Scarlet Letter Sin Essay
Sin and its Effects on an Individual
The calm and erudite physician removes the slumbering minister’s clothing, and, upon witnessing the dark secret on the minister’s bare chest, becomes engulfed in vengeful delight. The leech, unable to contain his ecstasy, releases it in a cathartic dance as he flails and sways like a madman. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne argues that sin has detrimental and severe lasting effects on one’s life. Through the use of third person omniscient point of view and the characterization of the vengeful and obsessed Roger Chillingworth, Hawthorne delineates the detrimental consequences of sin. Through third person omniscient point of view, Hawthorne states that the sins cause everlasting guilt and anguish. …show more content…
When Chillingworth found Dimmesdale’s mark on his chest, the narrator states that “[h]ad a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven and won into his kingdom” (Hawthorne 90). By comparing Chillingworth’s joy when he found the mark to that of Satan’s when a soul is dragged into hell, Hawthorne exemplifies that Chillingworth had become almost devil-like, due to his thirst for vengeance. By making a comparison between Chillingworth and the devil, Hawthorne paints Chillingworth as a man corrupted by his obsession for revenge driven by wrath. When Hester encounters Chillingworth, the narrator describes Chillingworth as “[an] unhappy person [who] had effected such a transformation [into the devil] by devoting himself [to] adding fuel to those fiery tortures which he analyzed and gloated over” (Hawthorne 122-123). By using “fiery tortures” (Hawthorne 122-123), the narrator draws a comparison between Chillingworth’s torture of his victim to the suffering one would experience in hell. The narrator notes that Chillingworth’s actions resulted in his transformation into a devil-like figure, again reinforcing the argument that Chillingworth’s wrath towards Dimmesdale’s adultery had …show more content…
By using direct address, Hawthorne directly warns the reader of the consequences of sin, while the characterization of Chillingworth shows a man corrupted by his wrath. People commit sins that are detrimental to others every day. By warning the readers regarding the consequences of sin, Hawthorne teaches the readers against sinning in his or her everyday
The calm and erudite physician removes the slumbering minister’s clothing, and, upon witnessing the dark secret on the minister’s bare chest, becomes engulfed in vengeful delight. The leech, unable to contain his ecstasy, releases it in a cathartic dance as he flails and sways like a madman. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne argues that sin has detrimental and severe lasting effects on one’s life. Through the use of third person omniscient point of view and the characterization of the vengeful and obsessed Roger Chillingworth, Hawthorne delineates the detrimental consequences of sin. Through third person omniscient point of view, Hawthorne states that the sins cause everlasting guilt and anguish. …show more content…
When Chillingworth found Dimmesdale’s mark on his chest, the narrator states that “[h]ad a man seen old Roger Chillingworth, at that moment of his ecstasy, he would have had no need to ask how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven and won into his kingdom” (Hawthorne 90). By comparing Chillingworth’s joy when he found the mark to that of Satan’s when a soul is dragged into hell, Hawthorne exemplifies that Chillingworth had become almost devil-like, due to his thirst for vengeance. By making a comparison between Chillingworth and the devil, Hawthorne paints Chillingworth as a man corrupted by his obsession for revenge driven by wrath. When Hester encounters Chillingworth, the narrator describes Chillingworth as “[an] unhappy person [who] had effected such a transformation [into the devil] by devoting himself [to] adding fuel to those fiery tortures which he analyzed and gloated over” (Hawthorne 122-123). By using “fiery tortures” (Hawthorne 122-123), the narrator draws a comparison between Chillingworth’s torture of his victim to the suffering one would experience in hell. The narrator notes that Chillingworth’s actions resulted in his transformation into a devil-like figure, again reinforcing the argument that Chillingworth’s wrath towards Dimmesdale’s adultery had …show more content…
By using direct address, Hawthorne directly warns the reader of the consequences of sin, while the characterization of Chillingworth shows a man corrupted by his wrath. People commit sins that are detrimental to others every day. By warning the readers regarding the consequences of sin, Hawthorne teaches the readers against sinning in his or her everyday