The author of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a fervent anti-transcendentalist who opposes the transcendentalists' naïve ideology in which they believe that people are always pure and good. Hypocrisy is a dominant theme throughout the novel, Scarlet Letter, as almost all of the main characters commit actions that go against their beliefs and virtues. The outcome of these hypocritical actions soon proves fatal as many characters are negatively impacted. Through the juxtaposition of Hester and Dimmesdale's hypocritical nature with Pearl's purity, Hawthorne reveals the true harmful effects of Puritan society on its individuals and the benefits of unorthodoxy in the prevailing community. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original EssayHester only caused more trouble for herself and her neighbors through her hypocritical actions which ultimately led to Dimmesdale's damnation. The purpose of the Scarlet Letter was to show society that Hester has committed a great sin and should be openly humiliated in front of everyone. Hester, though undeterred by society's intimidation, wore the scarlet letter without guilt because she believed that wearing it would relieve her of her guilt as it openly confessed all of her sins to the community and was an opportunity to start over. While Hester proudly wears the sign of guilt, she tells her fellow townspeople and even Chillingworth that they "will never know" (52) the true identity of her lover and is unwilling to confess his name. This is an act of hypocrisy as he fails to reveal the major part of his sin. Fearing that Chillingworth will seek revenge, Hester refuses to tell him even though he has been so lovely and kind to her. Chillingworth, suddenly enraged by Hester's reluctance to reveal her suitor's name, stated that "he will seek this man... he will see him tremble... he will feel me shudder... [and] he must be mine!" (52). The fear of the unknown and the unpredictability of Chillingworth's innate, wild behavior push Hester to use hypocrisy as a means of averting the conflict she faces. Hester's insistence on not revealing her lover's name pushed Chillingworth to find even more reasons to seek revenge on Dimmesdale. This soon led to Dimmesdale's downfall as Chillingworth stalks and mentally torments him until he nearly dies. Hester's hypocritical actions only caused harm to the people around her. Dimmesdale's moral conflict between his role as a minister and that of a sinner forces him to seek hypocrisy as a way to speak partial truths to his people. Dimmesdale is a God-fearing man who is caught between a relationship with a woman he loves dearly and his saintly reputation in society. When Dimmesdale agrees to start his life over after his meeting with Hester and Pearl in the woods, he immediately contradicts his ideology after rejecting Pearl's invitation to "stay...with her mother and her, tomorrow at noon" (105 ) on the scaffold. This shows that although he truly wants to free himself from all the burdens of sin, his concern for his reputation prevents him from doing things as society considers Dimmesdale "'[a] godly youth!' [and a] 'Saint on earth!'” (99). Dimmesdale's hypocritical views are not caused by Dimmesdale's characters, but rather by Puritan society. The Puritans have a strict spiritual policy where people are forced to abide by oppressive extremist beliefs. They believe that individuals should abandon their own individual desires and follow God's rules. Hawthorne shows that.