Essay about Hypocrisy Of The Scarlet Letter - 1685 Words

In The Scarlet Letter Hypocrisy is evident everywhere. The characters of Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and the very society that the characters lived in, were steeped in hypocrisy. Hawthorne was not subtle in his portrayal of the terrible sin of hypocrisy; he made sure it was easy to see the sin at work , at the same time however, parallels can be drawn between the characters of The Scarlet Letter and of today’s society. The first character, Hester Prynne, is guilty of adultery and of hypocrisy. She supposedly loves Dimmesdale, yet she says nothing while for seven years Dimmesdale is slowly tortured. The love she felt that was so strong that it made her break sacred vows must have disappeared. Dimmesdale is continually†¦show more content†¦Hester loves Dimmesdale, but she does not love him enough to expose his sin publicly, and she conceals her knowledge of Chillingworth. Either you love something whole-heartedly, or you do not. Hawthorne might have portrayed Hester in a more favorable light then the other characters, but still she should have to wear a scarlet H in addition to her A. The second character, Arthur Dimmesdale is the epitome of hypocrisy. Hawthorne intended his name to have symbolic meaning, Dimmesdale meaning dim or not very bright. Arthur might be bright in the areas of theology, but when it comes to hypocrisy, he is a fool. Dimmesdale says very near the beginning of the book â€Å"What can thy silence do for him, except to tempt him---yea, compel him, as it were---to add hypocrisy to sin?†(Dimmesdale 47). He knows what will happen to him if he endures his sin in private, but he is too weak at this point in the book to admit it. The tapestries of biblical adultery, which are found in Arthur’s room, are hypocritical. These are supposed to help him atone for his sins by making him feel guilty, but he feels no better. Arthur goes and preaches every week on how bad sin is, and how he is the worst sinner of them all. These partial confessions just make him more of a hypocrite. Dimmesdale knows how the parishioners will interpr et these confessions; he is not blind to their looks of adoration. Dimmesdale enjoysShow MoreRelatedHypocrisy in the Scarlet Letter937 Words   |  4 PagesHypocrisy in the Scarlet Letter â€Å"Truth was the one virtue which I might have held fast†¦ save when thy good – thy life – thy fame – were put into question.† These words spoken by Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter display her practice of situational morals and hypocrisy. Hawthorne displays this major element of human nature, hypocrisy in all characters save young Pearl who is blatantly unique from most people. 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