The Scarlet Letter- scaffold as a motif

A detailed Summary of The Scarlet Letter- scaffold as a motif

Dictated and governed by a set of religious laws, Puritan society restricted those who lived within its limits to mundane, ordinary lives. The theocratic based community was forced to live under the harsh, and often strict, guidelines of the Puritan church. Any one sin could be punished severely, whether it is a minor infraction or an offense condemnable by death. A person could not speak out or show any emotion lest they were willing to face the consequences of their seemingly legitimate actions- creating a society where outward and inner truth could not, and therefore, did not, exist. These brutal living conditions enforced by the Puritan community are depicted in the nineteenth century novel The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne uses a myriad of motifs to provide an insightful look into the harsh society. The scaffold, the most prominent motif in the novel, reflects the characters innermost thoughts and feelings to their fellow townspeople, and proves to be the only place in the Boston community in which unbridled- and often brutal- honesty can be found.

Hawthorne uses the scaffold as a tool through which he demonstrates the public revelation of one's sins. Public penitence upon the scaffold was the only way so

In the final scaffold scene, Hawthorne intertwines the two previous revelations of truth into one. A person may reveal a hidden truth publicly, and at the same time reveal it to themselves, thus lifting the burden of the sin from their conscience. These two disclosures are in direct relation to the scaffold, for this is the only place within Puritan society in which the true essence of a person may be exposed. Dimnmesdale is able to break the barriers placed upon him as the result of his sin as he climbs upon the scaffold to confess his secret to all, and:

Dimmesdale's confession of his act of treacherous sin freed him from the restraints, which had held him back for so long. Now, finally, his soul could be laid to rest, no longer forced to endure the torment that had torn him apart for many years. As his unexpected testimony shocked the spectators, Dimmesdale found something he had long forgotten- peace. The truth of his sin, and his ability to finally disclose it to the community he had sworn to uphold, set him free. And only through the presence of the scaffold, was public, as well as personal, revelation able to take place.

"For an instant, the gaze of the horror-stricken multitude was concentrated on the ghastly miracle; while the minister stood, with a flush of triumph in his face, as one who, in the crisis of acutest pain, had one a victory. Then, down he sank, upon the scaffold!" (232)

Although the scaffold serves as a forum for public revelation and acceptance, it provides a s

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Approximate Word count = 1013
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English