The Scarlet Letter as Hypocritical Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet letter is a book of great symbolism. This book is about how society treats, and punishes a woman who have committed adultery. The plot of the book that follows the life of the main character, Hester and her daughter, Pearl. In the meantime, there are a few other main characters that are play a big role in hester’s life. These characters are the preacher of the town, Dimmesdale, and the doctor of the town, Chillingworth. Throughout the book, there are times of confession, sorrow, and even some happiness; for some. Nathaniel hawthorne demonstrated hypocrisy within Puritan society through his writing in order to show how the world, even today, can be unfair to women compared
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Dimmesdale is the pastor of the town, and he encourages Hester to confess who the baby’s father is, but she will not do it. Come to find out, Dimmesdale is the father of the child. This is the first sign of hypocrisy within these puritan’s society. Puritan religion is very strict when it comes to morals, and what's “right and wrong”. Since the puritans are very religious, they view the pastor as a very important figure within society. Dimmesdale, is just as accountable of the acts of cowardness that he and hester committed to. He covers this up, and does not confess he is the father, and that he is just as guilty of sin, and punishment as hester. This just goes to show how society will put down other people who have less power, just to not be in the wrong. Did I mention that Dimmesdale is a male? This means not only is he wrong because he is the pastor, the one who preaches on doing the right thing, and obeying God, and Godly ways, yet he is breaking on the Commandments, and not even confessing. Hawthorne goes to say this about how the pastor will look at Hester as an individual; “Giving up her individuality, she would become the general symbol at which preacher and moralist might point, and in which they might vivify and embody their images of womens frailty and sinful passion” (Hawthorne 92). Even when he tries to commit to his wrong doings later in the …show more content…
She never gets a proper ending. The ending of the book is about how dimmesdale confesses his wrongdoing to the town, and even still, the people of the town think nothing of it, and dimmesdale has become free of he burden. But, poor hester never gets a happy ending. She is never given any forgiveness from the people of the town. She lives by herself with pearl on the outskirts of town. The people of the town still do not like her, let alone forgive her for she has done. Yet, the people didn't think twice about the fact that he was the father of pearl (hester and dimmesdale's kid). This is wrong, and I think it is Hawthorn’s way of demonstrating how society thinks. It really makes you realize that the way society thought about the church being flawless is problematic. Society thinks that hester is still an outcast, and that she is wrong for what she did, and she will never be forgiven for
Dimmesdale is the pastor of the town, and he encourages Hester to confess who the baby’s father is, but she will not do it. Come to find out, Dimmesdale is the father of the child. This is the first sign of hypocrisy within these puritan’s society. Puritan religion is very strict when it comes to morals, and what's “right and wrong”. Since the puritans are very religious, they view the pastor as a very important figure within society. Dimmesdale, is just as accountable of the acts of cowardness that he and hester committed to. He covers this up, and does not confess he is the father, and that he is just as guilty of sin, and punishment as hester. This just goes to show how society will put down other people who have less power, just to not be in the wrong. Did I mention that Dimmesdale is a male? This means not only is he wrong because he is the pastor, the one who preaches on doing the right thing, and obeying God, and Godly ways, yet he is breaking on the Commandments, and not even confessing. Hawthorne goes to say this about how the pastor will look at Hester as an individual; “Giving up her individuality, she would become the general symbol at which preacher and moralist might point, and in which they might vivify and embody their images of womens frailty and sinful passion” (Hawthorne 92). Even when he tries to commit to his wrong doings later in the …show more content…
She never gets a proper ending. The ending of the book is about how dimmesdale confesses his wrongdoing to the town, and even still, the people of the town think nothing of it, and dimmesdale has become free of he burden. But, poor hester never gets a happy ending. She is never given any forgiveness from the people of the town. She lives by herself with pearl on the outskirts of town. The people of the town still do not like her, let alone forgive her for she has done. Yet, the people didn't think twice about the fact that he was the father of pearl (hester and dimmesdale's kid). This is wrong, and I think it is Hawthorn’s way of demonstrating how society thinks. It really makes you realize that the way society thought about the church being flawless is problematic. Society thinks that hester is still an outcast, and that she is wrong for what she did, and she will never be forgiven for