Ian Coyne
Coyneandbill
The Scarlett Reader
This post focuses on sin and its interpretation in The Scarlet Letter
Sin and The Scarlet Letter
Sin, as a concept, is fascinating to read about. While it does have most of its roots in Christianity as well as the other Middle Eastern religions, the idea that certain actions are inherently evil can be seen across a multitude of cultures across the globe. This feeling of wrongness is not mutually exclusive to one group of people, and as such it has adopted different names and interpretations. Within Puritan society, sin is a very important concept that seems to keep the whole religious movement afloat. Puritans live in constant, terrifying fear of sin. This immense fear motivates them to live and act in certain ways that sets them apart from other sects of Christianity. If one were to want to intensely investigate and form their own opinions on sin, the Puritans would prove to be a treasure cove of information on the subject. I believe Nathaniel Hawthorne set out to do just such a thing when he placed the setting of his novel, The Scarlet Letter, in a typical New England Puritan colony. Let’s take a closer look on just how Hawthorne reveals his own interpretation of sin in the last few chapters of The Scarlet Letter.
The last few chapters have, I would argue, the most focus on sin within The Scarlet Letter thus far. Two major characters, Hester and Dimmesdale, abandon the demeanor they don within the community when they privately meet under the shady New England trees. With the abandonment of their demeanor, all that is left is them and their sin, which both address during their meeting. For Hester, she throws the symbol of her sin, the scarlet letter, and immediately “[h]er sex, her youth, and the richness of her beauty, came back from…the irrevocable past,” (Hawthorne 183.) I believe this feeling of relief originates from Hawthorne’s own interpretation of sin. He believes that some sin, like a woven letter attached to one’s garments, can be easily removed from the sinner’s conscience and fill them with feelings of freedom and carefree joy. However, Hawthorne also expresses that this joy and relief is nothing more than an illusion when Pearl does not recognize her mother without her scarlet letter. Once Hester reattaches the letter, however, Pearl recognizes her but “the richness of her womanhood [ ] departed,” (Hawthorne 190.) I believe Hawthorne is trying to say through this unusual scene that while a sinner may feel they can run from their sin, it ultimately defines who they are and is completely irreversible.
Hawthorne also expresses another one of his interpretations of sin through Dimmesdale in these chapters. Unlike Hester, Dimmesdale’s sin is buried deep in his heart rather than displayed upon his chest. One can assume this hidden sin causes great pain to him since hiding it has degraded his health and the fact that he often clutches at his heart, especially when he sees Pearl or anything to remind him of his adultery. I think that through Dimmesdale’s dealing with his sin, Hawthorne is saying that all sin is a heavy burden on the sinner, and the only way one can relieve themselves of that burden is to admit what they have done wrong rather than burying it in denial.
These last few chapters have been very interesting to me, although some people talked about how slow and boring they were. Hawthorne’s style and antique language definitely makes The Scarlet Letter a hard read at times, but digging through the text to discover new themes and subjects is always a rewarding experience.
SOURCES
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “A Flood of Sunshine.” The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 2003. 183. Print.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. “The Child at the Brook-Side.” The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 2003. 190. Print.
The Scarlet Reader 