Morals in "The Scarlet Letter"

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts the characters as individuals who learn right from wrong throughout their lives. People learn right from wrong based upon their own morals and upbringings. Puritanism greatly influences the character’s morals in this novel due to the religious environment.

Nathaniel Hawthorne as a Transcendentalist

Nathaniel Hawthorne conjects, as a Transcendentalist, that experience is superior to law, while Puritans believe that God expects them to live according to the Scriptures. Although Hawthorne believes that individuals know what is right and wrong through intuition, people determine right from wrong through being subject to society’s judgements, and by following their religion’s value frameworks regarding personal behavior.

Hawthorne supports this claim with Pearl and Dimmesdale, characters in the book. Dimmesdale differentiates right from wrong through his covenant with God, and Pearl represents how not being subject to society’s judgement alters morals.

Through studying and living by Puritan doctrines, Dimmesdale interprets what is right from wrong through his religious values.

Puritanism prohibits adultery and demands repayment of one’s sins. Keeping his involvement in Hester’s adultery concealed, without penitence, causes him to harbor an immense amount of guilt. As Hester instructs Dimmesdale to leave New England, he responds, “I am powerless to go! Wretched and sinful as I am, I have had no other thought than to drag on my earthly existence in the sphere where Providence hath placed me” (Hawthorne 185). Dimmesdale allows his mental and physical state to depreciate because he can not bring himself to commit penitence in the public, which is regret for one’s sin aloud.

Get quality help now

Writer Lyla

Verified

Proficient in: Nathaniel Hawthorne

5 (876)

“ Have been using her for a while and please believe when I tell you, she never fail. Thanks Writer Lyla you are indeed awesome ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

His mental state becomes so dangerously low after hiding the truth for so long that he later beats himself with a whip to attempt penance. His guilt from sinning, while still being seen as a celestial clergyman, was enough to drive him to insanity and, eventually, death. He believed that doing the right thing was connecting his public and private selves, which is why he admired Hester’s strength.

Pearl and Puritan rules

Since Pearl was born out of wedlock, she is not held to the complete laws of the Puritans, which makes her very different. She was not created through all of the Puritan’s rules, so she gets to live life. As Pearl was dancing in the graveyard, Hawthorne wrote, “Frisking fantastically, among the hillocks of the dead people, like a creature that had nothing in common with a bygone” (124). The reason that all of the Puritans view Pearl as out-of-the-ordinary is because she does not apply to their rules. She did not grow up being subject to their judgement due to her secluded life. This means that she did not learn to distinguish right from wrong through society’s judgement. Her morals seem off-kilter to the Puritans, and even Hester who was exposed to judgement all throughout her life. She had Hester’s teachings of God to keep her in line, however she did not have judgement to force her to understand that it is unacceptable to behave in the way that she does. On the other hand, the rest of the townspeople were subject to judgement, which is why they form their morals based upon religion and people’s moral responses.

My values align with my religion as well. Christianity plays a large role in my life, and throughout every major decision that I have to make, I use the Scriptures as a guide. The townspeople turn to God, through Puritanism, in their daily lives, while I follow the dictates of Presbyterianism. My morals stem from the Bible and help determine what I believe is right and wrong. On the other hand, people in the world hold differing values. Society judges me when I make the decision to follow abstinence. This leads to my questioning of whether God will forgive me if I do not abide by that dictate. I find myself conforming to society’s judgements and altering my behavior to fit society’s expectations. Collectively, my morals follow the Scriptures and can be swayed by society’s judgement. This relates to Dimmesdale who feels immense guilt for committing adultery, while concealing his sin due to his desire for avoiding society’s judgement.

Individuals have the freedom to choose to follow their morals or fall down the wrong path. Religion plays a key factor in determining what they believe to be right from wrong, while society aids in making the right decision. People want to avoid criticism from society and please their God or gods. Dimmesdale represents somebody who follows religious doctrine when determining right from wrong, and Pearl is an example of how it is out-of-the-ordinary to live life without society influencing people’s decisions. Overall, religion and society’s judgement work together to influence individual’s morals and moral ethics.