Dimmesdale's Body And Soul In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter was written in 1850. This book was written by Nathanial Hawthorne. He wrote the book to apologize because he was embarrassed about his ancestors. This book is about a puritan woman who commits the sin of adultery. The puritans did not want the government controlling them so that’s why they came to America. Hawthorne wrote this book to show that guilt can destroy a person’s body and soul. In this book Hawthorne shows how the character Dimmesdale destroys himself his body and his soul alike.
Dimmesdale’s self-hatred and inability to confess drive him to the practice of flogging himself, fasting and keeping vigils, all of which weaken his body. Describing the self-abuse, Hawthorne writes, “In Mr. Dimmesdale’s secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge. Oftentimes this protestant and Puritan divine had plied it on his own shoulders… but could not purify himself” (90-100). The deterioration of the minister’s health certainly must be due, at least in part, to open sores caused by self-flagellation, to starvation, and to sleep …show more content…
When Chillingworth finds the letter A on Dimmesdale’s chest he is freaked because he knows who the father of his child is. This is important for many reasons the main one being that Dimmesdale has cause himself great bodily harm. This is showed when “Laid his hand…eye……” (95). This shows that he has caused himself great bodily discomfort. Another way in which he shows that his body is being destroyed is when he whips himself with a whip constantly. This is showed when “and thus while standing…bodily pain” (102). Dimmesdale destroys his soul constantly and this time it is by being remorse and cowardice. This is explained when “Why, then, had he come hither?...the agony of heaven-defying guilt and vain repentance” (101). This shows that Dimmesdale completely destroys him self in so many different
The Scarlet Letter was written in 1850. This book was written by Nathanial Hawthorne. He wrote the book to apologize because he was embarrassed about his ancestors. This book is about a puritan woman who commits the sin of adultery. The puritans did not want the government controlling them so that’s why they came to America. Hawthorne wrote this book to show that guilt can destroy a person’s body and soul. In this book Hawthorne shows how the character Dimmesdale destroys himself his body and his soul alike.
Dimmesdale’s self-hatred and inability to confess drive him to the practice of flogging himself, fasting and keeping vigils, all of which weaken his body. Describing the self-abuse, Hawthorne writes, “In Mr. Dimmesdale’s secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge. Oftentimes this protestant and Puritan divine had plied it on his own shoulders… but could not purify himself” (90-100). The deterioration of the minister’s health certainly must be due, at least in part, to open sores caused by self-flagellation, to starvation, and to sleep …show more content…
When Chillingworth finds the letter A on Dimmesdale’s chest he is freaked because he knows who the father of his child is. This is important for many reasons the main one being that Dimmesdale has cause himself great bodily harm. This is showed when “Laid his hand…eye……” (95). This shows that he has caused himself great bodily discomfort. Another way in which he shows that his body is being destroyed is when he whips himself with a whip constantly. This is showed when “and thus while standing…bodily pain” (102). Dimmesdale destroys his soul constantly and this time it is by being remorse and cowardice. This is explained when “Why, then, had he come hither?...the agony of heaven-defying guilt and vain repentance” (101). This shows that Dimmesdale completely destroys him self in so many different