The Affects Of Sin On Man In The Scarlett Letter Essay -- essays resea

The Affects of Sin on the Individual in The Scarlet Letter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is a reoccurring theme of the affects of sin on man. The three main characters, Hester Pryne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingsworth, are all affected by the sin of Hester Pryne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester Pryne is strengthened by the sin, Arthur Dimmesdale is weakened by it, and Roger Chillingsworth becomes evil because of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The protagonist, Hester Prynne is, in essence, strengthened by the sin she commits with Arthur Dimmesdale. She turns the meaning of the letter â€Å"A† from adultery to able. She seeks redemption in the eyes of God and man through the good deeds she does for others. She becomes â€Å"self-ordained a Sister of Mercy,† who’s new role is that of a tender nurse to the colony’s ill(158). She asserts that fulfillment and love are worth fighting for, and she continues to walk about Puritan Boston with her head held high. However, the sin she commits has the opposite affect on her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Weakness and frailty overcome the minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale becomes an unknowing victim to Hester Prynne’s husband, Roger Chillingsworth. Chillingsworth maneuvers himself into an intimate friend and constant attendant to Dimmesdale. The worse Dimmesdale feels, the stronger he appears in the eyes of his congregation. He grows pale and thi...