Who Is Dimmesdale's Conformity In The Scarlet Letter

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
As his lie grows so does Dimmesdale’s inner turmoil of pretending to be someone he is not. By keeping his sin deep down inside, Dimmesdale is not only being untrue to the people he interacts with, but he is also being untrue to himself. “To the untrue man, the whole universe is false-it is impalpable-it shrinks to nothing within his grasp. And he himself, in so far as he shows himself in a false light, becomes a shadow, or, indeed, ceases to exist,” where as the true man is confident as to where he stands in the universe, and will be bathed in the glorious light of life (Hawthorne 137). Being true to yourself will not only allow a person to become their own person, but it also allows that person to be sure of the role they have in life. Therefore being honest and true has only positive effects, while being untrue leads someone to having self-doubt, fear, and ultimately losing the person that they once were. In Dimmesdale’s case, he is doubting all of his actions and is slowly letting his own personality slip and be lost forever, he must come clean to save the real Arthur Dimmesdale and become himself again. Confessing his sin is the only way, which Dimmesdale does in order to become his own self for Pearl at least once. “May God forgive thee!’ said the minister. ‘Thou too, hast deeply sinned!’ [...] dear little Pearl, wilt thou kiss me now?” As a changed man, one who now will not hide his sin (Hawthorne 242). On his deathbed Dimmesdale finally confesses his sin and turns to his daughter that he has pretended doesn’t exist, and he asks for a kiss from her-father to daughter-as the real Arthur Dimmesdale. Finally happy, because the man had been true to himself and others and not continuing a horrid lie. Proving that being truthful will have only positive effects from it, while being untrue will only wreak havoc and chaos in a