My essential question was how does guilt influence fate in the Scarlet Letter which falls between the psychological category. Guilt influences fate in the Scarlet Letter with spiritual tendencies and moral trajectory. As showed in the book, Dimmesdale symbolizes guilt over what is called to be his secret sin. He keeps, having an affair with Hester, hidden which leads to the downfall of his mental and physical health. Hester shows that people can escape guilt by accepting herself in the wrong. With time throughout the novel, she is known to be a well-respected person to the townspeople.

My article was named “Fate and Guilt in Schiller’s Die.” This article uses similar references to the Scarlet Letter with its spiritual tendencies and on how a character can be tempted to do such sin. This relates to my topic by explaining mortal downfall on characters after they sin. It’s how someone treats their guilt and deals with it which will ultimately lead to the outcome of an improved or a declined future for oneself. Like Dimmesdale, he keeps what he did to himself and never seeks on how to accept his sin, while Hester improves as a character as she exposed and accepted that she was in the wrong. This article, in all, summarizes the main points of guilt and fate and how they collide with eachother.

“She can cover the mark however she likes, but it will still weigh on her heart.” (Hawthorne 81)

This quote is ironic as she used the Scarlet Letter as a lesson learned, and she eventually improves as a character later in the novel. Hester dealt with the consequences and let God plan out her future. She learnt how to deal with criticism and not let other people get into her head. She became a better, more independent hard-working person.