Sin In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Sin is the main theme in The Scarlet Letter. All of the characters in the book were somehow affected by the main sin, which was adultery. The three main characters were the most widely affected, and their whole lives were molded by the way they dealt with the sin. The sin surrounds, encloses, and strangles them. There was no escaping from its cruel consequences.

Hester Prynne's sin was labeled an adulteress, and the result of this was that she had to wear the scarlet letter "A." She feels that her sin has taken away everything she had, and given her one thing in return; that is, her baby. Although she had dignity and pride when she first stepped out of the prison and when she stood upon the scaffold this "A" alienated and separated her
The difference between their cases was that Dimmesdale did not confess until seven years after the crime was done. Although he never received a punishment from the government as Hester did, he punished himself Everyday. He was tortured with guilt in his heart; as a result, carried out fasts, and other physical damage to himself. As a result of not confessing his sin, he despised himself more than anything. The fact that his parishioners love him more than they had after he told a sermon about hypocrites makes him loathe himself so much more. Over the seven years that this story takes place in, Dimmesdale becomes very ill. He becomes pale, nervous and sickly. After a while, it gets to the point where he uses a cane to walk, and people were afraid for his life. The reason for his illness is not any disease, but the effect of sin and guilt on his shoulders. After putting himself through a living hell for seven years; finally, Dimmesdale's dying words are his
When he arrives, she is standing upon a scaffold with a baby in her arms. After finding out what was going on, the first thing he says is "It irks me, nevertheless, that the partner of her inquity should not, at least, stand on the scaffold by her side. But he will be known!- he will be known!- he will be known (Hawthorne 186)!" This foreshadows the sin that he commits, which is greater than Hester and Dimmesdales'. Chillingworth spends his entire life trying to finding Hester's partner in crime and punishing him. He suspects Dimmesdale and so becomes his doctor and moves in with him. Once he was certain of him; in addition, he keeps him alive to live in agony. The effect of his great sin on his own character is that of a complete transformation to evil. His physical characteristics become twisted and corrupted;as a result, as does his soul and life purpose. His one-track mind leads him to eventual self-deterioration. He is the worst sinner in the book, and once his demonic transformation was complete, there was no turning back.

The way sin affects the lives of the characters in the book, and the way they each deal with it is enlightening;however, still unsettling. In a way, we can see why the characters acted the way they did, but it's unsettling to see them end up the way they did. If there is one thing to learn from The Scarlet Letter, it is not to give in to sin, and if you already have, own up to it