Essay on Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter

Sigmund Freud, creator of the Freudian psychoanalysis, once said about hypocrisy, â€Å"He does not believe that does not live according to his belief.† This is essentially Freud’s loose definition of hypocrisy, a term that the Oxford English Dictionary defines as â€Å"the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform.† In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, the characters’ hypocrisy represents the pervasiveness of hypocrisy in all people. Hypocrisy is evident in all of The Scarlet Letter’s main characters: Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, the town of Boston, and Pearl. One of the main characters in the novel, Hester, shows the pervasiveness of hypocrisy with her own hidden†¦show more content†¦Hawthorne uses Hester’s hypocrisy to show us that hypocrisy can be hidden even in those who it is unexpected in, and in doing so he suggests that hypocrisy may be more pervasive than we think and can see. . In addition to Hester, Hawthorne uses Dimmesdale, another of his main characters in to represent an aspect of hypocrisy. Specifically, Dimmesdale represents the difficulty of shaking off hypocrisy, and brings the conclusion that hypocrisy lingers because it is so difficult to fix. Dimmesdale’s hypocrisy arises from his position as a minister even after his adulterous act. Dimmesdale even admits to feeling morally unclean and question what his â€Å"polluted soul [can do] towards their purification,† (131). In spite of his feelings, Dimmesdale cannot force himself to confess his sins and come clean to the town. The fact that Dimmesdale cannot act against what he believes to be instinctively wrong, sinful, and potentially harmful to others shows us that hypocrisy difficult to change. Dimmesdale’s inability to face the consequences and change his hypocritical stance shows us that hypocrisy can be a nearly permanent fixture. It also raises a key question: how can hy pocrisy not be pervasive if we can’t shake it off easily? The simple answer is that hypocrisy must be pervasive because it lingers and can’t be removed. This implies anyone who has been hypocritical, which is about everyone, is stillShow MoreRelatedIn Nathaniel HawthorneS The Scarlet Letter, There Are948 Words   |  4 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter, there are many important scenes. But there are five scenes that stood out and pushed the plot forward. This includes Hester walking out of the prison, Chillingworth finds out about Dimmesdale’s scarlet letter, and Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl. The final two being Hester meeting Dimmesdale in the forest and the Dimmesdale confessing his sin. These scenes are the key points in his novel. The first major scene in Hawthorne’s TheRead MoreNathaniel Hawthorne’s Diction of the Scarlet Letter952 Words   |  4 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s Diction of The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne presents the reader with the harsh, life changing conflicts of three Puritan characters during the 17th century. Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Robert Chillingworth must endure their different, yet surprisingly similar struggles as the novel progresses. Despite their similarities, Hawthorne shows these individuals deal with their conflicts differently, and in the end, only one prevails. NathanielRead MoreNathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essays798 Words   |  4 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne was an American writer in the 1800s. He had many works of Romanticism, most being inspired by Puritan New England. One of these is The Scarlet Letter, which he wrote based on the Puritan era. 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This chair is as comfortable as sittingRead More Justice Explored in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter1043 Words   |  5 Pages Justice Explored in The Scarlet Letter nbsp; Nathaniel Hawthorne created themes in The Scarlet Letter just as significant as the obvious ideas pertaining to sin and Puritan society. Roger Chillingworth is a character through which one of these themes resonates, and a character that is often underplayed in analysis. His weakness and path of destruction of himself and others are summed up in one of Chillingworths last sentences in the novel, to Arthur Dimmesdale: Hadst thou sought the wholeRead More The Mysterious Forest in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter1011 Words   |  5 PagesThe Mysterious Forest in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, life is centered around a rigid Puritan society. In this society, people are not allowed to express their true thoughts and feelings. Every human being needs the opportunity to express how they truly feel; otherwise the emotions become bottled up until they begin to hurt the person. Unfortunately, the puritans were not allowed this type of expression. Luckily, at least for the fourRead MoreRomanticism And Transcendentalism In Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter956 Words   |  4 Pages The Scarlet Letter - Research Paper Nathaniel Hawthorne is 19th-century author whose works were primarily classified as romanticism and transcendentalism. His works held many controversial elements for his time including the extensive use of feminist principles. Many of Hawthornes novels depict a different viewpoint on the defiance towards misogyny and patriarchal ways. The Scarlet Letter furthermore enhances these elements. Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, portrays the many elements of feminism