Yash Kothamdi

American Literature- 6
Mr. Dybzinski
10/19/15
Slipping into the Shadows
I.

Introduction
A. Attention Getter = To deny [what you feel] is to invite madness. To accept is to control.
(Megan Chance, The Spiritualist)
B. Preview of question = Hester Prynne, an adulteress is branded with the scarlet letter, a flashing
red A, to show her sin. She committed adultery with the Pastor, Dimmesdale, who her husband,
Chillingworth, is out to destroy, after he hears of this act. Dimmesdale hides his sin, whereas the
sin that Hester had committed was blatantly obvious as she had become pregnant. Hesters child
also becomes a constant reminder of her sin. Hester recognizes that she must repent for her sins
and begins working for the good of the town. She sees that Dimmesdale is being destroyed from
the inside out because Dimmesdale is having a very hard time keeping his sin under wraps. He
starts to lose himself, and Hester does not wish the same to happen to herself. Hester wishes to
control, she does not want to slip into madness.
C. Relevancy= Hesters dilemma is a common one faced throughout many centuries, by many
different people. She can either decide to leave, run from the sin that is so obvious, or she can
accept it and try to fix it. She, in the end, comes back to her town in New England, after they
have moved back to England, to repent for her sins long ago.
D. Thesis = Hester returns to her home in New England because she does not want to live the life a
shadow; she does not want to lose herself. She realizes that if she does not want lose herself, she
must accept her situation and try to repent for her sins in the same location where her downfall

II.

happened.
Body Paragraph #1: The Effects of becoming a shadow

A. Hester does not wish to become a shadow, a being that has no real point in existing. The
destructiveness of a shadowy, insubstantial life is evident in Dimmesdales case.
B. Dimmesdale tries to not become a shadow in many ways. Hawthorne writes,
To the untrue man, the whole universe is false,it is impalpable,it
shrinks to nothing within his grasp. And he himself, in so far as he shows
himself in a false light, becomes a shadow, or, indeed, ceases to exist. The
only truth, that continued to give Mr. Dimmesdale a real existence on this
earth, was the anguish in his inmost soul, and the undissembled expression
of it in his aspect. (125)
In this quotation, it is shown that if a person is untrue to himself he becomes
incapable of grasping anything in life. A person who is not honest with his own
sins, one who is constantly running from his fault cannot to any extent control
their life. Dimmesdale feels that he has become something without substances, or
meaning, a mere shadow. And, Hawthorne suggests through his portrayal of
Dimmesdale that any person who is almost a shadow will go to any length to give
meaning to his existence, which with Dimmesdale was the anguish in his inmost
soul. He held vigils, beat himself, and help fasts to give himself a real
existence.
C. Dimmesdale shares a likeness with Tom Walker, who realizes that he has made a mistake by
making a deal with the devil, and yet continues on with his life, constantly fearing the day when
the devil will come for him. In this same way, Dimmesdale is constantly fearful of the day when
his sin will be revealed to everyone.
D. Dimmesdale is a striking example of a shadow, living an existence that Hester does not wish to
stoop down to. Yet Hester in believing that she can repent for her sins in this life, while not truly

accepting that she has done something wrong, starts to become a shadow without realizing it.
Just as Dimmesdale uses pain to give himself meaning, Hester has her own symbol of meaning
in life: her scarlet letter.
III.
Body Paragraph #2: Hester meaning for existence
A. Hester wants to find a reason for living, one which she finds in her daughter, and the other in her
repentance.
B. Hester is talking to Chillingworth, when the conversation leads to the towns decisions on her
punishment. He says that because of her good deeds over the last few years, the towns people
are debating whether she should be allowed to take off the scarlet letter.
In reply to this Hester states
It lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badgeWere I
worthy to be quit of it, it would fall away of its own nature, or be
transformed into something that should speak a different purport. (144)
In this instance, Hester is saying that it is not in the hands of any mere
magistrates to take off her scarlet letter, rather, it is when she is worthy. Even
when she is worthy, she will not be the one to take it off of herself. She states that
is will fall away, almost as an act of providence. She also states that she will
consider herself forgiven in the eyes of god if the symbol that she wear on her
chest transforms and becomes known for another reason, rather than the adultery
that she had committed.
C. Hester in actuality has 2 scarlet letters. One is the symbol that she wears on her chest, and the
other is her daughter Pearl. Her daughter is the constant reminder of the sin that she has
committed, but will not fall away once she has repented for her sins.

D. Hester is constantly looking and trying to find meaning in her life so that she does not fall into a
the shadows, so that she does not lose herself, not only for her own sake but also for the sake of
her daughter.
IV. Body Paragraph # 4 Hester does not really accept her sin
A. Hesters scarlet letter becomes a symbol of goodwill and charity to the people,
due to all the good will that she spreads throughout the town. Despite this, Hester
does not feel truly redeemed. She becomes a person who is needed most in dark
times yet is almost shunned during times of peace because of her sin, almost in
the same fashion as the reverend in the Ministers Black Veil.
B. She eventually meets Dimmesdale in the forest, where they talk, and Hester
says
Thou are crushed under this seven years weight of misery replied
Hester, fervently resolved to buoy him up with her own energy. But
thou shalt leave it all behind thee! It shall not cumber thy steps, as
thou treadest along the forest-path; neither shalt thou freight the
ship with it, if thou prefer to cross the sea. Leave this wreak and
ruin here where it hath happened! Meddle no more with it! Begin anew! (170)
In this quotation, it can be seen that even though Hester has been redeemed in the
way that she thought she would be, she is still a shade. She is doing
good things, yet has not accepted that she has done something wrong.

C. She feels as if her forgiveness lies in running away with Dimmesdale. She still
thinks of her mistake as a wreak and ruin and how she wants to leave it behind
her.

V. Body Paragraph #3 = Hester wants a more real lifestyle.

A. Hester wishes to seek a more real and meaningful existence, not only for herself, but also for her
daughter.
B. In the final chapter of the book, Hawthorne writes,
But there was a more real life for Hester Prynne, here, in New England,
than in that unknown region where Pearl had found a home. Here had been
her sin; here, her sorrow; and here was yet to be her penitence. She had
returned, therefore, and resumed,of her own free will, for not the
sternest magistrate of that iron period would have imposed it,resumed
the symbol of which we have related so dark a tale. (225)
In this quotation, it can be seen that Hester found a more real life in New
England. She believed that running away to that unknown region was not right,
she needed to face her sins and not run. She needed to come back where she had
originally sinned, where such a large part of her life had been to feel as if she had
truly repented. There is once again the sternest magistrate who is unable to have
taken off her letter. This right is reserved for god alone.
C. In the Bible, it is written, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9). In this very way, Hester wishes to cleanse
herself and come before god knowing that she has done all that she could to seem less sinful.

D. Hester believes that she can be forgiven by accepting her truth, by not hiding under the false
pretense of good will or charity. She sees this when Dimmesdale openly admits his sins to the
entire town, which allows him to truly feel forgiven
E. Hester wishes to find solace and meaning in her devotion in this otherworldly pursuit. She does
not and cannot let herself become a shadow for the sake of Pearl, as she is just another person
she must love and accept as she is her sin.
VI. Conclusion
A. Hester Prynne, a woman who was originally an adulteress, becomes a symbol of wisdom for the
women of the town. In this her scarlet letter became a symbol of wisdom rather than sin. She
changed, transformed for the betterment of herself and her daughter, no matter how tough it was.
B. Hester, unlike many others, came back to solve her problems, facing them in the very end, and
not succumbing to the shadows. She found meaning and reason to come back.
C. As the very first quote in the paper states, running will only lead to more pain. Running will lead
to madness, or becoming a shadow. Accepting is the true moral of the story as acceptance lead
Hester to return to New England and face her sins, and being true with herself, became a figure
to look up to in that community.

Yash Kothamdi
American Literature- 6
Mr. Dybzinski
10/19/15
Slipping into the Shadows

To deny [what you feel] is to invite madness. To accept is to control. (Megan Chance,
The Spiritualist). Hester Prynne, an adulteress is branded with the scarlet letter, a flashing red A,
to show her sin. She committed adultery with the Pastor, Dimmesdale, who her husband,
Chillingworth, is out to destroy, after he hears of this act. Dimmesdale hides his sin, whereas the
sin that Hester had committed was blatantly obvious as she had become pregnant. Hesters child
also becomes a constant reminder of her sin. Hester recognizes that she must repent for her sins
and begins to work for the good of the town. She sees that Dimmesdale is being destroyed from
the inside out because Dimmesdale is having a very hard time keeping his sin under wraps. He
starts to lose himself, and Hester does not wish the same to happen to herself. Hester wishes to
control, she does not want to slip into madness. Hesters dilemma is a common one faced
throughout many centuries, by many different people. She can either decide to leave, run from
the sin that is so obvious, or she can accept it and try to fix it. She, in the end, comes back to her
town in New England, after they have moved back to England, to repent for her sins long ago.
Hester returns to her home in New England because she does not want to live the life a shadow;
she does not want to lose herself. She realizes that if she does not want lose herself, she must

accept her situation and try to repent for her sins in the same location where her downfall
happened.
Hester does not wish to become a shadow, a being that has no real point in existing. The
destructiveness of a shadowy, insubstantial life is evident in Dimmesdales case. Dimmesdale
tries to not become a shadow in many ways. Hawthorne writes,
To the untrue man, the whole universe is false,it is impalpable,it shrinks to nothing
within his grasp. And he himself, in so far as he shows himself in a false light, becomes a
shadow, or, indeed, ceases to exist. The only truth, that continued to give Mr.
Dimmesdale a real existence on this earth, was the anguish in his inmost soul, and the
undissembled expression of it in his aspect. (125)
In this quotation, it is shown that if a person is untrue to himself he becomes incapable of
grasping anything in life. A person who is not honest with his own sins, one who is constantly
running from his fault cannot to any extent control their life. Dimmesdale feels that he has
become something without substances, or meaning, a mere shadow. And, Hawthorne suggests
through his portrayal of Dimmesdale that any person who is almost a shadow will go to any
length to give meaning to his existence, which with Dimmesdale was the anguish in his inmost
soul. He held vigils, beat himself, and help fasts to give himself a real existence. Dimmesdale
shares a likeness with Tom Walker, who realizes that he has made a mistake by making a deal
with the devil, and yet continues on with his life, constantly fearing the day when the devil will
come for him. In this same way, Dimmesdale is constantly fearful of the day when his sin will be
revealed to everyone. Dimmesdale is a striking example of a shadow, living an existence that
Hester does not wish to stoop down to. Yet Hester in believing that she can repent for her sins in

this life, while not truly accepting that she has done something wrong, starts to become a shadow
without realizing it. Hester in the same way just as Dimmesdale uses pain to give himself
meaning, Hester has her own symbol of meaning in life: her scarlet letter.
Hester wants to find a reason for living, one which she finds in her daughter, and the
other in her repentance. Hester is talking to Chillingworth, when the conversation leads to the
towns decisions on her punishment. He says that because of her good deeds over the last few
years, the towns people are debating whether she should be allowed to take off the scarlet letter.
In reply to this Hester states It lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge
Were I worthy to be quit of it, it would fall away of its own nature, or be transformed into
something that should speak a different purport. (144) In this instance, Hester is saying that it is
not in the hands of any mere magistrates to take off her scarlet letter, rather, it is when she is
worthy. Even when she is worthy, she will not be the one to take it off of herself. She states
that is will fall away, almost as an act of providence. She also states that she will consider
herself forgiven in the eyes of god if the symbol that she wear on her chest transforms and
becomes known for another reason, rather than the adultery that she had committed. Hester in
actuality has 2 scarlet letters. One is the symbol that she wears on her chest, and the other is her
daughter Pearl. Her daughter is the constant reminder of the sin that she has committed, but will
not fall away once she has repented for her sins. Hester is constantly looking and trying to find
meaning in her life so that she does not fall into a the shadows, so that she does not lose herself,
not only for her own sake but also for the sake of her daughter.
Hesters scarlet letter becomes a symbol of goodwill and charity to the people, due to all
the good will that she spreads throughout the town. She becomes a person who is needed most in

dark times yet is almost shunned during times of peace because of her sin, almost in the same
fashion as the reverend in the Ministers Black Veil.Despite this, Hester does not feel truly
redeemed. She eventually meets Dimmesdale in the forest, where they talk, and Hester says
Thou are crushed under this seven years weight of misery replied
Hester, fervently resolved to buoy him up with her own energy. But
thou shalt leave it all behind thee! It shall not cumber thy steps, as
thou treadest along the forest-path; neither shalt thou freight the
ship with it, if thou prefer to cross the sea. Leave this wreak and
ruin here where it hath happened! Meddle no more with it! Begin anew! (170)
In this quotation, it can be seen that even though Hester has been redeemed in the way that she
thought she would be, she is still a shade. She is doing good things, yet has not accepted that she
has done something wrong. She feels as if her forgiveness lies in running away with
Dimmesdale. She still thinks of her mistake as a wreak and ruin and how she wants to leave it
behind her.
Hester wishes to seek a more real and meaningful existence, not only for herself, but also
for her daughter. In the final chapter of the book, when Hester has come back to New England,
Hawthorne writes,
But there was a more real life for Hester Prynne, here, in New England, than in that
unknown region where Pearl had found a home. Here had been her sin; here, her sorrow;
and here was yet to be her penitence. She had returned, therefore, and resumed,of her

own free will, for not the sternest magistrate of that iron period would have imposed it,
resumed the symbol of which we have related so dark a tale. (225)
In this quotation, it can be seen that Hester found a more real life in New England. She
believed that running away to that unknown region was not right, she needed to face her sins
and not run. She needed to come back where she had originally sinned, where such a large part
of her life had been to feel as if she had truly repented. There is once again the sternest
magistrate who is unable to have taken off her letter. This right is reserved for god alone. In the
Bible, it is written, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9). In this very way, Hester wishes to cleanse
herself and come before god knowing that she has done all that she could to seem less sinful.
Hester believes that she can be forgiven by accepting her truth, by not hiding under the false
pretense of good will or charity. She sees this when Dimmesdale openly admits his sins to the
entire town, which allows him to truly feel forgiven. Hester wishes to find solace and meaning in
her devotion in this otherworldly pursuit. She does not and cannot let herself become a shadow
for the sake of Pearl, as she is just another person she must love and accept as she is her sin.
Hester Prynne, a woman who was originally an adulteress, becomes a symbol of wisdom
for the women of the town. In this her scarlet letter became a symbol of wisdom rather than sin.
She changed, transformed for the betterment of herself and her daughter, no matter how tough it
was. Hester, unlike many others, came back to solve her problems, facing them in the very end,
and not succumbing to the shadows. She found meaning and reason to come back. As the very
first quote in the paper states, running will only lead more pain. Running will lead to madness, or
becoming a shadow. Accepting is the true moral of the story as acceptance is what lead Hester to

return to New England and face her sins, and being true with herself, became a figure to look up
to in that community.