Effects of Sin in Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

A detailed Summary of Effects of Sin in Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter


The Scarlet Letter was Nathaniel Hawthorne's greatest literary masterpiece. Because of his Puritan heritage, he is able to tell the story of the effects of an adulterous affair on a small Puritan community like no one else could. Hawthorne clearly used this story to teach several moral lessons. Throughout this book he spends much of his time concentrating on how sin affects the life of his characters. Each of his characters' lives are shaped by how they confront their sins.

Chillingworth is the embodiment of how sins can shape a person. He committed two major sins. The first occurs before the book even begins when he marries Hester although he knows that she does not return his love. Chillingworth acknowledges that it was wrong for him to marry her and because of this, he is not mad at Hester for her infidelity. He says to Hester in the jail cell, "'Mine was the first wrong, when I betrayed thy budding youth into this false and unnat


A large number . . . affirmed that Roger Chillingworth's aspect had undergone a remarkable change while he had dwelt in town, and especially since his abode with Mr. Dimmesdale. At first, his expression had been calm, meditative, scholar-like. Now, there was something ugly and evil in his face, which they had not previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to sight the oftener they looked upon him (117).

ural relation'" (69). Chillingworth's second sin was far more grave than the first. For seven long years, Chillingworth relentlessly tried to drive the sanity out of Dimmesdale. He poses as Dimmesdale's friend and personal doctor and exploits his position by purposely asking questions that make him feel guilty and tortures his conscience. This becomes Chillingworth's obsession, his one purpose for life and as a result of his evil actions, he slowly transforms into a dark, almost devilish character. This transition bec

Some common words found in the essay are:
Nathaniel Hawthorne's, Eventually Hester, Pearl Pearl, Roger Chillingworth's, Chillingworth Hester's, Dimmesdale Chillingworth, scarlet letter, hester's sin,

Approximate Word count = 632
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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