The Scarlet Letter: An Analysis The Scarlet Letter is a story of a woman who became an outcast in her
society due to committing an act not acceptable to its morals and conduct. Probing into the human soul's guilt and anxiety in terms of what is acceptably
good and evil, people in a certain society defines it based on their belief. Society has an issue about good and
evil and their code of conduct and morals are rigid. They’d rather persecute you in ways that they could think of than forgive you. But the Puritan conception of sin, not to mention its pride, reveals problems on the confusion over the nature and causes of evil. Chillingworth was a symbol of evil. Did his selfishness and desertion pushed Hester into another man’s arms? Was Hester’s and Dimmesdale's act the catalyst for Chillingworth to be transformed into a vengeful man? It seems that evil is
defined by
sin and sin is defined by acts of men which are in turn defined by the laws and culture of society. Once you deviate from what society accepts, you have sinned, therefore, you are evil. On the other hand, evil is also based on character. Hester, though an adulteress, have never made revenge to those who have scorned, ridiculed and humiliated her. She accepted the punishment and bore the embarrassment and contempt.
Good is defined as anything that is positive, in the sense that it is pleasant and desirable. Good in this novel is something that is dictated by society’s belief. Of course, even until today, adultery is not recognized as something that is good and those who are charged and found guilty of it go to jail. Still humiliating, plus the fact that it is financially exhausting, the only difference is that once you get out, you can start over again; and although there will still be gossips, people today are more forgiving and open-minded than before. Meaning, the incident can be seen in an objective manner, free from subjectivity. Good and evil can only be distinguished when one has knowledge. Adam and Eve knew the difference between good and evil when they disobeyed God by eating the fruit of the tree of
knowledge and was banished as a consequence. Having gained knowledge, Adam and Eve realized their humanness, differentiating themselves from God and the animals. They were forced to do hard labor and to procreate. Same goes with Hester and Dimmesdale. They disobeyed from the teachings and belief, also deviated from what is socially accepted, they too were driven out and they all suffered the consequences. Experiences, whether good or bad, even if it’s a sin, helps us realize and learn new things enabling us to gain knowledge. Hester’s experience showed her a different perspective of her life, leading her to take the road “less traveled” or rather, never been dared to cross by women. Instead of being meek, she stood boldly contemplating on the “ways” of her society. Dimmesdale’s experience on the other hand, made him empathize with the “sinful”. Puritan society remained stagnant in the sense that they failed to realize how experiences - good and bad - such as Hester’s and Dimmesdale’s, can lead to personal growth, deeper understanding of the world as well as sympathy and appreciation for others. Knowledge of good and evil can’t be fully understood, if one hasn’t gone through it. This also shows that knowledge is not only gained from books and sermons, it is everywhere.
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