The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne

In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, readers are faced with the obstacles of hiding one’s true intentions. Through the lens of three characters, Dimmesdale the priest, Chillingworth the medic, and Hester the typical citizen, the audience is able to learn a valuable lesson. No matter how people may present themselves, if they have a duplicitous nature, this behavior will ultimately be exposed. No man or woman is able to hide who they truly are forever, because eventually people will know what their true motives are.

Hester’s righteous battle against the villagers in defending her name does nothing more than display her courage and respectability. Throughout the novel, “The Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne manages to implement various symbols in order to add meaning and understanding of certain aspects of the novel. In the novel, many symbols, such as the “Black Man,” are conflicted in the idea of meaning between the Puritans of the society and Hawthorne, but at the same time, some uses of symbolism represent similar ideas, as conveyed by the author. Hawthorne’s uses of symbolism represent the same religious idea as in comparison between Hawthorne and the Puritans, but some contrast the Puritan beliefs and rather are presented to foreshadow

““There was witchcraft in little Pearl’s eyes, and her face, as she glanced upward at the minister, wore that naughty smile which made its expression frequently so elvish.” (Hawthorne 145) This, is a misleading description that Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts of Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne, in his classic novel The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is the living product of sin for her mother. Born out of wedlock, Pearl is a unique child that tends to be very moody and unpredictable. However, Pearl, at such a young age, demonstrates outstanding knowledge and exhibits curiosity to her mother’s scarlet letter, and the hypocrisy of Puritan society. Although Pearl portrays devilish characteristics and performs mischievous behaviour, she

Mr. Dimmesdale is an almost perfect example of the contrast between public and private truth in The Scarlet Letter. The young clergyman is often seen as saint by the public. Many of his sermons throughout the book bring dozens to Christ in the small town. The people of the town even began to say,“The saint on earth! Alas, if he discern such sinfulness in his own white soul, what horrid spectacle would he behold in thine or mine!”(Hawthorne 246). In private though, Mr. Dimmesdale is actually being eaten alive by the guilt that his sin with Hester gave him. Mr. Dimmesdale’s adulterous act caused

The Buddha once said, “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” The romantic novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the importance of the truth and the effects on an individual when they attempt to escape from it. This novel mostly follows the main character Hester, who is doomed to display the scarlet letter, signifying adultery, for the rest of the duration of her life. Pearl, Hester’s daughter and the result of her adultery, is thought of by the Puritan community to be unworldly, wild, and an offspring of Satan. However, despite the Puritans’ ill view on her, Hawthorne purposely uses her character to portray truth and nature in this gloomy and dark setting. The actions of Pearl make it apparent that one cannot hide or escape from the truth.

On the other hand, Arthur Dimmesdale concealed his immense wrongdoing from the people, and as a result, continued to receive passionate admiration for his perceived holiness and inspiring speeches about the works of God (119). Whereas Hester’s punishment was given through the burning stares at her scarlet letter, Dimmesdale’s scarlet letter was in his heart. This guilt took hold of his life in a way that he could never escape until his death, and his health failed accordingly. In his futile attempts to absolve himself of sin, Minister Dimmesdale punished himself with late prayers, and he fasted until he could barely stand (141). In order to hide his offense, Mr. Dimmesdale suffered a fate worse than death: having to deal with this enormous guilt during every moment.

Throughout history, one reoccurring theme has been the harsh judgement of society against those who stand out. Although in certain periods and different societies, public shaming seems to have been more severe, it is, in all actuality, equally cruel today, yet in different forms. Despite this, keeping one 's sins a secret and away from societal judgement seems to have more of a negative affect on oneself, often causing poor mental and physical health, than confessing and facing consequences. In The Scarlet Letter, author, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores how one is affected, both physically and mentally, when his/her appearance doesn 't match his/her reality through the main characters of the novel, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. In their 1600 's Puritan society, Hawthorne depicts the differences between Hester and Dimmesdale’s public versus private shaming for their committed sin of adultery, reflected through how both forms of ignominy affect their characters mental and physical health. Although Hester and Dimmesdale are the main characters that struggle with the difficulty of their appearance matching their reality, there are others that contribute to their conflicts. These characters are known as Pearl, Hester’s daughter who is being portrayed as “God’s messenger” to teach her to be her true self, and Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s long lost husband who torments Dimmesdale, also teaching him to be his true self by challenging him confess his sin throughout the novel. In

Within the world, color is important. Color allows the expression of the people’s inner, true self. Color allows the expression of society’s forced image onto the people. Color allows one to be honest and truthful, yet hidden and sheltered. Color is our personality and who we are. Color challenges how far we can step out of the norm while still being accepted. Color is our own definition of ourselves, and yet it is open for interpretation.

John Muir, pioneer of American conservationism, declared that “The clearest way into the universe is through a forest wilderness” (Muir 313). For many modern Americans, the forest is a place of freedom, peace, and introspection. However, until the last century, the wilderness was often regarded with fear and resentment. Written long before John Muir and the conservation movement, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne was well ahead of its time for its depiction of wilderness. In The Scarlet Letter, Arthur Dimmesdale leaves the beaten path and seeks refuge in the forest. There, he gains the strength and willpower to throw off seven years of hopelessness and take his fate into his own hands. Although the Puritans view the forest as a place of wild paganism, the forest symbolizes moral agency because it opens opportunity, transforms the characters into active agents, and asserts justice.

Morals are important; morals are the foundation for any society. The morals depicted in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, clearly show that righteous acts, and not sinning are not the a deciding factor in a happy life. The novel suggests that sin should be addressed by the community at large and not solely by the individual. The Scarlet Letter professes that an individual cannot, and will not, live a successful and peaceful life without being an honest member of the community, as evidenced by Hester Prynne 's transformation while wearing the letter, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale’s eventual demise, and Sir Roger Chillingworth’s revenge-based life.

Everyone faces penalties for the choices that he or she makes. Nathanial Hawthorne, well-known dark romanticist and author of “Young Goodman Brown,” and “The Scarlet Letter,” displays a love for story and symbols. Goodman Brown in “Young Goodman Brown,” chooses to question his faith and sells himself out of everyone because he does not believe in anyone. Whereas Hester in “The Scarlet Letter,” was thrown away from everyone because of her actions. Hawthorne’s usage of light and dark imagery in both, “The Scarlet Letter,” and “Young Goodman Brown,” represents good and evil, and the difficulty man faces to differentiate between the two

A fear of darkness is built into mankind. It is an innate sense of fear associated with the unknown dating back thousands of years. The Scarlet Letter defines the sources of darkness through a thematic symbol: black. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the color as a device to explore the inherent idea of black being a symbol of darkness. Characters, settings, items, and even times of day are associated with the onyx hue as the story progresses. Black corresponds with with the devil, also known as the Black Man, corruption, and evil. Black doesn’t just symbolize darkness as a whole—it splits into a multifaceted beast encompassing sin, society, and an all-absorbing power.

If we look at the setting in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, it is a 1600s puritan settlement in New England. This particular place is the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where, as depicted in The Scarlet Letter, is bound by the strict rules of the Puritans. We can see that internal struggle is planted in people’s minds because of their punishment, and specifically, Hester Prynne. We can see that Hester’s punishment, however, has helped her internally to become a better, independant person who has control over her life. Through specific examples, the character of Hester Prynne can be analyzed through the course of The Scarlet Letter. We see that the physical manifestation of Pearl, the scarlet letter, her conversations and how they each show more of Hester’s self, all are from Hester’s internal struggle with the punishments she faces, and how she is steadily overcoming them.

One can describe Arthur Dimmesdale as a young individual with a pale complexion. He would be physically delicate, with frail arms and frail body. A well educated individual with a strong devotion to god. Dimmesdale is passionate about his religion, which results in his inability to allow his sin to be forgiven or forgotten. Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne fall in love and commit an act of adultery. Hester Prynne was married to Roger Chillingworth who is one of the four major characters in the novel and Arthur Dimmesdale was essentially “married” to God. Hester Prynne struggles with being publicly shamed and forced to wear the red letter “A” wherever she goes. However when she refuses to reveal whom she committed the sin with, Arthur Dimmesdale must suffer with the knowledge that god and him are the only ones who know of the sin he has committed. Private guilt can at times be much more cruel and unforgiving. As an emotional individual he is

When this book was given out, many people probably could not wait for it to be over. Friends, parents, even teachers talked about how hard it is to get through. In fact, the majority of people, including myself, wondered how teenagers living in the 21st century could possibly connect to this story. The typical teenager’s daily life revolves around getting lunch at Panera, studying for many tests in one day, and competing for the most amount of likes on Instagram. So how could a book about a girl who commits adultery and is ridiculed by her whole community for her actions possibly be related to? Believe it or not, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne has many themes that are still portrayed in today’s modern society. Some of these themes include acceptance within society, reputation based on previous actions, and how closely related revenge and guilt are to one another.