Scarlet Letter Sin Quotes

Scarlet Letter Essay
How Is Sin Shown Throughout the Book?

Sin; a transgression of a religious or moral law, a serious offence or fault, to commit a sin. These definitions explain the world "Sin" as something offence towards someone. The Scarlet Letter is centered around sin, involving three characters Hester, Arthur Dimessdale, and Pearl. Hester Prynne is a young woman who commits the act of adultery. She is left out of her community because of this crime, and looked down on. Arthur Dimmesdale is the priest who helped Hester commit adultery. Dimmesdale keeps his sin hidden, and eventually becomes ill and weak from it. Pearl is the daughter of Hester, and the result of Dimmesdale's and Hester's love. These three characters are affected
by sin throughout the whole story. Sin affects Hester because after people found out, they all looked down upon her. The townspeople all thought Hester was bad, and had committed a major crime. They also wouldn't talk to her, or include her in their lives. Her only friend was Pearl. " Lonely as was Hester's situation, and without a friend on earth who dared to show himself , she, however, incurred, no risk of want. (Hawthorne 90). And "Tho must gather thine own sunshine. I have none to give thee!" (Hawthorne 114). These two quotes explain the loneliest Hester felt during Pearl's childhood. The first quote explains how Hester's life was very lonely because nobody would befriend her. Hester had nobody to talk with about this crime, and she felt very left out. The sin she committed affected her lifestyle and her friendships. The second quote explains how "cloudy" her life is. When she tells Pearl to gather her own sunshine because she has none, this means Hester is unhappy and has no light in her life. There is no cheerfulness or bright spot in her life since Hester had Pearl. Sin has affected Hester by her happiness, her friendships, and her life.

The next example is how sin affected Arthur Dimmesdale, the priest. In the beginning, Dimmesdale was very calm throughout the book and nobody suspects that he's committed the crime, but people start noticing how Dimmesdale has changed. "His form grew emaciated; his voice, though still rich ans sweet, had a certain melancholy prophecy of decay in it; he was often observed, on any slight alarm or other sudden accident, to put his hand over his heart with first a flush and then a paleness indicative of pain." (Hawthorne 135). And "I need no medicine...But how could the young minister say so, when every successive Sabbath, his cheek was paler and thinner, and his voice more tremulous than before–when it had now become a constant habit, rather than a casual gesture, to press his hand over his heart?" (Hawthorne 134.) Also, Dimmesdales is highly respected among his community and everyone thinks he's perfect. The first quote describes Dimmesdale, and now sin got to him. He starts getting weaker, and his voice starts to weaken, and his voice is dying by itself. The book continues to explain how awkward Dimmesdale gets around an accident or slight alarm by taking his hand and putting it over his heart with a sudden burst of pain. People get suspicions and wonder why Dimmesdale is doing that. The second quote explains how much sin has does to Dimmesdale. Again, he's told nobody and also let's Hester take all the blame of this crime, nobody else knows except him and Hester. This quote explains Dimmesdale as being paler and weaker, and his voice trembling as he talked, like Dimmesdale was scared. It also explains how Dimmesdale is always touching his heart, like a constant habit, instead of just a casual one. At this point, Dimmesdale is getting scared and weak, and becoming ill each day and Chillingworth has become suspicions of him, and eventually tortures him. Each day that Dimmesdale doesn't confess, it seems he get's weaker and paler each day. He becomes paranoid and starts torturing himself and always touching his heart. Soon, he does tell everyone about his sin, and becomes healthier, but unfortunately dies. Sin affected Dimmesdale by making his crazy and paranoid and also by making him weaker and sicker each day. Pearl is the last example of sin.
She is the result of Dimmesdale and Hester's love for each other. Because of Hester's crime, Pearl is also discriminated because of her mother. "Behold, verily, there is the woman of the scarlet letter; and of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along her side! Come, therefore, and let us fling mud at them!"(Hawthorne 112). This quote explains how the Puritan children felt about Hester and Pearl. They wanted to fling mud at them because these children were probably told to hate them, and also of the crime Hester committed. Pearl is also considered a wild child, and very untamed and very unlike Puritan children."The child shall be well cared for!–far better than tho canst do for it."(Hawthorne 124). And "The discipline of the family in those days, was of a far more rigid kind than now....Hester Prynne, nevertheless, the loving mother of this one child, ran little risk of erring on the side of undue severity. Mindful, however, of her own errors and misfortunes, she early sought to impose a tender, but strict control over the infant immortality that was committed to her charge. But the task was beyond her skill. After testing both smiles and frowns, and proving that neither mode of treatment possessed any calculable influence, Hester was ultimately compelled to stand aside and permit the child to be swayed by her own impulses." (Hawthorne 100). This quote explains how unlike Puritan child Pearl is, and how's she's offended. Pearl is considered wild and has no rules to follow, because Hester hasn't disciplined her. Because of this, the Townspeople want to give Pearl away to someone who's a better parent. Hester's sin has affected Pearl because she isn't treated with respect and she's considered the result of Hester's sin. Pearl is also considered a wild child that must be
tamed. In conclusion, the sin of one person, Hester's, also affected others close to her, like Dimmesdale and Pearl. This one sin of adultery affected the three main characters who all had their own problems. Dimmesdale's problem is he hasn't told anyone about his crime, which results starts in madness and sickness. Pearl's problem is she's looked down by the other children, and she's just so unlike Puritan, she's to crazy and wild. Hester's problem was being left out in the community and not having anyone to talk with, which hurt a lot. Though each character has its own problems, Hester and Pearl stuck together, showed bravely, and always held their heads up high, and eventually Dimmedale tells his secret. This conclusion has explained how sin can be affected by people and how when people stick together, they can get through anything.