The Importance Of Morality In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

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Humans are social creatures‒they form groups, communities, and societies that have varying degrees of requirements for a person to be accepted. For many, the question of whether to conform to society 's unspoken rules and garner acceptance or to reject them and be alienated is to be thoroughly examined and contemplated over. A facet of this question is answered in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s historical novel, The Scarlet Letter, as the characterization of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale reveals that forcibly molding oneself or another to fit the rigid expectations that society implements rescinds the rights of an individual to an identity and a life. The austere, Puritan community of colonial Boston, Massachusetts, creates a shallow and two-dimensional …show more content…

First and foremost, Dimmesdale views the Election Day sermon as his final service for the community. He feels obligated towards the people who have alienated him and are the very reason that he has to flee to another country in order to start with a clean slate that isn’t burdened by the expectations of Puritan priesthood. Secondly, by saying “at least, they shall [speak] of me,” he implies that he wishes to be remembered as someone that has served their community well and has been the epitome of righteousness. Hence, the townspeople would still have their holy image of Dimmesdale intact, and they would never truly know of Dimmesdale’s nature and understand him. Hawthorne’s characterization of Dimmesdale serves to exemplify the consequences of conformity on an individual’s rights. There are times when people will create a different persona in order to fulfill their natural desire of fitting in. The feeling of belonging is just that wonderful of an emotion. However, this warmth can not truly be achieved through the artificial means of conformity, but by revealing one’s true and vulnerable personality and having it accepted

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