Sin, the enemy of all mankind, enters everyone's life at some point. All people all face it and all are forced to deal with its consequences. How one decides to deal with it will result in a cleansing of one's soul or in the rotting of one's soul. One can decide to confess sins and faults, and continue with one's life, or one may keep one's deeds secret, to harrow up one's souls for many years. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne remains a classic novel because it discusses the dilemma all people face of deciding how to deal with sin, which he explains through the characterization, structure, and themes in his book. .
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne unveils the tale of two lovers in a Puritan society: one a minister and the other a lowly embroiderer. They fall in love and create a child together out of wedlock. The society then rejects the mother, Hester Prynne, and forces her to wear a scarlet letter, the novel's namesake. Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister, stays quiet about this affair in fear that the society will similarly disown him. This novel focuses on the differences between these two characters caused by their differing choices on how to deal with sin. Dimmesdale quietly fades over time, his energy spent because of the heavy burden he has carried through the years. Dimmesdale explains that feels miserable playing the dichotic roles of sinner and minister (p. 174). Hester, although only a poor embroiderer, is humble and happy because she has put her past behind her. These two characters develop throughout the novel until their character types intensify: Dimmesdale becomes frantic and almost crazy because the past is always before his eyes, while Hester becomes very peaceful and wise. This dramatic difference in characterization between the two lovers emphasizes the importance of cleansing oneself of sin.
The writing structure in The Scarlet Letter also emphasizes this moral.
