7th Blog- Quote Analysis

A quote on page 196 of "The Scarlet letter" provides insight into how the character's feel. The quote, by the minister, reads, "May God forgive thee! Thou, too, hast deeply sinned!" This quote is very significant in that the man screaming for forgiveness in sucha way is a teacher and strong servant of the Lord, a minister. It's almost shocking to learn that someone who has so much religious influence in the community has not follwed what he had preached for years. it's relatable to a prisoner and a prison guard, in which the prison guard has a warrant for arrest. In this case, the prison guard is no better than the prisoner. However, appearance at that time kept the two from falling into the same moral category. The fact that the minister has come clean with God is a relief to him. Shortly after this scene, he tells Pearl that he is her father. They exchange kisses, but she secretly despises Hester for a while afterwards. In many ways, this quote is that of a hypocrite. In already saying that he didn't follow what he taught, it shows the minister to be hypocritical. This, in turn, makes him less influential in the community and certainly less-respected. The only thing the minister has to fall back on after this scene is that God is merciful. he repeats it to himself a few times, maybe out of worry, Either way, it's safe to say the minister had a large moment of weakness.