Sin In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

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 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 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

To begin, Hawthorne uses the scarlet letter “A” to reinforce the theme of Guilt. Hester Prynne, the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter, is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” upon her bosom because she has committed the sin of adultery. This leads Hester to feel guilty for the rest of her life. Hawthorne states, “... that scarlet letter, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself” (Hawthorne 51). The quote shows how feeling guilt has made her much more distant from the rest of the townspeople. Hester experiences this agonizing guilt whenever she glances in a mirror, or down at her chest. Pearl is the result of Hester’s

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the fictional story of Hester Prynne and her public humiliation as she is forced to wear the letter A on her chest due to her having a child with someone else other than her husband. The scarlet letter “A” stands for many things in the book but the initial meaning is that of adultery. The baby is Pearl and the name itself is given to her because she is worth so much to Prynne as in “her mother’s only treasure!” The beginning of the story sets the stage to what Prynne and Pearl will go through this tale, setting up the state of puritan utopia and why Prynne holds Pearl so close to her. The scarlet

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

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

Most of the Puritan community “refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength." (Hawthorne 113). Pearl adapts to life in the Puritan world and gains more personal knowledge about herself, her mother, and her father in the process. Pearl takes her mother’s example and become a strong woman herself, while Hester’s dedication grows into the letter she wears on her breast. Because of having built this relationship, both Hester and Pearl Prynne were able to blossom into their own unique characters readers saw in The Scarlet

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.

The Puritans were very strict in their rules and ways of living. Many offences were considered sins to Puritans and were punishable by death or being shunned by society. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the three main characters all commit sins and suffer for doing so, bringing their own ruin. Sin has detrimental consequences for all people.

The townspeople force Hester to embroider a scarlet letter “A” on her chest as a reminder for committing adultery. Although the reader knows Dimmesdale is Pearl’s father, Hester keeps this a secret from everyone in her town to protect him from punishment. The symbolism of the scarlet letter changes throughout the novel. In the beginning, it stands for “adultery”, which is a serious sin in the eyes of Puritans. However, as Hester carefully embroiders the letter “A” for her bosom, she essentially takes control of her own punishment.

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.

Hester Prynne’s life is also ruled by punishment due to two things: her scarlet letter and her daughter Pearl. One of the punishments imposed on Hester was that she had to wear a scarlet “A” on her bosom for the rest of her life. Her letter “had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself (II: 46).” The effect that the “A” has on herself and the people around her is just another reminder of her crime and how no one wants to associate themselves with her because of it. Her daughter Pearl acts as a symbol of her sin.

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.

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.