The Idea of Crime and Punishment

Sin has been around since the 1st century, when Adam and Eve where created by God placing them in the garden of Eden. Sin developed when God told the pair not to eat the forbidden fruit, but Eve did so regardless of Gods request and shared the forbidden fruit with Adam which opened Pandoras box to sin and shame leading to punishment. Like Adam and Eve where Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale both knew the law of the 10 commandments, thou shall not commit adultery and though shall not convey thy neighbor’s wife. Ultimately that is exactly what Hester and Dimmesdale pursued. Although, Hester had not seen or heard from her husband in many years and no one knew of him she was shamed and ridiculed for falling in love with another man Reverend Dimmesdale and conceiving his daughter Pearl out of wedlock while she was married to Roger Chillingworth. Hester, Pearl, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth now will live a life of shame, guilt, revenge, acceptance and love as part of an act of passion.

As Hester Prynne a woman who was tall with a figure of elegance with dark glossy hair that threw off the sunshine and a face with a richness of complexion (Norton 455) stood on the scaffold holding her three-month-old clasping the infant to her chest not so much as a mother’s protection but a "conceal of a certain token" (Norton 454). Came time for her to reveal her punishment wearing the Scarlett letter A for adultery. As Hester stood on the scaffold being judged and ridiculed, she saw a familiar face in the crowd as she locked eyes with him, she came down with a deep sense of shame. That man would reveal himself as a doctor claiming he has never known or heard of Hester, but Hester knew the truth that man who she locked eyes with was her husband Roger Chillingworth. As Hester was escorted back to the jail shortly after her husband showed up acting as if he was a doctor to help Hester and Pearl and bringing them medicine that he had learned from the Native Americans while he was away many years in the woods as well as him being there to question who was the father of Pearl as Hester did not give up the name Chillingworth exclaimed
"I shall seek this man, as I have sought truth in books; as I have sought gold in alchemy. There is a sympathy that will make me conscious of him. I shall see him tremble. I shall feel my self shudder, suddenly and unawares. Sooner or later, he must needs be mine!" (Norton 467).

And so, Chillingworth kept his word and for many years he sought out his revenge on the man who took Hester from him leading to the cause of his own death as punishment of committing wrath one the seven deadly sins.

Reverend Dimmesdale a leader of the church, a man who was to uphold God and the bible did so the opposite. Dimmesdale fell in love with a married woman and conceived a child, as his lover Hester was upon the scaffold, he was the man questioning her about the father of Pearl knowing that he was indeed the 3-month-old father. He continued to question her in a way of telling the crowd who I am to you, but Hester would not budge and took on the punishment herself. Overcome with guilt Dimmesdale began to fall ill "He was often observed, on any slight alarm or other sudden accident, to put his hand over his heart, with first a flush and then a paleness, indicative of pain" (Norton 491). Dimmesdale began to feel so much guilt and shame over a period of years that one night while the whole town was asleep, and he thought he was alone walked upon the scaffold where Hester first stood in front of town during day light enduring the public humiliation of what she had done. Dimmesdale without effort began to shriek out loud that went through the town hoping that the towns people will walk upon him standing on the scaffold, but they did not wake. Instead walking through the night where Hester and Pearl and stumbled upon Dimmesdale on the scaffold they walked onto it as well and became united as a family confessing themselves as one.

As they thought the curse was broken and the guilt and shame were released, they planned on leaving for Europe as of family but that was not the case. Dimmesdale was still filled with guilt that he did not confess his sins to the towns people and began to become sicker. Seven years had passed since Pearl was born and it was Election day all the towns people gathered together as well as sailors and military men etc. Revered Dimmesdale decided to walk upon the scaffold and confess to in the dark and with no audience but instead in front of everyone during the day light. "ye, that have loved me! ?”ye, that have deemed me holy! ?”behold me here, the one sinner of the world! At last! ?”at last!" (Norton 565-564). At last the curse had been broken for the three and Pearls anguish had been fulfilled with knowing her father loved her and confessed that she was his daughter. As God awaited seven years for him to confess before he would be able to pass away from because God would not let Dimmesdale die a sinner without confessing Dimmesdale was now able to take his last breath.

Overall crime and punishment both operate in the Scarlet Letter by Hester Prynne committing adultery and sentenced to wear the Scarlet letter A on her chest not only to endure the shame and guilt to herself and so that everyone may know of what she has done. As for pearl she was the living example of the sin Hester had committed. As they would walk through the town children and towns people would gaze at them and the Scarlet letter on her chest. Although, Hester had to endure such shame by herself and having her daughter the symbol of what she had done as a constant reminder she decided to look at the good in her situation and decided to help the towns people with making garments but not wedding dress due to her adultery it was bad luck for her to do so, she would also help who were in need or ill regardless of how they had treated her. The A on her chest would now symbolize Abel and no longer the Adulterer that she was once labeled because of all to her kind acts for the towns people. As for Dimmesdale his punishment was within himself, he was haunted by his own guilt from not confessing that he was Pearls father.

He went threw many hardships trying to see himself right with God, Hester, and Pearl but could not bring himself to confess in front of the townspeople until seven years after Pearls birth on election day and with that his punishment was ultimately death. As for Chillingworth his crime was seeking revenge so much so that he embodied an evil presence as called the "Blackman" in Hawthorns the Scarlet Letter. Chilling worth used his medicine practice to lure on Dimmesdale soul after seeing the Scarlet letter upon his chest. Never ending the promise of finding who Hester lover was and seeing him tremble a but not physically killing for that was Gods duty to decide what he wanted to do with Dimmesdale. With so much hatred and revengefulness Chillingworth dies. Leaving everything to Pearl although, she was not his daughter she was the closet thing he had to a child because she was his wife child. Through all the hate shame guilt and revenge Hester and Pearl where able to move on with their lives leaving the town but later returning to their home on the outskirt of town. Where it is said Hester was stitching a baby dress symbolizing Pearl was now married and having a child of her own. Although this was a story of trials and tribulations in the end Pearl and Hester free of sins lived a happy ending to their life.

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