The Scarlet Letter 7
The virtue of truth and the evil of secret sin are clearly illustrated in the novel, The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The three main characters in this novel display their own honesty and sins.
Hester Prynne exhibits the essence of truth and pride when she bravely faces the humiliation of the scaffold. In chapter 17, when Hester apologizes to Dimmesdale about concealing Chillingworth’s identity, she says, “In all things else, I have striven to be true! Truth was the one virtue which I might have held, and did hold fast, through all extremity…A lie is never good, even though death threaten on the other side (pg. 202)!” It is Hester’s ...
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with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever (pg. 53)!”
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale shows truth by his occupation. People living in Boston, Massachusetts looked up to and respected Dimmesdale because he was a minister. One of his sins was his inability to publicly acknowledge that he committed adultery with Hester and that he is the father of Pearl, Hester’s daughter. However, adultery was not his biggest sin. His biggest sin is hypocrisy. In chapter ten, he speaks of the concealment of his sins, he says, “It may be that they are kept silent by the very constistution of their nature. Or-can we not suppose it-guilty as they may be, retaining, nevertheless, a zeal for God’s glory and man’s welfare…no evil of the past be redeemed by better service (pg. 137).” While trying to conceal his sins, they take over his conscience and literally confess themselves during his acts of madness.
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"The Scarlet Letter 7." Essayworld.com. August 1, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Scarlet-Letter-7/87624.
"The Scarlet Letter 7." Essayworld.com. August 1, 2008. Accessed June 21, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Scarlet-Letter-7/87624.
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