The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathanial Hawthorne, is a romantic novel of two star-crossed lovers. Living in a puritan Boston, Hester Prynne lives out her punishment permanently baring an embroidered scarlet letter "A" on her chest. Hester, given two chances to free herself from the public mark of adultery, continues to wear the letter because she is determined to transform its meaning through her actions and her own self perception, she wants to be the one who controls its meaning. Wanting a clear conscience, Hester remains baring the scarlet letter, in pursuit of a more true repentance. In the mid seventeenth century the punishment for adultery was to be hanged at the gallows, but Hester was the exception. As a punishment, she was sentenced to three hours on the scaffold and a lifetime of wearing the scarlet letter on her bosom, all while raising her daughter P
Tragically Dimmesdale collapsed to his death right after his declaration of guilt leaving Hester and Pearl alone once again. Many years after Hester's decision to take her punishment and slowly earn respect, Dimmesdale finally confessed himself as a sinner and revealed an "A" on his chest. Hester's private desire to seek a true repentance stood more influential on her than her own daughter's fatherless future. The scarlet letter was a symbol of sin to society, but Hester being more religious was more concerned with God's forgiveness. Hester may have felt that she should remain wearing the letter to be forgiven by God and have the chance of an afterlife with Reverend Dimmesdale. Hester felt it necessary to endure her given punishment thoroughly to receive repentance of God. Hester's decision was not only to save Reverend Dimmesdale's reputation, but also because of Hester's deep sense of guilt and her desire to fully bare the burden as part of her repentence. After Dimmesdale's death Hester and Pearl disappear, but many years later Hester suddenly appeared in Boston still wearing the embroidered scarlet letter. While she wanted to feel forgiven by society as well, she was unwilling to discard the scarlet letter, without feeling truly forgiven herself. Hester's love of Dimmesdale keeps her from betraying him, but also because of her own self respect she wants to earn the respect of others honestly through hard work and true repentance. This decision was also conflicted with Pearl's future, she would never know her father, but this was how Hester wanted it when she said her child will seek a heavenly father and will never know an earthly one. Dimmesdale insists no further because his own identity was at stake; he was not only her unnamed lover but also the town minister. Hester's determination to change the meaning of the letter herself influenced her decision to remain quite as to who the father was. Very early in Hester's punishment she is given the opportunity to be freed if she would only reveal the identity of her lover, she refuses to take this way out.
Common topics in this essay:
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Acceptance Essays
