The Moral Wilderness “Sin”, exists as a noun originated in the 1800s, from the Latin word synn, Merriam-Webster defines it as “an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law”. The bible defines sin as an act through which a Christian can “lose his fellowship, joy, power, testimony, and reward, and incur the Father 's chastisement” (I Corinthians 3:11-17; Hebrews 12:5-11; I Corinthians 11:32-39). While Nathaniel Hawthorne defines it “as a state…[of]…alienation…[which] needs no fire and brimstone as consequence; it is in itself a hell”, (Buckner) through the plot of his 1850s, romantic fiction novel, The Scarlet Letter. In all practicality, sin is responsible for 4 types of alienation: from ourselves, from God, from nature,
…show more content…
As the novel progresses from the scaffold, Hester is forced to wear “the letter A, in scarlet, embroidered with gold-thread, upon her bosom”, because the sin she had commited, fostering her public humiliation. The scarlet letter, further isolated her from the rest of society where “every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came in contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished, and as much alone as if she inhabited another sphere” (Hawthorne 45). Despite being ostracized from the rest of her community for her sin, Hester matures and grows to accept the consequences of her transgression. Moreover, she utilizes this alienation from humanity as an opportunity, to decide her own fate and converts this isolation into individuality. Subsequent to watching “the gray shadow” of Hester aid the poor, the townspeople even distinguished Hester as “the town’s own Hester, who is so kind to the poor so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted” (Hawthorne 128) because of her charity work and weaving for the townspeople. Dimmesdale further exclaims “Happy are you, Hester, that [you] wear the scarlet letter openly upon your …show more content…
When Chillingworh discovered the scarlet letter on Dimmesdale’s bosom, he encompassed “a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror” (Hawthorne 102), and subsequently dissolves into a state of thorough moral perversion. Under the pseudo identity of an honorable physician, he deliberately and psychologically badgers Dimmesdale, crawls underneath his skin, like a leech, and begins to extract and pry the life out of Dimmesdale, figuratively. Throughout the story, he can be characterized as the black man or Devil who, “sees one of his own servants…he hath a way of ordering matters so that the mark shall be disclosed in open daylight to the eyes of all the world” (Hawthorne 212), because of his motives to obliterate Dimmesdale and unveil his passion with Hester. Chillingworth exemplifies the forms of alienation, from oneself (since he has lost all ties with his former self) and from God. Although the townspeople knew of Chillingworth, he was isolated in that his true identity was hidden from everyone but Hester and through this isolation from his wife, his thirst for vengeance grows stronger. As his yearning grows stronger, Chillingworth utilizes his skills as a physician to destroy rather than rectify. However, in the end, Dimmesdale grows a spiritual understanding and achieves peace, whereas Chillingworth realizes that his own life has been wasted, his own integrity destroyed, and
As the novel progresses from the scaffold, Hester is forced to wear “the letter A, in scarlet, embroidered with gold-thread, upon her bosom”, because the sin she had commited, fostering her public humiliation. The scarlet letter, further isolated her from the rest of society where “every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came in contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished, and as much alone as if she inhabited another sphere” (Hawthorne 45). Despite being ostracized from the rest of her community for her sin, Hester matures and grows to accept the consequences of her transgression. Moreover, she utilizes this alienation from humanity as an opportunity, to decide her own fate and converts this isolation into individuality. Subsequent to watching “the gray shadow” of Hester aid the poor, the townspeople even distinguished Hester as “the town’s own Hester, who is so kind to the poor so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted” (Hawthorne 128) because of her charity work and weaving for the townspeople. Dimmesdale further exclaims “Happy are you, Hester, that [you] wear the scarlet letter openly upon your …show more content…
When Chillingworh discovered the scarlet letter on Dimmesdale’s bosom, he encompassed “a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror” (Hawthorne 102), and subsequently dissolves into a state of thorough moral perversion. Under the pseudo identity of an honorable physician, he deliberately and psychologically badgers Dimmesdale, crawls underneath his skin, like a leech, and begins to extract and pry the life out of Dimmesdale, figuratively. Throughout the story, he can be characterized as the black man or Devil who, “sees one of his own servants…he hath a way of ordering matters so that the mark shall be disclosed in open daylight to the eyes of all the world” (Hawthorne 212), because of his motives to obliterate Dimmesdale and unveil his passion with Hester. Chillingworth exemplifies the forms of alienation, from oneself (since he has lost all ties with his former self) and from God. Although the townspeople knew of Chillingworth, he was isolated in that his true identity was hidden from everyone but Hester and through this isolation from his wife, his thirst for vengeance grows stronger. As his yearning grows stronger, Chillingworth utilizes his skills as a physician to destroy rather than rectify. However, in the end, Dimmesdale grows a spiritual understanding and achieves peace, whereas Chillingworth realizes that his own life has been wasted, his own integrity destroyed, and