Throughout the book, the scaffold has been the symbol of puritan society's harsh punishment for sinners. The three scaffold scenes in The Scarlet Letter convey the theme of sin not being tolerated whatsoever in Puritan Society. ... It is nighttime and Hester's scarlet letter is not visible, so the meteor's light reiterates the symbol. ... The original embroidered scarlet letter is the icon for Dimmesdale's future haunting. ... The haunting effect of the scarlet letter, distance from his child, and psychological torture are all things that he endure to not be known as a sinn...

• Word Count: 598
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

The ambiguousness of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne leaves many of the actions, events, and issues involving the characters up to the reader's own assumption. One of the issues posed by Hawthorne during the story is that of responsibility. ... A young woman, Hester Prynne, is led from the town prison with her infant daughter, Pearl, in her arms and the scarlet letter "A" on her breast. ... Dimmesdale was capable of such a sin as adultery; so then surely other members of the Puritan society must be vulnerable to extreme sinfulness. ... Hawthorne's, The Scarlet Letter, ...

• Word Count: 1146
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter, Arthur Dimmesdale struggles to overcome sin, guilt, and public shame in Puritan society. ... At one point, Dimmesdale goes to the scaffold during the night to confess his sins, shows signs of his state mental weakening. ... Dimmesdale thinks of his sin as not showing loyalty to God; However, he avoids confessing his sin due to the fear of judgement, and losing his upheld reputation in the society. ... During the meeting his eyes are described at dark and trouble, expressing how guilty he is for troubling Hester with a child that he can n...

• Word Count: 939
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School