The Scarlet Letter

A detailed Summary of The Scarlet Letter


In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the strength of the human spirit. "No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true". This statement is uniquely applicable to Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. Hester gains strength from the transgression, Dimmesdale is tormented to his death, and Chillingworth's need for vengeance encompasses his entire life.

Hester Prynne is the most admirable and true character of the novel. The fashion in which she presents the scarlet letter reveals this quality in her. "The letter is so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy," (8) that it is as if Hester is not ashamed of it. She does not hide her badge of punishment; in fact she wears it long after she is permitted to remove it. Her only hidden imperfections are the secrets that she is forced to keep against her will. Hester does not hide these mysteries for her own sake, but solely for Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. Contradictory to these men, it is Hester's pride and practical nature that sustain her sanity. This is shown by th


e way that she dresses "Little Pearl" (118) in the same scarlet red as her letter. Unlike Dimmesdale and Chillingworth, Hester is forced to acknowledge her sin publicly, and she takes responsibility for it. She accepts her punishment and the badge "hath taught me - it daily teaches me - it is teaching me at this moment - lessons whereof my child may be wiser and better albeit they can profit nothing to myself" (72). Hester gains wisdom through her suffering and is, therefore, publicly admired at the conclusion of the novel.

The statement "No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true" can be applied to many aspects of this novel, especially the main characters. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth hide their true personalities from the public and ultimately pay for it. Hester, in contrast, leads her life with pride and takes full responsibility for her actions. She, therefore, concludes her life in a peaceful manner, admired by the public. Even though these characters are forced to cope with the same transgression, Hester is the sole person to overcome her sin; Dimmesdale and Chilling

Some common words found in the essay are:
Roger Chillingworth, Arthur Dimmesdale, Chillingworth Hester, Dimmesdale Chillingworth, Hester Prynne, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Contradictory Hester's, Little Pearl, dimmesdale chillingworth, scarlet letter, Scarlet Letter, considerable period wear, getting bewildered true, finally getting bewildered, multitude finally, hester prynne, getting bewildered, bewildered true, multitude finally getting, finally getting, wear multitude finally, roger chillingworth, hester gains, seeking vengeance,

Approximate Word count = 809
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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