Scarlet Letter Essay

Scarlet Letter Essay

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the story of the puritan, Hester Prynne. It slowly (very slowly) depicts a story in which Hester is punished for committing adultery by being forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her dress at all times. But when her actual husband returns to Boston after being absent for years he is determined to discover and personally seek revenge against Hester’s lover. Through out the story Hester harbors others secrets, by keeping these secrets she ultimately destroys their original owners, yet although many opportunities reveal themselves to divulge said secrets little could have been done to avert the dire ending of this story.

Hester’s secrets harm just about everyone they concern. Dimmesdale is one of these secrets first targets exemplified by the quote “He bears no letter of infamy wrought into his garment, as thou dost: but I shall read it on his soul” (Hawthorne, 28). This quote demonstrates how because of Hester’s Secrets her lover has now become a target. Also it shows how they are now starting to corrupt her real husband aka Roger Chillingworth. Another example of the harmful nature of Hester’s secrets is this quote “It is too deeply burned. Ye cannot take it off” (Hawthorne, 21). This quote takes place when the puritan leaders offer to remove the letter if Hester will tell them the name of her lover. This shows that even Hester herself is harmed by the secrets she keeps for others. By keeping other peoples secrets Hester Prynne harms many of her fellow characters.

Over the course of seven years these secrets eventually destroy almost everyone they concern. Arthur Dimmesdale is again deeply affected by these secrets (this guy never gets a break, does he?) as shown in this quote, �“His will be done! Farewell!’ That final word came forth with the minister’s expiring breath.” (Hawthorne, 211). Obviously Dimmesdale pays the ultimate price for his sins and Hester’s secrets. But he is only the first one to be destroyed by these secrets. Roger Chilling worth becomes their next victim (well he did have it coming didn’t he) as demonstrated by here “… in so much that he positively withered up, shriveled away, and almost vanished from mortal sight, like an uprooted weed that lies wilting in the sun.” (Hawthorne, 215). This reflects how by the