Quote Response #6- The Scarlet Letter

    In chapter twenty-four of, The Scarlet Letter, there is a quote that teaches the reader a moral lesson. The quote is rather simple and can be found on page 199 in the chapter that is referred to as the conclusion. The quote reads, “Be True! Be True! Be True! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!” I believe this quote to mean that you should always be true to yourself, as well as to the world. You should never fabricate your life because doing so will surely only end up badly in the end. The use of repetition of the phrase, “Be true!”, allows the reader to realize how important it is to literally be true to yourself and others. Along with being true, the quote also encourages the reader to show the world that you are capable of making mistakes and therefore not perfect.
    This quote is very important to the story, as well as to our world today. Although Hester Prynne chooses to be true to herself and others, Arthur Dimmesdale did not choose to do the same. He lives a life full of lies and even when the guilt starts to damage his health, he still chooses to put on a false exterior. He wanted people to see him as the holy man that he thought he was deserving of. Even though he wanted people to view him as a holy man, he was still slowly dying from the guilt he felt from not being a honest and true person.
    The significance of this quote is rather high in this case. People in our world today can also surely relate to this tale. While it may be easier for people to live behind a fake front, it is typically not the best route to go. The lies start to intertwine and pile on top of each other, which can cause many more problems than it is worth. The bottom line is that honesty is the way to go from the beginning. If you are honest about your life from the start, there is no way that you can go wrong. Although you may feel self conscious about sharing your biggest mistakes in your life, people do respect honesty. In the end, honesty is definitely key.