"The Scarlett Letter"

Paper Summary:

In "The Scarlet Letter," a tale of deception, hypocrisy and revenge, Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals some of the minor flaws of human nature as well as a very dark and vile side of it. The paper analyzes the characters of three protagonists in the novel who commit sins: Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. The paper shows that whereas two of these characters commit their sins as an innocent mistake, only one deliberately and continually transgresses in an abominable endeavor for self-gratification.

From the Paper:

"Hester and Dimmesdale both commit adultery and they deeply regret it. They regret a sin that should not affect anyone beside themselves, and is the business of no other but the two of them. Meanwhile, Chillingworth perpetrates a sin that is so devilishly planned out, it focuses on the wounding of Dimmesdale. It is no longer a matter of revenge. It is a scandalous means of survival by watching the anguish of helpless people. This leech is not satisfied until he has brought destruction upon Dimmesdale. He relishes and remains lively in his old age only by sucking out energy from the feeble Dimmesdale. Chillingworth's sin is by far the worst because, unlike Hester and Dimmesdale's sin, its sole objective is of the injuring of another human being."

More papers on "The Scarlett Letter":

• Book Review # 112654 : "Feminism in "The Scarlett Letter"
• Book Review # 95518 : "The Scarlet Letter"--An Analysis"
• Book Review # 100085 : "Sin in "The Scarlet Letter"

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