Why Is Sin Important In The Scarlet Letter

Sin comes and goes in everyone life, through the big and little mistakes they make. No matter how much a person tries to avoid it, sin will come and go with the common mistakes people make. Although scary, and is never ‘good’ the importance of sinning is to learn from the mistake that they made. Also commonly known as a solution, it is important that after making a mistake or committing a sin to learn from it so history doesn't repeat. In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne sin is recurring motif, but also theme of the book. Hawthorne shows this primarily in the character Hester, who commits adultery, with Dimmesdale. Both characters have different types of solutions to remorse after committing the sin. Hester, has to wear a …show more content…
She is to “stand on her pedestal...with the scarlet town of intimacy on her breast, and the sin-born infant in her arms” (Hawthorne 54). While standing on the pedestal she is watched by the entire town so they know of her sins. At this point in the novel, Hester realized the disgust the people see in her which causes her much pain. Along with the scarlet letter always by her as a constant reminder of her sin, Pearl her daughter is always with her. Both of which allow her to not move on from her previous mistakes and the public eye always on her. Although, in chapter thirteen Hawthorne writes “that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original significance. They say it is able...meaning strength” (Hawthorne 134). This shows epiphany because the townspeople are realizing a new awareness for Hester and that her past no longer define her. She is able to start flourishing in the town similar to how the scarlet letter is surrounded by flowers and beauty shown in figure one. Hester starts to help the poor, and sew garments for special occasions. The townspeople are able to overlook Hesters previous sins because of the solutions the Puritans created for