Imperfections: "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The characters in "The Scarlet Letter" deceive themselves by hiding their identities behind false truths, which hinders their knowledge and understanding. Nathaniel Hawthorne summarizes the necessity of honesty when Hester states, "In all things else, I have striven to be true! Truth was the one virtue which I might have held fast, and did hold fast through all extremity . . . a lie is never good, even though death threaten on the other side!" (191). Honesty is crucial …

…as if the dust of the two sleepers had no right to mingle" (261). Dimmesdale's fear and insecurity kept the lovers from peace even in the afterlife. Overall, both men hide behind lies for individual purposes: Chillingworth for revenge, and Dimmesdale to keep his respectable reputation. In order to achieve this specific goal, they each sacrificed their potential for self-growth. Hawthorne uses Hester as a model to show that although truth unveils imperfections, it allows freedom.