Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper
The human head is a powerful force and frequently works in unaccountable and cryptic ways. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows this through the lives and actions of Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth and Arthur Dimmesdale ; three characters in a Puritan society who are affected by the wickedness of criminal conversation. Each character gives a position of how the beliefs of the human head control one & # 8217 ; s organic structure and quality of life.
Hester is the adult female found guilty of perpetrating criminal conversation, and as penalty, is forced to have on a vermilion missive A on her thorax. Hester believes that she has sinned, and thinks that she can deliver herself by making good in the Puritan community. She is invariably reminded of her wickedness by her girl, Pearl, who asks eternal inquiries about the vermilion missive, yet Hester remains a strong function theoretical account to her. With Hester & # 8217 ; s positive attitude and by populating her life the ways she is, & # 8220 ; many people refused to construe the vermilion A by its original meaning. They said it meant Able, ; so strong was Hester Prynne & # 8221 ; ( page 148 ) . Hester is & # 8216 ; Able & # 8217 ; because she is a individual female parent raising a girl, is adept ay stitching, and besides is considerate by giving money to the hapless even though she does non hold much herself. At one point during a brief period of felicity in the forests, Hester tears off the vermilion missive from her bosom, and removes her hair cap. Suddenly, her head is free of the loads she has endured, and she is physically beautiful once more. In this short clip, where she is happy and her head is set free, her organic structure besides alterations and the beauty she one time had reappears.
Roger Chillingworth was one time a kindhearted adult male, and is besides Hester & # 8217 ; s hubby, although no 1 else is cognizant of this. When he discovers that the male parent of Hester & # 8217 ; s kid is Dimmesdale, he easy changes from a good, trusty adult male to an evil parasite possessed with retaliation. His overpowering jealously causes Chillingworth a batch of hurt, and as he mentally becomes vindictive, his physical malformation worsens, and he besides appears to be more evil and iniquitous. Much like a bloodsucker he used to ache Dimmesdale, Chillingworth attaches himself to Dimme
sdale’s psyche, and is consumed with punishing, torture, and sucking all the life out of him, like a bloodsucker does to its host. Chillingworth is so affiliated that one time Dimmesdale dies, he himself dies within a twelvemonth, as if he now has nil to populate for.
Possibly the greatest illustration of & # 8216 ; head over organic structure & # 8217 ; is the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Feeling guilty about the wickedness he committed, Dimmesdale repeatedly tortures himself both physically and mentally. Dimmesdale believes that tormenting himself in the privateness of his place will do up for a public confession. He thinks that because of the wickedness he committed, and himself being a Puritan curate, he does non merit anything but hurting. The Puritan age is a clip when people in society are expected to be literally perfect and free from wickedness, but under all the rigorous regulations and ordinances, one will finally interrupt down from all the emphasis and force per unit area. This is what happens to Dimmesdale. His head is filled with pandemonium, as he unfeignedly wants to squeal, but is unable to make so. As clip goes by, Dimmesdale becomes more sick and weak. Finally, Dimmesdale confesses minutes before he dies, and when he does, a vermilion missive A is seen on Dimmesdale & # 8217 ; s thorax. Although it is non certain how this grade appeared or how long it has been at that place, a possible account might be that through all the self-inflicted penalty, self-torment and guilt, Dimmesdale & # 8217 ; s head and scruples afflicted a vermilion Angstrom on his thorax.
In changing ways, these three characters of Nathaniel Hawthorne & # 8217 ; s The Scarlet Letter are forced to cover with the wickedness of criminal conversation. Their actions are dramatically based on what their heads believe. Hester has the most strength ; she is able to travel on, live a life of unity, and become accepted by society. Chillingworth is so consumed with retaliation that finally it consumes his life, and Dimmesdale is so caught up on how he should be punished that he excessively, is consumed. Hawthorne shows that the perceptual experiences of the human head controls the quality of life, and as seen in the lives of Hester, Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale, the head IS powerful plenty to make so.
Bibliography
Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthrone
