Conscience

Arthur Dimmesdale, in contrast to Hester, refuses to reveal the act of adultery, instead allowing it to weaken him throughout the novel. The status of Dimmesdale is very different compared to Hester; a highly regarded reverend, Dimmesdale is determined to keep the sin a secret from the beginning. The deed already seems to be troubling him from the beginning, as he is described as having “an air about [him]—an apprehensive, a startled, a half-frightened look—as of a being who found himself […] at

A good daydream every once in a while is a relaxing, borderline meditative phenomenon that allows the conscious mind to escape for a brief moment in time. Whether it happens when watching an interesting movie or when zoning out of a boring class, this process of the mind leaving reality occurs every day multiple times a day. The idea of severing or dissociating the mind from reality has both beneficial and detrimental effects. Martha Stout, a clinical psychologist and author of the text The Myth

Are people Really good at heart? Of course they are, some would say everyone is, well what if the answer no, what if no one is truly good at heart, well that can't be true can it? All these stories of heroes all good and no bad, all those princes with princesses saving the day, no it can be true! All the stories mom and dad told as a child all the books read, it can't be! But once again, what if the answer was no. People are not truly good at heart “She puts me to shame” “That's it get out!”

As The Scarlet Letter progresses, the scarlet letter takes on a human identity in the form of Pearl, her existence externalizes Hester's punishment. Hester acknowledges that Pearl is her living, breathing punishment. In The Scarlet Letter, she says, “He gave her in requital….Ye shall not take her! I will die first” (94 ,Ch 8). Hester’s love for Pearl makes her beg the ministers and governor to allow her to keep Pearl. Her argument was that God gave her Pearl, and whilst Pearl brings her joy, she

“She had been offered to the world, these seven years past, as the living hieroglyphic, in which revealed the secret they so darkly sought to hide, - all written in this symbol,- all plainly manifest,- had there been a prophet or magician skilled to read the character of flame”(Hawthorne, chp.19). Around the time of this quote, Hester is trying to get Pearl to join her and Dimmesdale. This is so they can officially meet for the first time. Hester, trying to get Dimmesdale to look at Pearl in a positive

Pearl trapped by sin! People get trapped by their past all the time. In the scarlet letter it is obvious that Dimmesdale and even Hester get caught up in their past and wallow in their guilt, Dimmesdale more so than Hester. However Pearl is a character that is often overlooked because of her free spirit and joyous nature. But she is a character who none the less has been affected tremendously by the consequences of Dimmesdale and Hester’s actions. In the Scarlet Letter a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Throughout The Scarlet Letter, the theme of sin is illustrated in Hester’s many wrongs. The most pronounced of these offenses is her adultery. On page 197, Hester admits to Dimmesdale that “In a little while, [they] needest not be afraid to trace whose child she is.” Speaking of Pearl, Hester knows that Pearl was an illegal child and that, until they run away, the identity of her parents will have to be kept secret from the law. Furthermore, Hawthorne tells the reader, “[Hester] knew that her deed

The methods of penance that the sinful lovers condemn themselves to do not completely allay their shame, and in order to do so, they must first make a sacrifice. Pearl, as the product of Hester and Dimmesdale's love affair, is the subject of their sacrifices. Hester sacrifices her freedom from the scarlet letter in exchange for her connection with Pearl. After Hester takes off the scarlet letter, she feels “estranged from Pearl” (XIX,171). The scarlet letter represents Pearl because it represents

Due to the fact the Dimmsdale neglects that he is the father of Pearl it leds him to have agonizing guilt. In the story, every time Pearl and Dimmesdale are in the same room or spot at the same time it seems he, “. . . to press his hand against his heart (Hawthorne 83).” This is a sign of the pain that he feels in his chest is festering inside of him every time that he is seen near Pearl. Guilt is normally held within the chest and due to the fact that he is feeling so much guilt and pain; he decides

Telling a lie is like is like a snowball the more it is rolled the larger it gets and the harder it is to control. Throughout The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Dimmesdale and Hester struggled with telling the truth, putting them in the darkness with no sun shining on them. While Pearl, Hester's daughter, always shared the truth and was able to be in the light. The sunshine symbolizes the radiance felt once the truth is out, thus hinting in order to feel radiant people must stay truthful