The Scarlet Letter and its symbolic themes

Scarlet Letter

Various Effects of Hester and Dimmesdale's Sin good reputation is valued by people of the Puritan Society. In the novel the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne had shown how sin affected the lives of the characters, particularly Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale.

The adultery that Hester committed placed her in a life that is bound for condemnations and mockings from people. Because of her sin, she did not anymore experience to live a normal life without having to think of what others will think of her or her actions. Hester has to always act in terms of what can prevent her from being confronted. She does this because of the guilt that she feels out of her sin.

The profound effects of Hester's sin changed her life because it enclosed her in a sphere of guilt and isolation where agony from her immorality detached her from living her life naturally. Instead, it was like she was put in prison where every act that she does must conform with rules - rules that will prevent people from adding up more reasons to condemn her. Aside from the teases and disdain that Hester receives from people, living in a life that seems to be always watched by them and a life that is full of guilty conscience, a life imprisoned to please others is perhaps the lasting effect that will haunt her out of the sin she had committed.

From Hester's experiences from the disdain and bitterness of the society caused by her sin, she learned how sin could influence one's relationship to people. She learned that despite that she bore a child, a consequence of her sin, whom she loves so much, it can not suppress all the guilt that she feels because her child is always there to remind her of her sin. And out of the lessons she learned from her experience, she will let her child know them so that she can avoid from committing the same mistake. As written in the novel, can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this!"

In the side of Dimmesdale, on the other hand, the effect of the sin he committed is perhaps stronger and more painful than Hester's because the bad effects caused by his sin were not instigated by the people around him, but by himself. Being a minister, Dimmesdale was known in his community as a man of respect and honor. When he committed adultery, he didn't want to confess his sin because he didn't want to lose the good reputation that the people have for him. What happened is Dimmesdale struggled from the guilt that he kept only to himself until it started to destroy his mind and emotion. He even came to the point of inflicting pain to himself, all caused by shame and guilt of the sin he did.