Well, what a sad situation we have here. Hawthorne seems to point to the very personal consequences of sin as the most extreme suffering. Indeed, for all involved it was excruciating pain they endured. Notice how cleverly the author names the characters.
The way each of the three involved handled their pain and hurt seemed so unnecessary. Hester bore her shame openly, yet penitently. The way she held on to her sin and lived for it daily was a way for her to justify herself and enjoy her misery. But to her credit she handled her social circumstances with strength and honor. Her obsession with her sin had an effect on her relationship with Pearl which was a repercussion of her choice to cling to her past. Chillingsworth killed his spirit with revenge. Dimmsdale had the greatest consequence in my opinion. He allowed himself to become slightly insane. I can think of no greater torment than that created by ones own psyche where the adversary was allowed to gain possession of the mind and heart. It may be a type of pain those assigned to anything other than the Celestial Kingdom at the final judgement may experience in varying degrees. The guilt that will not be relieved. It is all by choice. God is waiting to forgive.
There are many other angles to examine in this novel which is probably one of the reasons it has withstood the test of time and remains as a classic. For example; there is far more to discuss on the choices the three made, sin's repercussions on the innocent, the social response to sin, deathbed repentance, revenge, forgiveness, the difference between facilitating God's laws and man's laws, and the religious beliefs of the period verses superstitions, or were they combined?
This is a great book for discussion.
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