The Scarlet Letter“Story of Crime, Punishment and

Regeneration”

Submitted By: Abdul Farooq KhanRoll No: 05

Submitted To: Madam Ammara Maqsood

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATUREMINHAJ UNIVERSITY LAHORE

HAMDARD CHOWK, TOWNSHIP, LAHORE.PHONE# (42) 3514 56 21 – 24EMAIL:INFO@MUL.EDU.PK

Contents

1. Introduction

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2. Adultery is a Sin or Crime

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3. Historical Base of the Novel

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4. The Sin and Sinners

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5. Nature of the Characters’ Sin

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6. Punishment _______________________________________

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7. Regeneration

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8. Conclusion _______________________________________

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9. References _______________________________________

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1. Introduction

Adultery is a sin in almost every society and religion. It has been considered a sin

from ancient ages. Bible says “Thou shalt not commit adultery” (Exodes 20:14).

It is the one of 10 commandments of the bible.

Bible also states that “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor,

both the adulterer and adulteress shall be put to death.”

Islam also condemns the act of adultery and one who commits should be put to death

if one is married and should be whipped if bachelor.

2. Adultery is a Sin or Crime

It is a time demanding debate that either adultery is a sin or crime?

In Hawthorn’s opinion, which is derived after analyzing his novel, adultery is sin and

not a crime. And people should not be punished for committing this sin.

It is possible that someone may even not consider it a sin and take it as one’s personal

act that is not harmful to the society. The person or a group may accept it normal. But if a

society accepts it as normal and let commit adultery to everyone then what will be the

difference between humans and animals?

3. Historical Base of the Novel

In puritan society the adultery was not seen merely as a matter between two parties

but as an act of violating social law.

In 1641, there was punishment of death for this sin. Corporal punishment and

whipping was also usual punishment. Later in 1964 a law was passed that adulterer and

adulteress will have to display the letter “A” on their dresses.

Nathaniel’s earliest ancestor William Hawthorne was a magistrate in Salem. He

ordered the public whipping of a Quaker woman. Nathaniel takes this an act of brutality

as he says

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“I know not whether these ancestors of mine bethought themselves to repent, and ask

pardon of heaven for their cruelties; or whether they are groaning under the heavy

consequences of them, in another state of being.” (Nathaniel)

Acts of his ancestors make him to write on this issue. The main theme of the novel is

under the influence of those events and decisions taken by his ancestors.

4. Sin and the Sinners

Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth and Pearl are the main character of the novel. The

whole storey revolves around them.. They are all sinners.

Hester and Dimmesdale fall in love with one another. They commit the sin of

adultery. Chillingworth, the husband of Hester, is sinner because he is full with the

passion of revenge and agony after knowing the deed of his wife.

Pearl, in my opinion is not a sinner, is sinner in Puritan’s society because she is the

product of adultery.

5. Nature of Characters’ Sin

Hester’s sin of adultery is on the scene. Her sin is reveled and she is caught after

giving birth to her baby girl Pearl.

Dimmesdale’s sin is concealed. When Hester is caught, he conceals his part in

adultery. He is more sinner than Hester because he, not only, commits adultery but also

shows hypocritical attitude toward that sin.

Chillingworth’s sins are unpardonable. In the start of the novel we know that he

leaves the Hester. Then, when he comes back to city and sees Hester in scaffold, he does

not accept her as his wife. After knowing about Hester’s act of adultery he is filled with

the passion of revenge.

Pearl’s only sin is this that she is the product of the adultery that is an act of sin and

crime.

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6. Punishment

Hester is punished to wear the badge of shame that is “Scarlet letter A”.

Dimmesdale punishes himself. His conscious continuously force him to confess but

he cannot and suffers mentally. He punishes himself physically as well.

Chillingworth suffers mentally. He is also being punished by himself. He burns

himself in agony.

Hester is not accepted by the Puritan society. She is hated because she is the result of

adultery.

7. Regeneration

In the end of the novel, almost each character is repented and regenerated. As we see

that Hester becomes the ‘Sister of Mercy’ after doing well and serving society. The sign

of A becomes ‘Able’ instead of adulterous.

Dimmesdale confesses his sin publically after delivering his last sermon and dies. The

sign of ‘A’ appears on the sky that is understood to denote “Angle”.

Pearl gets married and lives a happy life. Society accepts her as its member.

In the case of Chillingworth we are not sure that either he is repented or not. If we see

him in the perspective of leaving his wealth for Peale then we can say that he was

partially regenerated.

8. Conclusion

Every discussed character of the novel completes his journey of soul. All characters

are considered sinners and get repented or regenerated at the end. Every one’s sin leads

one to the maturity of one’s soul. So by examining these four characters we can conclude

that novel “The Scarlet Letter” is the story of Crime, Punishment and Regeneration.

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9. References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scarlet_Letter2. "Sinner, Victim, Object, Winner | ANCHORS: JACKI LYDEN". National Public Radio

(NPR). March 2, 2008.3. "The Scarlet Letter". Sparknotes. Retrieved January 19, 20174. Miller, Edwin Haviland. Salem is my Dwelling Place: A Life of Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1991: 299. ISBN 0-87745-332-2

5. Boonyaprasop, Marina. Hawthorne’s Wilderness: Nature and Puritanism in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and “Young Goodman Brown (Anchor Academic Publishing, 2013).

6. Korobkin, Laura Haft. "The Scarlet Letter of the Law: Hawthorne and Criminal Justice". Novel: a Forum on Fiction 30.2 (Winter 1997): 193–217