Moral Analysis Of Scarlet Letter

The romance, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes place in Boston Massachusetts during the seventeenth century. In his romance, Hawthorne discusses the turbulent life of Hester Prynne, a Puritan woman who has been convicted of adultery. Hester is sentenced to wear a scarlet “A” on her chest to publicly shame her for her sin. Hester and her daughter Pearl become outcasts of society. Hester refuses to reveal Pearl’s father’s identity, her partner in sin. Hawthorne’s romance carries the message to be true to oneself and to the world. This message has different implications for Roger Chillingworth, Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester Prynne and Pearl, influencing each of their development. Roger Chillingworth is fully contrary to the moral, be true to yourself and to the world. Chillingworth cannot be truthful to himself because he cannot recognize his wrongdoing and instead thinks that his actions are justified. In his conversation with Dimmesdale about the secrets that men hold in their hearts, Chillingworth criticizes the men that continue to hide their secrets for the greater good. He says …show more content…
Hawthorne’s four major characters, Chillingworth, Dimmesdale, Hester and Pearl each demonstrate the consequences for rejecting or following the moral. Chillingworth embodies the evil that men do when they are neither true to themselves or the world. Dimmesdale shows the consequent suffering from hidden guilt. Hester, unlike the previous two characters, follows the moral, but not of her own accord. Hester represents the loss of self that accompanies forced ownership of shame as opposed to willing acceptance of her penance. Pearl, however is the physical manifestation of Hawthorne’s moral. She is both sincere with herself and the world and a guide for the other characters to be true. Pearl shows that in order to be truly happy, it is necessary to be true to yourself and to the