... would have burned away in torments;" by prolonging his life, Chillingworth allows the minister to confess before his death (157). In The Scarlet Letter, therefore, sin ironically leads to the purity of youth and of public confession. Hester's daughter and Dimmesdale's confession may be regarded as "sweet moral blossoms" springing from an unsightly plot of weeds. Hawthorne shows that relief may be brought only by voluntary ... penitence and acknowledgment of sin: one must "be true! Show freely to the world, if not [one's] worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred" (236). He...

• Word Count: 1485
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... stands out, "But on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rosebush, covered with its delicate gems" (Hawthorne). This rosebush is like Hester, for it too stands out as wild and different. She wears her scarlet letter among the solemnly dressed Puritans as this rosebush wears its scarlet blossoms amidst a small plot of grass and weeds. They both stand ... separate from their surroundings. Later in the book we hear a conversation between Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth (Hester's unknown husband). They are discussing ... escape together. In a moment of jo...

• Word Count: 1118
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... , had quite forgiven Hester Prynne for her frailty; nay, more, they had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, not of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance, but of her many good deeds since " (147). The truth of Hester's scarlet letter changed; it no longer represented her weakness and evil, instead, she was now seen as ... to someone else. Are humans born innately good, evil or both? "Therefore, as a man who has not thought and philosophized in vain, I seek no vengeance, plot no evil against thee. Between thee and me, the scale hangs fairly bala...

• Word Count: 1931
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... so involved in finding out Hester's lover that he loses his Puritan principles and devotes his life to "burrow into the clergyman's intimacy and plot against his soul" (p124). The Puritan law also contributes to Chillingworth's villainy. He cannot forgive Dimmesdale because in the 1600's the Puritans were extremely strict and unforgiving. Puritans usually had a passion for what they did, and his passion was to ... plays an important role in The Scarlet Letter. It helps Hawthorne portray his beliefs on sin and the worst kinds of it. Chillingworth is a villain in the novel, and his charac...

• Word Count: 670
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... one of the most important reasons that The Scarlet Letter is so well known is the way Hawthorne leaves the novel open to be interpreted several different ways by his abundant use of symbolism. This background, together with a believable plot, convincing characterization, and important literary devices enables Nathaniel Hawthorne in The Scarlet Letter to describe the purpose of the novel when he ... says, "Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the ... world, if not your worse, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!" ----------------- End Essay ---------------- ... ...

• Word Count: 964
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School