Theme Of Sin In Scarlet Letter

The beautifully composed novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates the effects of sin through the actions of his characters and circumstances they must bear daily. While living in a world with many complexities the temptation of sin lurks everywhere. Most sins, the offences against one’s morals, are ordinarily committed to seek pleasure. Similar to that of Hester Prynne along with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale’s sin: “…this had been a sin of passion, not of principle nor even purpose.” (Hawthorne 184) The rest of the novel continues to narrate the consequences of this “sin of passion” upon the characters. For instance, Hester Prynne, a young woman with a husband lost at sea, it becomes visibly clear to the townspeople that the child Hester bears is a product of adultery. Because of her sin she must wear the, “SCARLET LETTER…upon her bosom…taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and inclosing her in a sphere by herself.” (Hawthorne 48) Furthermore, Hester remains imprisoned during her pregnancy and made to stand on the scaffold where she endures public humiliation. Even after her imprisonment many of the Puritan faith look down upon her, leading to her become an outcast to society. However, Reverend
Pearl, the living embodiment of the scarlet letter, represents he symbol of sin in the novel. Not only is this but, the child is a passage of time for Hester and Dimmesdale. Pearl indicating that the truth cannot be perceived outside its temporal context. Sin affecting Pearl’s overall life; it is not until the death of her father’s that, “A spell was broken,” (Hawthorne 234) this “spell” calling for grief to make her human, and not just a representation of