Overcoming Sin and Shame Nathaniel Hawthorne conveys the theme of overcoming sin and shame by benevolent actions and deeds in The Scarlet Letter through the use of different symbols like the scarlet letter, Pearl, and the forest. Hester’s scarlet letter “A” starts off with being a symbol of sin, shame, and wrong doing but, by the end of the novel turned into a symbol of her identity that people came to respect. Pearl is like a living symbol of Hester’s scarlet letter where at first was the reason for all of Hester’s shame but, ended up being a symbol of hope and a blessing in Hester’s life. Throughout the novel, the forest was used to act as a place of freedom and an escape from sin and society with a lack of judgement from others. Each of
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At the beginning of the book Pearl was a way for others to know exactly what Hester had done. Because of the crime Hester commits Pearl acts “as a direct consequence of the sin” (61). Hawthorne works to make Peal seem as if she is a bad result of what Hester has done like she was one of her consequences. She becomes a symbol in the book for Hester’s sin and a constant reminder to Hester for what she has done. However, Pearl becomes to be a sign of hope in Hester’s life as she is one of the few things that makes Hester happy. As Hester is trying to convince the governor to keep Pearl she exclaims that “[Pearl} is [her] happiness...[and] keeps [her] here in life” (77). As Pearl was meant to be Hester’s token of sin and a reason for her shame she has turned into Hester’s treasure and gift in life that she needs in order to stay happy and stay alive. Hester embraces Pearl as her child and makes it her new mission to make her happy. At the start of the book Peal was suppose to be one of Hester’s consequences for her sin but, she has turned Pearl into her blessing in life that makes her the
At the beginning of the book Pearl was a way for others to know exactly what Hester had done. Because of the crime Hester commits Pearl acts “as a direct consequence of the sin” (61). Hawthorne works to make Peal seem as if she is a bad result of what Hester has done like she was one of her consequences. She becomes a symbol in the book for Hester’s sin and a constant reminder to Hester for what she has done. However, Pearl becomes to be a sign of hope in Hester’s life as she is one of the few things that makes Hester happy. As Hester is trying to convince the governor to keep Pearl she exclaims that “[Pearl} is [her] happiness...[and] keeps [her] here in life” (77). As Pearl was meant to be Hester’s token of sin and a reason for her shame she has turned into Hester’s treasure and gift in life that she needs in order to stay happy and stay alive. Hester embraces Pearl as her child and makes it her new mission to make her happy. At the start of the book Peal was suppose to be one of Hester’s consequences for her sin but, she has turned Pearl into her blessing in life that makes her the