Essay About Scarlet Letter And Main Characters

The Scarlet Letter
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THE SCARLET LETTER
Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter as a novel of symbolism and the nature of revenge. There are many types of traits each main
character has in the book. Hester has a strong and noble type, while Dimmesdale has the very weak type. Chillingworth has the very vengeful
type and Pearl was born into a evil type of sin.
In the beginning of the novel, Hester is portrayed as a young and elegantly beautiful mother who is being punished for a horrid sin.
The townspeople think of her as a haughty and wretched woman, and her punishment should be much harsher. “The magistrates are God-
fearing gentlemen, but merciful overmuch-that is a truth” (38). When she comes out of the jailhouse, a beautifully sewn letter “A” is
embroidered onto her breast. The townspeople see this as her taking light of her punishment. In the middle of the novel, Hester has become a
more mature woman. Her strength, embroidery, and her compassion towards others become apparent. Also, she shows responsibility and
courage by going to the governors house and asking to have custody of her daughter, Pearl. She defends her argument by stating “I can
teach my Pearl what I have learned from this!” (84). She now lives in a thatched cottage on the outskirts of town, and has become ignored
somewhat by the townspeople. At the end of The Scarlet Letter, Hester is now a woman who is looked up to. The townspeoples view on the
meaning of the scarlet “A” has changed from “adultery” to “able”, because she was strong enough to take care for herself, others, and Pearl.
Dimmesdale was the only weak and cowardly person in the book. All three main characters, Hester, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale
undergo changes that mark the development of events. However, it is Dimmesdale who changes the most. The reason for his change is the
sin he commits with Hester. At the beginning of the book, we meet a young and self-confident minister who is trusted by the townspeople, as
their moral and religious leader, “So powerful seemed the ministers appeal” (74). As the story progresses we see Dimmesdale become
weaker physically, due to his moral torment “, whos health had severely suffered” (119). In Chapter 8, we see him through Hesters eyes, as
a man who “Looked now more careworn and emanciated than as we described him at the scene of Hesters public ignominy: and whether it
were his failing health, or whatever the cause might be, his large dark eyes had a world of pain in their troubled and melancholy depth” (124).
For a large part of the novel Dimmesdale becomes both, very sick physically and mentally, as a result of Chillingworths “friendly care”.
Chillingworth, Hesters wronged husband pretends to be his friend, but he actually plays an evil game with Dimmesdale throughout the whole
story. In Chapter 17 Hester tells Dimmesdale about his so-called friend “Thou hast long had such an enemy, and dwellest with him, under the
same roof!”(215).After their conversation, Dimmesdale regains his lost power again and decides to confess. Although Dimmesdale is
physically very sick at the end of the book, he seems to be quite clear mentally. Hester and Pearl have to help him, get onto the scaffold, to
confess his sin.
Roger Chillingworth in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter was a vengeful type of man. His views on topics such as medicine
are influenced by the natives which whom he lived with. These ideas, which are frowned upon by the Puritan society, begin to control his life.
Chillingworth slowly progresses from an old, wise, physician, to a malevolent monster. Physically, he becomes more bent over while at the
same time he also becomes