The Scarlet Letter: The Moral, Emotional Implications of Sin

The first scaffold scene takes place in the market place in front of society. Hester Prynne has been accused of adultery and must expose her sin by standing on the scaffold for three hours. She also must wear an “A” on the front of her dress, which also is representation of her sin. The purpose of her punishment is to teach the community a lesson about sin, but in fact society is using her as a scapegoat for their own shadow nature.

The meteor in the dark sky enlightens Roger Chillingworth to the point at which his, “Smile and scowl…So vivid was the expression…that it seemed to remain painted on the darkness, after the meteor had vanished, with an effect as if the street and all things else were at once annihilated.” (136). This expression shown by Chillingworth shows his fiend-like characteristics. The scowl also demonstrates that his psychological state is set on an obsession of vengeance. This internal and external sinful desire of his fixes his psyche so much that he grows to be a devil-like figure. His emotions are characterized as being wicked and vengeful because of his greedy scowl. He is greedy in the sense that he wants to torture Dimmesdale as much as he can. The meteor shows Chillingworth the relationship between Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl, and makes his yearning for revenge even greater. Hester is also affected at the second scaffold scene.

The punishment is supposed to show the community what is right and what is wrong. Hester’s sin is now external and the community is affected by it. Many of the woman comment on her well embroidered scarlet “A” and think that she is proud of her sin and is showing it off. This is shown when a woman says, “Why, gossips, what is it but to laugh in the faces of our godly magistrates, and make a pride out of what they, worthy gentlemen, meant for a punishment?” (47). Truthfully, Hester accepts her sin by the scarlet “A” rather than repenting it. During this scene, Hester’s emotion is characterized as extreme anxiety caused from the constant murmur of the crowd surrounding her. Hester deals with this situation by recalling pastime reminiscences of living in England and her childhood. These recollections help her realize that she is someone, and won’t let society change her from just one mistake. This causes Hester’s emotion and psychological state to change. Hester now knows her own realities of shame and must become a new person. She can’t let the sin she has committed change who she is. A portrayal of this change is expressed when Hester says, “Could it be true? She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast, that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real. Yes!-these were her realities,-all else had vanished.” (51). This idea represents how Hester accepts her realities and that she must become a new person. Hester now has changed and is self-reliant in a sense that she has accepted herself, which is against the Puritan belief system. Her psychological state is now based on motivation rather than misery so she can continue on with her life. From then on, Hester will be separated from society and will have to live with it. She chooses to live at a cottage on the edge of town, which ties Hester to the strict morals of society but also le

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