Scarlet Letter

In a person's life there is always an event that takes place which causes stress, either physically or mentally. After the event, that person can do one of two things. He or she can both run away from the problem, and never confront it, or the person can face up to the challenge and beat it. In the Scarlet Letter, by Nathanial Hawthorne, there are two important people who are faced with a difficult obstacle. One of the characters is Hester Prynne, who is forced to deal with the consequences of committing adultery. She is forced to wear the letter A on her clothes, and is viewed as an outsider to the community. The other character is Reverend Dimmesdale, who was at fault for Hester's sin just as much as she herself was. He, however, was not found out and had to carry his sin's burden within himself. It is up to him to either run away and hide from the burden or own up to it the way Hester did.

The choice Dimmesdale makes is very common. It seems to be human nature for a person that is placed with a heavy burden to hide his guilt away from the public, hoping that it will go away. Throughout the book, Dimmesdale seems to be deteriorating physically and mentally as well, even towards the beginning. "He looked now more careworn and emaciated than as we described him at the scene of Hester's public ignominy; and whether it were his failing health…, his large dark eyes had a world of pain in their troubled and melancholy depth. (pg.79)"As you can see his health is failing due to the guilt of his sin, not from a physical sickness. "…were I worthier to walk there, I could be better content to toil here. (pg. 85) This shows that he has done something wrong, that makes him question whether or not God would forgive him and allow him into Heaven. His sickness seems to get worse throughout the novel, making townspeople think about why he is sick in the first place.

On the other hand, there is Hester, who tries to make the best situation out of her guilt. The fact that she is a female makes it impossible for her to hide her own guilt. Once she becomes pregnant, people know right away that she has committed adultery. Although Hester is persecuted by the townspeople, she attempts to always stay positive. Hester shows her A to the public, which is supposed to be an illustration of her guilt. She makes her A very colorful and thin, as well as using her daughter, Pearl, as a living, breathing version of her A. Hester stays very loyal to the anonymity of Dimmesdale's identity as Pearl's father. "I will keep thy secret, as I have his."(pg.54). Even without the guilt as much of a problem anymore, the stress of raising an energetic,