Who Is Dimmesdale's Alienation In The Scarlet Letter

The downfall of an individual can grow from the societal influences of society’s compulsion to conform. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne and reverend Arthur Dimmesdale endeavor to assimilate to the expectations of a puritan society. Throughout the novel, Prynne and Dimmesdale fight to make amends for their sin of adultery, and as the town glares a spiteful eye at Prynne, Dimmesdale hides away, still loved by all. Prynne makes a conscious decision to embrace her quarantine from the community’s shunning. However, Dimmesdale faces an internal battle of shame and guilt while concealing his immorality. Prynne and Dimmesdale suffer the fate of alienation, however, Prynne accepts isolation, becoming steadfast, while Dimmesdale
denies his sin, leading to an untimely death. As Prynne suffers through her solitude, she comes to embrace her confinement, learning to be unwavering in her daily life, where every man and woman have a judgement to pass upon her. Watching Chillingworth’s decrepit figure slink away from the graveyard in which she sees him, Prynne angrily rants, “Be it sin or no,” … “I hate the man;” (P.120). coming to realize the truth, she furthers her exasperation fretting, “Yes, I hate him!” … “He betrayed me! He has done me worse than I did him!” (P.121). Prynne accepts her isolation, by knowing that she is not the guilty party, but Chillingworth is the man she ought to blame . She feels pride in her fate and knows that, for once, she is right in having no shame, because she never truly committed a wrongdoing intentionally. When Prynne committed her sin, “All the world frowned on her,- it had frowned upon this lonely woman… Heaven likewise, had frowned upon her, and she had not died” (P.133). Prynne, ever persistent and unwavering, spent her seven years learning to live her life with the support of no one else, never needing reassurance from anyone. By being her own support system, Prynne demonstrates independence. As Prynne accepts her fate and becomes unfaltering, other characters, such as Dimmesdale, choose a more difficult route.
Dimmesdale spends seven years denying the existence of the sin he has committed, creating a guilty internal battle that slowly tears up his morals piece by piece.
When Dimmesdale stands upon the pulpit, trying to fess up, he begins to worry, “Would not the people start up in their seats… and tear him down from the pulpit which he defiled… They heard it all, and but did reverence him more” (P.99). Dimmesdale half-heartedly tries to confess, never fully willing to commit to revealing his secret but receives no input from the town who loves him. Thus, he creates an excuse for himself and denies his sin. Though there is an attempt at confession, he ultimately does not profess his crime, thus continuing his denial. When sat in front of the town, “Mr. Dimmesdale was thinking of his grave, he questioned himself whether the grass would ever grow on it, because in a cursed thing must there be buried” (P.98). Dimmesdale’s guilt shows as he ponders upon his grave, he feels massive guilt that causes him pain, yet he does not disclose his mistakes. He battles himself with immense shame, but faithfully chooses to harbor pain within himself over facing the consequences of his adultery. With Dimmesdale’s reluctance to divulge his misdeed, he contrasts with
Prynne. As the lowly Dimmesdale will not reveal himself, in cowardice, Prynne will not reveal him, in bravery.
When Dimmesdale stands on the scaffold before the crowd he states, “‘God… is merciful!’” peaking his audience’s interest further, he decrees that God is “bringing [him] hither, to die this death of triumphant ignominy." and thus with immeasurable pain and remorse “[his] final word came forth with [his] expiring breath” (P.179).When Prynne stands on the scaffold with nothing but infant Pearl, Dimmesdale badgers her to reveal the father, she replies with, “I will not speak!” (P.47). Prynne refuses to speak and faces ridicule before the entire town. As the lowly Dimmesdale will not reveal himself, in cowardice, Prynne will not reveal him, in bravery. Standing strong in every moment of their painful seven years, Prynne makes Dimmesdale pitiful in comparison to her. Prynne and Dimmesdale are both victims of alienation, but Prynne learns to accept that, becoming unfaltering, while Dimmesdale stays in rebuttal of his sin. Prynne constantly stays strong and independent. While Dimmesdale battles with himself, trying to forget the sin he has committed. The steadfast Prynne and cowardly Dimmesdale contrast one another with immense power, leaving Prynne stronger than
Dimmesdale.