Societys Sin In The Scarlet Letter - 1226 Words

Society’s Sin In Hawthorne’s romantic novel The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses symbolism, contrasting, romantic imagery, and individual characterization to argue that sin can and should be forgiven despite the misguided ideals of society. By using symbolism to convey his argument in his novel, Hawthorne adds nuanced meaning to his argument. Notably, the letter A, the most prominent symbol in the book which originally meant to symbolize adultery, is ambiguous in many ways in order to give the reader the subtle idea that sins are not black and white. The Puritans meant for the letter A to be an ugly mark on the pure soul of Hester, nevertheless the letter â€Å"was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of†¦show more content†¦Hawthorne shows Hester’s prudence and shows her purity; Hawthorne shows society’s distrust and shows society’s misunderstanding and in this way Hawthorne constructs his argument again st society’s extreme condemnation of sin. By the same token, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes romantic and contrasting imagery to emphasize the need for forgiveness and show that society’s ideals are misguided. In order to show the misled concerns of society, Hawthorne describes the founding fathers of Providence and their priorities while creating a settlement. He writes, â€Å"whatever Utopia of human virtue and happiness they might originally project, have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison† (45). To put it explicitly, the Puritan’s priority for creating the prison best illustrates their primary concerns and perceptions of society. At the same time, Hawthorne creates irony in the comparison of â€Å"utopia† with â€Å"prison†, of which have contrasting connotations even as Puritans seem to have associated the two with one another. Moreover, Hawthorne utilizes dark and light imagery throughout the novel. In the forest, the romantic writer represents Hester’s and Dimmesdale’s moods using imagery. Previous to the meeting, the writer describes the forest as being â€Å"soShow MoreRelatedEssay about The Individual versus Society in the Scarlet Letter1005 Words   |  5 PagesThe Individual vs. Society in the Scarlet Letter The society we live in today grants us a variety of freedoms. No one tells us how to think or what to believe in. We decide what clothes to wear, what to do on Sundays and our religion – with no law to persuade us. These permissive decisions would not be looked highly upon in stern Puritan Society. There is no sense of individualism in 1600s Salem because laws envelop every bit of human society. With all these severe rules in place, there are boundRead MoreIndividual or Social Standards in The Scarlet Letter801 Words   |  4 PagesTo make a decision, one weighs the benefits and the downfalls, and concludes by judging the factors of each alternative. Ones choice of whether to conform to societys demands or submit to personal impulses is difficult, especially under strenuous circumstances. Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter is a profound romance in which the characters must make such a decision. A reconciliation of the two forces is not seemingly feasible. Reliance of sel f consumes Hester Prynne, while denial of selfRead MoreHester Prynne Disregards The Puritan Society778 Words   |  4 PagesHester Prynne of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter disregards the Puritan Societys standards of women through her rebellious nature and confidence. 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The Puritan society forces Hester to wear a scarlet and gold colored â€Å"A† on her chest as a reminder of her crime - adultery. In society’s eyes, Pearl serves as a reminder of Hester’s sin, establishing Pearl as a living scarlet letter, althou gh she IS ultimately innocent. FurthermoreRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne1607 Words   |  7 Pagesswept up into society’s rules as most people associate a feeling of acceptance when they fit into society. While blending in is easy, it takes far more courage and strength to be an individual as they must break free from this mainstream comfort zone to generate their own, individual virtues. The figurative distance created between those based in society and those who are individuals uncovers a morally affecting environment of judgement and acceptance. Those caught in the middle of society’s norms findRead MoreSin Theme In Scarlet Letter775 Words   |  4 PagesMultiple themes are presented in the book, The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. One prevalent theme found in the story is that sin can happen to anyone and it is essential to life. Throughout the book the reader experiences the committing of a sin through a variety of characters : Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. From the beginning of the book to the end we notice how each of the characters wrongdoings takes an emotional and physical toll on them asRead MorePuritan Society In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1127 Words   |  5 PagesIn the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne harshly criticizes Puritan society. From hypocrisy to forgiveness, Hawthorne uses hidden messages and motifs to express his criticism of society and to spread his messages. A social judgement explored by Hawthorne is that a majority perspective stifles individuality. Dimmesdale best exemplifies the social judgement presented in the novel. Puritanical society’s ideals suppress Dimmesdale’s desire to come out as a sinner because he has a status he isn’t willingRead MoreThe Thematic Trifecta Of The Scarlet Letter1429 Words   |  6 PagesThe Thematic Trifecta of The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, narrates the experiences of Hester Prynne, a beautiful young woman in Puritan times, after committing the sin of adultery with the local Reverend, Mr. Arthur Dimmesdale. Because she became pregnant, she bears the public scorn of her sin, while the town does not uncover Mr. Dimmesdale’s participation in the act until the very end of the novel. Using the Puritan society as the setting, and the development