Austin Maxwell
Repercussions of Sin
Sin. Jealousy, lust, hate, a simple, harmless thought, and a multifaceted weave of lies imagined with only spite and malice in mind, are all identical. From plain to complex, effortless to painstaking, sin governs the thoughts, actions, and lives of everyone. To the Atheist, it is a hesitant thought, that which is babbled about, profusely and uncontrollably, by all that obsess to obliterate it from their lives. To the common, modern day Christian, it is a pest, that without fail, penetrates their protective bubble of church, prayer, and faith, able to seep its’ way into their lives causing all but a change in their physical behavior; it is an annoyance that is halfheartedly avoided, cried over, then forgiven and forgotten. To the puritan, it is the bane of existence, the epitome of evil, punishable by death, forgiven: only by One. The puritan’s very existence could be defined by their never halting attempts to thwart sin and allow it no foothold in their lives. Hawthorne demonstrates the puritans’ stringent views of sin in the novel, The Scarlet Letter, also he makes apparent the Law of the Soul: in order for the body to maintain existence, the sin it commits and conceals must be revealed; sin must be confessed. In this novel Hawthorne expresses sin in its’ two opposing sides, running parallel to each other, allowing the reader to contrast the two types as the story progresses. The two major examples of sin shown in The Scarlet Letter are that of Hester, an admitted sin that lifts her up, and sets her free, and that of Dimmesdale, a veiled sin that slowly deteriorates him, leading him to his death.
The first type of sin portrayed is Hester’s, it became public, free, and admitted. She stands to be accused and mocked by her peers, for this is the price of her admittance. She gives no hint or expression of either fear or remorse as she leaves her dark sanctuary of prison and steps into the light of Puritan society. “… She repelled him, by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will”(48). Hester, subject to humiliation by the townspeople, who know her sin of adultery, accepts their vituperative remarks as they spit: “‘This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there no law for it?’” (47). They offer her no pity. The people in the town reject her, and yet it emboldens her, somehow giving her more strength to stand on the scaffold in front of her town with her mark of sin, her scarlet letter. By doing this, she relieves herself from the guilt of sin in order to show courage in front of her daunting audience.
The next sin, held within, rotting, fermenting, and deteriorating the soul from the inside out, belongs to Dimmesdale. He feebly attempts to outwit the Law of the Soul by concealing his sin, but Dimmesdale is not exempt from this conscience dictated rule; he must admit the offense that has all but delivered him to his deathbed:
No eye could see him.… He had been driven hither by the impulse of that
Remorse which dogged him everywhere, and whose own sister and closely
linked companion was that Cowardice which invariably drew him back with her
tremulous gripe just when the other impulse had hurried him to the verge of a
disclosure.… Poor, miserable man! (141-2).
Dimmesdale must reveal his sin, but its hold on him will not allow him the fulfillment of doing so under the eye of public scrutiny. His sin pains him; compelled to reveal his fault that withholds him from the saintliness in which the town believes he possesses, he must expose his scarlet letter. Without doing this his guilt will overwhelm him, killing him in the process.
Every sin reciprocates a choice: to reveal or to hide your guilt: “Crime is for the iron-nerved, who have their choice either to endure it, or, if it press too hard, to exert their fierce and savage strength for a good purpose and fling it off at once!... The agony of Heaven defying guilt and vain repentance” (142). Dimmesdale fears a fallen clergyman will incite sin amongst the congregation, he becomes torn between the desire to remain morally correct within himself, or to remain saintly before the Puritan society. Dimmesdale, lacking in fortitude and retaining too much cowardice, chooses to hide his sin, this leads him to his imminent death.
Hester’s visible product of her sin, Pearl, disallowed her the option of not confessing, thus forcing her to reveal her sin. Even if Hester were not compelled to disclose her sin, she would confess, opting away from lying to the community and retaining her position as a respectful puritan:
And as Hester Prynne had no selfish ends, nor lived in any measure for her own profit and enjoyment, people brought all their sorrows and perplexities and besought her counsel, as one who had herself gone through a mighty trouble…. Women, more especially… Came to Hester’s cottage, demanding why they were so wretched, and what the remedy! (260).
The people of the town came to terms with her crime due to Hester’s brave disposition and unwavering spirit, along with their acceptance of Reverend Dimmesdale’s sin (the same as Hester’s). They forgave and accepted her, as she accepted herself. They used her experience in dealings with “the black man” to their advantage, learning and gaining from them. This could be thought of as her repentance, setting her free from the shackles placed upon her by the town and the Scarlet Letter.
Due to opposing viewpoints by both Dimmesdale and Hester, they chose two different ways to handle their sin. Their sin the same, they both experienced two different outcomes: one flourished, one diminished. Both choices resulted in a change in the characters moral or social status. The Scarlet Letter symbolizes modern times by demonstrating that a person’s character, position, and perception heavily influence their choices. The ideas presented by Hawthorne cause the reader to call his or her own morality into question. They shed light on the repercussions of sin and everything sin involves, while also demonstrating how austere the Law of the Soul may be and the consequences of disobeying its’ precise rules of confession.
)
I don't know what that other book is, so I can't say anything about that. Again great job with the care you took on editing this piece, grammar wise. 
And welcome to the YWS new member!