The Deadly Sin of Bearing False Witness - About the effects of prevaricating in the books A Tale of Two Cities and The Scarlet Letter

The ninth commandment tells man not to give false witness.(Exodus 20:16) Nathaniel Hawthorn and Charles Dickens in their novels The Scarlet Letter and A Tale of Two Cities, respectively, both use punishment for deception as a recurring theme. Although they do so to different degrees and in dissimilar manners, both authors agree that deception is a sin that requires punishment.         In The Scarlet Letter, the heroine, Hester Prynne conceived a child out of wedlock. Despite …

…and unnatural demises. Another difference was the fate of the others. Hawthorn let Hester Prynne live, but she lived alone and without comfort for her past. On the other hand, Charles Darnay and Dr. Manette both escaped the consequences of their dupery and went on to live with happiness.         Whether by death, humiliation, or difficult trials, Nathaniel Hawthorn and Charles Dickens imprint upon the readers mind, that deception is an offense and must be punished.