I Am A Product Of My Decisions: The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
“I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my decisions.” Stephen R. Covey. In The Scarlet Letter there are many examples of people that caused events to happen because of the choices they made. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne repeatedly shares examples that show how choices affect the circumstances that follow. Choices that lead to circumstances are shown through Hester’s decision to commit adultery, Roger Chillingworth’s decision to come find her, as well as Arthur Dimmesdale’s decision to not confess his sin. Hester Prynne’s story demonstrates that circumstances come because of choices that are made. As Hester makes the decision to commit adultery even though she knows it’s wrong, it brings with it many
events that are the consequences of her actions. Because of her actions Hester gives birth to a baby girl named Pearl. Although Hester chose a wrong choice she confessed her sin which caused her to be publicly shamed, mocked, and isolated from society. However, these things would not have occurred if Hester had not committed adultery. As time went on Hester decided she was not going to let her bad choices ruin her life. As a result, she was able to show the characters in the book as well as the people reading the book that circumstances come because of actions, and that better circumstances can be created. Roger Chillingworth also created circumstances by coming to find Hester. When Roger Chillingworth first arrived he says this regarding the father, "Thou wilt not reveal his name? Not the less he is mine," Later in the book this is said about Roger Chillingworth “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.” As Roger Chillingworth makes the decision to torture Arthur Dimmesdale for what he has done, he makes the townspeople think he is an evil person. Ultimately, because of the decisions he makes it says at the end of the book “the closest propinquity of the man whom he had most vilely wronged! —and who had grown to exist only by this perpetual poison of the direst revenge!” Roger Chillingworth dies because of the revenge he has committed and his frustration with what he has become. This shows how
events that are the consequences of her actions. Because of her actions Hester gives birth to a baby girl named Pearl. Although Hester chose a wrong choice she confessed her sin which caused her to be publicly shamed, mocked, and isolated from society. However, these things would not have occurred if Hester had not committed adultery. As time went on Hester decided she was not going to let her bad choices ruin her life. As a result, she was able to show the characters in the book as well as the people reading the book that circumstances come because of actions, and that better circumstances can be created. Roger Chillingworth also created circumstances by coming to find Hester. When Roger Chillingworth first arrived he says this regarding the father, "Thou wilt not reveal his name? Not the less he is mine," Later in the book this is said about Roger Chillingworth “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.” As Roger Chillingworth makes the decision to torture Arthur Dimmesdale for what he has done, he makes the townspeople think he is an evil person. Ultimately, because of the decisions he makes it says at the end of the book “the closest propinquity of the man whom he had most vilely wronged! —and who had grown to exist only by this perpetual poison of the direst revenge!” Roger Chillingworth dies because of the revenge he has committed and his frustration with what he has become. This shows how