive a generalized punishment. The community thinks the justice system should kill Hester, but they do not see the unique characteristic of the crime, Pearl. The community does not consider someone will need to raise Pearl if Hester receives a death