Defining Crime In The Scarlet Letter

Define “crime.” Define “sin.” Are all crimes sins? Are all sins crimes? Explain your response using examples from your education and current events.

Crime is breaking a law that is in place by the government and that a person could be put it in jail for. A sin is breaking a moral law that a person would not go to jail for but may receive punishment for, and committing sins is commonly associated with religions. For example, in the Puritan society there is little separation between religion and law so adultery is first considered a sin but then adulterers are punished as if it was a crime (Ch. 2, 42). In today's society adultery or cheating on your significant other is still considered a sin but it is not acceptable to openly punish the
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Which is seen when she is first put on the scaffold, the narrator states, “an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will” (Ch. 2, 42). Even though Hester is described a being brave the look of fear is also visible on her face as she holds Pearl tightly (Ch 2, 43). As the story evolves the townspeople show less direct disdain towards her but she still feels that they are still all looking upon her with judgement. The townspeople were less harsh with her but she still expected at any moment to be punished by the townspeople because she dealt with it for years. This is shown when Hester is standing in the crowd in front of the scaffold as Dimmesdale is about to announce the long awaited truth (Ch. 23, 195). The only time when Hester feels free is when she is in the woods with Pearl and Dimmesdale because she can escape the judgment from the townspeople (Ch. 17, 148). When Hester is in the woods she rips off the scarlet letter from her chest and lets her hair down, which shows that before that moment she was consumed by her sin and felt she could only be herself when she was in the woods (Ch.