The Scarlet Letter

A detailed Summary of The Scarlet Letter

The book The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a book about sin and its consequences. In The Scarlet Letter there are four characters that fall into the grasp of sin and feel its everlasting consequences. There is Hester and her daughter Pearl who learn what it is like to be an outcast of society because of the wrongs Hester commits. Then there is a preacher named Dimmesdale who must hide his sin for fear of execution, and he finds that the guilt of sin is a tough load to bear. Finally there is a man whose name is Chillingworth, and he finds himself so angry about Dimmesdale having an affair with his wife, that he is consumed by hate. All of these characters feel the effects of sin, and they also learn that they must face the consequences of sin.

Hester and Pearl are outcasts in Boston because the townspeople do not realize that no one is without sin, and the townspeople are in denial about there own sin. Hester also faces losing her daughter because of her sin, and to her the thought of losing her daughter is the worst thing that could happen. When Hester is brought in front of the townspeople one woman says to her friends " I'll tell ye a piece of my mind. It would be greatly for the public behoof, if w

Reverend Dimmesdale feels the consequences of sin more than any other character in the book. He is constantly reminded of his sin by the wound he inflicts on his chest and malevolent statements made by Chillingworth. The Reverend cuts an A into his chest, and he keeps the wound open so it will not heal " Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart. On that spot, in very truth, there was, and there had long been, the gnawing and poisonous tooth of bodily pain." ( Hawthorne 136). Dimmesdale feels so guilty about the adultery that he resorts to self-mutilation as a way of expressing his grief. He feels that he must wear this letter on his chest forever just like Hester does because of his sin. This open wound makes his body keep getting weaker and weaker. Chillingworth has also been responsible for making Dimmesdale's feelings of guilt more painful. When Dimmesdale asks Chillingworth where he got a certain plant Chillingworth replys "I found them growing on a grave, which bore no tombstone, nor other memorial of the dead man, save these ugly weeds, that have taken upon themselves to keep him in remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess during his lifetime." (Hawthorne 120). This statement made by Chillingworth is designed to remind Dimmesdale of his hidden sin. This is how Chillingworth psychologically tortures Dimmesdale, and Dimmesdale does not realize Chillingworth's true intentions. Dimmesdale is reminded of his guilt all the time by statements such as this, and this serves as a constant reminder to make him feel bad. Dimmesdale's self-mutilation combined with Chillingworth's cruel reminders make Dimmesdale's sin a heavy load to bear.

Hest

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Approximate Word count = 1265
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels