Student Essay on Hawthorne's View of Good and Evil is Evident in Humanity

Argument of how Nathaniel Hawthorne's view of good and evil is evident in people.

Are men good? Or are they evil? In Nathaniel Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter, the author clearly believes that all humans are not purely good or evil, but they are an intertwining of both good and evil. To deliver this idea, Hawthorne uses his three main characters, Hester, Reverend Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. Hester confesses and accepts the punishment of her sin, but at heart, she is not truly repentant. Reverend Dimmesdale is also a sinner but unlike Hester, does not confess but in the midst of living a lie, he is also truthful. For the mysterious physician, Roger Chillingworth, he is considered as the "worst sinner"(191). However, in contrast, he still shows compassion toward Hester and Pearl. Through his characters, Hawthorne presents his belief in the anti transcendentalistic idea of both good and evil within people......