I Pity the Sinner

Eve took a bite of the apple--this was the first sin. Ruining the perfection of humans, letting sin manifest itself in every human onward, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden and had to fend for themselves. These two were God's beloved creations, tainted after the original transgression, and now, after possibly tens of thousands of years, does this sin make any difference in our lives? Many would say they don't feel the effects of this sin, nor think about it, nor believe it. Is time enough to forgive a sin?

In the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne builds pity for Hester, the sinner everyone is talking about; she is publicly shamed, cast out of the Puritan society, and stuck to raise a child alone. But why would Hawthorne want us to pity a sinner? She is an adulteress; she cheated on her husband; she is a sinner. Even if she did it for love, is she justified? If my neighbor (bless that grandma) cheated on her husband because she loved someone else, would that be okay? Like the Puritan society, we would label her an adulteress and shun her. "Regardless of your reason, you cheated," my teachers would say. Why should I pity a sinner?

"Forgiveness," Hawthorne will answer. After years of guilt and inner-torture, Hester is slowly accepted back into society. People start to realize her selflessness and pureness in her heart--they see the actual person instead of the sinner. As years pass, like Adam and Eve's first sin, it is slowly being forgotten in a way. Though I believe true forgiveness comes from God, is Hawthorne trying to say that sin is forgiven over time? Only time will tell.