Puritanical Law Versus Human Nature Try as they might, humans will never escape the compulsions hardwired into their natures; just as the need to eat and drink cannot be suppressed, the need to love and be loved remains unavoidable. Likewise is the human passion for truth and, though more frequently denied, is the draw to material possessions. Society has sought to quell human nature through various methods, all of which only lead to guilt and hypocrisy. For instance, the Puritan society depicted by The Scarlet Letter endeavors to conceal both the vices and the virtues of human nature through laws that contradict the very foundation of one’s being.
Human nature does not dictate whom the heart is allowed to desire; love knows not the bounds
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The lesson that can be learned from Dimmesdale’s existence can be summarized in one quote, “Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!” (Hawthorne 271). Every fiber of his being urges him to confess and reveal his genuine self to the world; the thing that holds him back is not a love of deceit and deception, but dread at how his Puritan community may punish him. He knows that he, should he tell the truth, will face removal from his post and possibly suffer banishment or death. Through his actions, Dimmesdale proves that it is not impossible for a man to openly display both his favorable and unfavorable attributes; however, in an intolerant society, it is improbable that he be willing to do so without undergoing prodigious suffering beforehand. Dimmesdale's society does not make it easy for him to follow his impulse to be true to the world, as it’s severe intolerance of even the most trivial of sins implies favor towards a respectable lie over an unpleasant
Life is unpredictable, and through trial and error humanity learns how to respond to conflicts and learns how to benefit from mistakes. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a character who changes and gains knowledge from the trials he faces, but first he has to go through physical, spiritual, and emotional agony. In the midst of all the havoc, the young theologian is contaminated with evil but fortunately his character develops from fragile to powerful, and the transformation Dimmesdale undergoes contributes to the plot’s climax.
In the provocative article, Were the Puritans Puritanical?, Carl Degler seeks to clarify the many misconceptions surrounding the Puritan lifestyle. He reveals his opinions on this seventeenth century living style, arguing that the Puritans were not dull and ultra-conservative, but rather enjoyed things in moderation. They had pleasures, but not in excess. The Puritans could engage in many pleasurable and leisurely activities so long as they did not lead to sin. According to the article, the Puritans believed that too much of anything is a sin. Degler writes about the misconceptions of Puritan dress, saying that it was the “opposite of severe”, and describing it as rather the English Renaissance style. Not all members of Puritan society
Pearl is an example of the innocent result of sin. All the kids make fun of Pearl and they disclude her from everything. She never did anything wrong, but everyone treats her like she committed the sin also. Pearl acts out against the children that make fun of her and acts like a crazy child. She cannot control the sins that her parents committed.
Before Dimmesdale’s untimely death in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale committed the sins of adultery and lying. In order to keep his sins a secret, Dimmesdale spoke nothing of his involvement in the affair until it tore him apart from the inside out.When Dimmesdale tried to confess his sin to his congregation, they saw the confession as if it were part of his sermon. “He had spoken the very truth, and transformed it into the veriest falsehood”. (Hawthorne 171) Instead of correcting their assumption, Dimmesdale went along with it, once more hiding his sinfulness. When Dimmesdale finally confessed his sin openly...
A sinful nature is an aspect in man that makes him rebellious against God. Everyone has a sinful nature and it affects every part of us. Sin corrupts the human mind and has consequences for doing wrong in the eyes of the Lord. Every individual on Earth sins, and this is represented in the novel The Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale to portray how different people cope with their sin and the consequences of that sin.
The Scarlet Letter is full of many psychological and moral aspects, and most of them relate very well to things that are going on right now in the world. They all go hand in hand meaning that the aspects that were explained in The Scarlet Letter, can also be explained in the same way as they can be explained now. Although times were very different in the times where The Scarlet Letter took place, they are all relevant for what people have to say about certain things in today's world. The moral aspects of the Scarlet Letter are almost the same as moral aspects of today.
The Puritans didn’t understand that the individual households allow freedom from outside of judgment or intervention. The Puritan community sensed that it’s obligat...
Arthur Dimmesdale presented himself as an uncorrupted man by his social status. Inside he felt unworthy and corrupt form the sin he has committed. The town’s people looked up to Dimmesdale as a man who could commit no grand sin. “People say that the Reverend Master Dimmesdale, her godly pastor, takes it very seriously to heart that such a scandal should have come upon his congregation.” (48). Little did they know that the scandal that Dimmesdale took to hear was the fornication that happened between Dimmesdale and adulteress Hester Prynne. His sinful ways was affecting his health greatly. “Some declared, that, if Mr. Dimmesdale were really going to die, it was cause enough, that the world was not worthy to be any longer trodden by his feet.” (106). The town’s people respected him so much so that they figured it was the world that is corrupt and not Dimmesdale.
Some people find nature an escape from civilization. The wild, unsettled territory beyond the city or town limits may symbolize freedom and unconformity. This was true in the Puritan society in the 1850s, where citizens were heavily restricted by their theocratic government. However, in the woods outside of town the rules of the community no longer applied to them, and they could act freely without fear of judgment or persecution. By utilizing specific natural attributes, Hawthorne accentuates the story he wants to depict to his readers. He manipulates aspects of nature, such as the light from the sun or the darkness of night, in order to evoke a stronger sense of setting and character to his audience. In The Scarlet Letter, nature plays a vital role as Hawthorne persistently uses it to emphasize the mood of a situation to his
The Puritans stressed grace, devotion, prayer, and self-examination to achieve religious virtue while including a basic knowledge of unacceptable actions of the time; this was expected to secure order and peace within the Puritan community. The Puritan culture is one that recognizes Protestantism, a sect of Christianity. Though a fundamental of Christianity is forgiveness for one's sins, this seems to have been forgotten amongst the women of the community: "Morally, as well as materially, there was a coarser fiber in those wives and maidens of old English birth and breeding, than in their fair descendants. " As we read between the lines we can notice a concern in Hester's acceptance within the Puritan community. More so, Hester senses a lack of acceptance within the circle of women in the community.
Authors use character development to show how a person can change. Through a descriptive portrayal of a charter and their development they become real to the reader. A well-developed character stirs up emotions in the reader making for a powerful story. A person can change for better or worse and Nathaniel Hawthorne shows this thru the character development of Hester, Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter.
price of death, proved to be more harmful and more destructive than this sin of the flesh, and his sin against God. Socrates said, “Knowthyself,” and Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true.” If Reverend Dimmesdale had been true to himself he certainly wouldn’t have suffered as much as he did. What drove Dimmesdale to hold in his self-condemning truth? To answer this, it’s necessary to examine the whole character of Reverend Dimmesdale while explaining his sinful situation.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is one of the most respected and admired novels of all time. Often criticized for lacking substance and using more elaborate camera work, freely adapted films usually do not follow the original plot line. Following this cliché, Roland Joffe’s version of The Scarlet Letter received an overwhelmingly negative reception. Unrealistic plots and actions are added to the films for added drama; for example, Hester is about to be killed up on the scaffold, when Algonquin members arrive and rescue her. After close analysis, it becomes evident of the amount of work that is put into each, but one must ask, why has the director adapted their own style of depicting the story? How has the story of Hester Prynne been modified? Regarding works, major differences and similarities between the characterization, visual imagery, symbolism, narration and plot, shows how free adaptation is the correct term used.
Overall, the lifestyle changes brought forth by guilt are portrayed through Hawthorne’s use of Biblical allusions. When guilt shadows over an individual’s mind, they often forgot how to differentiate between what they should do and what they’re actually doing. Instead of accepting the guilt and moving on, many express their guilt through actions. When the choice of destroying guilt, or letting it destroy you, comes up, individuals tend to select the option that involves less doing, since they are already ashamed of their deeds.
Nathanial Hawthorne, the author of The Scarlet Letter, provoked many emotions throughout his entire novel. The emotions ranged from grief to anticipation. Each character played an important role in the novel and I believe that each character evoked a different emotion in the reader. Three of the characters in which Nathanial Hawthorne demonstrates this are Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and their daughter Pearl.