The Scarlet Letter: Admitted, Hidden & No Guilt
Puritans believe that confession is a means of purifying the soul. In Nathaniel Hawthorne�s story, The Scarlet Letter, admitted guilt, such as that of Hester Prynne, who wore a scarlet letter pinned on her shirt, cleanses the soul, whereas hidden guilt, such as that of Dimmesdale, who kept his branded letter under his clothing, causes suffering, whereas no guilt, such as that of Chillingworth, whose mission in life is to seek revenge, causes a sense of coldness.
Guilt that is openly admitted is eventually cleansed out of the system. Hester�s daily wearing of her scarlet symbol is a daily confession. Hester suffers a physical alienation. She moves to the edge of the town and has to ...
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lives there with the scarlet �A� on her chest, after she had left for so many years.
Hidden guilt preys on a conscience and brings about hypocrisy. Dimmesdale does not confess his sin, which troubles his conscience as well as his �red stigma,� the unhealed wound on his breast. He becomes paranoid and begins to see his sin everywhere. In the meteor which flashes through the sky one night, he sees he letter A. He covers his guilt even more by placing his hand over his chest. The �red stigma� represents his deep regret for the sin, but is not a proper substitute for public confession. He doesn�t want to be seen anywhere with Pearl, which is why he refuses to hold her hand on the scaffold at noon.
When there is no guilt, the person becomes cold-hearted and crazed. Chillingworth represents a pride of intellect that has a struggle between his heart and mind. He sets out to seek revenge and destroys Dimmesdale, slowly. As time goes on, the townspeople start to see ...
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"The Scarlet Letter: Admitted, Hidden & No Guilt." Essayworld.com. June 23, 2004. Accessed March 26, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Scarlet-Letter-Admitted-Hidden-No-Guilt/9975.
"The Scarlet Letter: Admitted, Hidden & No Guilt." Essayworld.com. June 23, 2004. Accessed March 26, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Scarlet-Letter-Admitted-Hidden-No-Guilt/9975.
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