Emma Gira
October 31

STAARS written in TEARS format

In the historical fiction novel, The Scarlet Letter, the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne discusses one major subject of confession. Nathaniel Hawthorne describes how the confession of sins, although hard to bear in the beginning, can ultimately save a person from a life of shame and depression. Confessing and displaying one's sin proudly and without embarrassment can cause others to eventually come to respect that person. In the novel confession is viewed as important, respectable and necesary. Hawthorne appears to be sending this message to any reader who may feel ashamed or eaten up inside due to an unconfessed sin. In the novel, Reverend Dimmesdale, appears to be sickly, but his apparent illness is due to the misery of hiding his secret for so many years and not confessing it with Hester. This is shown when the reverend meets Hester in the forest. "Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment for seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what i am!" (200).