How Does Nathaniel Hawthorne Use The Scaffold As A Symbol Of Guilt

In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, we notice that action only happens in a few places, among which are the forest, the market place, the governor’s residence, and Dimmesdale’s house. Although all these locations are significant to the story, the most important symbol among them is certainly the scaffold in the market place, where the story begins and ends. The scaffold’s meaning changes throughout the story and has different values for different characters. It represents humiliation, then insight, and finally redemption for Hester and Dimmesdale, but for Chillingworth, it symbolizes birth of sin, growth of sin, and ultimately consummation by sin.

Judgment can be the the greatest plague of society. Judgment kripples acceptance, forward growth and blinds entire communities. Though in retrospect plagues are necessary, as is judgment. Without judgment humanity would be blind to people's character exposing them dangerous risks unstable people present. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne , Hester dealt with the judgment repercussions of adultery. Her sin caused society's judgment of her to rise and fall, in tandem producing negative and positive effects for Hester. Throughout the novel the Puritan community shifts their views of Hester. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, judgment that plagued Hester as a result of her sin evolved and shifted the communities views of her.

Guilt and shame haunt all three of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter, but how they each handle their sin will change their lives forever. Hester Prynne’s guilt is publicly exploited. She has to live with her shame for the rest of her life by wearing a scarlet letter on the breast of her gown. Arthur Dimmesdale, on the other hand, is just as guilty of adultery as Hester, but he allows his guilt to remain a secret. Instead of telling the people of his vile sin, the Reverend allows it to eat away at his rotting soul. The shame of what he has done slowly kills him. The last sinner in this guilty trio is Rodger Chillingworth. This evil man not only hides his true identity as Hester’s husband, but also mentally torments

The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, is the nephew of John Hathorne. During the Salem Witch Trials, the only judge that did not apologize for the remorseless and cruel acts that were put upon many men and women was in fact John Hathorne. Nathaniel changed his last name from Hathorne to Hawthorne in an attempt to disassociate himself from his uncle. John Hathorne is the reason why Nathaniel Hawthorne is obsessed with the puritan times. Hawthorne lived in the 1800s, but the setting of the novel is based before the Salem Witch Trials were held in the 1600s. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the symbolism of the scarlet letter, Dimmesdale, and burrs to contribute to the overall theme of guilt.

The presence of guilt has been felt by all human beings. As guilt grows in a

The presence of guilt has been felt by all human beings. As guilt grows in a

In the world of The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, I Hester Prynne have been forced to assign relative blame to Chillingworth, Dimmesdale and myself. It is distasteful for one of us to assign blame to all seeing as though we would all approach it differently and I can never know the true feelings of my counterparts. The blame I shall assign is who among us is most responsible for the misconduct in the puritan society we lived in.

Furthermore, Hawthorne uses Hester’s Cabin to add to the theme of imperfection. Hester’s Cabin represents Hester. It symbolizes how she is on the line between good and evil and society and nature with the physical placement of Hester’s Cabin being on the edge between the town and the forest. Hawthorne uses Hester’s Cabin to show the reader Hester’s state of mind. He describes the Cabin’s location when he says,”On the outskirts of the town … was a small thatched cottage … on the shore … A clump of scrubby trees”(Hawthorne 74). By being on the outskirts of town Hester’s Cabin shows how disconnected Hester is from society. In describing the Cabin as partially hidden by trees, Hawthorne show how close Hester is to evil. Hawthorne displays exactly what mental place Hester is in after leaving the prison. Hester is still good and part of the town, but is surrounded by evil.

Guilt can be defined as neglected anger that we direct towards ourselves. Often times we choose to keep living in the past and we will never have a future. Our past affects the choices and consequences we have in our future. Consequences often lead to a transformation through guilt and suffering. Guilt can not only manipulate how we perceives other's, but it's also alters the perception of ourselves, and what actions we take because of that perception.

During the first scene, while Hester walks towards the scaffold, she clasps “the infant closely” to her breast as to hide her other badge of sin (45). As Hester realizes her actions, her cheeks fill with a “burning blush” but she continues on with a “haughty smile” (45). Hawthorne employs Hester’s mistake to illustrate that despite the shame she is feeling, Hester overcomes it with strength. By presenting Hester reducing her shame, Hawthorne reveals that by having the truth shown anyone can overcome their shame. As Hester continues to make her way towards the scaffold, the townsfolk around judge her.

Throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the constant theme of guilt, resentment, and revenge is mirrored through various scenes and characters. Hester Prynne commits the cursed sin, adultery, leading to her wearing of the notorious scarlet letter “A”. Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester Prynne’s adulterer, struggles with the crushing burden of guilt; as the respected pastor of the Puritan community, Dimmesdale must keep the heavy weight of sin to himself. Hawthorne most clearly depicts the subject of guilt through Dimmesdale, a respected reverend who ironically commits an unforgivable crime of passion. He is exemplary in performing his duties as a Puritan minister, a sign in which he was one of the chosen disciples of God, but he would not forget his sin and considers himself as a hypocrite. With the guilt

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the topic of guilt is a reoccurring. Guilt is portrayed throughout the novel as causing immense amounts suffering. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, symbols throughout the novel examine how guilt is an everlasting punishment.

In his novel, The Scarlet Letter takes place in a Puritan town. In the 1600’s, by Hawthorne Nathaniel and he talks about the Puritan people. The laws of the town and the belief’s of the people. Hawthorne uses Pearl, Dimmesdale and Burrs to contribute to the overall theme of guilt.

He deliberately knew this was wrong, and as a reverend, itwas immensely against his moral code. In not making this issue known and confessing, the guilt started building up over the myriad of years he kept his sinful secret. The point Hawthorne tries to get across is that exposing freely, an undesirable trait or something you've done in that which someone might judge you critically for, is much better than trying to deal with it yourself. However, there are certain things you must confess to God alone,and others you must confess to both God and man. Dimmesdale owed his congregation an explanation and confession, one that took him almosta century of suffering guilt to give.

After committing a crime one must receive a punishment for the crime. Punishments come from the judicial system and can vary in their effectiveness and the strength of the punishment. The punishment has the potential to influence the criminal and community also. The government that enforces all punishments has many theocratical characteristics that change the harshness of the punishment. The community may not view the change in the harshness of the punishment in a positive way. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, the puritan religion of the Massachusetts Bay Colony controls the political and judicial system making the public view religion as a government. Religious based political decisions can destroy the veracity of