The Scarlet Letter

The attitude towards sinners in the Puritan society of the 1600's is well portrayed in Nathanial Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter, "At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead"(Hawthorne 1360). The main character, Hester Prynne, commits adultery with Arthur Dimmesdale, who happens to be a priest. Ironically, the personality of their child, Pearl, is extremely pure and innocent. Regardless of the town's scorn, Hester refuses to confess who the father of her illegitimate child is. As punishment for her sin, she lives in a cottage surrounded by the woods and wears a large scarlet "A" on her gown at all times. In addition, she suffers emotional distress in knowing that her husband, Roger Chillingworth, is out to discover who Pearl's father is, and seek revenge. Once Chillingworth finds out about Dimmesdale, he does his best to torment him with guilt and drive him crazy. To much of everyone's surprise, Dimmesdale confesses to his guilt upon a scaffold, and dies soon after. In a short time, Chillingworth passes away as well and leaves Pearl with a large inheritance. At the end of the novel, the community's tainted view of Hester fades and she becomes famous for her help with the poor and sick.

Two symbolic meanings in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter are free will and predestination. John Reiss brings these topics to attention in his literary criticism, The Explicator, "Hester Prynne is clearly associated with free will, Roger Chillingworth with predestination, and the Puritan minister Arthur Dimmesdale wavers between a desperate practice of Papist penance and a more dominant belief in Calvinistic predestination"(Reiss 1). Reiss points out that from the very beginning of the novel through the end, Hester's actions seem to reflect what she believes is right, not society, "Hester's first act in The Scarlet Letter seems to be an act of free will. Although it is the town beadle who releases Hester from prison, 'on the threshold of the prison door, she repelled him, by an action marked by natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will' (chapter 2)"(Reiss 1). Reiss also mentions how, "Hester returns years later, and of 'her own free will' resumes wearing the scarlet letter"(Reiss 1). Hester's true love is Dimmesdale, and therefore she feels compelled to commit her adulterous act willing to suffer the consequences. Hester returns to her cottage at the end because she desires to continue helping the sick and poor. In addition, she continues to wear the scarlet letter, something that was supposed to be a punishment, she turns into a proud representation of herself. Through these solid actions, it is no wonder Reiss is led to believe that Hester represents free will.

Reiss believes Chillingworth is associated with predestination throughout the novel. According to Reiss, "When he first arrives in Boston, he announces: 'I am a stranger, and have been a wanderer, sorely against my own will'(chapter 3)"(Reiss 1-2). This shows that Chillingworth feels trapped in his life and believes there is no way out because everyone must answer to their given fate. In addition, Reiss states, "Chillingworth does not want Arthur Dimmesdale to repent; the vengeful Chillingworth desires the minister to become more sinful, more hypocritical, as evidence of his damnation"(Reiss 2). Chillingworth already believes that Dimmesdale will suffer for what he did, but wants to confirm a harsh eternal punishment by influencing him to be sinful. These actions explain Reiss' association of predestination with Chillingworth.

Arthur Dimmesdale, a Puritan minister, is affiliated with Papist penance and Puritanical predestination in Reiss' literary criticism. Reiss supports Dimmesdale's affiliation with, "Being too true a Calvinist to believe his good works could win him

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