The Scarlet Letter Lasting Effect Of Sin Essay - 1798 Words

Free Essays brought to you by 123HelpMe.com Lasting Effect of Sin The Scarlet Letter Puritan society placed great importance upon a person s reputation. Without an honorable reputation a person is not worthy of respect from others in their society. Characters in this novel go through their lives struggling with themselves trying to cope with the guilt and shame associated with their actions. In Nathaniel Hawthorne s novel, The Scarlet Letter, he shows the lasting effect that sin has on Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester Prynne s guilt is the result of her committing adultery, which has a profound effect on her life. Hester is publicly seen with the scarlet letter when she first emerges out of the cold dark prison. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself (Hawthorne 49). The spell that is mentioned is the scarlet letter, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom (Hawthorne 49). The scarlet letter is what isolates her from everyone else because it symbolizes sin. Hester is in her very own sphere, a world of her own where her sin effects her livelihood and has completely isolated her from the world. Her entrance into the sphere marks the beginning of her guilt, it occurs when she is in the prison after her first exposure to the crowd-her moral agony reflected in the convolutions that have seized the child; her pride, her daring (Bloom 34). The prisonShow MoreRelated The Lasting Effect of Sin a nd Guilt on Hester and Dimmesdale1451 Words   |  6 Pagesnot worthy of respect from others in their society. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the struggle to shake off the past is an underlying theme throughout the novel. Characters in this novel go through their lives struggling with trying to cope with the guilt and shame associated with actions that lost them their honorable reputation. Particularly, Hawthorne shows the lasting effect that sin and guilt has on two of the main characters in the book: Hester Prynne and Reverend DimmesdaleRead MoreA Matter of The Heart Essay1446 Words   |  6 PagesSin is like an open sore that if left to fester will continue to grow worse not improve. Nathaniel Hawthorne examines this concept, as he seeks to connect with his reader. Many of his works revolve around a theme of sin and the effects it has on the mind, body, and soul. Sin is one of those permeating areas that has lasting consequences that affect all of l ife. Many characters in Hawthorne’s works go through their lives struggling as they try to cope with the guilt and shame associated with theirRead MoreEffects Of Sin And Guilt In The Scarlet Letter1119 Words   |  5 PagesMs. Pierce AP Eng Per 1 24 October 2017 The Scarlet Letter Research Essay Dark Romanticists such as Nathaniel Hawthorne mainly focused on the imperfectness of humans and how they are surrounded by sin. 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Hawthorne tells the story of Hester Prynne, a Puritan women in seventeenth century Boston, Heste r, having committed adultery, is branded with a scarlet ‘A’ on her chest. The story describes the animosity that society feels towards her and her daughter Pearl, through the story Hester redefines the meaning ofRead MoreThe Scarlett Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1007 Words   |  5 Pages The Scarlett Letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, (but taking place in the mid-1600s), in which he exposes the ideas of legalism as well as the effects of sin in Puritan Boston, Massachusetts. The novel is based around the life of protagonist, Hester Prynne, a woman found guilty of adultery. This act of adultery ended in pregnancy and in order to shame her, a red letter â€Å"A† is placed on her clothing so that everyone knows of the sin she committed. While being shamed Hester isRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter Socratic Seminar Questions2549 Words   |  11 Pagesworshipping. 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