Confessing to one’s wrongs displays true honest character and reveals one’s bravery rather than their flaws. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a young woman named, Hester Prynne lives in Boston, Massachusetts during the seventh century, in a Puritan society. Hester’s husband, who goes by the name Roger Chillingworth, sends her to America while he deals with some business in Europe. He happens to be caught and held captive by Native Americans which delays his arrival to America. Roger returns to find changes that do not please him. Hester has an affair with a Reverend, Arthur Dimmesdale, and ends up having his baby, Pearl. Due to Hester’s sin she faces punishment and humiliation by having a scarlet letter “A” on her breast,
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She never gives up the identity of the father because Arthur wants to keep a good representation of himself, as he is the beloved minister of the town. Thinking this secret would help him, he eventually lives with guilt eating him away, and starts to fast and whip himself to try to repent for his sins. After some time Roger discovers who the father is and psychologically tortures him. As some years pass by Hester still holds herself humble despite how rude and cruel society is to her because of the scarlet letter. The townspeople consider removing her letter because of all of the good things she has done over the several years, but she does not want society to determine her identity anymore. Dimmesdale is undecided about confessing, as he does not want to let the town down. He is admired by many people of the town, but does not want the town to adore him without knowing what sin he is hiding. Dimmesdale seeing Hester overcome so much and his accumulating guilt influences him to confess and show society that someone can still have a chance to become pure if they make a mistake and correct it. One major theme within The Scarlett Letter that is essential for the reader to grasp is that individuality and strength are gained by reconfiguring one’s character, not by one’s assigned identity from …show more content…
Hester is a persistent character who is assigned a role in society. Due to her scarlet letter she is a walking example why one should not commit adultery. Being forced to wear the scarlet letter, she decides to stay in Boston even though she could flee to another place, change her identity and live a life of free judgement and humiliation. She stays to show society that they can no longer dictate her life she is living and that they cannot identify her for one mistake she has made . “It was debated whether or not, with safety to the common weal, yonder scarlet letter might be taken off your bosom. “On my life Hester, I made my entreaty to the worshipful magistrates that it might be done forthwith!” “It lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge,” calmly replied Hester.”Were I worthy to be quit of it, it would fall away of its own nature, or be transformed into something that should speak a different purport.”(151-152) This behavior shows how she has a desire to determine her own identity rather than let society dictate it for her. In her mind, removing the scarlet letter would mean letting society gain power over her. She would be letting society know she feels shamed
She never gives up the identity of the father because Arthur wants to keep a good representation of himself, as he is the beloved minister of the town. Thinking this secret would help him, he eventually lives with guilt eating him away, and starts to fast and whip himself to try to repent for his sins. After some time Roger discovers who the father is and psychologically tortures him. As some years pass by Hester still holds herself humble despite how rude and cruel society is to her because of the scarlet letter. The townspeople consider removing her letter because of all of the good things she has done over the several years, but she does not want society to determine her identity anymore. Dimmesdale is undecided about confessing, as he does not want to let the town down. He is admired by many people of the town, but does not want the town to adore him without knowing what sin he is hiding. Dimmesdale seeing Hester overcome so much and his accumulating guilt influences him to confess and show society that someone can still have a chance to become pure if they make a mistake and correct it. One major theme within The Scarlett Letter that is essential for the reader to grasp is that individuality and strength are gained by reconfiguring one’s character, not by one’s assigned identity from …show more content…
Hester is a persistent character who is assigned a role in society. Due to her scarlet letter she is a walking example why one should not commit adultery. Being forced to wear the scarlet letter, she decides to stay in Boston even though she could flee to another place, change her identity and live a life of free judgement and humiliation. She stays to show society that they can no longer dictate her life she is living and that they cannot identify her for one mistake she has made . “It was debated whether or not, with safety to the common weal, yonder scarlet letter might be taken off your bosom. “On my life Hester, I made my entreaty to the worshipful magistrates that it might be done forthwith!” “It lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge,” calmly replied Hester.”Were I worthy to be quit of it, it would fall away of its own nature, or be transformed into something that should speak a different purport.”(151-152) This behavior shows how she has a desire to determine her own identity rather than let society dictate it for her. In her mind, removing the scarlet letter would mean letting society gain power over her. She would be letting society know she feels shamed