Theme Of Sin And Repentance In The Scarlet Letter

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, sin and repentance are recurring topics, depicted in the novel’s three main characters. Each can be accused of immorality, and each suffers differently as a result of their offenses, however, only one individual clearly repents of his sins. Throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the theme of sin and repentance is apparent in the characters of Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Arthur Dimmesdale.
During the entirety of the novel, Hester Prynne’s adultery and punishment is publically recognized; her personal remorse concerning her sin, however, is not so evident. It is obvious that Hester recognizes her sin, for “she knew that her deed had been evil.” (61) She knows she must endure …show more content…
Being seen as a pious, pure minister, he knows how the congregation admires and respects him. However, by his actions, it is evident that the minister is not some perfect, divine being, as everyone believes him to be, but is capable of falling into temptation, just as easily as the people in his congregation are. Dimmesdale is overcome with immense guilt and remorse, feeling like the greatest fraud there ever was. By repeatedly placing his hand over his heart, it is obvious that he is hurting internally, both mentally and emotionally. However, Dimmesdale, out of fear and the knowledge of “the light in which his vague confession would be viewed,” (99) decides not to repent until the very end. Instead, he attempts to eliminate his guilt by self-infliction and good works. Eventually, Dimmesdale realizes that this method suffice for public confession, as he acknowledges, “the constant introspection wherewith he tortured, but could not purify, himself,” (100). Finally, in the concluding of the novel, with the only strength he has, the minister ascends the scaffold, hand-in-hand with Pearl and Hester, confesses his sins to the entire congregation, and passes …show more content…
Hester lives a life of humiliation and isolation, Dimmesdale suffers psychologically, and Chillingworth ruins his relationship with his wife. Nevertheless, each also seeks to somehow make amends. Hester, by her own free will, returns to the settlement and takes up her scarlet letter again, for, “here had been her sin; here, her sorrow; and here was yet to be her penitence.” (179) She recognizes and respects the punishment she has been destined to for the rest of her days. Chillingworth attempts to restore his relationship with Hester by leaving Pearl and her a substantial inheritance. On the other hand, Dimmesdale, unlike Hester and Chillingworth, truly confesses and repents in front of his entire congregation. In conclusion, the topics of sin and repentance are evident in each of the three main