A Comparison of Hawthornes Scarlet Letter and the Garden of Eden Essay

Parallels Between The Scarlet Letter and the Garden of Eden In Hawthornes intricately woven humbug The Scarlet Letter, his characters create a mate theme with the Biblical story of Original Sin. By examining the characters and their interactions and insights about each other, one fucking examine the symbolic parallels with the Garden of Eden. One aspect of the Garden of Eden theme is portrayed by the connection of Hester and Dimmesdale. Hesters story parallels Eve, the original mother of mankind, a woman exiled from the new Garden of Eden due to an unforgivable wrong. She is doomed forever to walk outside the garden, no longer able to partake of the fruits of paradise, debar from reentry by presumable divine intervention. Hester is the temptress of Dimmesdale, offering him the fruit of good and evil which, heretofore, removes all naivete and forces him to walk, tortured, through the world with the knowledge of right, wrong, and the magnitude of his sin seeming to deal hi m at each new turn of the dim path down which he walks. Dimmesdale is a fallen hero, one of Gods chosen, who has fallen from floor in the trice of his original sin. He, also, is excluded form society because once his eyes are opened with the knowledge of good and evil, he cannot remain a admittedly member of the blind, child-like puritan society. Instead of leading the life of brilliance one would expect to arise from Dimmesdales profound faith, he is ever tortured by his dishonorable appearance. He imagines, A herd of diabolic shapes grinned and mocked at the pale minister, and beckoned him away with them (Hawthorne 141). Thus, Dimmesdale provides his own character insight as he examines his divided character and his appearance. He re... ...ne 168). Thus, Chillingworth handsomely finishes the parallel of Original Sin, ensconcing himself in darkness and malevolent desires. By examining thematic links to the story of the downfall of man, one can trace a new take aim of cha racter insight. One examines the role of Adam, Eve, and the Devil in the New Garden of Eden, following their sin and exile closely in the characters of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. working Cited and Consulted Canby, Henry S. A Skeptic Incompatible with His Time and His Past. Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne (pp. 55- 63). San Diego Greenhaven. 1996. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York St. Martins, 1991. Scharnhorst, Gary. The Critical Response to Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter. New York Greenwood, 1992. The Holy Bible. KJV. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville. 1984. A Comparison of Hawthornes Scarlet Letter and the Garden of Eden EssayParallels Between The Scarlet Letter and the Garden of Eden In Hawthornes intricately woven tale The Scarlet Letter, his characters create a parallel theme with the Biblical story of Original Sin. By examining the characters and their interactions and insights about each other, one can examine the s ymbolic parallels with the Garden of Eden. One aspect of the Garden of Eden theme is portrayed by the connection of Hester and Dimmesdale. Hesters story parallels Eve, the original mother of mankind, a woman exiled from the New Garden of Eden due to an unforgivable sin. She is doomed forever to walk outside the garden, no longer able to partake of the fruits of paradise, barred from reentry by seeming divine intervention. Hester is the temptress of Dimmesdale, offering him the fruit of good and evil which, heretofore, removes all naivete and forces him to walk, tortured, through the world with the knowledge of right, wrong, and the magnitude of his sin seeming to accost him at each new turn of the dim path down which he walks. Dimmesdale is a fallen hero, one of Gods chosen, who has fallen from grace in the moment of his original sin. He, also, is excluded form society because once his eyes are opened with the knowledge of good and evil, he cannot remain a true member of the bli nd, child-like Puritan society. Instead of leading the life of brilliance one would expect to arise from Dimmesdales profound faith, he is ever tortured by his two-faced appearance. He imagines, A herd of diabolic shapes grinned and mocked at the pale minister, and beckoned him away with them (Hawthorne 141). Thus, Dimmesdale provides his own character insight as he examines his divided character and his appearance. He re... ...ne 168). Thus, Chillingworth handsomely finishes the parallel of Original Sin, ensconcing himself in darkness and malevolent desires. By examining thematic links to the story of the downfall of man, one can trace a new level of character insight. One examines the role of Adam, Eve, and the Devil in the New Garden of Eden, following their sin and exile closely in the characters of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Works Cited and Consulted Canby, Henry S. A Skeptic Incompatible with His Time and His Past. Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne (pp. 55- 63) . San Diego Greenhaven. 1996. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York St. Martins, 1991. Scharnhorst, Gary. The Critical Response to Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter. New York Greenwood, 1992. The Holy Bible. KJV. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville. 1984.