The Scarlet Letter is a well-known novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this novel Hawthorne wrote in depth about the Puritans’ reception to sin, in particular, adultery. He also includes brilliant visuals of the repercussions that occur when the town of Salem hears of Hester’s adultery. There are many relationships within the book, from a lover to a beautiful yet illegitimate daughter. Symbolism runs throughout, even a simple rose bush outside of a jail holds so much meaning. Hawthorne reveals themes all through the novel one in particular, was sin. Although sin does not occur often in the Puritan lifestyle Hawthorne shows the importance and change this one deceit makes for the town of Salem.
The relationships depicted in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter can be found in some of today’s most intriguing soap operas. At the beginning of The Scarlet Letter we are introduced to a young lady by the name of Hester Prynne. We are told that she has had a very complex relationship with an older man by the name of Rogers Chillingworth (Hawthorne). The basis of this relationship was told to be a marriage, but it is believed that Chillingworth paid more attention to his profession, medicine, instead of Hester (Weinauer). Chillingworth figured that the marriage would not last forever. This is proven when he says to Hester,
A man already in decay, having given my best years to feed the hungry dream of knowledge,—what had I to do with youth and beauty like thine own! Misshapen from my birth-hour, how could I delude myself with the idea that intellectual gifts might veil physical deformity in a young girl’s fantasy! … Nay, from the moment when we came down the old church-steps together, a married pair, I might have beheld the bale-...
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In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne analyzes Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. In the story, Hester is the main character of the story and was called Mistress Prynne (Hawthorne 70). Dimmesdale, in the story was referred to as Reverend Dimmesdale (Hawthorne 90). Chillingworth was originally named, Roger Prynne but later in the story he changed his name to Roger Chillingworth. In the story, Hester committed adultery with Dimmesdale against Chillingworth and in the beginning she got punished and sent to prison and later she got to get out of prison but with the exception of having to wear the letter A on her breast every time she went out in to town.
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, there are many moral and social themes develped throughout the novel. Each theme is very important to the overall effect of the novel. In essence, The Scarlet Letter is a story of sin, punishment and the importance of truth. One theme which plays a big role in The Scarlet Letter is that of sin and its effects. Throughout the novel there were many sins committed by various characters. The effects of these sins are different in each character and every character was punished in a unique way. Two characters were perfect examples of this theme in the novel. Hester Prynne and The Reverend Dimmesdale best demonstrated the theme of the effects of sin.
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The Scarlet Letter is a literary work that is the subject of Nathaniel Hawthorne because it provides many good aspects, whether Hester Prynne feelings of enchantment with the Reverend Dimmesdale causing sin and adultery "with Hester's sin until the birth, both babies less that she was married by her being sentenced to sign A letter to the Red that stands the word Adultery is to expose the chest and stood in front of the people in the city, has been a shame. She accepted with dignity, with a firm penalty
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