... the time. It is human nature to sin, as no humans are perfect, but the degree of sin is measured individually. Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter suffered immensely for her sin as an adulteress, and her child from this sin, Pearl, suffered as well. But none suffered as did the secret ... idea of sin, the punishment that comes from it, and the repentance that some undergo to cleanse themselves of that sin. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the author uses the scaffold scenes to depict the idea of private versus public sin. The first scaffold scene establishes the tone for the ...

• Word Count: 1460
• Approx Pages: 6

... outraged by their thoughtless actions and effects it imposed on their situations. Sin frequently changes a character and affects his/her thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. In "The Scarlet Letter," the sin of adultery has had an enormous effect on two main characters in the book, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmsdale. The sin has a positive affect on Hester ... the town, therefore leaving it to burn in secret. Pearl becomes the living manifestation of Hester's sin and her conscience (Hull). It was the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life. Another positive f...

• Word Count: 1373
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School