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Scarlet Letter Sin Vs Society

498 Words2 Pages

As every sin is different, every sin has a different effect on a person depending the persons ….. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne examines what sin is, how it affects each person, and how their sin is perceived in nature versus the community. Protagonist, Hester Prynne, is subjected to harsh punishment and ridicule in the town, as she had committed the sin of having a child out of wedlock. However the father of her child, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, keeps his sin hidden from the community, hoping to escape from the shame and embarrassment and maintain his status in the community. However as his sin withers away at his soul, he is forced to live with Doctor Roger Chillingworth, a respected doctor among the Puritan Society and Hester Prynne’s former husband. Chillingworth also keeps his sin hidden from the community, as he secretly tortures Dimmesdale, seeking vengeance for getting his former wife pregnant. While each of the characters deal differently with each of their sins …show more content…

Since first subjected to wearing the scarlet letter on all of her clothes and standing on the scaffold for 3 hours, Hester accepted her punishment in full and did not attempt to hid it from the Puritan citizens. She wore the A in “fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold” (PAGE #) to show her acceptance for her sin, and not embrace her embarrassment in front of the citizens. Since Hester allowed the community to view her as a sinner, she was able to accept it herself and repent her sin by accepting the punishment. At first, Hester experienced harsh ridicule for the community and was greatly secluded. Citizens threw rocks at her, and constantly reminded her of her

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