Scarlet letter 4
Scarlet letter 4A 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 usurping God's power, and the scarlet letter keeps Hester from living a miserable, guilty life such as the one led by Dimmesdale. Hester openly shows her scarlet letter and the sin she commits and as a result, this saves her from much grief and misery. Dimmesdale on the other hand, carries his sin which makes him sick and weak. This is the idea surrounding Wagenknecht.
From Hawthorne's point of view, he feels that a sin should not be delt with like a crime.
When he states that “The scarlet letter had not done its office”(160), Hawthorne shows that the
magistrates did not effectively punish Hester. 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...
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