The Effects and Implications of Sin in the Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne

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…resulting from this very same act impels Dimmesdale to act in an extreme manner: inflicting painful punishment on himself and publicly proclaiming and denouncing his actions. Chillingworth's physical and moral deterioration are the consequences of his own sin--his obsession with vengeance. Thus, sin is a common affliction prevalent among the characters in this novel--and furthermore, among all mankind. It is the manner in which sin affects a person that provides insight into the person's soul.