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Scarlet Letter Theme Essay

628 Words3 Pages

In no better community has there been a perfect display of the effects of guilt, the effects of sin, and sin, punishment, and redemption than in that of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in The Scarlet Letter. Accordingly, these are the themes presented by Nathaniel Hawthorne that are intertwined with the lives of the characters throughout the novel. When considering these presented themes, moral terms, and the circumstances presented, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is the guiltiest character of them all. Hawthorne best exemplifies this through his various use of various rhetorical devices such as allusions, imagery, irony, and juxtaposition of ideas. Hawthorne uses a wide array of rhetorical devices to best accentuate Dimmesdale’s loaded guilt. Some …show more content…

It is ironic that Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is referred to as “[Hester’s] godly pastor” (78) by Hawthorne and “the saint on earth” (216) by the townspeople, when he committed the same sin as Hester, who the town considered an outcast and the ultimate sinner. Not only does this highlight the flaws in the even the most important of people, but this places emphasis on Dimmesdale’s sin, since the situation it is presented in is exceptionally ironic. The author also makes use of juxtaposition of ideas, providing a stark contrast between the youthful Pearl, and the sickly sinner Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale was described as “suffering under bodily disease, and gnawed and tortured by some black trouble of the soul” (212) whereas Pearl is continually described as attracting sunlight, a symbol of innocence. This is shown in the quotes: “Pearl stood, looking so steadfastly at them...herself meanwhile, all glorified with a ray of sunshine” (312), “[the sunshine] will not flee from me” (275), and “yonder [Pearl] is, standing in a streak of sunshine.” (306) This stark contrast highlights his sin by continually comparing Pearl, who represents hope and truth, to Dimmesdale, who is a representation his own sin through his actions to the point where Pearl wonders whether Dimmesdale is or is associated with the “Black Man,” which is a euphemism for

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1570 Words | 7 Pages

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758 Words | 4 Pages

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432 Words | 2 Pages

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589 Words | 3 Pages

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