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A critic, Edward Wagenknecht explains that the scarlet letter upon Hester's breast in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter "had not done its office." This means that the actions of the magistrates punishing Hester for her sin is like usurpi ....

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... Furthermore, Hawthorne shows that the magistrates are arrogating God’s power. Thus, he feels that only God can effectively punish sin and that anything otherwise is sacrilegious. The scarlet letter upon Hester does not chastise her but only prevents Hester from grievance and unhappiness. Moreover, Dimmesdale does not show any sign of sin to the public and this causes him to suffer with guilt. “Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!” (183), examplifies Dimmesdale's misery and pain. Furthermore, Hawthorne shows how Hester becomes stronger as a result of the sca ...