The Lasting Effect of Sin and Guilt on Hester and Dimmesdale
analytical Essay
1448 words
Without an honorable reputation a person is not worthy of respect from others in their society. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the struggle to shake off the past is an underlying theme throughout the novel. Characters in this novel go through their lives struggling with trying to cope with the guilt and shame associated with actions that lost them their honorable reputation. Particularly, Hawthorne shows the lasting effect that sin and guilt has on two of the main characters in the book: Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale.
Hester Prynne's guilt is the result of her committing adultery, which has a significant effect on her life. Hester is publicly seen with the scarlet letter when she first emerges out of the cold dark prison. "It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself" (49). The spell that is mentioned is the scarlet letter, "so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom" (49). The scarlet letter is what isolates her from everyone else because it symbolizes sin. Hester is in her very own sphere, where her sin affects her livelihood and has completely cut her off from the world. Her entrance into the sphere marks the beginning of her guilt and it occurs when she is in the prison after her first exposure to the crowd. The prison marks the beginning of a new life for Hester, a life full of guilt and seclusion. Her problem is that her shame is slowly surfacing while she faces the crowd realizing that she has been stripped of all her pride and everything that was important to her in the past. The lasting effect of Hester's sin is the shame that she now embodies due to her committing adultery. The shame that is ass...
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...is the guilt, which they are left with in the end. On the fateful day where the two committed adultery, they had no idea that this mistake would turn out to be like an ominous black cloud that they would never be able to escape from. When they chose to have Pearl, they unknowingly signed a contract that said they would have to suffer with their guilty conscience as a consequence for having Pearl. At the time, they did not think that they would feel much guilt, but when the word got out that Hester had a baby, everything changed. The mistake had been made and they would now be forced to live with it whether they liked it or not. In the end, Hester and Dimmesdale both sacrifice their peaceful lives to live with the guilt of giving birth to a child who should have never been born.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam, 1986.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne's novel, the scarlet letter, shows the lasting effect of sin and guilt on hester prynne and reverend dimmesdale.
- Explains that hester prynne's guilt is the result of her committing adultery, which has a significant effect on her life.
- Analyzes how hester's shame becomes very influential in her life, making her unable to express herself freely. she wants to take revenge on everyone that has passed judgment on her by giving them a disdainful smile.
- Analyzes how hester's ultimate consequence of sin is her daughter pearl, who is a symbol of her sin. she is willing to go out into public and show her scarlet letter without shame even though she is still condemned.
- Explains that although hester and reverend dimmesdale both committed the same sin, the lasting effect of sin is not external factors, but it originates and grows within him.
- Analyzes how the confession of sin is an important aspect of reverend dimmesdale's life.
- Analyzes how hester and dimmesdale sacrifice their peaceful lives to live with the guilt of giving birth to a child who should have never been born.
Related
- analytical
- The Big "H" Wordanalytical essayNathaniel Hawthorne exploits the life of Puritanism in his guilty pleasure The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne lends the reader into an insight of life and human nature. The Scarlet Letter reveals the ordeal and evils of Hester Prynne, a woman living in colonial Boston whom was found guilty of adultery. Hester’s punishment was to then wear a visible sign of her sin’ the scarlet letter “A.” As the novel progresses the reader is introduced to Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister Hester had an affair with; and Roger Chillingworth, the estranged husband of Hester whom is out for revenge. The Scarlet Letter examines the relations of the main characters and the consequence of these characters to Hester’s sin. Hester’s sin of adultery interacts with themes of alienation from society, revenge, creativity, and consequences of breaking the moral code. The underlying sin Hawthorn explores throughout The Scarlet Letter is hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is easily defines as a falsehood between one's professed beliefs and feelings and one's actual beliefs and feelings, or an application of a criticism to others that one does not apply to oneself. Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and the Puritan society were steep in their sin of hypocrisy. Hawthorne reveals through the pages of The Scarlet Letter that hypocrisy is indeed a sin by punishing the offenders.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne exploits the life of puritanism in his guilty pleasure the scarlet letter.
- Analyzes how hester prynne is a strong, independent, and stubborn individual who surrenders to hypocrisy throughout the scarlet letter.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale is hypocritical to his congregation by teaching them the good word of the bible, but to hester as well.
- Analyzes how chillingworth's hypocrisy is bought upon his need for revenge. he uses this power to torture dimmesdale and cause him pain.
- Analyzes how the puritan society became a lesson in hypocrisy. they were strict followers of the bible, so shouldn't they have known about forgiveness and loving thy neighbor?
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne exemplifies the consequences of hypocrisy within several bodies in the scarlet letter.
- Describes the definitions of hypocrisy at dictionary.com.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale is an epitome of hypocrisy. he is a true priest and religionist with reverential sentiments that impelled itself along the track of creed.
1488 wordsRead More - Sin of Adultery in Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letteranalytical essayThe Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, shows the adverse consequences caused by adultery between Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne. Dimmesdale and Hester committed the supreme sin of the Puritan society they belong. They must both deal with the effects of the scarlet letter. Pearl, the daughter of the two lovers, continuously punishes Hester for what she has done. Dimmesdale can only see Hester and Pearl when others will not find out or see. Hester finds a way to support herself and daughter, and at the same time, puts a mark on the possessions of some who are a part of society. The sin of adultery created repercussions that were shared and individually experienced by Reverend Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how the scarlet letter shows the adverse consequences caused by adultery between reverend arthur dimmesdale and hester prynne.
- Analyzes how the scarlet letter is worn by hester as a repercussion of her adulterous sin to make known her crime of passion throughout the story.
- Analyzes how hester decides to live alone as a repercussion of the sin she committed. she turns to needlework to help support herself and daughter, pearl.
- Analyzes how pearl is a constant repercussion of the adultery hester took part in.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale longs to see hester and pearl, but as a repercussion of his sin, he can not publicly interact with them.
- Analyzes how a strange, sad man is he, with his hand always over his heart, in the dark nighttime.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale, despite his feelings for hester and pearl, acts like a stranger to them for the fear of the town finding out the truth.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale keeps his part in the twisted affair a secret. by keeping this secret, guilt and pain consume him, and he cannot take the excruciating downward pull of sin.
- Analyzes how hester's scarlet letter is only the shadow of what he bears on his breast.
- Analyzes how hester and dimmesdale's one sin, adultery, defined their existence, and how the sin empowered him and killed him.
1104 wordsRead More - The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorneanalytical essayHave you ever committed a sin so appalling that you couldn’t tell a single soul, which, in result, gnawed away at the very foundation of passion and ecstasy in your life? The truth is every individual sins at some point. Certain people more than others and some people worse than others. What matters most is how you respond and how you let the emotional wrath of repentance take ahold of your life. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth to symbolize the effects of guilt and how destructive or reinforcing a life full of remorse can be.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hawthorne uses hester, dimmesdale, and chillingworth to symbolize the effects of guilt and how destructive a life full of remorse can be.
- Analyzes how hester prynne, the wearer of the scarlet letter, conveys a couple of different ways in which guilt can affect individual’s lives for worse and for better.
- Analyzes how reverend dimmesdale's heart is conflicted between veracity and continuation of living in falsehood.
- Analyzes how roger chillingworth, hester's husband, is oppressed by a vengeful and unforgiving spirit that possesses his heart.
- Analyzes how hester, dimmesdale, and chillingworth are used throughout the scarlet letter to signify just how caustic or consolidating the effects remorse can have on an individual’s life.
1222 wordsRead More - Scarlet Letter Guilt Essayanalytical essayGuilt is powerful thing. A person’s whole life can be destroyed seconds after being exposed to the strength of guilt. Even though admitting a sin can seem more difficult than not, that confession can often make a world of difference in the long run. In The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne, and Reverend Dimmesdale, have two very different ways of dealing with guilt. These differences in action are what change the courses of their lives. The actions taken by one character are successful, though the actions of the other put his life in ruins. Hester confesses her sin in public, while Dimmesdale does not. This simple choice made causes a drastic change in each of their lives. When comparing the lives of Hester and Dimmesdale,
In this essay, the author
- Compares the lives of nathaniel hawthorne, hester prynne and reverend dimmesdale in the scarlet letter.
- Analyzes how hawthorne compares hester and dimmesdale with their journeys through the shame-filled emotions.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale doesn't admit his sin, which slowly ruins his life. he climbs the scaffold and invites hester and pearl to the stage with him.
- Analyzes how hester and dimmesdale's guilt controls their actions and ability to make their own decisions.
- Analyzes how hester is the complete opposite of dimmesdale. she is thrilled to finally be leaving this town, and feels no remorse or ounce of regret.
- Analyzes how hester prynne and dimmesdale are two undeniably different human beings. the difference in hiding sin and turning to guilt shows how much it can take over a life.
- Analyzes how hawthorne shows how guilt eats away at a person's life in great detail by comparing hester prynne and reverend dimmesdale.
1824 wordsRead More - Sins of Hester Prynne, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letteranalytical essayThe Sins of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a study of the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of the main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Sin strengthens Hester, humanizes Dimmesdale, and turns Chillingworth into a demon. Hester Prynne’s sin was adultery.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how hester learns from her sin, and grows strong, a direct result of her punishment.
- Analyzes how arthur dimmesdale's sin was the same as that of hester. he is a coward who is too weak to confess his guilt, even though he desires to greatly.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale's confession helped save his soul.
- Explains sewall, richard b., "the scarlet letter: criticism." novels for students, ed. diane telgen.
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne's the scarlet letter studies the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of the main characters, hester prynne, arthur dimmesdale, and roger chillingworth.
- Analyzes how roger chillingworth commits the greatest sin. he is a classic case of hawthorne's "unpardonable sin."
- Explains bruckner, sally, and dolan, neal. the scarlet letter: bloom's notes.
2123 wordsRead More - How Does Hester Prynne Change In The Scarlet Letteranalytical essayThe author of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, expressed ideas of love, passion, shame, and punishment throughout his 1800s based novel. Due to the fact that this novel was based in a Puritan time period, it brought many mental and sometimes physical difficulties for the main character, Hester Prynne. The Puritans solely believed in God and all of his rules. With that said, the author decided to illustrate the drama of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale’s adultery in order to describe the change in Hester’s attitude. Because of the many events, adversities and struggles, Hester had a complete change in attitude from shame and embarrassment to love, proudness and satisfaction.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne, of the scarlet letter, expressed ideas of love, passion, shame, and punishment throughout his 1800s based novel.
- Analyzes how hester prynne is treated as a woman of shame, despite her promise to keep the secret of the father of her daughter pearl. she is despised by almost everyone and tries to hide.
- Analyzes how hester was publicly shamed, while arthur dimmesdale, who was also to blame for the adultery crime, was fighting within himself.
- Analyzes how the scarlet letter took the main character, hester prynne through struggles and made her into a strong woman that no one believed she could ever be.
742 wordsRead More - Dealing With Guilt in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letteranalytical essayThroughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne attempted to expose the varying ways in which different people deal with lingering guilt from sins they have perpetrated. The contrasting characters of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale ideally exemplified the differences in thought and behavior people have for guilt. Although they were both guilty of committing the same crime, these two individuals differed in that one punished themselves with physical and mental torture and the other chose to continue on with their life, devoting it to those less fortunate than they.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne exposed the varying ways in which different people deal with lingering guilt from sins they have perpetrated. hester prynne and arthur dimmesdale exemplified the differences in thought and behavior people have for guilt.
- Analyzes how hawthorne made hester prynne and arthur dimmesdale involved in the same offense: adultery.
- Analyzes how hester chose to deal with her guilt by helping others and becoming productive. she donated all of her earnings to the needy and sewed clothes for people.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale, often portrayed in the book as a coward, chose not only to refrain from confessing, but continued to hide his secret for seven years.
- Compares hester prynne and arthur dimmesdale's views of guilt in the scarlet letter. both methods of dealing with guilt were honorable.
680 wordsRead More - Guilt in The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorneanalytical essay“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”(Romans 3:23). Since the beginning of time guilt has existed, and in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, guilt illustrates itself through adultery involving Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale. Hester and Dimmesdale resided in New England during The Puritan Age and committed adultery while Hester’s husband was out of town. Hester’s sin did not go unnoticed, as her baby illuminated the situation. While Hester’s mister hid in the shadows, she was branded with a scarlet letter A for adultery as punishment for her sin. The scarlet letter was more than a piece of cloth over her chest; it was reminder to everyone around about Mrs. Prynne’s actions. Hawthorne uses biblical and spiritual allusions to argue that guilt causes individuals to change their lifestyles.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne's the scarlet letter illustrates guilt through adultery involving hester prynne and reverend dimmesdale.
- Analyzes how hawthorne uses allusions to the bible to argue the change in lifestyle brought forth by guilt. hester's suffrage from receiving the scarlet letter parallels the mark that was branded to cain when he killed his brother abel.
- Analyzes how hawthorne uses biblical allusions as evidence towards guilt changing dimmesdale’s lifestyle.
- Analyzes how hawthorne's allusions to the bible argue the lifestyles of sinners and their product were twisted due to their guilt. hester and dimmesdale attempted to ignore the changes brought forth in their lives, not realizing that guilt will instill itself in the possessor if they don't fight back.
774 wordsRead More - The Scarlet Letteranalytical essayIn The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne develops his characters, Hester and Dimmesdale, throughout the story. We are shown that the steps that Hester takes along the path of penitence are authentic, while the steps that Dimmesdale takes to deal with his original sin of adultery, and the compounded sin of hypocrisy, are inauthentic. Readers are shown how these two characters are direct opposites of each. Hester publicly admits committing adultery but on the other hand, Dimmesdale keeps the sin to himself and tries to repent in private. While Hester is strong, Dimmesdale is weak and cowardly. These contradictions help develop The Scarlet Letter, into one of America’s classics.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how in nathaniel hawthorne's novel, the scarlet letter, hester prynne goes on her path of penitence to redeem her name and soul, while arthur dimmesdale hides his secret.
- Analyzes how hester prynne is the epitome of good and strength in the scarlet letter. she admits that she committed adultery to repent for her sins.
- Analyzes how hester took her first step on her path of penitence by staying in boston and flourishing her brand around.
- Analyzes how hester prynne changed the minds of puritanical boston by making her scarlet letter "able" to show her strength.
- Analyzes how dimmesdale, unlike hester prynne, is the epitome of humanity, weak and cowardly. he believes that doing good work will not forgive one’s sin and that confessing will do more harm than good.
- Concludes that dimmesdale is a hypocrite because he believes confessing is wrong but tries to repent in his private time.
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne develops his characters, hester and dimmesdale, throughout the scarlet letter.
1383 wordsRead More - 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.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne uses symbolism to present a theme that pertains to human nature and life in his works, the scarlet letter and the minister's black veil.
- Analyzes how hawthorne uses the symbol of the scarlet letter to bring out the idea that manifested sin will ostracize one from society. hester is excluded physically, mentally, and socially from the normal society
- Analyzes how dimmesdale suffers physical and mental deterioration due to his hiding of his adultery and not claiming pearl as his daughter.
- Analyzes how nathaniel hawthorne presents a similar theme to that of the scarlet letter through the use of the black veil that the clergyman drapes across his face to hide his secret transgressions.
- Compares the voluntary wearing of the veil and the scarlet letter between the two works. hester is forced to wear the letter as punishment but she and pearl eventually move away.
- Explains that hester and father hooper die with their symbols on them, but are buried forever with them. both die under a tombstone with only the scarlet letter a to mark the grave.
- Analyzes how father hooper and hester showed their sin to the outside world and suffered loneliness and resentment. both characters lived their lives as outward sinners, unlike the rest of the puritan community.
730 wordsRead More