In Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, he develops a distinction of his ideas on what is good and what is evil through the usage of symbolic evidence and the development of the character’s personalities. Hawthorne’s idea of what is “good” is the beauty of forgiveness, as this is what the story develops upon and how the story plot ends. Hawthorne’s idea of “evil” is the dark personalities inside of us all that affects the way we treat others. The main character, Hester Prynne, is portrayed as evil to the faint eye but Hawthorne is able to show the reader the good in Hester’s actions. Hawthorne’s writing is very true to himself, he writes in an elevated style that is, at some point, hard to comprehend. However, his style of writing is able
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Hester Prynne’s child, Pearl, is described as “evil” and “demonic,” on page 92-93 Hawthorne writes, “... as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child, whose place was on that same dishonored bosom… Hester Prynne less with hope than apprehension. She knew that her deed had been evil.” Pearl is contrived from sin, she rests upon a sinful bosom, her being is a direct representation of Hester’s actions and her sin, yet the result of her sin is a beautiful child who grows to be an intelligent, wild, graceful soul. This in itself, could be seen as an act of forgiveness by God, Hester describes Pearl as her opportunity to learn, in learning, she is able to forgive herself, she is able to see the beauty rather than darkness. The nature of forgiveness is what allows us to move on from the bad, Hawthorne describes Hester as not being able to forgive and move on, yet we see the way the townspeople are able to move on from Hester’s act of sin, on page 167 Hawthorn writes, “She came, not as a guest, but as a rightful inmate; into the household that was darkened by trouble… Hester’s nature showed itself warm and rich; a well-spring of human tenderness…” Even though Hester is still ultimately sinful, she is described as ‘warm and rich,’ ‘a
Hester Prynne’s child, Pearl, is described as “evil” and “demonic,” on page 92-93 Hawthorne writes, “... as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child, whose place was on that same dishonored bosom… Hester Prynne less with hope than apprehension. She knew that her deed had been evil.” Pearl is contrived from sin, she rests upon a sinful bosom, her being is a direct representation of Hester’s actions and her sin, yet the result of her sin is a beautiful child who grows to be an intelligent, wild, graceful soul. This in itself, could be seen as an act of forgiveness by God, Hester describes Pearl as her opportunity to learn, in learning, she is able to forgive herself, she is able to see the beauty rather than darkness. The nature of forgiveness is what allows us to move on from the bad, Hawthorne describes Hester as not being able to forgive and move on, yet we see the way the townspeople are able to move on from Hester’s act of sin, on page 167 Hawthorn writes, “She came, not as a guest, but as a rightful inmate; into the household that was darkened by trouble… Hester’s nature showed itself warm and rich; a well-spring of human tenderness…” Even though Hester is still ultimately sinful, she is described as ‘warm and rich,’ ‘a