The Puritan Scaffold In The Scarlet Letter

Throughout “The Scarlet Letter”, Hawthorne employs the Puritan scaffold not only as a place of judgment but also a place of repentance. However, at the climax of the story, the scaffold's purpose is used as a place of confession for Dimmesdale. Weighed with “heavy sin” and “miserable agony,” Dimmesdale is lead to confess “in the midst of [the people]” (197). In much remorse he “[tears] away” his clothes to reveal “his own red stigma,” his own ‘A’ in the flesh (198). He goes on to acknowledge that he is full of “sin” and “anguish,” and regrets ever hiding the truth (197). By confessing in this manner it is shown that Dimmesdale has been fighting between his fear of judgment and guilt of secrecy. This fear has held him back from ever confessing;