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The fate of all characters in The Scarlet Letter was determined by Hawthorne s revealing statement in the middle of the novel. This impenetrable truth dictates the behavior of the characters in the entire story. The public and the hierarchy of the society demanded punishments for all involved of such severity that even years after the crime its potential still resonated throughout the town, effecting the plot through its ending. Hawthorne s placement of this quote is typical of his clever artifice, giving readers critical information at an important intersection of the novel, but a part where this knowledge is overshadowed and not considered pertinent. The passage is perfect Hawthorne incorporating the plot of the novel, the true nature of people, and his unique writing style. The common justice of the scarlet letter is the visual reminder to Hester Prynne of her deemed crime.
It was a lurid gleam along the dark passage-way of the interior (p. 48) placed upon her breast by the tyrannical judiciaries of her town. Her punishment was a demand of the people to burden her with the weight of a jester like form in the community, for it was society s right to immediately acknowledging her as a sinner. Society also, in demanding justice, tried to force her religious reconciliation with an overanxious attempt to make her speak the name of her lover. The nature of her punishment, and the damnation that the public was so eager to give, lead Hester deeper into silence making the suffrage of her lover grow with age and the confusion and anger of her child to grow as well. The affect of the society on Pearl is astounding. From her behavior in chapter seven, shaking her little hand with a variety of threatening gestures, suddenly made a rush at the knot of her enemies, and put them all to flight.
She resembled in her pursuit of them, an infant pestilence, -the scarlet fever, or some such half-fledged angel of judgement, -whose mission was to punish the sins of the rising generation (p. 70), it can be seen that she is not only violent in defense of herself and her mother but also that the society is so firm in its beliefs to the extent that children, who can not fully understand, will mock and fight. It is common justice that gave Hester her ignominy and Pearl her attitude just as on a larger level the populous is disgraced while their children are angry due to their parents outward negativity. As can be seen in the plot, the crime was re-created each new day, growing each morning, at the generosity of despots, killing all involved slowly. The punishment resonated throughout the entire community creating a sub-plot among the haunted Reverend Dimmesdale and the mysterious physician, Roger Chillingworth. Dimmesdale, years after his affair with Hester, is incredibly guilty mostly due to the control Chillingworth has had over his emotions in the years previous. Although not a town judiciary, Chillingworth is a main but private despot in the novel; He holds the secret that keeps Hester from being hung but threatens her to into silence of their former relationship and also many times tries to take Pearl away from her mother.
In regard to Dimmesdale, Chillingworth says early in the novel, There is a sympathy that will make me conscience of him, I shall see him tremble. I shall feel myself shudder, suddenly and unawares. Sooner or later, he must needs be mine (p. 52). This passage shows the temper that an interested member of society was ready to use on a criminal, to award more than justice through personal vendetta. After seven years the body, mind, and soul of Dimmesdale is completely dilapidated and upon his last speech, on the day of his death, does he allow himself justice by revealing himself. He says from the scaffold of shame, Hester Prynne...
in this last moment, I withheld my self from doing seven year ago, come hither now, and twine thy strength around me! Thy strength, Hester; but let it be guided by the will which God hath granted me! This wretched and wronged old man is opposing it with all his might! -with all his own might and the fiends! (p. 173) Thematically, Hawthorne portrays Chillingworth as a despot who appeals for the justice and repair of Hester and the Reverend by offering his expertise in their case, ironic because generous despots love to hear their own voices. Hawthorne systematically entered this quotation in a part of the novel rich with plot. Dimmesdale had just made his midnight vigil upon the scaffold and the reader is caught up in his suffrage, Pearl has recently made her demands to form a concrete triad, and Chillingworth has just experienced all three together and must alter some of his master plan. Hawthorne makes a statement which is an impenetrable truth of human nature which has affected the entire plot-but no more here than anywhere.
This line could have come earlier or later in the novel but fits well here through the juxtaposition of sub-conscience human qualities caught in the plots climatic, rapid speaking parts. Hawthorne has used the preceding events to lay out to the reader what common justice really can mean from the perspective of criminal and despot. The Hawthornian sentence structure suggests layers to the topic, for instance it shows the depraved rights of despots and their sick demands to overuse power and award more justice than is true. This information is critical to understanding the judiciary process and the society in which Hester bore her letter each day. Dimmesdale died on the platform and Hester followed years after, still bearing her letter which burns through to her interior. The original dictations of society s punishments resonated throughout the end of the novel by Hawthorne s system of sticking critical themes in where they matter.
Through a deep plot and the unchanging instincts of human nature he is able to make common justice the critical theme of the novel.
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Research essay sample on Hester Prynne Scarlet Letter
