Inevitability of Sin Throughout The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne explores themes of sin and guilt. The puritan communities crucify those who commit, what is deemed in their eyes as, sin. Hester Prynne is one such victim. She is impregnated by the local minister Arthur Dimmesdale. This in and of itself is a grievous sin in the puritan community. However Hester was in a previous marriage with another man. He sent her to the American colonies so she can lead a better life. The community finds out about her adulterous ways and humiliates her in public. She is also forced to wear a decorative A on her chest so everyone knows of her crime. Hester Prynne is no better or worse than any other puritan. The saying goes we’re only human and throughout
…show more content…
He is revealed to be Dimmesdale. A holy man. A minister who committed a most grievous sin. “‘Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am!’”(Hawthorne 151) Dimmesdale is consumed by guilt. After seven years it comforts him to look into his fellow sinners eye’s. He feels this guilt so acutely because being a puritan and a minister means he should have absolutely no tolerance for sin. However he still is just human. To be human is to make mistakes, and all too often those mistakes are considered by some as sins. God is supposed to be all forgiving but somehow that ideal is lost in the puritan lifestyle. The major flaw with the puritans is they don’t understand. They don’t understand that people always have and always will sin. Even if they don’t want to. It is truly inevitable. To lead a happy successful life is to, in some groups, sin. Hester Prynne’s life is nearly ruined by one mistake. We can now look back and learn from the puritans mistakes. The Scarlet Letter shows us that tolerance is the key to a well functioning society. Sin is the way of humans. It always has and always will. Some see it as a horrible offence and others see it as part of the natural way of things. Nonetheless it is
He is revealed to be Dimmesdale. A holy man. A minister who committed a most grievous sin. “‘Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am!’”(Hawthorne 151) Dimmesdale is consumed by guilt. After seven years it comforts him to look into his fellow sinners eye’s. He feels this guilt so acutely because being a puritan and a minister means he should have absolutely no tolerance for sin. However he still is just human. To be human is to make mistakes, and all too often those mistakes are considered by some as sins. God is supposed to be all forgiving but somehow that ideal is lost in the puritan lifestyle. The major flaw with the puritans is they don’t understand. They don’t understand that people always have and always will sin. Even if they don’t want to. It is truly inevitable. To lead a happy successful life is to, in some groups, sin. Hester Prynne’s life is nearly ruined by one mistake. We can now look back and learn from the puritans mistakes. The Scarlet Letter shows us that tolerance is the key to a well functioning society. Sin is the way of humans. It always has and always will. Some see it as a horrible offence and others see it as part of the natural way of things. Nonetheless it is