Humans are imperfect creatures. In the time that humans have existed on this planet they have created countless conflicts for a plethora of reasons. When humans wrong each other for any reason, forgiveness is an essential part of repairing the resulting damage. Forgiveness plays a large role in moving forward from these wrongs against one another. Forgiveness is most commonly defined as the loss of resentment. In scenarios where wounds are deep and long-lasting forgiveness is not easy to come by. In Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester and Dimmesdale attain forgiveness by winning over the hearts of those they have wronged and pardoning themselves.
Hester attains forgiveness because she manages to sway the townspeople’s opinions of her. Around …show more content…
Hester has worked for seven long, hard years to regain her prosecutors’ approval. Hester has regained the trust of the townspeople but that is only part of her path to full forgiveness, to gain forgiveness Hester must move on from her sin. After Dimmesdale’s death near the end of the story, Hester moves away with Pearl. At the inauguration ceremony for the new Governor, Hester thinks to herself; “‘Look you last on the scarlet letter and its wearer!’ . . . ‘Yet, a little while, and she will be beyond your reach!’” (Hawthorne 208) Hester has forgiven herself of her sin and this is demonstrated because she has no problem leaving said sin in the past and moving on with her life with Pearl and Dimmesdale. Hester gains forgiveness because she is willing to forgive herself and all her time dealing with one mistake. Hester is comfortable enough where she stands with the people to move away and spend focused on Pearl and herself. Hester also attains her own forgiveness by coming back to the town many years after she initially left with Pearl. Although Hester has no requirements to come back to Salem, …show more content…
Dimmesdale successfully changes Pearl’s heart and gains her affection and her forgiveness. Dimmesdale’s forgiveness is only granted in part by his persecutors, Dimmesdale must also absolve himself. Dimmesdale found his own forgiveness in the woods with Hester and Pearl. Hester energizes Dimmesdale with the talk of leaving Salem and this gives Dimmesdale the inspiration to forgive himself and see what awaits beyond. In the woods after Hester proposes they leave Dimmesdale says, “‘Do I feel joy again?’ . . . ‘Methought the germ of it was dead in me! O Hester thou art my better angel! I seem . . . to have risen up all made anew.” (Hawthorne 185) This shows how Dimmesdale gains his internal forgiveness. Dimmesdale needed encouragement from Hester to see all his options other than suffering under his guilt. Dimmesdale forgives himself because he sees that he has the opportunity for happiness with Hester. This discovery leads him to see all the possibilities and stop resenting himself because now he has the opportunity for something
Hester attains forgiveness because she manages to sway the townspeople’s opinions of her. Around …show more content…
Hester has worked for seven long, hard years to regain her prosecutors’ approval. Hester has regained the trust of the townspeople but that is only part of her path to full forgiveness, to gain forgiveness Hester must move on from her sin. After Dimmesdale’s death near the end of the story, Hester moves away with Pearl. At the inauguration ceremony for the new Governor, Hester thinks to herself; “‘Look you last on the scarlet letter and its wearer!’ . . . ‘Yet, a little while, and she will be beyond your reach!’” (Hawthorne 208) Hester has forgiven herself of her sin and this is demonstrated because she has no problem leaving said sin in the past and moving on with her life with Pearl and Dimmesdale. Hester gains forgiveness because she is willing to forgive herself and all her time dealing with one mistake. Hester is comfortable enough where she stands with the people to move away and spend focused on Pearl and herself. Hester also attains her own forgiveness by coming back to the town many years after she initially left with Pearl. Although Hester has no requirements to come back to Salem, …show more content…
Dimmesdale successfully changes Pearl’s heart and gains her affection and her forgiveness. Dimmesdale’s forgiveness is only granted in part by his persecutors, Dimmesdale must also absolve himself. Dimmesdale found his own forgiveness in the woods with Hester and Pearl. Hester energizes Dimmesdale with the talk of leaving Salem and this gives Dimmesdale the inspiration to forgive himself and see what awaits beyond. In the woods after Hester proposes they leave Dimmesdale says, “‘Do I feel joy again?’ . . . ‘Methought the germ of it was dead in me! O Hester thou art my better angel! I seem . . . to have risen up all made anew.” (Hawthorne 185) This shows how Dimmesdale gains his internal forgiveness. Dimmesdale needed encouragement from Hester to see all his options other than suffering under his guilt. Dimmesdale forgives himself because he sees that he has the opportunity for happiness with Hester. This discovery leads him to see all the possibilities and stop resenting himself because now he has the opportunity for something