Dimmesdale
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel which portrays the message of sin and punishment, through the outcome of an adulterous relationship between Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne portrays the tension between Dimmesdale’s guilt and the fact that he cannot confess to his sin. Dimmesdale’s pain intensifies as his sin corrodes his morale, but he remains steadfast with his belief that his confession to the community would be a detriment to the futures of its members. The conclusion of the novel, however, is a striking deviance from the attitude Dimmesdale has cultivated throughout his internal battle with his guilt. The third scaffold scene shows a drastic change in Dimmesdale’s attitude toward his situation, in that he confesses and serves as his own prosecutor, instead of allowing matters to be handled by God as he had up to this point. The conclusion of the novel is a failure in comparison to the rest of the work, in that it undermines the deep-rooted philosophy Dimmesdale has held about his position. Hawthorne does not express a plausible ending to the progression of Dimmesdale’s developing emotions, rather, he creates an ending in which Dimmesdale reverses his fun
The next scene of interaction between Hester and Dimmesdale is when they meet near the brook. It is during this meeting that they decide to move to Europe, a decision which energizes both of them. When Hester tries to convince Pearl to kiss her father, she responds, “Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town?”, and Hester responds that he will not in the near future. Dimmesdale remains steadfast with his belief that he must not reveal his secret to the people, rather, the only solution is to flee to Europe, where he can maintain the anonymity of his sin. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl’s planned departure to Europe was Election day, a New England holiday in which a new governor is installed. The demeanor of Hester and Dimmesdale have changed as they anticipate their venture; Hester is imagining her escape from her loneliness and Dimmesdale is healthier and more energetic. While Dimmesdale gave his Election Day sermon, Pearl said, “Mother...was that the same minister that kissed me by the brook?” and Hester responded, “We must not always talk in the market-place of what happens to us in the forest”, and indicator that Hester has no clue that Dimmesdale will soon expose himself to the people. All the events and dialogues leading up to this point indicate that Dimmesdale will abide by his decision to run away to Europe in order that he can continue to hide his sin. After Dimmesdale has finished his speech, however, he surprises everyone by calling Hester and Pearl to join him on the scaffold. As Dimmesdale calls himself “the one sinner of the world” , reveals the scars on his chest, and acquires a kiss from Pearl, he reverses the flow of events which he has followed thus far.
Some topics in this essay:
Pearl Dimmesdale’s,
Hester Pearl,
Dimmesdale Throughout,
Reverend Dimmesdale,
Hester Dimmesdale,
Election Day,
Scarlet Letter,
Nathaniel Hawthorne,
Europe Election,
Dimmesdale Pearl’s,
conclusion novel,
hester dimmesdale,
remains steadfast belief,
hester pearl join,
serves own,
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pearl join,
hester pearl,
maintain anonymity,
election day,
serves own prosecutor,
maintain anonymity sin,
remains steadfast,
steadfast belief,
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Approximate Word count = 1174
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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