Some say that to sin is to go to hell, some say that sin is a scourge of human nature, some say that sin must be confessed, and some say sin must be expelled from men by punishment. The internal consequences of believing one has sinned are more intangible than social attitudes toward sin, but they appear just as often and in just as many different ways. The novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, reeks of sin. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses symbolism to demonstrate the effects of sin not only on one's public reputation, but also on a person's psychological state. The scarlet letter A, which Hester Prynne wears on her breast as punishment for adultery, causes her anguish through ignominy but allows her to improve over time through the public nature of her disgrace. Chillingworth, the leech, punishes Reverend Dimmesdale for his hidden sin, and yet at the same time wastes away because of his own sin of sucking the life out of Dimmesdale. Pearl, the illegitimate child of Hester and Dimmesdale, embodies both the open and hidden sin of her parents. She is unable to be normal because of this and takes on wild, elvish qualities. The scarlet letter A marks sin and imposes punishment for it. It primarily represents open sin and its consequences, such as public shame, as it is worn on Hester's chest to punish her for adultery. The ignominy of the letter devastates Hester. “If she survives, either her tenderness will be destroyed, or…”. . crushed so deeply in his heart that he can never show himself more” (Chapter 13 p. 148). She is tormented by the anguish of her humiliation. Thanks to this, she loses much of her tenderness and passion and becomes cold and numb again. The pain of his sin numbs him to his own pain. ...... middle of paper ...... history. Dimmesdale is torn by the guilt of his hidden sin and his hidden letter A and eventually dies from it. The leech, Chillingworth, is partly responsible for Dimmesdale's agony and he himself suffers from his sinful, leech-like actions of sucking the life force from another man. Pearl was born of sin and reminds her mother of sin. She is ethereal and wild while sin still traps her, but after Dimmesdale confesses and frees her from sin, she represents hope as she can lead a normal life. Although sin means something different to everyone, the belief that one has sinned often has emotional consequences that are difficult to overcome. Although our own experiences may not be as dramatic as those of the characters in The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne reminds us that sin and its consequences have a significant influence on our lives and ourselves...