Confession In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

When analyzing the countless number of religions world wide one can't help but notice the recurrent belief in confession. Confession is defined as admitting or acknowledging some form of fault. Along with confession comes the freedom from one's guilt and anxiety. In “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Dimmesdale is a puritan minister who undergoes drastic changes physically and mentally because he would not confess to adultery. In this 17th century society, public acknowledgement of sin is necessary by law and religion. Due to Dimmesdale’s type of sin he finds it difficult to confess to the public; this may be because of his position as a minister and his fear of his communities consequences.
From the 17th century to the 21st,
Dimmesdale refuses to stand with Pearl and his mistress Hester Prynne for their sins, but instead he claims that he would stand with them only before god himself. This supports his belief in salvation by faith rather than by works because he decides to only tell God of his sin and leave it a secret to the public. By telling the public it would be seen as a work in his own eyes meaning that public confession would be against his own beliefs therefore disabling him from his own confession. Pastors which are expected to be holy people tend to stray from sin. In the event that they do sin, it is never major. As a highly respected minister, Dimmesdale’s sins seem to be pushed to the side. Instead of the pastors sins making him look bad, the congregation seems to flip it and make themselves look bad. In the text, it is stated on behalf of his followers, “Alas, if he discern such sinfulness in his own white soul, what horrible spectacle would he behold in thine or mine”(Hawthorne 141)! The point that his church is trying to get across is