Scarlet Letter

When Dimmesdale dies in the conclusion of The Scarlet Letter, he confesses to his sin publicly. His reasoning is that he can convince others of the flaws in Puritan thinking by showing that even he is capable of sin. But this is not what happens, many of the Puritans misinterpret his message and think he is making a commentary on how everyone is capable of sin. In other words they don't believe that Dimmesdale actually committed the act he plainly admits to. As the book concludes, the Puritans have not learned their lesson, and the morality of Puritan society remains largely unaffected by the events of the novel. This can be seen as representing a larger theme about society: how resistant it is to change. After seeing the struggles that Hester encounters throughout the novel, most readers will be forced to at least consider their views regarding sin and how punishment for it should be carried out. But as a whole, society remains unsympathetic to Hester at the end of the book. In order for a change to be effected in society, many people have to be convinced. There are many who would never be willing to change their mind no matter how convincing the evidence may be. As with any issue, society takes a long time to change their ways regarding sin and punishment. It takes decades for society to shift it’s morals, but it should give us confidence that these changes do happen.

Allow me to play you out...