Theme Of Adultery In The Scarlet Letter

In a scene from chapter eight of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne describes that adulteress Hester Prynne pleads with the governor and several clergymen (including Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale), Puritan authorities who speculate that Prynne fails to pass on their Puritan Religion to her daughter, to refrain from taking Pearl away from her. Throughout this courtroom scene, Hester calls Reverend Dimmesdale forward to support her plea, which after some persuasion, in turn results in the young reverend delivering a speech on behalf of Hester, who challenges the Puritan authorities grounds to judge her. Hawthorne implies that when they come to face with Hester committing adultery, the Puritans, so unadjusted to dealing with sin, conclude that she is corrupt and therefore undeserving of raising Pearl. To begin, Hawthorne describes that a weak Dimmesdale testifies only after Hester coerces him. Indeed, Hawthorne characterizes a “pale” and “peculiarly nervous” Dimmesdale coming forward after Hester, “driven close to madness”, demands that he “speak[s]… for [her]”, as if to imply that the reverend fears judgement from the Puritan men so much that he would rather watch Hester plea alone (105). The author then humorously recounts that Hester resorts to trying to convince the “emancipated” coward to vouch for her when she points out that Dimmesdale “knows” and “ha[s] charge of [her] soul” (105). Lastly, Hawthorne details that Hester succeeds finally draws Dimmesdale forward only once she threatens him by implying that she will expose him as Pearl’s father when she orders the young clergyman to “look… to [the scarlet letter]”, an embroidered punishment, which she endures alone since she refuses to name the man whom she cheated with (Dimmesdale) (105). Throughout this scene, Hawthorne seems to suggest not only that the young reverend fears that coming forward for Hester will link him to her adultery, but that this fear stems from knowing his pious Puritan society will rebuke him for sinning. Hawthorne next recounts that during while testifying that Hester deserves to keep Pearl, Dimmesdale frequently mentions that God punishes the sinful father with inescapable guilt for committing adultery. In fact, Dimmesdale even characterizes Pearl as a “blessing”, but snaps himself back into the Puritan mentality that because Pearl is a bastard, she must therefore be a God sent “retribution”(106). Thus, Hawthorne implies that Puritans won’t allow the adulterers to appreciate their child because her illegitimate birth goes against their religion. The author then goes on to attribute Dimmesdale believing that his “guilt… [comes] from… God” to the young reverend’s belief in providence, the Puritan belief that all works are direct happenings from God (106). Lastly, when Hawthorn mentions that Pearl “forcibly reminds [Dimmesdale] of the red symbol” (a punishment put in place by the Puritans …show more content…
For example, Hawthorne reveals that Hester’s fellow Puritans left her “alone in the world” when they sent her away with the scarlet letter as a “sole treasure” to “keep her heart alive” by constantly reminding her of her adultery. Hester counters, however, that despite the Puritan’s intent to punish her with the scarlet reminder of her sin, Pearl prevailed as her true “sole treasure” who “keep[s] her heart alive” by bringing her “happiness” (104). The author next details that Hester challenges the “God” of the Puritan religion when she “confront[s]” the “influence[d]” “old Puritan magistrate” with a “fierce expression”, her immense aggression in turn implying that her rage must also stem from suppressed resentment for their religion (104). Lastly, the author mentions that Hester argues that instead of God damning her with Pearl as a form of “retribution” like the Puritans believe, “God gave [her] the child in requital of [everything] [that the Puritans]… [took] from [her]” (104). By recounting this, Hawthorne provides another instance of Hester contradicting the religion when she suggests that God gave her Pearl, the very person that drives the Puritans penalize the young woman, to “keep her in life” in order to compensate for the Puritan religion stripping Hester of her individuality (104). Hawthorne seems to indicate through this scene, that when the Puritans condemn Hester, this pushes the young woman to release her built-up resentment at the Puritans from her years of devotion by defying the Puritan religion when she questions their