On Redemption
A prisoner steps out of his musty cell, squinting at the bright sunlight. As he takes his first breath of the free air, his spirits soar. However, there is a lingering question on his mind, like an itch that cannot properly be placed. Though he has served his time, can he ever really redeem himself, or is he destined to die with the weight of his crimes upon him? He shrugs and walks on, as many before him have done. Yet he still struggles with this age-old question. So, too, does literature. In his novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne investigates the very nature of sin and redemption, offering another answer to the silent question in our prisoner’s mind. Hawthorne demonstrates that despite the gravity of one’s crimes, there is always a chance for redemption. This idea is evident in the main characters of the story: Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth.
The first character who has a chance at redemption is Hester Prynne. At first she is condemned for her sin but slowly gains acceptance from society as time passes. One way she achieves this is by helping the needy. Hawthorne repeatedly describes her noble actions towards those less fortunate than herself, writing “Such helpfulness was found in her—so much power to …show more content…
All of them had sinned in one way or another, yet they refused to let their mistakes stop them from growing as people. With enough determination and through the passage of time, this may be the case for anyone who is troubled by past mistakes. In this way, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter provides an answer for our troubled prisoner as he prepares himself to reenter society. The former prisoner plants his feet firmly on the ground, head facing forward, towards the future. “Yes,” the thought resounds within his head, “I am forever free, but from more than just prison. I am free from the
A prisoner steps out of his musty cell, squinting at the bright sunlight. As he takes his first breath of the free air, his spirits soar. However, there is a lingering question on his mind, like an itch that cannot properly be placed. Though he has served his time, can he ever really redeem himself, or is he destined to die with the weight of his crimes upon him? He shrugs and walks on, as many before him have done. Yet he still struggles with this age-old question. So, too, does literature. In his novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne investigates the very nature of sin and redemption, offering another answer to the silent question in our prisoner’s mind. Hawthorne demonstrates that despite the gravity of one’s crimes, there is always a chance for redemption. This idea is evident in the main characters of the story: Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth.
The first character who has a chance at redemption is Hester Prynne. At first she is condemned for her sin but slowly gains acceptance from society as time passes. One way she achieves this is by helping the needy. Hawthorne repeatedly describes her noble actions towards those less fortunate than herself, writing “Such helpfulness was found in her—so much power to …show more content…
All of them had sinned in one way or another, yet they refused to let their mistakes stop them from growing as people. With enough determination and through the passage of time, this may be the case for anyone who is troubled by past mistakes. In this way, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter provides an answer for our troubled prisoner as he prepares himself to reenter society. The former prisoner plants his feet firmly on the ground, head facing forward, towards the future. “Yes,” the thought resounds within his head, “I am forever free, but from more than just prison. I am free from the