Themes of The Scarlet Letter

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, there are many themes. One theme that stands out to me is GUILT AND BLAME. In this novel the narrator says, “In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile and glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbours. On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic of gold thread, appeared the letter A.” (Hawthorne 2). This is saying that even though Hester could accept he towns blame, it still gets her down. In continued support his obvious theme of guilt and blame, the doctor, Roger Chillingworth, says “Calm, gentle, passionless, as he appeared, there was yet, we fear, a quiet depth of malice, hitherto latent, but active now, in this unfortunate old man, which led him to imagine a more intimate revenge than any mortal had ever wreaked upon an enemy. To make himself the one trusted friend, to whom should be confided all the fear, the remorse, the agony, the ineffectual repentance, the backward rush of sinful thoughts, expelled in vain! All that guilty sorrow, hidden from the world, whose great heart would have pitied and forgiven, to be revealed to him, the Pitiless, to him, the Unforgiving! All that dark treasure to be lavished on the very man, to whom nothing else could so adequately pay the debt of vengeance!” (Hawthorne 11). This statement is absolutely chilling in the way guilt is described; as if it were a “dark treasure” or to be “lavished upon someone”.