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Sin And The Chance Of Redemption In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

1029 Words5 Pages

Effect of Sin and the Chance of Redemption Sin is a powerful action that has an everlasting consequence of guilt. Once done, the person wants to forget about his felonious actions; however, hopefully a person’s conscience is a constant, nagging reminder. In order to be free of the constant pain, redemption is pursued for even the person who sinned in public or private. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne proves that the truth of sin eventually need to be confronted in order for a person to stop suffering. After the sin was committed, the development of guilt made Hester and Dimmesdale very miserable because they could not stop thinking about what they have done. Both of the characters kept going back to that moment, feeling remorse …show more content…

She realized that everyone will eventually find out about the sin, so she became courageous and took responsibility for her action. After she had completed her punishment in prison, she moved to a cottage. Hester was guilty for what she had done, but she started to help the poor, even though they rejected her. The guilt deprived her from all the “joys [of life] [because] she rejected it as sin” (Hawthorne 130) Hester ceased enjoying anything that a normal person would think as amusing because it was wrong for her since she became the outcast of the town. Hester changed her attire to a plain, darkshade, with no designs, which corresponded to her emotions. There was nothing she could accomplish to reduce the pain of the guilt since the truth was known by everyone in her hometown. As time went on, Hester regained some purport in her town. The townspeople demanded Hester for her skills and soon she did not need to wear the scarlet letter anymore, but she thought she deserved it. Whether the sin was committed in secrecy or not, both Hester and Dimmesdale went through similar consequences. Redemption was the only answer that will stop one’s suffering and gain peace with their internal

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Dimmesdale suffers differently from Hester, because while she “bore it all” to the townspeople (181), his fears forced him to hide his sin, living a life full of “nothing but despair” (177). Hester, though made a social pariah of the town, has a more honest and healthy way of dealing with her sin. Because Hester is forced to face her wrongdoings under the watchful eye of her Puritan neighbors, she did not have the same guilt of secrecy that Dimmesdale did. Dimmesdale, by hiding his sin, allows himself to become a captive to his guilt. The way that Dimmesdale dealt with his guilt was unhealthy for him, both mentally and physically.

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Hester can wear her scarlet letter in public, and has adjusted enough to continue living a normal life. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, lives in secret with his scarlet letter affecting him more every day. He envies how Hester has managed to embrace her scarlet letter, while his guilt is only increasing. At one point, Dimmesdale feels so much envy that he says, “Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!

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It is not to say that she finds peace with her sin, but that Hester acknowledges it more as something to learn from. Hester helped the poor and the sick quite often that it became admired by the people. She was giving so much “that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification” (Hawthorne 157). Hester came to “have a part to perform in the world” , which gave her an empowerment while still letting her adhere to her penitence (Hawthorne 81). To be clear, this does not mean she finds complete happiness but she does find willpower.

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In The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the comparison between Hester’s scarlet letter and Dimmesdale’s hand over his heart presents the theme that people will experience a permanent and more powerful pain when they attempt to hide their sin intentionally rather than choosing to confess and expose it to the public. The scarlet letter once to be a reflection of sin, but what it stands for can always be changed because it is removable, and it is not a permanent imprint on Hester’s body. Even though both Hester and Dimmesdale are sinners, Hester experiences less torture because the townspeople witness her confession through her action of helping the poor, and they interpret the scarlet letter A as “able” instead of “adultery” because

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Thankfully, it wasn't all too late to do. When Dimmesdale finally be "true" to himself, he drifts the three away from their fate. Dimmesdale released himself from self-torture. Chillingworth released himself from endless vengeance and isolation from humanity. Some might say, Hester never came to forgiveness, because she returns to New England and wears the red A on her bosom once again.

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