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Sin In The Scarlet Letter

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Sin seems to occur as naturally as breathing due to the human society’s willingness to do it without a conscious effort. Sin is perceived differently by different people. Some little things may be considered sin to some people, while to others it may not be considered sin. The Scarlet Letter contains many different uses of sin and how it affects the people around it. Society is not perfect, so sins will occur no matter what. Depending on the situation the sin could have a major effect or have an infinitesimal effect. Hawthorne exemplified many uses of sin in The Scarlet Letter which made the theme obvious. He showed how sin from one character could cause other character to obtain an even bigger conflict of their own. Society can get influenced …show more content…

As seen by Hester, her ultimate defining sin was her Scarlet Letter, which symbolized the adultery she committed. For Hester, she had no way of planning the events that happened to her because of the sin she committed. “Tomorrow would bring its own trial with it, so would the next day and the next; each day its own trial, and yet the very same that was now so utterlysaby grievous to be borne….She would become a general symbol”(Hawthorne 74). The quote appeals to the reader’s senses because in today’s realm of things, we do not have to think that we are gonna be put in isolation. We also do not wake up everyday and know that the day is gonna be bad just because of something that occurred in the past. Hester had to deal with everyday being a constant fight with society, so she could try and get them to forgive her. She was figuratively at war(Man/Women vs. Society) with herself and the people that surrounded her and were in her society. Hester, to society, literally symbolized someone who was to be resented, to be exiled, and to basically not even be considered a human anymore. Hester not only was exiled in people’s thoughts, people took physical action to show their disgust and hatred towards her. “Behold, verily the women of the Scarlet Letter, and of the truth of moreover there is a likeness of the Scarlet Letter, running along by her side come therefore, and let us fling mud at them”(Hawthorne 90). This quote shows that the kids were taught that she was a bad person because she committed adultery. The parents instilled in the little kids minds that she should not be allowed to be a part of their society. The kids took it in their own hands to show the hatred because they were taught that she was an extremely bad

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Due to this, Hester feels as though her punishment isn’t rightful as she never tried to corrupt society or hurt others with her sin. In order to show the Puritans that one should be forgiven for their sins if they were a pious person before committing them, Hester tries her best to show that she is still a good person. Even when the poor citizens of Boston reject her aid, Hester still provides the unfortunate with clothing and food. Even when the people, for whom she sews clothing for, slyly and directly insult her, Hester “... had schooled herself long and well” so that she “never responds to [their] attacks” (Hawthorne, 127). As a result of her persistent efforts and her resolve to help

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We are all sinners, no matter how hard we try to hide our faults, they always seem to come back, one way or another. Written in the 19th century, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows us Hester Prynne and how one sin can change her life completely. Hester Prynne changes a great deal throughout The Scarlet Letter. Through the view of the Puritans, Hester is an intense sinner; she has gone against the Puritan way of life committing the highest act of sin, adultery. For committing such a sinful act, Hester must wear the scarlet letter while also having to bear stares from those that gossip about her.

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C.S. Lewis, British author and poet, insightfully stated, “We have a strange illusion that mere time cancels sin... But mere time does nothing either to the fact or to the guilt of a sin.” The self-condemnation caused by sins will always remain despite the evolution of time. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, describes characters Hester and Dimmesdale and their struggle with the guilt of hidden sins as well as the shame of revealed sins. Throughout the book, the author illustrates the conflict of revealed verses hidden sins through two primary characters.

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The Scarlet Letter begins in 1642 Boston, Massachusetts with the Puritan society punishing Hester Prynne for her sins against God. The puritans believe that any crime is a crime or a sin against God and the Puritan leaders take this very seriously. Hester committed adultery with an unknown man. She was living out her punishment peacefully with her child Pearl until Roger Chillingworth appears back in town. No one knows that Chillingworth is Hester 's husband except for Hester.

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In the novel, the Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the characters reveal the truth of their sin. the author shows all of the characters sins in depth. he includes things such as description, action, and dialogue to greatly describe the severity of their problems. Dimmesdale reveals his inner sin through the action he prevails, speech, and through the author's description of his character. Dimmesdale is depicted as “the reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, half frozen to death, overcome with shame.

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In the beginning the scarlet letter represented adultery and shame, but then the A represented “able.” Hester Prynne showed people that greatness can come out of huge mistake. One bad chapter does not mean your story is over. Willingly, Hester wanted to pick herself up again and move on with her life and eventually people noticed that. They began to respect her and think of her as strong and commendable

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The novel “The Scarlet Letter” written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a very intense read. The novel questions the beliefs, rules, judgements and perceptions of someone’s transgressions. Should someone be punished by society for a sin that affects no one but their own person? Does society have the right to judge a person for said sin?

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Hidden vs Expressed Sin Destroyed from the outside in or suffering for years on end; neither represents a favorable consequence, but one can lead to a rebirth. Consequences of sin can vary, because hidden sin and exposed sin express themselves in different ways. Hidden sin can eat away at a person, while expressed sin rehabilitates a lost soul. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, two main characters, Dimmesdale and Hester, demonstrate their own dealings with sin. The two had committed adultery, but only Hester’s sin revealed itself to the community.

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Scarlet Letter They said to him, “Teacher this woman has been in the act of adultery. Now in the law of Moses they commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.

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Hawthorne uses symbolism throughout the Scarlet letter to display the sin and indecency people see Hester as. The detail represents ,the deep beauty Hester has inside although most people do not see her as a beutiful women. The deep red is a representation of adultery which shows her being an oncast from society. The symbol of the letter “A” is repetitive throughout the novel and grows with Hester and overcomes this with time as people start to see her as a person again and not just a adulterer. Hester acknowledges her sin in her puritan faith but swears to secrecy on the father of Pearl.

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The Scarlet Letter: Effects of Guilt and Sin The underlying and most prominent theme throughout The Scarlet Letter is the theme of guilt and sin. While the main characters in this novel, Hester Prynne and the Reverend Dimmesdale, are connected through their guilt and sin, their reactions to it, and their handling of it, are entirely different. The effects of guilt and sin on these characters, the very thread that binds them, determine their character’s ultimate growth and/or demise. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester embraces her sin and forms her identity while wearing the scarlet letter on the outside.

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We are all sinners. Although one may try hard not to sin, all humans eventually succumb at some time or another to sin. While people may not able to avoid the fate which awaits them, the power of free will allows people to decide how they will respond to sin. While some may respond with guilt and regret, others may react with a sense of redemption and a renewed sense of responsibility. Nathaniel Hawthorne, an American author during the 19th century witnessed the power of sin to wreak havoc not only to an individual but a whole community.

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Receiving the scarlet letter changed every aspect of Hester’s life. Especially at the start of the story, the letter symbolized the solitude and great suffering Hester faced just because of a letter placed on her bosom. The “A” also depicted how no one viewed Hester the same way as before her peccant actions. “…she saw that, owing to the peculiar effect of this convex mirror, the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance” (Hawthorne 109). The pejorative community Hester lived in never saw Hester as the beautiful, young woman she was, but now, as a horrible fiend.

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In the “Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays hypocrisy of the Puritan society, where the protagonist Hester Prynne face many consequences of her actions and the how she tries to redeem herself to the society. During the seventeenth puritans believe that it is their mission to punish the ones who do not follow God’s word and it is their job to stop those from sinning. Therefore, the hypercritical puritan society punishes Hester harshly for committing adultery, but in Hester’s mind, she believes that what she did was not a sin but acts of love for her man. Eventually, she redeems herself by turning her crime into an advantage to help those in need, yet the Puritan society still view her as a “naughty bagger.” (Hawthorne 78)

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The meaning of the scarlet letter and the way people view Hester changes throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The scarlet letter was originally suppose to represent adultery and was there to show everyone the sin Hester Prynne had committed. Hester had to

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