Winnie
Yang
Oct.
29, 1996
Hon.
English III
Hour
I
Sin is the transgression of a moral code
designated by either society or the transgressor. The Puritans of Boston in the novel, The
Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, establish a rigid moral code by which
to purge their society of deviants. As
this society is inherently theocratic, the beliefs and restrictions established
by religion are not only incorporated into law but constitute all law. In this manner, the moral code of the Puritan
society thoroughly pervades the lives of its individuals, and any presence of
iniquity is felt in all aspects of their lives.
In The Scarlet Letter, the characters' lives
are controlled by
the sin they commit.
Hester Prynne's adultery causes her alienation
from the Puritan society in which she lives.
After the term of her confinement ends, she moves into a remote,
secluded cottage on the outskirts of town, inducing a physical separation from
the townspeople. Because of this
seclusion from society, the Puritans regard her with much curiosity and
suspicion: "Children...would creep
nigh enough to behold her plying her needle at the cottage-window...and discerning
the scarlet letter on her breast, would scamper off with a strange, contagious
fear." In addition to the physical
separation, a more intangible manner of exclusion also exists, in that Hester
becomes a pariah. She is subject to
derision and malice from the lowliest of vagrants to the most genteel of
individuals of the community, though many are often the recipients of her care
and attention: "The poor...whom she
sought out to be the objects of her bounty, often reviled the hand that was
stretched forth to succor them...Dames of elevated rank, likewise, were
accustomed to distill drops of bitterness into her heart." Hester cannot feel any sort of kinship with
the townspeople in light of the treatment she receives from them, thus
alienating her even further from Puritan society. Formerly an inhabitant within the bounds of
the community as well as a member of the community, she is now outcast in both
respects. Just as the act of adultery is
pivotal in Hester's life, this sin effects a similar manipulation of Arthur
Dimmesdale's life.
Dimmesdale's guilt over his sin continually
torments him throughout the novel and causes his unusual behavior. He resorts to self-punishment because of this
guilt: "His inward trouble drove
him to" whipping himself and fasting "rigorously until his knees
trembled beneath him, as an act of penance." Because of his resulting weak and sickly
demeanor, this illustrates the extent of his guilt in that he subjects himself
to so much painful, bodily harm. In
addition, this guilt induces him to publicly reveal his transgressions. The extremity of this act is an evident
contrast to Dimmesdale's usual cowardice.
Time after time he castigates himself on the pulpit, but he veils his
vilifications knowingly to inspire awe and reverence among his audience. The pronouncement of his transgressions at
the closing scaffold scene is thus an aberrant action on Dimmesdale's part and
must have been prompted by the guilt he feels.
His act of adultery--through guilt--thus manipulates his very
actions. The effect of sin on
Dimmesdale's life is similar its effect on Chillingworth.
Roger Chillingworth's obsession with vengeance
results in his eventual degeneration.
His physical appearance changes greatly over the years he spends in
Boston because of his fixation with exacting revenge: "A large number...affirmed that Roger
Chillingworth's aspect had undergone a remarkable change...At first his
expression had been calm, meditative, scholar-like. Now, there was something ugly and evil in his
face..." His unattractive
appearance is the physical manifestation of his animosity towards
Dimmesdale. Furthermore, Chillingworth's
morals also undergo a deterioration, in that he devotes his life to tormenting
Dimmesdale: in effect, sacrificing his
fellow man for self-gratification. The
change from his initial integrity to his consequent depravity is apparent even
to himself, as he asks Hester:
"'Dost thou remember me? Was
I not...a man thoughtful for others...kind, true, just, and of constant, if not
warm affections?...And what am I now?...A fiend!" Because of his perverse obsession with
retaliation, Chillingworth abandons his morality, an integral part of his
former self.
The transgressions of the characters in the
novel, The Scarlet Letter, manipulate the characters' lives. Because of her act of adultery, Hester is
exiled from Puritan society through her physical separation and status as an
outcast. The guilt resulting from this
very same act impels Dimmesdale to act in an extreme manner: inflicting painful punishment on himself and
publicly proclaiming and denouncing his actions. Chillingworth's physical and moral
deterioration are the consequences of his own sin--his obsession with
vengeance. Thus, sin is a common
affliction prevalent among the characters in this novel--and furthermore, among
all mankind. It is the manner in which
sin affects a person that provides insight into the person's soul.
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