The Scarlet Letter: Evil of Isolation
The Scarlet Letter: Evil of Isolation
In the New Testament it states that "the wages of sin is death." Though the penalty of sin in The Scarlet Letter is not a termination of life, the evil of isolation can be a physically, morally, and socially tortuous event in
Puritan society. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, in Hawthorne's The Scarlet
Letter, are both victims of the cruel isolation from Puritan society on the basis of their sins. Hester wears her sin upon her breast where it stands as a constant reminder of her malfeasance. Shame and isolation strip her of all passion and femininity, leaving her a shell of her former self. Though Arthur's mark of shame is not visible, it is all the more tortuous for its absence. Shame and guilt feed upon Arthur's soul with slow malevolency. Only a combination of death and confession finally release Arthur from his torture. Though Hester's ostracism from society and the tortuous nature of her shame, Hester is stripped of all passion and humanity. Since society acknowledges Hester's sin, she becomes an exile in her own town. "All the world
Ha[s] frowned on her," and Hester must bear the brunt of her shameful isolation.
When Hester walks through her town "a sort of magic circle [forms] itself around her." Devoid of any social contact, save that of her daughter, Hester must endure of lonely existence. "In all her intercourse with society, save that of her daughter, there was nothing that made [Hester] feel as if she belonged to it."; therefore, she turns to herself for reflection of her shame. When Hester must walk through the town, she suffers "an agony from every footstep." Frequent suffering does not inure Hester to her inner torment; instead, the same grows" more sensitive with daily torture." Hester's ostracism from a stoic society and the burdensome nature of her shame, deprive her off life. Treated as a dangerous delinquent by society, Hester begins to question her humanity. Due to her intense suffering, "some
In the New Testament it states that "the wages of sin is death." Though the penalty of sin in The Scarlet Letter is not a termination of life, the evil of isolation can be a physically, morally, and socially tortuous event in
Puritan society. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, in Hawthorne's The Scarlet
Letter, are both victims of the cruel isolation from Puritan society on the basis of their sins. Hester wears her sin upon her breast where it stands as a constant reminder of her malfeasance. Shame and isolation strip her of all passion and femininity, leaving her a shell of her former self. Though Arthur's mark of shame is not visible, it is all the more tortuous for its absence. Shame and guilt feed upon Arthur's soul with slow malevolency. Only a combination of death and confession finally release Arthur from his torture. Though Hester's ostracism from society and the tortuous nature of her shame, Hester is stripped of all passion and humanity. Since society acknowledges Hester's sin, she becomes an exile in her own town. "All the world
Ha[s] frowned on her," and Hester must bear the brunt of her shameful isolation.
When Hester walks through her town "a sort of magic circle [forms] itself around her." Devoid of any social contact, save that of her daughter, Hester must endure of lonely existence. "In all her intercourse with society, save that of her daughter, there was nothing that made [Hester] feel as if she belonged to it."; therefore, she turns to herself for reflection of her shame. When Hester must walk through the town, she suffers "an agony from every footstep." Frequent suffering does not inure Hester to her inner torment; instead, the same grows" more sensitive with daily torture." Hester's ostracism from a stoic society and the burdensome nature of her shame, deprive her off life. Treated as a dangerous delinquent by society, Hester begins to question her humanity. Due to her intense suffering, "some