The Daily News
BY Micah Mallari
Reporter
Nathaniel Hawthorne didn’t pass to create a novel that most
young adults of the early twenty-first century can enjoy and appreciate. We should
pay more attention to the novel, especially with the thought that the messages
Hawthorne tries to convey are still relevant today.
The classic novel “The Scarlet
Letter” is based on suspense and intrigue, takes on the themes of pride, sin
and vengeance with a burning passion that made it the controversial novel of
its time. Hester Prynne's act of
adultery and therefore, Hawthorne reveals the tendency of human's sinful
nature. We learn about predetermined
identities and how one must act accordingly to be accepted by the society when
Hester went to the scaffold with the letter “A” on her chest. We are shown the relationship between
punishment and forgiveness when Chillingworth is surprisingly forgiving towards
Hester, but looks towards Dimmesdale with hate and vengeance. Throughout this
tale, these three themes are constantly revealed and reminded as Hester,
Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth experience each of these life lessons and
Hawthorne hopes that the readers will never let their conscience stray and
learn those lessons the hard way.
