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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…
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In chapters seven and eight, Mr. Dimmesdale is characterized as a sympathetic and understanding man. Mr. Dimmesdale is first introduced in chapter eight when he walks in to the mansion along with Mr. Wilson, Mr. Chillingworth, and Mr.Bellingworth to decide whether Hester is allowed to keep Pearl. Mr. Dimmesdale is sympathetic because he was the only one who stood up for Hester and gave reasons as to why she should keep her child. He says,” God gave her the child, and gave her, too, an instinctive knowledge of its nature and requirements,-both seemingly so peculiar,-which no other mortal being can possess. And, moreover, is there not a quality of awful sacredness in the relation between this mother and this child?”(P.86) This quote is Mr. Dimmesdale saying that God gave Hester the child for her to learn a lesson and that it would be wrong for them to take it from her because it’s God’s intentions. Mr. Dimmesdale is also understanding and this can be seen when Hester begs him to plead for her. She says,” Thou wast my pastor, and hadst charge of my soul, and knowest me better than theses men can. I will not lose the child! Speak for me!”(P.86) This is Hester characterizing Dimmesdale as an understanding man because he knows her feelings and her true self better than anyone else and can speak for her as a pastor. It further shows that Dimmesdale is understanding when Master Bellingham and Mr. Wilson agree with his reasons when they say,” Indeed hath he, and hath adduced such arguments, that we will even leave the matter as it now stands; so long, at least, as there shall be no further scandal in the woman.”(P.87) Master Bellingham and Mr. Wilson allow Hester to keep the child from Mr. Dimmesdale’s points of reasoning. Because he is so understanding and sympathetic, Hester got to keep Pearl.…
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According to Bruce Granger, who quotes, “The beautiful Hester, who has been wandering morally ever since they sinned together, is now more his enemy than the diabolical Chillingworth” (199). This quote is brought upon by the idea that Dimmesdale becomes lacking in will due to his strong affection for Hester, and ultimately causes Dimmesdale to have a moment in which he attempts to run away from his sin. Even though Dimmesdale wants to escape the pain of his sin by being with the woman he loves, Dimmesdale can not run away from his past and suffers from not being able to be with Hester. Another aspect to support this idea is when Dimmesdale proclaims, “Neither can I any longer live without her companionship; so powerful is she to sustain” (Hawthorne 177). This quote from the Scarlet Letter shows how significant Hester is to Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale is admitting to Hester how much he longs for her and how much he has suffered from being away from Hester. Even though Dimmesdale tells Hester of how much he longs to be with her and Pearl, Dimmesdale still feels the sin chasing after him, when he does not hold Hester’s or Pearl’s hand to walk into town. “Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town?” (Hawthorne 185). Hester helps explain to Pearl that Dimmesdale…
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Dimmesdale is a kind person who just wants to do the right thing but doesn't have the courage to confess…
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Through all his inner turmoil, Dimmesdale still remains with a connection to God. He says that he will not confess to Chillingworth because he lacks to spirituality of God to heal a disease of the soul. Only God can heal this spiritual illness because he is the only “physician of the soul.” Dimmesdale’s religious beliefs still remain despite him growing weaker. His recognition of God’s heavenly power over him, allows him to believe that God will do with him as he pleases. Due to Chillingworth’s inability to heal him, He does not want him to come between him and God.…
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Dimmesdale can be classified as a tragic hero, but also has qualities that do not fit. His tragic flaw is actually an action that occurred in the past, and resulted in Hester Prynne's pregnancy, rather than something he was born with or into. Arthur Dimmesdale accepts death, even though with honor since he was able to concede to his relationship with Hester and Pearl. His greatness and legend left with the Puritan society is proven with the quote, “After exhausting life in his efforts for mankind’s spiritual good, he had made the manner of his death a parable, in order to impress on his admirers the mighty and mournful lesson, that, in the view of Infinite Purity, we are sinners all alike” (Hawthorne 243). Hester manages to support herself and Pearl, through sewing and still manages to give to and tend to the poor, becoming a "self-ordained a Sister of Mercy" (Hawthorne 150). She even manages to win the grudging respect of the townspeople, because she's full of "helpfulness," and so much "power to do, and power to sympathize" (Hawthorne 150). Hester’s character traits sufficiently describe one that accurately fits Henry Ward Beecher’s quote since she truly does improve the lives of others around her by correctly using her strengths for…
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Everyone in their life goes through guilt and regret, and may have things in common with Dimmesdale. In the excerpt The Characters Reveal the Story’s Meaning from Hawthorne: A Critical Study by Hyatt H. Waggoner, he states “He first descends from his original position as the saintly guide and inspiration of the novel as very nearly the worst of the sinners in his hypocrisy and cowardice.” (Waggoner 74). Readers can learn from Dimmesdale in many ways. From reading the novel, they can see how much damage regret and guilt causes. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne states the moral of the story, “Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!” (Hawthorne 286). This quote tells you to be true to yourself and be you. Dimmesdale is a perfect example of this, because he wasn’t true to himself and ended up paying a huge price for his guilt. Everyone knows that lying is a sin, and can have major consequences. Even if you tell your secret, you can still feel guilt after the fact. Dimmesdale is a very relatable character, and readers can understand him the most, as well as learn from him throughout the…
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Dimmesdale experiences a worse outcome. One day, Hester and Dimmesdale meet in a forest. Hester wants him to forget about his sin and move on. However, he hesitates to do so because he is the one who holds his people and honors God. Eventually, after his speech on Election Day, he confesses. He stands on the scaffold with Hester and his daughter, Pearl. Now, everyone sees the scarlet letter on the Reverend’s chest. Then, he dies on the scaffold. This is a tragic consequence of the sin. Although it can be thought that Dimmesdale doesn’t get much pain, he is fighting with himself inside him(“What”). On the other hand, after several years, Hester leaves and returns to Boston alone. Hester lives in a small cottage and is still isolated from the society. However, she continues her needlework. She works hard and tries to contribute to her society. At last, she begins to be accepted and known as a hard worker. This is when her letter A changes its meaning. At first, the scarlet letter A means adultery. Later, it becomes a symbol of able. After many years, Hester dies and is buried next to Dimmesdale, sharing a scarlet A. Hester and Dimmesdale have very different outcomes. Though Hester is publicly known for her sin, she accepts it and moves on. She works hard with her job and is always brave. On the other hand, Dimmesdale keeps everything in himself and ends up dying…
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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.…
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Dimmesdale, the personification of "human frailty and sorrow," is young, pale, and physically delicate. An ordained Puritan minister, he is well educated, and he has a philosophical turn of mind. There is no doubt that he is devoted to God, passionate in his religion, and effective in the pulpit. He also has the principal conflict in the novel, and his agonized suffering is the direct result of his inability to disclose his sin. In Puritan terms, Dimmesdale's predicament is that he is unsure of his soul's status: He is exemplary in performing his duties as a Puritan minister, an indicator that he is one of the elect; however, he knows he has sinned and considers himself a hypocrite, a sign he is not chosen.…
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To begin with, Dimmesdale was a coward for the first part of The Scarlet Letter. Instead of just confessing his share of the sin to the public he chose to remain silent and let Hester take all of the blame. He should have just confessed right away and it probably would have saved him a lot of trouble later on in the book. Even without an immediate confession, he was given many other opportunities to speak up. He could have easily admitted his sin the day Hester was forced to stand on the scaffold. One of the bystanders in the crowd said “The Reverend Master Dimmesdale, her godly pastor, takes it very grievously to heart that such a scandal should have come upon his congregation” (48). This is a very hypocritical and cowardice thing to feel considering that Dimmesdale is the one who had the affair with Hester. Another time his cowardice shows is when Pearl asks him “Wilt thou stand her with Mother and me, tomorrow noontide?” (140) and Dimmesdale replies “Nay, not so, my little Pearl” (140). Once again, his cowardice holds him back from revealing the truth. This is very much like society today where people are scared to tell the truth and would rather sit back and let others take the fall for what they also had a part in. For example, if a group of people decide to rob a bank and one of the robbers gets arrested, in most cases the other criminals aren’t going to come clean, they are just going to let him take the blame.…
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Pretending to be somebody else, by acting like them, in order to fit in or be popular is something that most people have done in their lives; however, this has always come back to bite them in the end. Similarly to how Dimmesdale did not show his true feelings and emotions in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, instead of letting people see what he was really feeling. This inner anguish is what made Dimmesdale so sickly and made the town believe he was ill and dying, when he was actually just feeling guilt for not owning up to his sin of adultery with Hester. Therefore, Dimmesdale’s outward conformity to the town’s values and beliefs while withholding his own values and beliefs led to his inevitable death proving that not being who you…
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Dimmesdale does not realize the life of hypocrisy he will come to live as a result of his and Hester's sin. More than once he resolved to confess his hypocrisy and take his place beside Hester, but he is too afraid of the shame open confession would bring. In spite of this, Dimmesdale does not confess his sin to the public. This is hypocritical of Dimmesdale because a "true priest" would not hide his sin from his congregation. Also, his sermons revolve around Hester's sin, which just happens to be a sin he also committed. Dimmesdale says he loves Hester but yet he refuses to climb the scaffold with Hester to reveal the truth. He keeps away from Hester and does not associate himself with her. Hester tells Pearl "[Dimmesdale] will be [at the scaffold], child. But he will not greet thee today" meaning that she believes that one day Dimmesdale will finally admit to the public that he is the father to Pearl and the man with whom Hester committed adultery…
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Dimmesdale’s moral dilemma starts as he constantly tries to conceal his sin from the rest of his community. In pressure of keeping his appearance as a “godly pastor”, Dimmesdale plays the part as a sinless and holy minister (59). Him not confessing even questions Pearl who asks “but why does he not wear it outside his bosom? (225).…
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Unlike Hester, Dimmesdale chose to hide his sin from the public, and, as a result, his guilt grew immensely as time went on which would eventually amount to his death. Dimmesdale’s guilt from his sin of adultery had been steadily increasing over the years. Then one night after moving in with Chillingworth, Dimmesdale tried to remedy this by “...inflicting a hideous torture on himself,” (Hawthorne 234) using a bloody scourge to whip himself, but to no avail. Since Dimmesdale’s suffering only continued after this event, it demonstrates how only confession can act as a remedy for his guilt. The weight of Dimmesdale’s guilt only grew stronger after this event destroying until he broke down and confess. After years of torment from his guilt, Dimmesdale…
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