The Scarlet Letter Theme of Sin

Sin is clearly a matter of great importance in the mid-17th century Puritan community of The Scarlet Letter, as religious sin is associated with breaking the law. In this novel, we see a hierarchy of sins. Roger Chillingworth’s pursuit of revenge is deemed a "worse sin" than the passion that led Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale to commit adultery. No character in the book questions the idea that sin should be punished, and all recognize that sin will be punished, if not here on earth by man, than by God after death. Committing sin is regarded as willfully allowing the Black Man (Satan) to place his mark upon your soul.

1. Why is Chillingworth’s sin deemed the worst sin of all by both Hester and Dimmesdale?
2. How and why is sin a communal, collective problem in The Scarlet Letter?

Although sin can be a personal act committed in secret, it has an ongoing legacy that affects not just the person who commits the sin, but the larger community surrounding him.

Although Hester and Dimmesdale’s sin is punished both by man and by God, it is Chillingworth whose very nature is transformed and twisted into a devil-like state by his cold-blooded pursuit of revenge.