Free College Essays - The Virtue of Truth in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

The Scarlet Letter - The Virtue of Truth 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 discomposure of the scaffold. In chapter 17, when Hester apologizes to Dimmesdale about concealing Chillingworths identity, she says, In all things else, I have striven to be true Truth was the one virtue which I aptitude have held, and did hold fast, through all extremityA lie is never good, even though death threaten on the other align (pg. 202) It is Hesters pride, which sustains her from the beginning of the novel to the end, when she dies, still sporting the scarlet A on her bosom. Hesters sin is the sin which gives the book its title and around which the save of the book resolves. Adultery, which was prohibited by the Seventh Amendment, was usually punished by death. A woman in the crowd stated, At the very least, they should have nonplus the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynnes forheadShe may cover it (the scarlet letter) 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, Hesters 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 Gods glory and mans welfareno evil of the past be redeemed by better profit (pg. 137) . While trying to conceal his sins, they take over his conscience and literally confess themselves during his acts of madness. The third main character, Roger Chillingworth, is a pretty innocent man in the beginning of this book. He comes to America to be reunited with his wife, Hester, but soon comes to find out that she has committed adultery.