Pearl symbolizes evil in the story by representing God's punishment of Hester's sin, symbolizing the guilt and the scarlet letter that controls her behavior and defying Puritan laws by being cheerful and associating with nature. Pearl is a greater punishment then Hester’s “A”. First, Pearl represents God's punishment by her mocking and nagging of Hester. This is shown throughout the novel she sometimes seemed to her mother as almost a witch baby (Hawthorne 88).Second, Pearl is a baffling mixture of strong emotions with a fierce temper and a capacity for evil; with Pearl, Hester's life became one of constant nagging, and no joy. This is proven when Hester remarks to herself, "Oh Father in heaven - if thou art still my father - what is this being which I have brought into the world" (Hawthorne 89).Thirdly, Pearl represents the sins of both Hester and Dimmesdale.
She is demonstrated as the effect of punishment on sensitivity and human nature and as a criminal who deserves the disgrace of her sinful choice. Hester is branded the scarlet letter, which is the imprint of sin by the Puritans. That one imprint has directly restrained her spirit and daintiness which makes her a boring woman. To show that impression of dullness, Hawthorne has personified her with the colour gray. She is always wearing nothing but drab gray gowns in the novel.
Hypocrisy, the Ungodly Sin Above all others The question of sin is a reoccurring theme in “The Scarlet letter”, where various sins, from Hestor’s adultery, to Dimmesdale’s cowardice, or Chillingworth’s revenge are put on display to be judged by the Puritan society, and also by the reader. In his novel, Hawthorne uses these smaller sins to display a deeper sin; the sin of Puritan hypocrisy. From the beginning of the book Hawthorne ridicules the Puritan society. As one of the first buildings in their new town, the Puritans build a prison. For a culture that is based strictly on the bible that teaches forgiveness, strangely the Puritans are quick to punish, and Hestor also becomes a victim of this.
As .... (688 3 ) Comparison Of Peale Family Painting And Freake Painting .... During the Puritan times, Children were viewed as essentially evil beings, condemned by the original sin of Adam and Eve, however, during the period of .... (779 3 ) The Scarlet Letter- Puritanism .... that Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts. By cleverly inserting examples of the Puritan times, his opinions permeate throughout the novel. (548 2 ) Puritans are Contradictory .... "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. " (Gen 1:27) In Puritan times, the dominating .... (978 4 ) 8.) What characterized puritan religion and government?
“The Crucible” was written in 1953 and exposes the truths about the Salem Witchcraft trials, in Massachusetts. Ultimately, through their respective protagonists’ acts of aggression and violations of boundaries, authors Hawthorne, Soto, and Miller illustrate that the guilt derived from sin itself, especially if concealed from society, can cause emotional and mental torture, leading to everlasting internal punishment, and an increase in remorseful feelings. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne depicts the consequences of concealing transgression through Hester by showing the internal punishment she faces and overcomes. Hawthorne opens this novel with a depiction of Hester’s punishment where she publically shamed on a scaffold and has no hope of hiding or concealing her guilt and sin. The author introduces an image of guilt and shame through the description of Hester as she appears from the darkness of the prison to the dazzling light of the day.
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism to convey the theme that evil and good are in the eye of the beholder. The scarlet “A” that Hester is condemned to wear is a material brand of her sin. To the eyes of the community and Hester herself, the “A” is a sign of adultery, penance, and penitence. Although Hester sees it as this, she is not ashamed of her brand. This is demonstrated in the text “Those who had before known her, and had expected to behold her dimmed and obscured by a disastrous cloud, were astonished, and even startled, to perceive how her beauty shone out, and made a halo of the misfortune and ignomity in which she was enveloped” (40).
Within Arthur’s coward self lies his guilt, and openly, lies Hester’s guilt. Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne commit an immense sin that causes different feelings to erupt throughout the novel, with guilt being the most rising. When it comes to secrecy and guilt, for Hester, it is undeniable.
In The Scarlet Letter the hypocrisy in Puritan society is well shown. For example when the townswomen were cruel to Hester. Saying, “At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead.” (45). This shows how judgmental and hyprocrital the town was toward Hester and weren't being true Christians. Dimmesdale is trapped in hypocrisy, and Pearl is the first to notice.
Individuality vs. Conformity The Scarlet Letter is a book written by Nathaniel Hawthorne to show the corruptions of the human heart. “The Scarlet Letter has been hailed as an innovative work of psychological realism and the quintessential portrait of New England Puritanism” (Scarlet). It shows sin and the effects it can have on one’s outer appearance to society and to themselves as a person. The desires of the individual versus the desires of the community and its entirety, is seen as one of the many points of The Scarlet Letter (Scarlet). The major theme of The Scarlet Letter is individuality vs. conformity and the grave consequences of each; this is explicated in Hester’s defiance of societal expectations, and Rev.
In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, the protagonist of the novel Hester Prynne finds herself making critical decisions. It is said that the choice’s one makes defines our character. The beautiful and spirited Hester Prynne is misled by temptation and commits adultery. The community condemns Hester by forcing her to wear a letter “A” for adulterer, and they publicly shame her. The Puritans frown upon Hester and Pearl, the product of Hester’s sin.