The Theme of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

1263 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Sin of the community in the scarlet letter

The Theme of the Scarlet Letter

How should society react to sin? With The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne takes us back to our roots, back to Puritan New England, “a land where iniquity is searched out, and punished in the sight of rulers and people” (58), and through this skillfully crafted novel, gives us an answer. According to Hawthorne, it is in the best interest of society to openly punish sin, for eventually the transgressor is reaccepted into society, while those who have sinned and receive no absolution from society suffer terribly.

Hester Prynne has sinned, and as punishment must wear a scarlet A. The A is for all to see that she has committed adultery, and to ensure that she is forever an outcast, one separated from society by her sin. However, as soon as she is released from prison and settles down, she becomes an in demand seamstress. “By degrees, nor very slowly, her handiwork became what would now be termed the fashion” (76). Governors, military men, ministers, and babies gladly wear her work. Yes, never is she allowed to sew a wedding veil, but nevertheless, from the start she is allowed to support herself and her child. At the same time, Hester begins to spend her free time sewing for the poor. She does nothing more than ensure that she and her child have enough to live. She lies low. Seven years pass. Because Hawthorne believes that “except where its selfishness is brought into play, [the human heart] loves more readily than it hates” (145), and because Hester has done nothing except help those around her through charitable works, “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification…it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne” (146). They go so far as to point her out to strangers ...

... middle of paper ...

...t response. Hester alone receives punishment and through it, survives her sin. Dimmesdale does not survive because society is never given the opportunity to acknowledge his sin, and therefore he is unable to be at peace with himself. Chillingworth does not survive, and is in fact the worst of the three, because he takes it upon himself to do what is society should have done--punish the sin of another. If we are to believe what Hawthorne shows us in The Scarlet Letter, the optimal reaction to sin is to punish it before the sight of all, for we as humans forgive more easily than hate, and with time will reaccept the sinner into society, while we will leave those who have sinned yet remain silent, whether their silence be willing or unwilling, to be destroyed.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York, NY: Bantam Dell, 2003. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Peyton Farquhar In An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge

    571 Words  | 2 Pages

    In chapter two, Hester had to stand on a scaffold with her daughter Pearl. While, she was walking up to stand on the scaffold Hester got taunted and stared at by the children and adults. We also, learned of the big letter “A” on her chest, which stood for adultery. This stood as a means of entertainment for the townspeople. “Open a passage; and, I promise ye, Mistress Prynne shall be set where man, woman, and child may have a fair sight…”. After Hester’s term of confinement was over, she moved to the outskirts of Boston. She lived with her daughter and made a living by sewing. We learned that Hester was a skilled seamstress and her work was in high demand. Hester could sew clothing for ceremonies and for the fashionable women of the town. Although, the townspeople loved her needlework they do no accept Hester and did not let her sew wedding

    Read More

  • A Comparison of "The Scarlet Letter" and "The Minister's Black Veil"

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    The central theme in The Scarlet Letter is that manifested sin will ostracize one from society and un-confessed sin will lead to the destruction of the inner spirit. Hawthorne uses the symbol of the scarlet letter to bring out this idea. In the novel, Hester is forced to wear the scarlet letter A (the symbol of her sin) because she committed adultery with the clergyman, Dimmesdale. Because the public's knowledge of her sin, Hester is excluded physically, mentally, and socially from the normal society of the Puritan settlement. She lives on the outskirts of town in a small cottage where she makes her living as a seamstress. Though she is known to be a great sewer amongst the people, Hester is still not able to sew certain items, such as a new bride's veil. Hester also has no interaction with others; instead she is taunted, if not completely ignored, by all that pass her by. Despite the ill treatment of the society, Hester's soul is not corrupted. Instead, she flourishes and improves herself in spite of the burden of wearing the scarlet letter and she repeatedly defies the conventional Puritan thoughts and values by showing what appears to us as strength of character. Her good works, such as helping the less fortunate, strengthen her inner spirit, and eventually partially welcome her back to the society that once shunned her.

    Read More

  • Sins of Hester Prynne, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter

    2123 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hester Prynne’s sin was adultery. This sin was regarded very seriously by the Puritans, and was often punished by death. Hester’s punishment was to endure a public shaming on a scaffold for three hours and wear a scarlet letter "A" on her chest for the rest of her life in the town. Although Hawthorne does not pardon Hester’s sin, he considers it less serious than those of Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. Hester’s sin was a sin of passion.  This sin was openly acknowledged as she wore the "A" on her chest. Hester did not commit the greatest sin of the novel. She did not deliberately mean to commit her sin or mean to hurt others.

    Read More

  • Symbolism for Adam and Eve in Nathanial Hawthorne's "Scarlet Letter"

    1031 Words  | 3 Pages

    With sin there is personal growth, and as a symbol of her sin, Hester’s scarlet “A” evokes development of her human character. The Puritan town of Boston became suspicious when Hester Prynne became pregnant despite her husband being gone. Being a heavily religious village, the townspeople punished Hester for her sin of adultery with the burden of wearing a scarlet “A” on all that she wears. Initially the...

    Read More

  • Guilt and Shame in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth are all sinners, but they each handle their guilt in different ways. Hester tries to earn forgiveness by acts of service. Dimmesdale allows his guilt to build up to the point that it kills him. Chillingworth becomes obsessed with getting revenge. None of them receive the benefit of forgiveness. There is no true redemption, because there is no Savior in The Scarlet Letter. Without a merciful, loving, and gracious Savior, there can not be forgiveness of sin and reconciliation of broken relationships. This barren hopelessness leaves the characters desperate, alone, and in need of a Rescuer.

    Read More

  • Feminism In Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    664 Words  | 2 Pages

    Despite being cast out, Hester quickly gets to work making garments for the townspeople, despite their unsympathetic treatment toward her. She does not depend on a man to be the breadwinner in the family, bringing in a “subsistence of the plainest and most ascetic description, for herself, and a simple abundance for her child,” Thus, the scarlet letter on her chest took on a whole new meaning, as “any people 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” (213). Hester, aside from her child, is basically alone throughout her life, but still manages to draw strength from inside and treat others with kindness and passion, proving her a strong woman.  Hester’s acts of kindness are not the only thing that sets her apart from the rest of the Puritans. She represents going against the status quo as a whole, thinking independently from the church ideology the townspeople follow like

    Read More

  • Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter

    1275 Words  | 3 Pages

    In every generation there are certain rules and etiquette that play a large role in dictating the appropriate behavior for the time. An individual may choose to live his or her life according to this code of conduct and do fairly well, or in contrast live a life full of trials and hardship as a result of their transgression. This is especially true for the early inhabitants of 17th century colonial America, a period rife with the religious zeal and harsh castigation carried out on behalf of the Puritans who settled the area. During this time, as is still the case today, offenders of this societal moral code were made examples of and forced to suffer so that they may serve as a warning to the rest of the population. This is the case in The Scarlet Letter where the protagonist Hester Prynne is ostracized from her conservative community after committing the then unforgivable sin of adultery. In his novel, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses both themes of guilt and redemption to create trials that test his character Hester Prynne and in the process transforms her from a pitiable sinner, to a symbol of strength.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorne's Purpose

    1098 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Scarlet Letter is a romance written by Nathaniel Hawthorne that takes place in the Puritan Community in Boston, Massachusetts during the 17th century. It tells the story of Hester Prynne, who commits the sin of adultery with the minister of the church, Reverend Dimmesdale, and conceives a baby girl, Pearl. Hester's husband, Roger Chillingworth, returns and seeks revenge. As Pearl grows up, her mother learns how to deal with the scarlet letter of shame and Dimmesdale feels guilt. When they decide to run away, Dimmesdale confesses his sin in public and he dies. The story end with the death of Chillingworth and all his belongings and property go to little Pearl. Pearl grows up and probably gets married and Hester becomes a mother for all women in need.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    1046 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the beginning of the Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne is labeled as the “bad guy”. The townspeople demand the other adulterer’s name, but Hester denies this revelation. She does not reveal it because she knows that the information will crumble the foundation of the Puritan religion and the town itself. “‘But, Hester, the man lives who has wronged us both! Who is he?’ ‘Ask me not!’ replied Hester Prynne, looking firmly into his face. ‘That thou shalt never know!’(Hawthorne 52). Hester knows that finding out that the father of the child, the Minister that is leading the town, will diminish credibility for the church and for Dimmesdale, the Minister. During her punishment, Hester decides to move out near the woods and make a living as a seamstress. Hester is regarded as an outcast from Boston, but she still gives back to the society that shuns her. ‘“Do you see that woman with the embroidered badge?’ they would say to strangers. ‘It is our Hester, —the town's own Hester, —who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted!’”(Hawthorne 111). Her acts of kindness, helping the sick and comforting the afflicted, toward the society that makes her an outcast shows the inner goodness of a person. Throu...

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Crucible And Animal Farm

    583 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hester Prynne, from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, the Scarlet Letter, faces a crucible. She commits adultery with Reverend Dimmesdale and becomes pregnant with a daughter, Pearl. She is isolated from the community and the general public except for when she must stand upon the scaffold for three hours as part of her punishment for her sin. She must also wear a scarlet letter “A” for adultery on her breast. The town looks at her differently because of her sin but Hester stays true to her personality. Hester fairs her life by honoring her punishment and her mistakes, as well as taking care of Pearl and teaching her to be kind.

    Read More

  • Changes of Hester Prynne in Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

    495 Words  | 1 Pages

    Through these events, Hester Prynne’s image is transformed throughout the course of the story. As Hester wears the scarlet letter, the reader can feel how much of an outcast Hester becomes. When walking through town, “.she never raised her head to receive their greeting. If they were resolute to accept her, she laid her finger on the scarlet letter and passed on” (Hawthorne, 127). She believes that she is not worthy of the towns acknowledgments and chooses to ignore them.

    Read More

  • The Range of Emotions in the Novel “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathanial Hawthorne

    525 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hester Prynne, the main character of the novel, was a courageous and honorable person; even though, what she had been known for wasn’t such an admirable deed. Hester Prynne was a very strong person in one’s eyes, because even though she had been publically humiliated in front of all of Boston, she still remained confident in herself and her daughter. She was ordered to wear a scarlet colored piece of fabric, with the letter “A” embroidered in gold on it, on her bosom at all times to show that she had committed adultery. She was mocked all the time and constantly looked down upon in society, because of her sin; but instead of running away from her problems, she st...

    Read More

  • How Does Hester Prynne Change Her Identity

    1343 Words  | 3 Pages

    As Hester wears the Scarlet Letter the people around her label her as well as her changing for her society around her in order to fit in. Hester Prynne has committed the sin of adultery, which in her society she needs to wear a Scarlet Letter as a punishment. Hester was put in front of her community and is exploited to what she is. “I charge… speak out the name of thy fellow sinner… though he were to step down from a high place.” (Hawthorne 77) Because she is a sinner, and people want her to confess her sin she goes against them and refuses to speak. When she does not speak, many people in the society thinks that she should be

    Read More

  • Moral and Social Themes in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    648 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Scarlet Letter is a blend of realism, symbolism, and allegory. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses historical settings for this fictional novel and even gives historical background information for the inspiration of the story of Hester Prynne in the introduction of The Scarlet Letter, ‘The Custom-House’. The psychological exploration of the characters and the author’s use of realistic dialogue only add to the realism of the novel. The most obvious symbol of the novel is the actual scarlet letter ‘A’ that Hester wears on her chest every day, but Hawthorne also uses Hester’s daughter Pearl and their surroundings as symbols as well. Allegory is present as well in The Scarlet Letter and is created through the character types of several characters in the novel.

    Read More

More about The Theme of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Open Document