... his identity to anyone. The book covers a seven year period during which the identity of the father becomes known. It is the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, who is renowned as an especially holy and pious man. Wracked by guilt he starts to show outward signs of serious illness. Hester's husband ... scholar of his contemporaries in the profession, as the person of Reverend Clergyman to persuade and exhort Hester Prune to repentance, and to confession. Arthur Dimmesdale, located above her on the balcony with the other reverend authorities, makes a plea to Hester Prynne to reveal the father bu...

• Word Count: 2453
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... A Hero As a main character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale of "The Scarlet Letter", the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is confronted with circumstances both in and out of his control, that lead to his demise. Even though it can be argued that Reverend Dimmesdale is a tragic hero, he lacks the strength and underlying goodness essential for him to fulfill this role. With such discrepancies it is ... easier for me to argue that the Reverend is not the tragic hero that some believe. Arthur Dimmesdale, a minister, lives his life under the watchful yet admiring eye of the townspeople of Boston and,...

• Word Count: 2932
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

... the known will of God. Sin in The Scarlet Letter is not only committed by Chillingworth but by Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and also the Puritan society as a whole. Both Dimmesdale and Hester commit the sin of adultery while Chillingworth commits the mortal sin of having anger, hatred, and envy towards ... that Hawthorn intends for us to see so that we regard the Puritan society itself as a character who sinned. What happens to Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth results from the ethics, morals, sterness and the rigidity of the individual Puritans the characters interact with. Th...

• Word Count: 2203
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... (90). In culmination, the letter "A" greatly changed Hesters" lifestyle from a flaming beauty to the waste of society. Aside of Hesters" rejection from the public, Arthur Dimmesdale has committed the sin of infidelity as well, but it is unknown to the people. According to Puritan beliefs, a minister is credited of having a high rank in ... render it the fitter medium of celestial illumination, but rigorously, and until his knees trembled beneath him, as an act of penance" (113). Dimmesdale believes that lashing himself will alleviate the guilt he has felt for so many years. He is alone b...

• Word Count: 970
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... look. At the end, Hester shows that she is a willful woman and can carry herself in any situation. Although Arthur Dimmesdale reflects the image of a perfect person, he held a secret that changed his personality and appearance. In the beginning of the book Dimmesdale seems very serious. Over time he become more or less insecure and shy with the secret of Hester and his ... adultery eating away at him. For example when Chillingworth starts questioning Dimmesdale about his secrets Arthur freaks out and says, "No!-not to thee!-not to an earthly physician!" [pg. 94] And stumbles off to anot...

• Word Count: 601
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... not do anything wrong by being born. For that reason Hester believes that Pearl deserves to have beautiful clothing. Another representation of Hester's love for Pearl is when Hester and Arthur Dimmesdale finish their conversation in the forest. Hester takes the scarlet letter off her breast, and throws her ignominy into the dirt. The world of which Hester has dreamed seems to ... Hester reveal the name of the father, but she refuses to say. Believing that Hester's pastor could discover the name of Pearl's father, Reverend Wilson asks the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale to speak with Hester. ...

• Word Count: 1429
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... novel follows the struggles of two sinners in the morally strict Massachusetts Bay Colony in the seventeenth century. A young woman named Hester Prynne and the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale commit adultery. Hester's sin becomes publicly acknowledged when she has a child; she is forced face humiliation by standing on a scaffold in the center of ... guilt is in the open, which works to her benefit. Guilt kept on the inside is the most dangerous. This hidden guilt is seen in Arthur Dimmesdale, whose own visit to the scaffold is covert and in darkness, as though he wants to hide it from God's e...

• Word Count: 891
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... all falsehood! - all emptiness!- all death" Dimmesdale is living a lie, there is no truth in his life. The people are taking him for someone he is not and only Hester really knows the truth behind his shadow. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale have gone against Puritan law and committed the sin ... of adultery. But unlike Hester, Arthur hid his secret and was not honest with the people of his society or himself. In ... the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne the theme of truth has great importance. Even if it affects social status or it leads to revenge, truth is the safes...

• Word Count: 827
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Arthur Dimmesdale: a modern man caught within the realm of the puritans. Dimmesdale's humanity is on trial throughout this novel, and on his journey to reconciliation we see how the world can break a man. Dimmesdale is hiding in fear as he travels his path to reconciliation. Throughout the novel Dimmesdale becomes increasingly hurt, as he bears his own scarlet letter within his heart. Dimmesdales fear is apparent ... forgiveness in a Puritan society after committing such a heinous sin? Forgiveness is always a possibility in my eyes, though the puritans see black and white. It is either wrong ...

• Word Count: 1115
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

According to Anne Marie MacNamara, Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter goes through several stages of spiritual growth; preparation, communication, transformation and finally revelation. To further understand why Dimmesdale is so hard on himself we must first Learn a little back ground on Puritanism. Puritanism was a move influenced ... church should decide its leader's democratically and finally that it would be of great importance to read scripture (Hudson 62-64). This relates to Dimmesdale because the puritans believed very strongly in a strict catholic church. They were very mean and h...

• Word Count: 1813
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... to be rebellious to their way of life but still not be evil. Hester Prynne and Rev. Arthur Dimmesdale both symbolize sinners. On page 41 of The Scarlet Letter, when Rev. Dimmesdale is reflecting on what he has done, Hawthorne writes, "He thus typified the constant introspection wherewith ... he tortured, but could not purify himself." Rev. Dimmesdale is overwhelmed with the weight of the sin on his heart. Also on page 179, when Hester and Rev. Dimmesdale are talking about how Chillinworth (Hester's husband) has been getting his revenge, Hawthorne writes ... , "We are not, Hester, the wor...

• Word Count: 647
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... of his congregation as well. The impacts of sins of the clergy are as consistent today as they were in time period this was written. Arthur Dimmesdale, a minister, is the main character. While holding the high office of a minister he commits a grievous sin, the act of adultery. The ... person's garment, which stood for Adulterer, than to try to redeem the person through forgiveness, prayer and personal involvement. Because his act of adultery, Dimmesdale is convinced that he must maintain his secret sin. To confess would surely bring ridicule on Hester, the woman he loves, humiliation to...

• Word Count: 2000
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... in the public eye of the Puritan community, he is man well respected and adored for his amazing preaches and admirable morality. Dimmesdale seems to exemplify the Puritans' behavior because he is an individual example of their state of mind. Arthur Dimmesdale is incapable of accepting his loss of innocence, which makes him a lot weaker than Hester. Hester on the other hand, stands ... her ground and strongly fights against a repressive society, despite the torture she must go through. Her sin actually improves Hester as a person because she is able to discover the true depths within her...

• Word Count: 1599
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... in the public eye of the Puritan community, he is man well respected and adored for his amazing preaches and admirable morality. Dimmesdale seems to exemplify the Puritans' behavior because he is an individual example of their state of mind. Arthur Dimmesdale is incapable of accepting his loss of innocence, which makes him a lot weaker than Hester. Hester on the other hand, stands ... her ground and strongly fights against a repressive society, despite the torture she must go through. Her sin actually improves Hester as a person because she is able to discover the true depths within her...

• Word Count: 1596
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... works of literature that display both aspects of this society very accurately are The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. The Scarlet Letter displays a society that treats two people very differently who commit the sin of adultery together. The woman, Hester Prynne ... , and general aspects of the characters, while there are also specific parallels between characters, such as Abigail and Hester, and Parris and Dimmesdale. The settings in both The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible are similar in many ways. The Scarlet Letter takes place around the 164...

• Word Count: 1327
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... what befell them, the Puritans built up "such personifications [and] marvelous interpretations"32 as to reveal their own morbid fascination with the unnatural. Arthur Miller's The Crucible best illustrates this hypocritical attraction-abhorrence nature of the Puritans. They believe that the forest was "the Devil's last preserve."33 ... does with the Black Man, which "is a traditional American name for the Devil."44 In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne commits adultery with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. She is discovered and forced to wear a mark of shame, the scarlet letter A, on her dress...

• Word Count: 3126
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... or truthfulness for the main characters of this novel. Hester Prynne, the books protagonist, is a young woman who has cheated on her husband, Roger Prynne, with Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester bore a baby from this relationship, and was forced to wear a scarlet letter "A" for adultery. Hester uses the forest to bring out many hidden emotions ... and is able to "throw off the shackles of law and religion." (?) Of course, Hester takes advantage of this situation when she meets with Dimmesdale in the forest. She talks to him about things they could never endeavor to discuss in any other place, mai...

• Word Count: 2041
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... . The other story has symbols that speak on morals, religious doctrine, and public mindset. Furthermore the novel can be defined as a romantic novel by analyzing the characters Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale for their overall purpose to the story and the symbolism. An important concept of romanticism includes a close connection to the earth and natural scenes. A large occurrence of this comes in ... to remain celibate to keep her bond to her early husband, whether he's alive or dead. Hester demonstrates human naturalness by obeying her instinctual urges and having a relationship with Reve...

• Word Count: 1687
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

... novel, Hester flees from her life in Europe, which she didn't like, and moves to America. She settles in a puritan community, where she meets Arthur Dimmesdale, a young puritan minister, and she commits the act of adultery. Several months later the town realizes she has committed adultery, due to the fact ... his heart. Serving as a symbol that he shares the same pain as Hester and that Hester shouldn't be the only one who suffers. Dimmesdale suffers incredibly because of the letter A, due to the fact that he is afraid, primarily from Roger Chillingsworth, Hester's husband who came from ...

• Word Count: 1035
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... with repentance. Perhaps this is even what Hester herself did. Unfortunately, they are entirely different things. Notice that Hester never completely repented of her adultery. Arthur Dimmesdale put it perfectly when he said, "Of penance, I have had enough! Of penitence, there has been none!"5 Hester's sin still remained, and finally ... surfaced again seven years later, when she talked to Dimmesdale in the woods and urged him to run away with her. This harbored sin altered her view of the world around her and of God. Hester ... Pearl about the Bible, etc.; but it was more mechanical th...

• Word Count: 1029
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... works of literature that display both aspects of this society very accurately are The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and The Crucible, by Arthur Miller. The Scarlet Letter displays a society that treats two people very differently who commit the sin of adultery together. The woman, Hester Prynne ... , admits her sin, is forced to always wear a scarlet letter "A" on her bosom, and is ostracized from society. The man, Reverend Dimmesdale, who hides his sin from the world, is almost worshipped by the townspeople, but is filled with the dishonor of his action. Hawthorne illustrates ...

• Word Count: 578
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Arthur Miller's The Crucible are both distinctly different works about the Puritan society. The Scarlet Letter is a novel and The Crucible is a play. While The Scarlet Letter deals mainly with the ... it because no one dared argue with the court. In The Scarlet Letter, the townspeople are so loyal to the "Good Reverend Dimmesdale," that they are completely blind to the fact that he is the biggest sinner. Everything that Dimmesdale says gets turned into something else. "They deemed the young clergyman a miracle of holiness. They fancied him the mou...

• Word Count: 648
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... World." Her husband, Roger Chillingworth was said to be lost at sea, and Hester assumed his death. Upon this basis, young Hester committed a crime of adultery with her fellow Minister Arthur Dimmesdale. The result of this extra marital affair was the birth of young Pearl, an "elf-like" child. When the townspeople become aware of what Hester has done, they forced her ... she clearly had no feelings for him. Secondly, Hester's crime was one out of passion, not pre-meditated. It is clear throughout the novel that she has strong feelings for Dimmesdale and they outweigh her respect for the ...

• Word Count: 802
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

John Proctor and Hester Prynne, two characters derived from a seventeenth century, puritan community have interesting views on life. John Proctor is selected from the play The Crucible written by Arthur Miller. Hester prynne comes from Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. John and Hester alike experienced public humiliation and grief. Although sharing these occurrences, John Proctor and Hester Prynne demonstrate their ... was paired young to an elder scholar, Chillingworth. He sent Hester to America to live and never followed her here. While waiting, she had an affair with a puritan min...

• Word Count: 630
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... to the man thou wottest of. Shouldst thou fail me in this, beware! His fame, his position, his life, will be in my hands. Beware!" (68). Later, we discover that Arthur Dimmesdale is the man Hester had the affair with. ...

• Word Count: 461
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School