They must suffer to be strong: The resilience of human spirit
Suffering is the bane of humanity, as it wrecks physical and emotional harmony. Contrary to the assertion that suffering is meaningless, it is capable of strengthening the human resolve. The characters of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, must grapple with emotional pain that threatens to destroy them wholeheartedly. But Hawthorne conveys the idea that suffering is the key to making one stronger, and he develops his characters through the agony they experience.
Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne's Scarlet Letter to convey the symbolism of stigma and oppression, but also to act as a catalyst that will eventually cause her to triumph over its negative effects on her soul. Originally, the Scarlet Letter has "such potent and disastrous efficacy", that "no human sympathy" (91) can reach Hester. Hawthorne capitalizes on the Puritans fear of sin, and so the Scarlet Letter acts as a tangible caveat that drives them away. Hester must bear the terrible burden of being ostracized from her community due to her crimes against the Almighty, as well as Puritan morals. But as "the tendency of her fame and fortunes [...] set her free", Hester's Scarlet Letter becomes a "passport into regions where other women dar[e] not tread" (190). By committing adultery, Hester has discarded her Puritan ethics, but at the same time gains a new sense of freedom that will eventually triumph over the stigma of the insidious 'A'. Hawthorne transforms the Scarlet Letter from a curse to a blessing, just as Hester turns it from a blot of shame into a badge of honor. Hester transcends her initial suffering, and channels her energy into helping others, impressing the Puritans with her compassion. The townsfolk comment that the Scarlet Letter A actually stands for 'Able', instead of the damnable sin that excludes Hester from society in the first place. Recognizing that the Scarlet Letter is no longer a burden of pain, Hester casts it off in the untamed forest, reclaiming "her sex, her youth, and the whole richness of her beauty" (192) that she had lost in her initial moments of suffering and humiliation.
Like Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale suffers from the guilt of his sinful actions, but in secret. Hawthorne develops Dimmesdale's character around this guilt, but more subtly. At first the guilt is manifested as "some black trouble of the soul" (138) that ails the minister. Dimmesdale feels that his affair with Hester Prynne has made his dark Puritan robe even blacker from the soot of sin. But since he does not possess the inner strength to eliminate these guilty feelings, Dimmesdale resorts to resting a hand over his heart as a way of restraining his troubled spirit. This conflict of the soul seems to create two Arthur Dimmesdales, the reverent minister and the cowardly sinner. Hawthorne utilizes the former persona to act as a virtuous preacher, while the latter hides in the shadows, only emerging to taunt Dimmesdale of his wrongdoings. When the sinner's "violence of passion" clashes with Dimmesdale's "purer, softer qualities" (185), the ensuing conflict ravages the minister's body and soul. It rages on until the minister finally meets with Hester, where he finally sees a way to escape the guilt that confronts him. For the first time, Dimmesdale is able to acknowledge his adulterous shame and cast it off, like Hester does with her Scarlet Letter. With Hester's strength, Dimmesdale "escape[s]from the dungeon of his own heart" (191), and relinquishes the guilt that plagues him. Arming himself with courage, he then ascends to the scaffolding with Hester and Pearl, where he acknowledges to the world that he is a sinner. Finally, Dimmesdale embraces his "death of triumphant ignominy before the people" (239), and passes into the next world, free from his suffering at last. Dimmesdale is able to overcome his culpable self to become a man of purity, and his glorious death reflects this triumph over pain.
Roger Chillingworth and Pearl represent the pinnacle of suffering and joy, respectively. Hawthorne contrasts these characters to show the striking difference between the opposite ends of humanity's emotional spectrum. Chillingworth, the decrepit old man, tortures his victims with "frightful dreams and desperate thoughts" (165), all the while pretending to be their ally and confidant. It is a cruel irony that Chillingworth is a doctor, for his presence is a blight upon the health of his victims. He "transforms himself into a devil" (163) to satisfy his sadistic pleasures. Like the parasitic leech, Chillingworth feeds relentlessly off Arthur Dimmesdale's tortured soul, to a point where the minister must rely on Chillingworth to keep him alive. In contrast, the sprightly Pearl is full of life and promise, generating such energy that her mother believes she is a fairy in disguise. Pearl is "fair and pure as a lily that [has] bloomed in Paradise"(207), despite the fact that she is born out of sin. But unlike Chillingworth, Pearl does not gain pleasure from torturing others. Instead, she celebrates life by communing with nature. Even though she is only a child, Pearl appears to understand the sanctity of life. Eventually the fates of Chillingworth and Pearl are decided by Hawthorne's pen, where suffering dies away and joy triumphs.
Though Kurtz's life and death impact Marlow, he finds it difficult to reconcile the reality of Kurtz's passing to his Intended, a woman who loved Kurtz deeply. Marlow tries to assure her that Kurtz's end was "in every way worthy of his life" (173), but knows that Kurtz's final burial was anything but such. The Intended, like most Europeans, does not understand how Africa changes men so easily. Marlow notes how she "was out of it completely" (154), living in a "beautiful world" (154) that would not simply accept atrocities like Kurtz decapitating his own followers. In her naiveté, the Intended believes that she was the only thing Kurtz cherished. Yet Marlow understands how Kurtz spoke of the Intended only as a possession, never as a person. It would be impossible to reveal the truth, as she sincerely believes that she "knew him the best" (172). When confronted about the nature of Kurtz's death, Marlow lies for fear that it would be "too dark altogether" (173) for the woman. Rather, Marlow would prefer that the Intended remain oblivious about her beloved than giving her the truth, that "many powers of darkness" (155) claimed Kurtz before he succumbed to death. Though he could choose to tell the Intended how Kurtz actually died, Marlow cannot find it in himself to break the heart of a woman whom he has "infinite pity" (173) for. So Marlow tells the Intended that it was "her name" (173) that Kurtz pronounced at his deathbed, even though Marlow "can't bear a lie" (140). Marlow's decision to lie to the Intended reveals his unwillingness to relive the details of Kurtz's death. To see a man of remarkable talents waste away into nothingness and then buried without concern pains Marlow, so he spares the Intended the burden about knowing the reality of her beloved's end.
Hawthorne writes about how mankind can grow stronger through pain. Yet in this modern era, mankind fears suffering as they believe they can overcome any problem with modern technology. People must come to understand that suffering is natural, that no one is immune from its terrible effects on the human heart. But if humanity were to adhere to the examples of Hester and Dimmesdale, they can overcome their initial fear of pain, and rise above it. Depending on their choice between the joy of life as seen in Pearl or the sadistic greed of Chillingworth, Man can become prosperous or bring ruin upon himself. If humanity were to see the hopeful message of The Scarlet Letter, they could see that suffering is a virtue in disguise, one that allows Man to see his faults and weaknesses laid out before him, and perhaps correct them. The novel explains that suffering is meant to test the human resolve, in order to make them grow. For it is a terrible thing to suffer; yet it is a beautiful thing to suffer and be strong.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Signet Classic, 1959.
Analysis
This example English paper attempts to grapple with the large amount of suffering that takes place in Hawthorne's novel. It presents an intriguing idea - that suffering is tailored to the individual, and that we can learn more about the characters by studying their respective agonies. However, despite the number of quotes used in this essay, the author does not convey this idea clearly in some areas.
The essay could be greatly improved by strengthening the thesis. The author writes: "But Hawthorne conveys the idea that suffering is the key to making one stronger, and he develops his characters through the agony they experience." While the author presents a decent argument, the thesis is not particularly eye-catching. Just a little elaboration could help, for example: "The punishments inflicted upon Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmsdale seem to reflect their personalities and the reader can watch the characters evolve as they try to conquer their personal demons." Just invoking the characters' names improves the thesis!
The paragraphs about Hester and Dimmsdale by themselves are acceptable, but the paragraph about Roger Chillingworth and Pearl does not seem to match the author's stated thesis. Instead, the essay takes a new direction by explaining how suffering and joy are epitomized in these two characters. Unfortunately, this paragraph as it currently stands seems tacked on to the essay and does not add much substance, besides a greater word count. However, the paragraph could be improved if it suggested how Chillingworth "suffers" even though he is the antagonist. Such a change would be in line with the thesis and take the essay in a different, but welcome direction.
Since this paper primarily suffers from organizational issues, the author should reexamine their outline and read the paper out loud. These two solutions will catch such errors.
1,084 words / 5 pages
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