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Adultery In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'

598 Words3 Pages

Aarij Rehman
Mr. Janota
English II Honors
3 November 2014

The modern day view of adultery has dramatically altered since the centuries in which Hester Prynne inhabited. The main character in the novel The Scarlet Letter commits adultery with the town’s highly respected minister. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne possesses a strong opinion regarding how sins define the humans through the nature of the sin; this evidences itself through the actions of Hester Prynne and Roger Chillingworth. Hawthorne suggests that the characterization of human beings can be determined through the essence of the sins that is committed, and this idea reveals itself through the acts of Hester Prynne. Hester must wear the atrocious scarlet letter due to her committing adultery with Reverend Dimmesdale. However, despite her punishment, she chooses to “give of her little substance to every demand of poverty” and be kind to those that refuse to …show more content…

Hawthorne demonstrates how the nature of sins defines people through Hester’s actions, where she helps others regardless of the consistent ridicule she receives. Hawthorne believes that Hester’s sin defines her because the sin occurs out of passion. The author considers that due to the nature of Hester’s sin she is not a disgraceful women, and instead, she portrays aspects of strong emotion and love, which correlates with the essence of her misdeed. Furthermore, Hawthorne proves his opinion on how the type of a sin defines people through the acts which Hester commits. The townspeople, who once shunned Prynne, now look up to her, and describe her as “our Hester… who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick” and who values others over herself (147). Hawthorne believes that

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Hawthorne composes, “ Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast,—at her, the child of honorable parents,—at her, the mother of a babe, that would hereafter be a woman, —at her, who had once been innocent, —as the figure, the body, the reality of sin” (Hawthorne 69). The little kids and the woman will see Hester an example of what will happen if they were to commit a sin. Seabrook addresses, “She's forced to stand in shame before the mass of Puritan citizens, enduring their stares, their whispers and their contempt. In the self-righteous eyes of the townspeople, she is the ultimate example of sin” (Seabrook 5). None of the townspeople want to be like Hester Prynne, she is an example of what the people should not do.

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