Sunshine, weeds, a brook, and leaves all belong to nature, yet one does not fit in with the others. In most Romantic works, nature radiates a positive vibe. Characters immerse themselves in nature as an escape from the expectations of the towns people and to have a place with freedom. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathanial Hawthorne uses positivity with the forest where Hester and Dimmesdale can interact without the people of the town watching them. However, Hawthorne also explores negativity associated with nature by using the motif of weeds. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a weed as “A herbaceous plant not valued for use or beauty, growing wild and rank, and regarded as cumbering the ground or hindering the growth of superior vegetation”
…show more content…
A prime example is Roger Chillingworth. When speaking to Hester about their marriage, Chillingworth has a understanding character. He realizes they “have wronged each other” (Hawthorne 71). This acknowledgment emphasizes his caring and sympathetic side. However, Hester’s promise to keep his secrets and her refusal to tell Chillingworth who committed adultery with her sparks his want for revenge, and his personality shifts. Hester acts warry and afraid of Chillingworth’s smile which resembles the “Black man that haunts the forest” and wants to “ruin [Hester’s] soul” (Hawthorne 73). The black man suggests a cruel figure as he marks people in the forest after they sign their names in blood. This malicious type of behavior comes across in Chillingworth smile, and indicates Chillingworth could affect others in a cruel fashion. Moreover, Hester’s fear foreshadows this effect can ruin souls or hurt others more than just physically. Chillingworth’s response helps support this sense of cruelness when he answers with a creepy smile “‘Not [Hester’s] soul’” (Hawthorne 73). This statement which specifically mentions Hester’s soul only denies that he will hurt Hester. By only emphasizing her, Chillingworth implies that he wants the soul of another. Suddenly, Chillingworth has started his transition to villainous with his sin of …show more content…
Although in life one may not reach the point of consumption by a sin before one confesses, the sin still impacts one during the period of secrecy. From my personal experience, I kept an unhealthy relationship secret from everyone in my life. While this secret does not reach the height of Chillingworth’s sin of revenge, hiding my relationship from those I care about still affected my character. I acted more reserved and wallowed in my emotions. The change in my personality even affected my other relationships with my friends as I started to drift away from them. Like Chillingworth, I slowly started to focus myself on this secret and let it define parts of my life. When my friends saw what happened to me, they forced me to tell them my secret. I did not want to at first, but after I lost the secrecy, I started gaining my positivity and happy spirit back. Today, I still feel a small effect of the secret. However, if I did not reveal what I hid at the time, this effect would be greater and I would not have regained as much of my previous happiness. Hence, sharing one’s hidden sin will set one on track keep those positive characteristics before losing them
A prime example is Roger Chillingworth. When speaking to Hester about their marriage, Chillingworth has a understanding character. He realizes they “have wronged each other” (Hawthorne 71). This acknowledgment emphasizes his caring and sympathetic side. However, Hester’s promise to keep his secrets and her refusal to tell Chillingworth who committed adultery with her sparks his want for revenge, and his personality shifts. Hester acts warry and afraid of Chillingworth’s smile which resembles the “Black man that haunts the forest” and wants to “ruin [Hester’s] soul” (Hawthorne 73). The black man suggests a cruel figure as he marks people in the forest after they sign their names in blood. This malicious type of behavior comes across in Chillingworth smile, and indicates Chillingworth could affect others in a cruel fashion. Moreover, Hester’s fear foreshadows this effect can ruin souls or hurt others more than just physically. Chillingworth’s response helps support this sense of cruelness when he answers with a creepy smile “‘Not [Hester’s] soul’” (Hawthorne 73). This statement which specifically mentions Hester’s soul only denies that he will hurt Hester. By only emphasizing her, Chillingworth implies that he wants the soul of another. Suddenly, Chillingworth has started his transition to villainous with his sin of …show more content…
Although in life one may not reach the point of consumption by a sin before one confesses, the sin still impacts one during the period of secrecy. From my personal experience, I kept an unhealthy relationship secret from everyone in my life. While this secret does not reach the height of Chillingworth’s sin of revenge, hiding my relationship from those I care about still affected my character. I acted more reserved and wallowed in my emotions. The change in my personality even affected my other relationships with my friends as I started to drift away from them. Like Chillingworth, I slowly started to focus myself on this secret and let it define parts of my life. When my friends saw what happened to me, they forced me to tell them my secret. I did not want to at first, but after I lost the secrecy, I started gaining my positivity and happy spirit back. Today, I still feel a small effect of the secret. However, if I did not reveal what I hid at the time, this effect would be greater and I would not have regained as much of my previous happiness. Hence, sharing one’s hidden sin will set one on track keep those positive characteristics before losing them