Preview

Mr X Clues In The Scarlet Letter

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
701 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Mr X Clues In The Scarlet Letter
Mr. X clues essay

In chapter three of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne there are clues that point to the father of Pearl, or Mr. X. The first of these clues or details was the fact that when John Wilson asked Reverend Dimmesdale if he was going to be the one to determine the fate of Hester Prynne, or if Wilson himself was going to have to determine Hester Prynne’s fate, Dimmesdale hesitated. He didn’t want to be the one to determine Hester’s fate because he feared what Hester’s response would be and feared that she would give him up as her lover. The second clue or detail that reveals Mr. X’s identity is when Dimmesdale is asking Hester to reveal who her fellow sinner is, he does it in a soft, kind tone. “The young pastor’s voice
…show more content…
X’s identity is when Hester refuses to reveal the name of her fellow sinner/adulterer; Dimmesdale holds his heart in relief and drew back with respiration, relieved and happy that Hester did not reveal that he was her fellow sinner/adulterer and lover. Also, in the next paragraph, it says that Dimmesdale had carefully prepared himself for this moment most likely because he knew that Hester could give him up. That is why he “drew back, with a long respiration.” The fifth and final clue or detail that can lead to Pearl’s father/Mr. X’s identity is when Reverend Dimmesdale is saying that Hester will not reveal the name of her lover and fellow sinner/adulterer, he comments on the strength and generosity of a woman’s heart. He is grateful for that strength and generosity because without it he easily could have been given up by Hester as her lover and fellow sinner/adulterer, which would have gotten him in a lot of trouble with Mr. Wilson and Governor Bellingham, and would have gotten him exiled from the rest of the town and townspeople, just like Hester Prynne was. All of these clues or details point to the identity of Mr. X, or the father of Pearl. Mr. X is Reverend Arthur

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Person Vs. Society – Dimmesdale fears that only the worst will happen if the town finds out that he is the father of Pearl and the companion of Hester. This is also ironic because the scarlet A has done the exact opposite for Hester. She has become a much appreciated citizen of the society[situational].…

    • 710 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Scarlet Letter Questions

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What does Dimmesdale blame Hester for? 3.…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Arthur Dimmesdale is the pastor of this small puritan town, who has a secret affair with this girl named Hester Prynne. Hester gets pregnant and is publicly shamed in front of everyone in the town. Dimmesdale decides not to come out and tell everyone that he is her lover, by not doing this Dimmesdale causes himself great emotional pain. Most people just inferred that Dimmesdale would never do anything like this and didn't even think to question him. Unlike Ms. Prynne who confronts her guilt and shame early on in the story, Dimmesdale holds onto his guilt secretly until he finally goes through a process of, at first blaming Hester, then realizing that it wasn't all her fault, to having such strong guilt that he starts hurting himself, to doubting that he will ever get better, after which he comes out and shows everyone his scarlet letter, this…

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the first scaffold scene Dimmesdale is aware of his guilt and hypocrisy when he questions Hester but is too cowardly to confess his sin. Hester, while holding her child, stands in front of the public on the scaffold enduring humiliation and trial from the authorities of the town, in which they insist upon her to reveal the child’s father. Even Dimmesdale, as one of the authorities, says to her, “what can thy silence do for him, except… to add hypocrisy to sin?” However, she is unwilling to speak his name. Dimmesdale acts with great dishonesty and cowardice, deceiving the public into believing that he is not in the wrong - that he is a wise and benevolent pastor. He allows Hester to suffer the pain and humiliation alone. With this first stage of guilt, Dimmesdale only falls deeper into the sin he has committed.…

    • 489 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The secrecy behind Dimmesdale and Hester’s tawdry affair emphasizes a sole, unique aspect within the three individuals that, when combined, create the crucial essences contained in each human being: the malicious facet, religious loyalty and guilt, and the need for redemption.…

    • 820 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    How can one be assigned the title of suffering the most? This is a complicated question presented in the book, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter is a book that revolves around a sinner named Hester Prynne, a minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, a physician, Roger Chillingworth, and a little girl named Pearl. Hester and Dimmesdale are both who has committed adultery; however, the story starts with Hester being a woman who is branded with a Scarlet Letter A, that represents adulterous, while Dimmesdale is not shown to be the person who Hester had an affair with. Throughout the story, Hester, Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Chillingworth are all in the midst of a troubling situation, while…

    • 1373 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sometimes, Dimmesdale seems like a coward. However, all he is trying to do is be an admirable pastor to his people, yet Dimmesdale has his unconfessed sins still burdening him. The reader can understand Dimmesdale’s desolation when Dimmesdale found out who Roger Chillingworth really was. As Hawthorne says in The Scarlet Letter, “ The minister looked at her for an instant, with all that violence of passion, which - intermixed in more shapes than one his higher, purer, softer qualities - was, in fact, the portion of him which the devil claimed, and through which he sought to win the rest.” (Hawthorne 214). In that excerpt of the book, the reader can grasp Dimmesdale’s rage. He feels betrayed by Hester because she did not tell him who Roger Chillingworth really was. Dimmesdale is also very upset that even with all of the torture he has put himself through, that he still does not regret his sin. Hawthorne also adds ,” Of penance, I have had enough! Of penitence, there has been none!” (Hawthorne 212) He feels that he has tortured himself enough, but he feels no guilt for his sins. Even though Dimmesdale knows that telling the people his thoughts are erroneous, he still wants everyone to know. In fact, he feels guilty for not saying anything and letting Hester take the fall for the punishment. Hawthorne includes, “ Else, I should long ago have thrown off these garments of mock holiness, and have…

    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An old english proverb states, “ Be not deceived with the first appearance of things, for show is not substance,” This idea of appearances being deceiving outwards relates to the characters Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. For example, through the towns people considered Hester a sinner however she is a good person inside by helping the poor and such. Dimmesdale was the minister of the town, and everyone thinks he would do no sin but in fact he is Pearl’s father. Chillingworth worth gave the idea that he was a physician but he was there in the town to seek revenge on Hester.…

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The way that Nathaniel Hawthorne introduced Pearl as a character in The Scarlet Letter lead to a better understanding of Hester and Dimmesdale throughout the story. Pearl serves as a living example of Hester and Dimmesdale’s actions to Hester herself, Dimmesdale, the townspeople, and the reader. Pearl’s confident outer appearance also creates a questioning mood throughout the story that allows the reader to…

    • 723 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hester and Dimmesdale meet at the forest and have a conversation. Dimmesdale has been lying to the church officials and to the townspeople for the sin he has committed for seven years. To the townspeople, he is a respectable minister loved by everyone, but in reality, he is a sinner. Provided that, Dimmesdale feels relief speaking to Hester.…

    • 319 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Unfortunately for Dimmesdale, he is unable to escape the unbearable suffering of his shame and does not find it as enlightening as Hester does. Dimmesdale cannot express the truth regarding his actions with Hester and that silence is more shameful than any punishment she receives (Kilborne 473). Hawthorne describes Dimmesdale’s life as:…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hawthorne often places Dimmesdale’s character amongst the shadows, concealing him and the secret. If those surrounding him were to discover his disgraceful act, he could lose everything. By staying hidden in the heavy folds of the curtain, Dimmesdale withholds his actions and emotions while residing out of the sunlight cast upon the floor. Correspondingly, once the first opportunity passed for telling his secret, Dimmesdale took it upon himself to ensure no one uncovered the truth because of his job. His sin suddenly becomes a considerably heavier burden than Hester’s.…

    • 387 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Scarlet letter, Dimmesdale was blaming himself and feeling guilty in keeping his secret and making Hester take all the blame for both their sins.…

    • 369 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hawthorne uses Pearl as a big source of symbolism in The Scarlet Letter. Pearl represents the unseen tumult that is inside of Hester, that even Hester herself cannot see. She symbolizes the secrecy of Hester and Dimmesdale’s love outside of the strict rules of the Puritan society. She represents how forbidden it was to love outside of a marriage or family. Pearl was a last hope for Dimmesdale to pass away peacefully and without regrets. She was her own hope for a better life and to fit in…

    • 1036 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dimmesdale's Guilt

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Firstly, the main character Hester Prynne was caught in the act of adultery, and produced a child from it, which she named Pearl. The father of said child is Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Throughout the book, Dimmesdale’s relationship with Hester was kept under secret but discreetly implied within the text. During the time…

    • 890 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays