Hester And Dimmesdale's Sin example essay topic

Author's Background: Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4th, 1804. Hawthorne lived poor due to his father's death when he was four, but he was helped by relatives and enrolled in college where he displayed an interest in writing. In college, he met a friend who would prove to be an invaluable help Franklin Pierce, future President of the United States. In 1825 he graduated and lived with his uncle in Salem for 12 years, devoting his time to reading, writing, and scrapping for publication. He spewed out several stories, but few sold for over $35 each. In 1837 Hawthorne took a job in the Custom-House in Boston.

He grew bored with this work and the people around him, however, up to the point where he wrote The Custom House as an introduction to The Scarlet Letter. In this introduction he showed the dull life of working in a custom house. From the Custom-House, he left for Brooke Farm. During his time at Brooke Farm, he met such thinkers as Emmerson and Thoreau. He also met and courted Sophia Peabody, and left Brooke Farm with her in 1842 to stay at 'Old Manse', the Emmerson homestead. When Emmerson returned to Old Manse, Hawthorne left and went to Salem to live with Sophia.

From this point, Hawthorne won a job at the Salem Custom-House due to a political appointment from his college friend Franklin Pierce. However, when the political winds changed to Zachary Taylor, he lost his job and devoted himself to writing at his wife's insistence. The result was The Scarlet Letter, which was the beginning of a successful series of books including The House of Seven Gables in 1851, The Blithe dale Romance in 1852, and Tanglewood Tales for Boys and Girls in 1853. With this success and the aid of President Franklin Pierce, he was appointed as US consul to Liverpool, England. This was a reward for writing Pierce's biography. Hawthorne's final years are sketchy.

On a voyage back to Plymouth, New Hampshire, he became deathly ill and died on May 19, 1864. He was buried on Concord, Massachusetts. Literary Period and Setting Literary Period: Romanticism and Transcendentalism Setting: Boston, Massachusetts. USA 1842-1849 Characters Hester Prynne) Hester was a beautiful young woman who lives in Boston, Massachusetts. She is proud and strong, but commits the sin of adultery with Reverend Dimmesdale while her husband is supposedly in England finishing up some work.

Pearl is the product of this sin and Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' on her bosom for the rest of her life to show her sin. Isolated from the community, Hester is forced to rise a step higher than average for respect in the Puritan community. B) Hester is motivated by her loves for Pearl and Dimmesdale and by her belief in the Puritan values. C) In the end, Hester's letter begins to mean 'able' to the townspeople in place of 'adulteress'. After her husband's death, she takes Pearl away from Boston, but returns to live out her life with the letter according to Puritan code. Reverend Dimmesdale) The young minister of Boston.

He commits adultery with the young Hester Prynne. He is forced to go through life with the secret knowledge of the crime he has committed and convinces himself that this is the only way. He tells himself that people look up to him for moral and spiritual support and he must be perfect in their eyes. However, at home, he fasts and scourges himself to make penitence for his sin. B) His guilt, as well as his belief in Puritan values and his inner turmoil are his motivating factors. C) Dimmesdale finally reveals himself on the scaffold to Boston as the sinner who had committed adultery with Hester Prynne.

He then promptly dies, freed from his inner burden. Pearl) Pearl was the child brought about by Hester and Dimmesdale's sin. She was brought up by her mother, but never fully adapted to Puritan ways. Because of her energy and her origins, Pearl was not accepted by other children. Pearl was a rebellious child throughout her life, serving constantly as a reminder to her mother of the sin she and Dimmesdale shared. B) Pearl was motivated by her energy, free spirit, and love of nature.

C) Pearl ends up inheriting a large amount of land from the will of Roger Chillingworth and is one of the richest heiresses in America. Her mother takes her to England and Pearl is never seen again in the colonies. Roger Chillingworth) Chillingworth was Hester's husband who was away in England. Due to shipwreck and Indian confinement, he enters the colony long after his wife left him, and discovers she has a baby.

Chillingworth attaches himself as a friend to Reverend Dimmesdale, using the false guise of friendship to ruin the Reverend's life. He is eventually entirely engulfed by his quest for revenge and has no other meaning in life. B) Chillingworth is motivated by his deep hatred of Dimmesdale and his entire life is devoted to revenge against the man who committed adultery with his wife. C) After Dimmesdale reveals his secret and dies on the scaffold, Chillingworth loses all meaning in life. Within a year of Dimmesdale's death, he died, leaving Pearl his estate.

Governor Bellingham) Bellingham was the allegorical character who represented the governmental facet of Boston. He sheltered his sister, Mistress Hibbins, from accusations of witchcraft with his office. He was one of the main voices in attempting to remove Pearl from her mother's care, but was talked out of the idea by Dimmesdale. B) Bellingham was motivated by his desire to help the Puritan community. C) The last that was seen of Bellingham, he gave Pearl the land from Chillingworth in accordance with the will. Mistress Hibbins) Mistress Hibbins represented the supernatural element of the novel.

She is Bellingham's sister and uses his office to hide from acc usat ions of witchcraft. She is tied in closely with the forest, and seems to know everything that goes on within this domain. B) Her worship of the Devil and her insatiable curiosity to know the happenings around her motivate her. C) Mistress Hibbins is left living with her brother, supposedly worshipping the Devil, at the end of the book.

Reverend WilsonA) He represented the spiritual facet of Boston's everyday life. He was an elderly minister in the town of Boston. He had a few run-ins with Pearl and Hester and ministered at the bedside of the dying Governor Winthrop. B) He was motivated by his belief in God and the values of Puritan society. C) Wilson was still a minister in Boston at the end of the book. Themes Guilt: The theme of guilt is shown in two ways in The Scarlet Letter.

Hester's guilt as shown as unhidden guilt. Everyone knows of her sins and they scorn her for them. Hester, as a result, lives in isolation and must work to gain respect. Dimmesdale's guilt, however, was hidden.

Although revered by all, Dimmesdale was secretly tormented to know that he went through life well known and liked, while Hester went through life scorned and shunned for the same crime. Dimmesdale's was portrayed to be the greater of the guilt, as his torment was his alone, while Hester's was known. Hypocrisy: The theme of hypocrisy was shown through the character of Dimmesdale. He was a sinner worse than any of the members of his congregation, but preached to them on how they must not sin anyway. He was elevated in the eyes of his listeners as Hester was scorned and detested.

Yet he managed to sit through this without any sign of outward discontent to let the people know that he was, in fact, a terrible sinner. Isolation: Isolation was a major theme in the novel depicted mostly through Hester and Pearl. Hester and Pearl were isolated from the time of the sin from the rest of the townspeople. No one wanted anything to do with either of them.

Pearl responded to this with energy and vigor that made many believe she was a child of the Devil. Hester, however, responded through a steadfast grip on Puritan values which eventually rose her to a respected position in the eyes of the townspeople. Plot Summary Hester Prynne, convicted of adultery, is taken from the prison and set on the scaffold in the town square for public humiliation. This is only the beginning of her punishment, however, as she will be forced to wear a scarlet 'A' on her chest for the rest of her life.

During her stand on the scaffold, she catches sight of her husband, who has now taken the identity of Roger Chillingworth. After being released from Indian captivity, he comes to the town to find his wife with this crime upon her head. Too ashamed to admit his relation to Hester, he conceals his identity to the town. In the prison, awaiting release, Hester is confronted by her husband. He binds her to a promise in which she says she will not reveal he is her husband. She is then released and goes to live in a small cottage on the outskirts of town with Pearl, her daughter.

Chillingworth finds and attaches himself to the Reverend Dimmesdale, the man who committed adultery with Hester. He reads Dimmesdale's soul like an open book and discovers he is the man who shared Hester's sin. He then begins administering drugs which harm Dimmesdale and increases the torture by his mere presence, which serves as a subconscious reminder to Dimmesdale of his sins. After years of this torture, Hester admits to Dimmesdale who Chillingworth really is. Dimmesdale is angry at first, but then forgives Hester. The two agree to take a ship and sail far away from Boston to free themselves of their sins.

However, after delivering his final sermon to Boston, Dimmesdale climbs the scaffold and confesses his crime. He then promptly dies. Chillingworth, having lost his purpose in life, dies within the year and leaves Pearl his estate. Hester takes Pearl to England, where she is assumed to have married wealthy and lived a happy life. Hester herself comes back to the cottage and lives out the rest of her life with the letter on her chest.

Motif Hawthorne uses several motifs to express a recurring idea throughout the novel. One such motif is the forest. The forest is used to symbolize evil, as the home of the Devil. Allegory Hawthorne uses allegory characters to represent abstract ideas throughout the work. One such character is Mistress Hibbins, who represented the supernatural facet of the work, and in doing so, is tied in closely with the forest. Verbal Irony Verbal irony is used when a character says something that is the opposite of the truth or the expected.

An example is when Reverend Wilson, in turning Hester's inquisition over to Dimmesdale, tells the young minister that her soul is in his hands. The opposite is true, however, as a word from Hester could reveal Dimmesdale as the other sinner. Situational Irony When a situation is the opposite of the expected. An example of this is Dimmesdale, the community's spiritual leader, being guilty of one of the highest sins in the land. Quotes " Wondrous strength and generosity of a woman's heart!

She will not speak!' Dimmesdale p. 64'And my child must seek a heavenly Father, she shall never know an earthly one!' Hester p. 64'Had a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won into his kingdom. ' Author p. 127'Once in my life I met the Black Man! This scarlet letter is his mark!' Hester p. 170'That old man's revenge has been blacker than my sin. He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of a human heart. ' Dimmesdale p. 179'On a field, sable, the letter A, gules.

' Hester's tombstone.