Character Development in the Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter is a historical fiction book written in the 1850s by Nathaniel Hawthorne, an American author. The novel portrays events that used to happen in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the 17th century. Hester Prynne is the protagonist who conceives a daughter through infidelity (Hawthorne 09). To pay for the adultery, she must wear the scarlet letter “A” on her dress. Hester suffers alone as she refuses to reveal her lover’s identity. Nathaniel uses character development in this book to stir up emotions among the audience and make the story more appealing. Four characters develop and change roles in the book.

Hester is one of the personas that the author focused on to develop the book’s themes. The character is attributed to distinctive features starting from adultery, secrecy, and charity works (Hawthorne 24). As mentioned earlier, Hester indulges in immorality and gives birth to a baby of unknown parentage. The delivery begins her downfall since the town cannot tolerate such misconduct. To attorn for their sins, she is forced to stand on the scaffold for hours while the townspeople mock and ridicule her. According to the author, she was punished for practising adultery, which was considered illegal in society (Hawthorne 66).  As if the attornment was not enough, she is made to carry with her a scarlet letter. The letter that afterwards becomes part of her life stands for “adulteress”-she must wear it whenever she is in front of people to embarrass her. On top of that, she faced imprisonment with her daughter. After the custody life, she indulges in charity work to aid the poor. Throughout the novel, Hester carries two secrets with her; she knows the father of her child and tells no one that she does not expose her presumed dead husband (Hawthorne 78).  Notably, Hester refuses to divulge to the Puritan community with her daughter's father.

Mr Dimmesdale, Hester’s lover and the father of her daughter, also changes the book. As the book commences, he is portrayed as a good man, but he is also somehow deceitful (Hawthorne 67). The author describes him as a guilty man over his actions, which he has failed to acknowledge. Remorse builds, making Dimmesdale succumb to illness before being put by the townspeople under the care of Chillingworth. After attornment, Dimmesdale finally finds the strength to forgive his sins and ask for redemption. He goes to the towns where Hester was punished years back and admits his mistake. However, he still lacks the courage to repent publicly, deteriorating his condition (Hawthorne 58). Seeing the worsening of the minister’s health, Hester comes to her lover’s aid; she obtains a release from her husband’s vow and tells the minister the truth. In the process, she pleads with him to leave the town. The plan gets Dimmesdale inspired, and during Election Day, he confesses his sins.

Roger Chillingworth is Hester’s husband, who is presumed dead. Chillingworth is painted as a sinner in the novel due to his desire for revenge. To fulfil his vengeance, he swears Hester to secrecy (Hawthorne 83). Hester is the only one who knows his real identity, and the oath is meant to keep her from telling him the truth. Chillingworth decides to treat Dimmesdale to uncover the cause of the minister’s guilt. He begins to suspect the minsters remorse is a result of unconfessed sin. The realization pushes him to apply psychological pressure to the ailing Dimmesdale (Hawthorne 22). Throughout, Chillingworth suspects the minister's guilt has a connection with Hester’s secret. When one day, he discovers a mark on Dimmesdale’s breast, he confirms his suspension, asserting that the minister is Hester’s hidden lover. After the death of the minister, Chillingworth becomes frustrated, and he too follows suit a year later. The character is depicted as the villain in the story, though this becomes a contradiction after he leaves his fortune to Pearl.

Pearl is Hester’s daughter, perhaps the only daughter born out of infidelity in the township. Pearl faces humiliation right from birth. She grows up with a single parent as her supposed father, Mr. Dimmesdale, is afraid to stand up and announce his paternity (Hawthorne 55). At one time, she is treated as property as the community tries to separate her from her sinful mother. The author depicts the character as a symbol of Hester’s and Dimmesdale’s wickedness. She is a willful and mischievous child shunned by the community (Hawthorne 43). Despite the ridicule, she goes through the tribulations. Later on, Pearl ended up loving a European aristocrat with whom they established a family.

The writer uses the fictional character Hester to portray true heroism. The persona withstands society's mockery, and instead of becoming weaker, she grows stronger. Instead of leaving the town, Hester endures all the teasing and jeering pilled on her and her daughter (Hawthorne 49). She defies all these and also helps the same society that despises her by taking care of the poor. Her lover is a coward and yet she standards up for her. The woman protects the man instead of the man guarding the woman. Hester does not abandon his daughter even; she acts like a real and loving mother.

Dimmesdale is used to portray the rot among the society leaders. He impregnates a typical woman and leaves her at the mercy of the public. “He is inwardly a corrupt leader who is also weak.” (Hawthorne 27). His physical illness is a manifestation of moral weakness. The character illustrates how leaders in modern society usually get away with their sins. While Hester suffers, Dimmesdale continues to sit on the town's committee.

On the other hand, Roger Chillingworth is the embodiment of vengeance in the novel. He returns to Boston for a sad reunion, where he finds his wife under public scrutiny over adultery (Hawthorne 112). The encounter is his motivation for vengeance. He spends his time planning revenge on Dimmesdale through the use of herbal medicines. Peal represents children who suffer because of the sins of their parents.  Her mum dresses her to look like the scarlet letter she bears and represents her past sins.

To sum up, Nathaniel has fully developed all the characters in the book, enabling him to establish various themes in the process. Through Hester, the ideas of morality and the consequences of immorality are developed. Sin and guilt themes are well illustrated through the persona, Mr. Dimondale. The perspective not only helps build ideas but also facilitates digging into the cultural practices of the 17th century. The book is an inspiration to children who face hardships in their childhood; Pearl can overcome her past and live a fulfilling life.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Irvine: Saddleback Educational Pub, 2010. Print.