The Scarlet Letter: One Sin: Two Consequences

Dimmesdale’s guilt for committing a sin and seeing Pearl, someone completely innocent, ostracized by society tortures him to the extent that he physically punishes himself. Chillingworth and Pearl are connected because of their relationships to Dimmesdale and Hester, respectively, as a burden. This however is complex for Pearl as she cannot just be the child of sin because she still has much of a positive cast on them as well. Throughout Hawthorne’s story, Pearl’s association with her mother, Hester, strengthens her significance in the society. Her dealings with her own mother continue to evolve into more and more interesting interactions.

Throughout the story, Roger Chillingworth wanted to seek out revenge to whoever Hester’s child father and lover was. As for Dimmesdale, he was emotionally broken because he felt guilty, and there nothing he could do about it, besides live with it or else be punished harshly. Then comes Hester, she had to live with the scarlet letter “A” on her chest for life, which constantly reminded people of her adultery crime. She was emotionally broken because no one wanted to be near her due to the crime she committed. Thus, made her felt isolated and friendless.

Dimmesdale allowed his life to become consumed with guilt and the quest to complete a suitable penance, which brought him sorrow, self-hatred, and the demise of his body and spirit. The outward influence of society played a key role in Arthur’s unvarying anguish by providing him with a constant reminder of his sin and hypocrisy and adding to the growing guilt and shame he kept bottled within him. Combinations of his mental, physical, and emotional struggles ultimately lead Mr. Dimmesdale to his untimely death. In the end, the suffering became too great to bear and Mr. Dimmesdale’s was forced him to succumb to it.

Hester’s biggest sin is that she cheated on her husband, an older man who had long abandoned her, and who she assumed was dead. She has an affair with one of the leaders of the community’s church. Even though many of the wives were guilty of the same sin, it was always covered up or hidden away. The community is trying to make a perfect society, and so any kind of sin must be severely and quickly punished, no matter the circumstances. It seems like the sin seems OK if it is trapped in darkness and not talked about, but as soon as it’s obvious things go poorly.

"(69), rather than confess his own half of the sin. He can only praise a woman who has more strength and pow... ... middle of paper ... ...e afflicted"(111). The scarlet letter, or society's punishment, has made her a better servant of God than she has ever been. Hester's life has been redirected, and she was able to select the path of righteousness and appears able to eventually reach salvation, thanks to her abiding by society's punishment. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, avoids society, and hence avoids God.

“You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, a woman named Hester, who is abandoned by her husband for two years, is having an affair with the pastor, Reverend Dimmesdale. Hester gives birth to a daughter while her husband is away which leads people to believe that she is having an affair. The Puritans’s view of sin is very strict, so they believe Hester deserves a terrible punishment.Hester keeps the father hidden from the knowledge of the townspeople, so she receives the brutal punishment by herself. Throughout the novel, Hester and Dimmesdale react and cope with their sin differently.

The townspeople would consider her as an untouchable heathen who only only aired negative, evil energy. Children would be afraid of both Hester and Pearl as they c... ... middle of paper ... ... At the beginning of the novel when Hester is standing on the scaffolding, she does not reveal the secret that Dimmesdale desperately wants her to keep; the secret of his wrongful fathering of Pearl. Hester puts herself through much more stress than she needs to by not revealing this secret over a seven long years, but her love for Dimmesdale is the only strong evidence that keeps her from revealing it. It has been thoroughly justified that in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is portrayed as the ultimate feminist heroine through the delineation of her crime and punishment. How Hester handles the consequences of her chastisement is what brings about the heroic feministic qualities of Hester as the main character.

Hester, even though she was more appreciated by the Puritans, she still was not respected and her life was never the same. This eventually caused so much mental and physical anguish that she eventually questioned why she should live if it weren't for her Pearl. Pearl was a bundle of life sent from god to remind her of her wrong doing each and every moment and as a walking sermon to preach against sin for others. The symbolic Pearl helped Hester overcome her guilt. Hester becomes a highly respected person in a Puritan society by overcoming one of the harshest punishments, the scarlet letter.

She moves to the outskirts of town because she does not want her life to be observed by every town's person. Although she carries herself proudly, inside she feels sorrow for herself and her child, Pearl. Hester wears the scarlet letter even though she can take it off and refuse to wear it. Hester feels every isolated from the world, because she is an outcast in the village. Villagers look at her as a bad example and a bad person.

In conclusion, Creon is the tragic character of Antigone because of his pride which caused him never ending agony by the end of this tragedy. Although Antigone’s stubbornness concerning the divine law and her brother’s burial lead her to her misfortune, her suffering was cut short by her death. On the other hand, Creon had to live through having his own son and the citizens of Thebes against his decision. Also, Haimon and Eurydices died as a result of his actions, leaving Creon without a family. Hence, Creon is the tragic character of the tragedy due to eternal distress caused by his judgment.