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Forgiveness In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

261 Words2 Pages
Within the novel “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the townspeople’s opinion on the meaning of Hester’s scarlet letter changes. Once meaning adulterer it is now the symbol for able due to Hester’s charitable works. The shift in the meaning of her letter signifies that the town is willing to forgive her. The town’s forgiveness is in part due to human nature which, “loves more readily than it hates. Hatred, by a gradual and quiet process, will even be transformed by love” (Hawthorne 110). Once Hester has accepted her punishment and voluntarily is publically humiliated the town’s once harsh attitude towards her has faded because of the innate love humans share for others. The change in viewpoint of Hester from hatred to love is due
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