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Sin And Punishment In Scarlet Letter

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In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne comes to explore an adulterous affair, and the resulting punishments inflicted by the Puritan society and the consequences for the central characters. The sin and punishment surrounding this forbidden love emphasized the great law of morality characterizing a Puritan society. The punishment of being isolated, resulting in the shifting of the lives of four member of the community, illustrates the spiritual and psychological cost of pursuing love, and illuminates the truth of the harsh ethic of the Puritan society. As characters develop, they find different ways of dealing with their sin, which will ultimately affect how they will progress throughout the story. Hawthorne’s criticism of Puritan …show more content…

The sin and punishment, in the novel, demonstrates Hawthorne’s thoughts on Puritan beliefs. Hawthorne’s story presented an accurate representation of society at that time and provides the perfect foundation to express his criticism of Puritan ideals and beliefs. The symbol of the scarlet letter, worn by women that commit adultery, was manipulated by Hawthorne to question the Puritan world, and whether their faith and punishments are just and fair. The scarlet letter was supposed to shame the women that wore them, but with Hester Prynne the letter became a symbol of her courage and resilience. By giving his heroine the courage to stand and to face her punishment, Hawthorne pointed out that some of the Puritan punishments were harsh and unnecessary. Hawthorne implies that the punishment given to Hester were not suited for the sin she committed (Richardson 1). He also ridicules the fact that a Puritan leader can also become a sinner. Hester’s lover, Dimmesdale, is a brilliant minister and is respected by his congregation but commits the sin of adultery. When Hester was asked to expose the name of her lover, she refused and planned on shouldering all of the punishment. Dimmesdale, who was present during this time, did not admit to his sins and allowed Hester to suffer alone. Hawthorne does this to demonstrate that even the most holy one can fall like the others. Throughout the story, Hawthorne is able to illustrate the close mindedness and hypocrisy of the Puritans (Hawthorne

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