Theme Of Pain In The Scarlet Letter

The concept of pain and emotion is an idea that has been apart of every human’s life since the beginning of time. Pain has affected all people at one point in their life, however, what kind of pain is what makes each situation unique to an individual. The idea of being denied the right to feel safe and welcomed by the people around you is a heart breaking and depressing thought that Hester experienced in “The Scarlet Letter”, when she is punished for finding another lover, while still being married, and having a child with the man her affair was with. Hester is given the punishment of being socially unaccepted by the people around her when she is forced to wear a gold lined “A” on her chest, which signifies her punishment and sin for all
to see. Despite the negative connotation associated with the letter, her daughter, Pearl, is obsessed with the “A”, constantly asking questions about it.
Next, being denied a proper social experience is far worse than physical pain, which can be healed. The idea of social pain is similar to mental pain or depression, which can be brought about in many people. Depression is similar to the social pain that Hester experiences from the dirty looks and obvious exclusionary treatment that she is given, in the sense that depression is not a physical mark or sign of pain, however, it is something on the inside, that can be hidden from others. In this case, social pain clearly would mean that the people around you are ignoring you and show their dislike for you, however, depression can be hidden on the inside and does not show physical signs of pain, such as physical damage to the body such as bruises, cuts, and other injuries. Physical pain is related to Dimmesdale, the Reverend, in the book as well. While Hester
continues to live her life, denied by society, Dimmesdale is enduring physical pain, where he punishes himself with whips and other objects. As discussed earlier, the physical pain is clearly shown on the body of Dimmesdale, when the “A” is cut or burnt into his chest, which is discovered by Hester’s husband and original lover, “Chillingworth”. This example of physical pain shows the great lengths people can go through in an attempt to harm and punish themselves. Physical pain is not nearly as bad as mental pain, physical pain heals, a mental emotion that is negatively eating away at you is much worse. A mental pain can be hidden, and destroy from the inside out, and does not just heal over time naturally, and can continue to last for years and long periods of time. Hester exemplifies this pain throughout the majority of this book, until the end when she is forgiven and accepted by the people once again. To continue, mental pain doesn't just disappear, as I stated earlier, the mental pain last longer.
Even though Hester is being forgiven by the people around her, she is still not living a happy life, because Dimmesdale is still suffering and Chillingworth is continuing to work to make both Dimmesdale and Hester lives depressing lives, literally in an attempt to kill Dimmesdale for stealing Hester. Enduring such emotions cause a lot of damage to a person, which is clearly shown because Hester’s life is still depressing. Dimmesdale has a physical and mental pain he is attempting to overcome, however, he causes the pain to himself. His situation is confusing and unique, but everything he does has a purpose. Physical pain continues to heal, just as most wounds do, however, it is clearly shown that mental emotion continues to linger in the human mind, and persistently harm the human
mind. Ultimately, pain is a symbol to the human body that can be seen both physically, and hidden, mentally. Despite the two differences, they are both similar negative aspects of life that all people must endure. A social pain of feeling alone, denied, and left behind can cause a person to do things that regularly would not even roll into the human brain. On the other hand, physical pain expresses the lost feeling of emotion into a physical sign for all to see. Dimmesdale did attempt to hide his pain, however, it was eventually exposed and available for all to see.