Sin In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

In the mid-1800’s Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the book The Scarlet Letter. A novel about an early American Puritan village. In the book the main character, Hester Prynne, committed a major sin, adultery. The novel focuses directly around this sin. Through writing The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne revealed his opinions of the nature of sin and the effects sin has on the sinner and those around them. Hawthorne thought that one needs to guard themselves against sin and that sin can have both negative and positive effects on the sinner. Hawthorne portrayed his feelings on sin through the eyes of the village. He used the prison to show what sin is and how to guard against it. A description of the prison reads, “The wooden jail was

The scarlet letter separated Hester from society. “That SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself,” (Hawthorne 37). Due to the nature of the scarlet letter representing the sin, it can be implied that sin separates one from society. Hester stated, “‘Once in my life I met the Black Man!’ said her mother. ‘This scarlet letter is his mark!’” (Hawthorn 127). Sin is the mark of the devil on a person. It is his way of saying, “I own this person.” In a sense the devil has claimed Hester as his own. It isn’t too surprising that the, “ first object of which Pearl seemed to become aware was—shall we say it?—the scarlet letter on Hester's bosom!” (Hawthorne 66). Through Pearl constantly looking at the scarlet letter, Hester got a constant reminder of what she did wrong. WHich drove her to be a better person. It is later revealed that Dimmesdale has also been claimed by the Black Man. “He has his hand over his heart! Is it because, when the minister wrote his name in the book, the Black Man set his mark in that place?” (Hawthorne 128). Rather than show to the whole world what he has done, Dimmesdale is keeping it secret. Choosing to suffer in private instead of in public. Because of this his health steadily deteriorated throughout the novel. There was a

In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne defines sin as an evil action or thing that can either drive a person insane, or drive them to be a better person. Sin is something that one must realize is there and defend against it. Because like the prison, once you are touched by sin you are never the