Shame And Guilt Throughout The Novel example essay topic
375 words
One of the most noticeable themes within The Scarlet Letter is sin and knowledge about life and humanity. There is a lot of similarity to the story of Adam and Eve, who were banished from the Garden of Eden for eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They were required to work and to have children, both of them "define" humanity. The experience of Hester and Dimmesdale is similar because in both cases, sin results in eviction and agony. Yet at the same time they learn what it means to be human. For Hester, the scarlet letter allowed her to begin thinking for herself and act more boldly, which was something that other women were condemned to do. They constantly suffer from shame and guilt throughout the novel. Both of them lead joyless lives.
Dimmesdale, however, suffers much more strongly than Hester. Puritans view sin as an obstacle where the law should be strictly enforced. They fail to see that sinfulness can lead to personal growth, kindness, and care - even though it is the opposite to what society's standards are. The Scarlet Letter is set in the 17th century, puritanical, New England colony of Massachusetts.
A theme that is in the novel is 'Puritanism'. The character's sin, shame, and guilt are clearly seen after the fact that they live in a strict Puritanical society, which is unable and unwilling to forgive sin, especially Hester. It is ironic that Reverend Dimmesdale is Hester's partner in adultery. Another theme is evil, and the nature of immortality and malevolence. There is a lot of discussion about the identity of the "Black Man", (an embodiment of evil) among the characters. True evil comes from love and hate in the novel.
Evil, can be seen in the revenge of Chilling worth, whose love has been tainted. At one point in the novel, Pearl thinks that her father is the "black man", which is not far fetched because he commited adultery. Dimmesdale will not even publicly recognize that she is his daughter. His defiance of love to his own child is a perfect example of evil.
