Reverend Calls Hester And Pearl example essay topic

Throughout life we all will be faced with hypocrites or have the choice to be true to ourselves or to deceive ourselves. Especially as a Christian you may wonder if people look at you as a hypocrite and should also strive to not be one. Of course, the most important part is to be true to yourself because only then may you be true to God and to others. Nathaniel Hawthorne also shows this in The Scarlet Letter through the characters he portrays. In chapter 20, Hawthorne writes, 'No man, for any considerable period, can wear one fact to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true.

' ; Hiding the truth from others just confuses life and oneself. Hawthorne often focuses on the point that truth reveals itself. For instance, Hester Prynne was quite aware of the fact that truth will be revealed. She was forced to wear a scarlet 'A'; on her bosom, which stood for adultery, for her entire life. Truth was revealed to Hester by the fact that she became pregnant with a child as a result of her sin. Pearl noticed her mother's scarlet A as a baby and was attracted to it instantly for some reason.

Pearl notices the letter as an infant as her 'eyes had been caught by the glimmering of the gold embroidery about the letter, and, putting up her hand, she grasped at it... '; (98) and Hester feels the 'torture inflicted by the intelligent touch of Pearl's baby hand. ' ; (98). This seems to suggest that truth was once again revealed to Hester whenever Pearl noticed the scarlet letter and it shows how Pearl seemed to know the significance of the letter as an infant. While Hawthorne shows how truth revealed itself to Hester he shows a different way that truth was revealed to Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. At the beginning of the novel Dimmesdale seems to be doing a good job of keeping his secret to the whole town who respects him immensely.

Although in the first chapter Reverend Dimmesdale argues on Hester's behalf the town seems to think nothing of this other than that he is trying to not judge her. As the new doctor in town Roger Chillingworth befriends Reverend Dimmesdale. Chillingworth notices a scarlet letter of guilt on the Reverend's chest and soon begins to take his revenge. The doctor who plays on the Reverend's guilt increases Dimmesdale's torment. Chillingworth 'dug into the poor clergyman's heart like a miner searching for gold... '; (127).

Chillingworth one day discovered an ugly weed had grown on the grave of a man and concluded that this meant he was hiding a secret. The Reverend and the doctor thus had a discussion concerning guilt where Chillingworth argues, 'Why should not the guilty ones sooner avail themselves of this unutterable solace?' ; (130). Another point is that in the end of the novel Dimmesdale's guilt is revealed through Pearl when she notices that he holds his heart with his hand. Pearl asks her mother, 'But why does he not wear it outside his bosom, as thou dost, Mother?' ; (179). The Reverend then realizes even more then that he can no longer hide his secret.

While more subtly shown through out the novel then with Dimmesdale or Hester, Roger Chillingworth's true identity is also revealed. Of course the truth of his identity is immediately revealed to Hester at first glance. When Chillingworth visits her in prison he tells her 'Breathe not, to any human soul, that thou didst ever call me husband!' ; and Hester agrees that she will not tell anyone. Later, in chapter 14, Hester realizes that she has left Dimmesdale under her husband's evilness for too long and she looks for her husband so that she may prevent any further damage.

As she talks to Chillingworth she tells him of what harm he is doing to Dimmesdale and Chillingworth's true evil side is revealed. He begins to feel the true wretchedness in his heart for what he has done. Chillingworth then runs away for he realizes his own evilness and truth of himself is revealed. While one theme in The Scarlet Letter is that truth reveals itself another one is that guilt destroys. Hester is the perfect example of guilt destroying someone. First of all, she has to wear her scarlet 'A'; '... under the heavy weight of a thousand eyes, all fastened upon her...

'; (64) for the rest of her life. Guilt also destroyed her life because she could no longer seem to find joy in anything. She felt that she was not worthy of being happy because 'Like all other joys, she rejected it as sin'; (87). She felt everything that could make her happy must be a sin of some kind. The Governor was also compelled to take Pearl away from Hester where she could be more properly raised. While the Reverend convinced them that Pearl should stay with Hester this was still a devastating conflict for any mother to be faced with.

They fact of losing your child and for Hester Pearl was also her only real companion. While guilt destroyed Hester in these ways, it had a different effect on the Reverend Dimmesdale. The Reverend described his soul as 'A mockery at which angels blushed and wept... '; (144). Psychologically, the guilt ate up Dimmesdale's soul. The guilt that he had to live with caused him to become a hypocritical pastor and leader of the town.

So, in that sense it also destroyed his career. In the end of the book, the guilt he has faced for over 7 years finally kills him. It killed his soul long before that however which is the most important thing but it also slowly killed him physically. It ate away his chest and gave him a matching letter A as Hester had on her chest. Guilt destroyed Roger Chillingworth also as it destroyed the Reverend, but in a more difficult to notice way. For instance, one way that it destroyed him was to cause him to play with the Reverend's mind and thus revealing his true evil ways to himself.

While he refused to admit to Hester that he was hurting the Reverend and he actually asked Hester 'What evil have I done the man?' ; (165). While deep down he knows that he has been using Dimmesdale as his own little toy. Chillingworth knows that he had evil intentions but he still wanted to keep playing with the Reverend's emotions at the end of the book. When the Reverend calls Hester and Pearl up to the podium with him so that he may confess his sin, Chillingworth runs up to Dimmesdale and tells him to '... wave back that woman! Cast off that child!

All shall be well!' ; (253). Yet, as stated earlier, after the Reverend tells the town the truth Chillingworth runs away out of his guilt for what he did to the man and fear of being discovered. Another theme that Hawthorne focused on was how you must be true to yourself in order to be true to others or in other words, that guilt ruins relationships. In the case of Hester Prynne the most important relationship that was ruined was that of her and her daughter Pearl. Hester named her infant Pearl because she was 'of great price - purchased with all she had...

'; (91). Whenever Hester looked at Pearl she couldn't help but being reminded of her sin. She looked at Pearl as more of a punishment than as a blessing. Hester also became a slave to the town in many ways. Hester began to help anyone in the town who needed it. So much so that '... many people refused to interpret the scarlet 'A'; by its original signification.

They said that it meant 'Able... '; (156). So, Hester's relationship with the town was completely ruined and demoted to that of an example to anyone who would commit a sin. While Hester's guilt ruined relationships, the Arthur Dimmesdale also had significant relationships ruined because of his guilt. Obviously, the Reverend and Hester's relationship was utterly ruined by his guilt. The best way that he communicated to Hester was by sticking up for her a couple times in the novel.

Once while she was seated in front of the town and secondly by helping her keep her daughter Pearl. Pearl is another person who possibly suffered because of the Reverend's guilt. He could not see Hester and Pearl except for in the dark of the night. When Pearl asks the Reverend why he doesn't stand with them on the judgement seat he replies that 'Then, and there, before the judgment seat, thy mother, and thou, and I, must stand together. But the daylight of this world shall not see our meeting!' ; (149). Dimmesdale is so full of pride and guilt that he cannot join his true family on the judgment seat during the day in front of the town.

Chillingworth, like Dimmesdale, also suffered from ruined relationships because of his guilt and the fact that he could not be true to himself. His wife Hester began to hate him for his evilness towards the Reverend. Hester thought, 'She hardly knew him now!' ; (224). Any chance in rekindling a marriage between the two was lost. Also, he was dishonest to Dimmesdale, of course, by playing his mind games on him while the Reverend thought of him as somewhat of a friend.

Roger Chillingworth appeared to be just a very skilled doctor to the town and yet he was deceiving them as well. While everyone respected him in treating the Reverend, they had no idea of the mental games he was playing with Dimmesdale's mind. In conclusion, Nathaniel Hawthorne attempted to show his readers the entire harm that comes from lying and from guilt. A lesson should be learned from The Scarlet Letter about hypocrisy and not confessing your sins. All sins should be brought up and confessed to the Lord or else one is only deceiving oneself and causing guilt to eat away at their soul. Although, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth all showed as examples of what guilt can do to a person, everyone must examine their own heart to see what guilt is doing to them because hiding this guilt only leads to confusion and pain.