Novel
Often in Society people are criticized, punished, and despised for their individual choices andflaws. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author attempts to show theway society casts out individuals simply because their ideas differ from the common values. Twomain characters in the novel that are alienated by society for different reasons include Arthur Arthur Dimmesdale alienates himself in the novel both socially and spiritually. He knowshe cannot let his secret out about Pearl, so he has no one to share his pain with. All the guilt hehas stored up in him slowly eats away at him, deteriorating his body and soul. Dimmesdale's piousattributes greatly contribute to the extent of his alienation. For the reverend it was "essential to hispeace to feel the pressure of a faith about him." This ne
"The judgement of God is on me, he istoo mighty for me to struggle with!" To close this gap of isolation between God and himself,Dimmesdale commits acts of penance to relieve his sin. " Hester's alienation also deals with her beauty. Other women are extremely jealous of herand wish the punishment of death for the sin she committed. Hester's self-alienation is perhaps mostdamaging to her psyche. Dimmesdale's faith and his position as aminister makes him more susceptible to spiritual alienation. Hester rejects the values and standards of Puritansociety and yearns to "cast away the fragments of a broken chain. The nature of Hester leads to heralienation such that others deem her expendable. Without the virtue and purity he once held, Dimmesdale views himself unworthy in the eyes ofGod. As aminister, he has a close realtionship with God and has a strong sense of spirituality. Herpassionate nature is suppressed and gives way to the conformity of society. Her individualistic nature seperates her form therestrictive and methodical community in which she lives. The scarlet letter acts as a symbol of the main charactertrait that alienates Hester, her individualism. Due to his sin,his relationship with God suffers in a way that his sin seperates him from the teachings of Jesus. The token ofher sin seperates her from the rest of the society by marking her as an outcast, forced to live inisolation in a cottage outside of town.
Common topics in this essay:
Hester Prynne's,
Arthur Dimmesdale,
Nathaniel Hawthorne,
God Dimmesdale,
,
scarlet letter,
spiritual alienation,
sin seperates,
self-alienation damaging,
arthur dimmesdale,
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Acceptance Essays
