The theme of ‘Crime’ and ‘Punishment’ as Presented in Hawthorne’s Novel ‘The Scarlet Letter’.
The Scarlet Letter is a notable literary work by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of The Scarlet Letter.
Answer
Comment on the theme of ‘crime’ and ‘punishment’ as presented in Hawthorne’s ‘The Scarlet Letter’.
The theme deals with the central idea of any literary work. “The Scarlet Letter”(1850), composed by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), is a story of crime, sin and punishment. It speaks of the insult or humiliation of a woman who has violated the classical and statutory law of a community dedicated to maintaining the authority of the law. The theme of crime and punishment in the novel portrays the consequences of sin, guilt, and societal judgment.
Sin regenerates the characters: “The Scarlet Letter” upholds the theme of crime and punishment throughout the characters of Hester and Dimmesdale. According to Christian doctrine, regeneration happens to a greater sin like Adam and Eve. They had eaten the forbidden fruit and were banished from the Garden of Eden. Both Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit of the forbidden tree, but in Christianity, Eve is a more sinner person than Adam. In the novel, the same things have been reoccurred by the characters Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester has endured public humiliation and is imprisoned. The sin has permitted her to do better work for the community. Dimmesdale is a person who is spiritually regenerated by his sin. So, it is clear that crime and punishment have regenerated the characters in the novel.
The angel and apostle of the coming revelation must be a woman, indeed, but lofty, pure, and beautiful; and wise.
Sin differentiates the social norms: Hester is a young and beautiful person who committed an adultery relationship with the young governor, Dimmesdale. In the case of punishment, sin differentiates the social norms of the Puritan society in the seventeenth century. Both are sinners, but Hester Prynne is the only one who suffers from the crime. Otherwise, Arthur Dimmesdale is free from all the sufferings in his life. Religious law should be equal to both the sinner, but Puritan leaders diversified to establish their religious rules for sinners.
People brought all their sorrows and perplexities, and
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