Theme Of Sin And Evil In The Scarlet Letter

The nature of evil and what constitutes sin are topics that have been discussed often in daily life and literature. There are wide scoping views on how sin and evil come about, and what represents them. Nathanial Hawthorne’s “Scarlet Letter” is an example of some of these discussions and views. Sin and evil are overarching themes that propel the storyline of the novel, and provide insight into the main characters. Each of the main pieces of the story has committed sin or perpetrated evil in at some point, and to some degree. The extents of their transgressions are of different natures, and viewed in various lights. Behind the different levels of sin is the question of whether or not evil comes naturally to people or if it is brought about by

Initially Roger comes across as the victim of evil, not the perpetrator of it. Native Americans held him captive for a year, and he came home and discovered that his wife had a child with another man. But as the story progresses it becomes clear that Chillingworth is evil epitomized. He tricked a much younger Hester into marrying him, and then was an awful husband to her. Chillingworth takes advantage of a sick Dimmesdale, prying into his personal life, instead of trying to treat him. He torments Dimmesdale almost as much as Dimmesdale torments himself. But was his evil omnipresent in him, or was it brought about the actions of others? It is unclear whether he would’ve descended as far into evil if he had not been wronged to the magnitude that he was. However, the fact that he did become as hateful as he did proves that there was a level of evil there to begin with, and it just had to be brought out. Chillingworth is without a doubt the most evil of the characters in the book, as the majority of his actions are made out of vengeance and hate. He saw a sin enacted against him, and instead of letting it go, or growing because of it, he lets himself become such an evil person, that it is subtly implied that he is the devil himself. He prevents the happiness of many, and directly leads to a man’s death. The actions of this man are certainly