Individual or Social Standards in The Scarlet Letter

To make a decision, one weighs the benefits and the downfalls, and concludes by judging the factors of each alternative. Ones choice of whether to conform to societys demands or submit to personal impulses is difficult, especially under strenuous circumstances. Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter is a profound romance in which the characters must make such a decision. A reconciliation of the two forces is not seemingly feasible. Reliance of self consumes Hester Prynne, while denial of self engrosses her partner in the crime of adultery, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The roles of Hesters daughter, Pearl, and her estranged husband, Roger Chillingworth, as individual beings are less evident than that of their impact on Hester and†¦show more content†¦This concealed sin is the center of his tormented conscience. The pressures on him from society are greater than those on Hester because he is a man in high standing, expected to represent the epitome of the Puritanical ideals. I t is ironic that Dimmesdale, who is supposed to be absolutely pure and urges congregation to confess and openly repent their sins, is incapable of doing so himself. He knows the hypocrisy of his actions but cannot bring himself to admit his deed publicly. In resentment of this he punishes himself physically - he is often observed to put his hand over his heart, with indicative of pain (ch 9). Dimmesdales resistance to be true to himself gradually destroys his well being as well as Hesters, and although he eventually declares the truth, his resistance ends him. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Pearl primarily serves the role of silently urging Dimmesdale to overcome the pressures to conform to society, and to allow his guilty inner-self to emerge and receive retribution for his sins. She exists as a constant and living reminder and product of the sin Hester and Dimmesdale committed, and acknowledges the false innocence Dimmesdale tries so desperately to maintain. Her inquisition, Why does he not wear [a scarlet letter] outside his bosom as thou dost? (ch 16) to her mother concerning Dimmesdale is evidence of this. Pearl has no chance to conform to society because at birth she is regardedShow MoreRelatedLiterature Has Functioned Throughout History As A Means1266 Words   |  6 PagesLiterature has functioned throughout history as a means of social criticism that is accessible to the lay public. Classics like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe leverage their plots to reveal alarming realities and comment on social issues. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the earliest examples of literary social criticism. 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