Scarlet Letter- Theme of Sin in the novel

A detailed Summary of Scarlet Letter- Theme of Sin in the novel


In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthrone masterfully weaves many themes and uses character development to format the plot of this novel. The themes of The Scarlet Letter are carried out through the four main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingsworth, and Pearl. The prevailing theme seen in The Scarlet Letter is sin and its effects. All of the characters in the book are somehow affected by the sin of adultery and their whole lives are molded by the way they deal with the sin.

The story begins with Hester having to go on the scaffold and stand there for three hours with her shameful sin exposed for all to see. On the scaffold, Hester experiences harsh words. A group of women is having a discussion in the crowd and one-woman states, "At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead. She may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever". This statement shows that it was not enough that the townspeople knew she committed a sin, but they wanted to see the sin on her chest constantly. At first the letter means the same for Hester as it does for the townspeople, shame. However, as the novel progresses, the letter c


Arthur Dimmesdal is another character that sin affects tremendously. Dimmesdal is tortured by his silence. He becomes very ill, malnourished, and he constantly puts his hand over his heart. He no longer believes that he is worthy of being saved. He states, "I could be will content, that my labors, and my sorrows, and my sins, and my pains, should shortly end with me, and what is earthly of them be buried in my grave, and the spiritual go with me to my eternal state, rather than that you should put your skill to the proof in my behalf" (1371). He is so tortured by not being able to confess his secrete that he would fast for several days, pray for several hours, whip himself, and even carve an "A" on his chest. Finally, he gets some relief when Hester agrees to live at the Colony with him. He comes back to life but it is short lived. The torture finally gets to him and the secret he held eventually killed him. However, at the end he finally is able to find the strength to confess.

The sin also affected Roger Chillingworth. He is seen as the villain in the novel. Throughout the novel, his main drive is revenge against Dimmesdale and Hester. He explains to Hester why he will not kill her, "Even if I imagine a scheme of vengeance, what could I do better for m

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 851
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels

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