The Distinguishing Between Hester And Dimmesdale In Nathaniel
Both Hester and Dimmesdale, are characters in the Scarlet Letter. They suffer with the guilt of the sin of adultery that they committed. At the time, the Puritans looked down on this type of sin. Hester and Dimmesdale can be compared and contrast in the way they handled their scarlet letter, their cowardliness, and their belief of what the afterlife is. Hester and Dimmesdale both bear a scarlet letter but the way they handle it is different. Hester’s scarlet letter is a piece of clothing, the “SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom” (Hawthorn 51). Dimmesdale on the other hand, has a scarlet letter carved in his chest. This is revealed when Dimmesdale was giving his revelation, in which “he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed!” (Hawthorn 232). Since the Scarlet Letter on Hester is visible to the public, she was criticized and looked down on. “This women has brought same upon us all, and ought to die” (Hawthorn 49) is said by a female in the market
Hester’s view of the afterlife is one in which both her and Dimmesdale will live with each other. When Dimmesdale is dying in her arms she says, “Shall we not meet again? … Thou lookest far into eternity, with those bright dying eyes! Then tell me what thou seest?” (Hawthorne 233). By saying that she believes “that they will be united in paradise” (Grander 8). In that Dimmesdale replies his belief of the afterlife, “we forgot our God … God knows: and He is merciful! … Praised be His name! His will be done! Farewell!” (Hawthorne 233). This shows that Dimmesdale does not know what the after life will be like, but he knows that it will be the way God wanted it to be. The courage that those two share is quite similar, in that they have none. They both are afraid of the public and what the public would think of them. Hester refuses to tell anyone about her real husband, Chillingworth, who is still alive, or about her lover, Dimmesdale. Hester and Dimmesdale also try to take the cowardly way out when she has a chance t
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Approximate Word count = 706
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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