Scarlet Letter

2 Pages 558 Words

Secret Sin Leads to Guilt
In “The Scarlet Letter”, Hawthorne depicts a way of life that no longer exists in today’s society. It was a society of fear in a strict moral code. The morals, which were based on religious beliefs, were usually taken too seriously and gave birth to a generation of extremists known as puritans. Many puritans had ridiculously harsh punishments when a law was broken which caused many to live secretly.
Secrets are never revealed or told to others in the puritan community. When Chillingworth says to Dimmesdale “Yet some men bury their secrets thus” it shows to what extent puritans would go to keep their sins hidden from the public (Hawthorne 130). The fact that Dimmesdale could not tell anyone what he had done for fear of punishment and rejection is clearly shown by Chillingworths’ tormenting comments. Once secrets were out everyone in the community knew about it immediately. Hester cannot even bring herself to tell her own daughter the true reason for the scarlet letter, which seems everyone but Pearl knows. Hester states, “I will keep thy secret, as I have his” which shows her intent on keeping her secret (Hawthorne 45). Many of these secrets are somewhat acceptable in our society, which contrasts the different generations.
In today’s world many people commit sins on a daily basis without feeling guilty. Things such as adultery seem a trivial matter because it is not considered illegal. When the third matron says “At the very least, they should have put the brand of hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead” it shows how serious adultery is taken to the puritans. These strong beliefs ruined many people’s lives due to living a lie in order to escape the people’s harshness. Dimmesdale kept his relationship with Hester a secret, which ultimately kills him. If Dimmesdale had been able to speak freely of his sin, the guilt and stress that built up inside of him would have dimin...