The Scarlet Letter is a novel that deals with the theme of sin. Throughout history, people have committed all types of sins, and whether they are major or minor, people have been punished. However, the severity of a punishment is very difficult to agree on. Some people feel that sinners should be harshly punished no matter how little the wrongdoing was. Others feel that a person's punishment should be based upon the severity of their crime. However, what many people overlook is the fact that in time, we all have committed sins.

In The Scarlet Letter, the idea of sin and punishment is the main theme of the novel and how Hester Prynne, the main character, has been punished for her sin of adultery. As Nathaniel Hawthorne states in this novel, "In the view of Infinite Purity, we are sinners all alike." This statement puts a big question mark on the true lives of the Puritans. If we all have once committed a moral wrongdoing, why is this young woman so harshly punished fo

Dimmesdale was the first man Hester really loved, and he feels that because of these circumstances, her punishment far outweighed her crime. Throughout the novel, it is very clear that Hester does not abide by most Puritan traditions and she clearly is not very orthodox. However, at times in the novel, it seems that she has overcome her guilt and her love for Pearl is unmatched, yet the scarlet letter always reminds her of her adulterous sin.

Many times throughout the novel, Hawthorne sympathizes with Hester because of the emotional problems she encounters. Hawthorne sees her as the victim and blames it on her youth. She was forced to marry Roger Chillingworth at a young age, although she clearly had no feelings for him. Secondly, Hester's crime was one out of passion, not pre-meditated. It is clear throughout the novel that she has strong feelings for Dimmesdale and they outweigh her respect for the Puritan's code of law. Although Hawthorne does not condone adultery, he often feels that Hester's sin is somewhat out of necessity. She has nobody in her life. Her husband is lost at sea and she lives alone.

When one analyzes the punishment inflicted upon her, it may seem harsh a

Some topics in this essay:
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