Secrets

Secrets are both good and bad--a light in the darkness or darkness in the light. Most of the time, secrets are created because the owner doesn't want anyone else to know about an important fact or piece of information. From a secret surprise party being planned to a secret guilt devouring one's soul away, secrets are everywhere, whether you know it or not.

In the Scarlet Letter, there are two major secrets that take time to be revealed. First is Hester and Chillingworth's prior relationship. This secret was not told until Dimmesdale was at his weakest physical and emotional point. Arguably, it was told at too late a time to save him. Next is Hester and Dimmesdale's affair. This secret is the main source of conflict throughout the novel. It's what drives Chillingworth to transform from a noble scholar to a parasitic leech, sucking away on Dimmesdale's life. It is the "ultimate" sin that occurs and what the whole story is based off of.

Some secrets are meant to be revealed, while others are meant to stay hidden in the shadows. There can be many ways in which secrets are spread. They can be told one by one until a large population eventually finds out, similar to perfume exhibiting diffusion in an open room, spreading from a high concentration to a lower concentration. Secrets can also be told to a large mass of people at one time, just as Dimmesdale did. While the revealing of some secrets may have negligible effects on the individual, other secrets may profoundly impact his/her life. Sadly for Dimmesdale, his catharsis caused his death, but he died an honorable death in the eyes of the people.

You can't control secrets. You can, however, control when and if a secret becomes a public fact. Although secrets are often found out, some are meant to never be revealed.