Scarlet Letter Themes

One of the most noticeable themes within The Scarlet Letter is sin and knowledge about life and humanity. There is a lot of similarity to the story of Adam and Eve, who were banished from the Garden of Eden for eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They were required to work and to have children, both of them “define” humanity. The experience of Hester and Dimmesdale is similar because in both cases, sin results in eviction and agony. Yet at the same time they learn what it means to be human. For Hester, the scarlet letter allowed her to begin thinking for herself and act more boldly, whic...