The Theme Of Forgivenessess In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Throughout Hawthorne 's novel The Scarlet Letter, the object of sin is thrown around constantly, and resulting in the sin is the internal and external forgiveness of the characters. But with more than one key character and several different opinions on the general object of sin. With several people involved and morals being questioned in the book, forgiveness will also be questioned; these characters are all in their own personal space and have different things to forgive, either in themselves or by others. It is immediately when the book begins that we are introduced to Hester. Hawthorne describes her as “a scarlet woman” guilty of sin black in the eyes of the Puritans (Waggoner 75). It is then in the first scene that we are shown that Hester

On the first day of Chillingworth’ arrival, he witnesses Hester and the young babe at the Scaffold. Now it is really from that moment forward that something stirs up inside of this man. He confronts Hester and makes it very clear that he will find out who, along with Hester, is responsible for what has happened. Waggoner describes his changing of a personality as, becoming a blacker and more twisted person as he becomes more evil (Waggoner 75). In the case of Chillingworth, he really does not need to forgive Hester, what she did was not very forgivable at all, through his side of the situation. Though there was the possibility of him being dead, which changed some of that said situation. But it is the fact that he allows his hatred and anger and all his mixed up emotions, drove him to become an obsessive man. And, once he does get insight into whether or not it is Dimmesdale, who is the second partner in the scandal of the birth of young Pearl, he does not rest with it. His moral values go down dramatically as he continues on with his revenge (Waggoner 74). Over the period of time in the novel, Chillingworth really does not interact with Hester, so much as he does with Dimmesdale when he takes on the position of caring for him in his home when he becomes ill. He takes this opportunity to reinforce his revenge on Dimmesdale. By dropping subtle hints and

She is truly a wild spirit and wild child at heart. Yet this young, free child has some of the most tortured feelings of them all. She see’s Dimmesdale 's not wanting to publicly give affection to her and her mother as shame, and she resents him for it. Which is expected from a young child. For a long time she knows nothing of Dimmesdale connection to her and her mother as family, but when it starts to become clearer, she aches for that love to always be there, not just when in secrecy. But Pearl really has no one to forgive, not at first at least. She cannot forgive her mother for her sin because without her sin, then there would be no Pearl (Wagenknecht 69). And young Pearl really does not have anyone else in her life, but her mother, to begin with. Yet it is when the change starts to happen and it all seems like it will all be well soon, that Pearl gets angry. She does not like her mother giving any attention to anyone but her, she is not used to her not having the scarlet letter on, she doesn’t like her mother changing herself; the woman Pearl only knows, all for a man she only knows as who will not publicly love them. This is a lot for a seven year old child to think about. But when it all comes down to an end, and Pearl is finally given what she wants, to be known by all the people that Dimmesdale truly loves Pearl and Hester, she finds in her young seven year old heart to look past the denial of Dimmesdale