Analysis of the Scarlet Letter 1

Meredith Byram
Mrs. Allinder
English 9 A4
23 February 2009

“It may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human fatality and sorrow,” (Hawthorne 44). In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, light and dark are used to compare and contrast the inner nature of Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale, All of these characters describe the theme of sin and suffering, but throughout their own struggles they strive and succeed to end up on the other end of the spectrum. “Ah, but,” she interposed, more softly, a young wife, holding a child by the hand, “let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will always be in her heart,” (Hawthorne 47). Hester’s sin will always be a part of her soul, no matter how deeply she buries it. The scarlet A helps her to stop living her life a lie and forces her to show her sin to society, leaving her with nothing else to hide ( Morey 64). Hester is forced to set everything she has hidden free because her mistake and sin. Her life is turned into sorrow and denial leaving her a part of the dark side according to society’s view. Dimmesdale and Hester, at the time Pearl is conceived, only thought of themselves and their love instead of thinking about the depth of their sin (Morey 91). Their selfishness makes
Hester rebel and cause the community to view her rebellion and defiance even deeper. Hester does not realize that she is only burying herself deeper, along with Pearl and secretly Dimmesdale also. “To Hester’s eye, the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale exhibited no symptom of positive or vivacious suffering, except that, as little Pearl had remarked, he kept his own hand over his heart,” (Hawthorne 177). This hand that is over Dimmesdale’s heart is covering up his own sin and causes him to have his own scarlet letter. Dimmesdale’s truth constantly is knocking at his heart and soul, begging for a chance to be revealed. He drives himself to the point of insanity, pushing all his agony on top of himself which buries himself deeper and deeper into his grave (Morey 134). Dimmesdale doesn’t realize that he should tell the truth, not only because he is a Puritan clergyman, but also because he is only twisting and tangling his sin into a knot that soon won’t be able to become unraveled. As the novel progresses, Dimmesdale’s soul becomes dirty and scum-like—just as society sees Hester’s inner self. His agony and paranoia is his own punishment and instead pushes himself even farther and farther away from the truth. Before he committed hi sin, Dimmesdale was fully connected to God and then after the sin was committed his godly soul starts to wither away. He becomes even less attached and finally he dies and becomes all the way disconnected from God (Gerber 82-83). Dimmesdale pushes himself away from the Lord out of his selfishness and causes his soul to become dark and dirty. “…She is my happiness! She is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! See ye not, she is the scarlet letter…” (Hawthorne 104.” At this point in the novel, Hester is persuading the governor to let Pearl stay with her. Pearl is a consistent reminder of Hester’s sin. Even though Pearl brings Hester up into the light, she darkens it also. Pearl creates a personality that is hostile and reflects her extreme temper. This relates Pearl to the devil which can be seen as darkness and a dark place. This temper and hostility is Hester’s biggest punishment for her sin. Pearl is literally a living example of the scarlet letter. After living many years of sin and suffering, Hester comes to full knowledge of her sin and gains responsibility for her actions (Nagel 90). Hester realizes that her sin will be lifted from her when she is ready to accept it. As Hester unleashes the “A” form her chest she, “had not known the weight until she felt the freedom.” Right after Hester reveals and finds her freedom, Hawthorne describes the sun as if it were bursting out onto the leaves and trees as if it were transforming the dark into light (Hawthorne 191). This symbolizes a turning point in the novel because Hester realizes her frustrations and accepts them which turn her dark night into a bright day. Even though Dimmesdale struggles to tell the truth and his secret, his ending can be seen as a light or a bright side. He forgives Chillingworth and the way he accepts his fate can be seen in a light or bright side (Nagel 153). Dimmesdale does have a frightening fate but the way he accepts this at the end of the story reveals a glimpse of light. Also, at the end of the novel Pearl is seen crying for joy which can foreshadow a happy life ahead of her. Society has seen Pearl as a dark spot and a nuisance for her entire life. In the end, Pearl escapes her mother’s shadow and lives in Europe away from the Puritan views and living (Nagel 153). Pearl’s ending can be received in a positive way which resembles lightness. The Scarlet Letter starts in a depressing and cold demeanor releasing feelings of suffering and sorrow. As the story evolves and the characters develop, the inner nature of Pearl, Dimmesdale, and Hester is revealed. However, it isn’t necessarily perceived in a negative way, but in a positive way. Even though Hester’s ending wasn’t the typical “happy” ending, it still closed in a satisfying bliss of a better life. Dimmesdale finally told his truth and released his sin and Pearl can now live her life out of her mother’s troubles. “The angel and apostle of the coming revelation must be a woman, indeed, but lofty, pure, beautiful, and wise, moreover, not through dusky grief, but the ethereal medium of joy; showing how sacred love should make us happy, but the truest test of a life successful to such an end!” (Hawthorne 247). Through all the darkness, light has been found and the sorrow has been replaced with happiness. Pearl, Hester, and Dimmesdale are now free.

Works Cited

Bloom, Harold, ed. Nathaniel Hawthorne: Bloom’s Major Novelists. Broomall: Chelsea House Publishers, 2000.
Gerber, John C., ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Scarlet Letter. Eaglewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1968.
Morey, Eileen, ed. Readings on The Scarlet Letter. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1998.
Nagel, James, ed. Critical Essays on Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Boston: G.K. Hall and Co., 1988.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Penguin Books, 2003.