... becomes further entrenched in his guilt. His reaction, however, is not to palliate his suffering by confessing, rather, he further engrosses himself in self-mutilation by creating his own "scarlet A" on his chest, the conduit through which he attempts to atone for his sin. After dealing with increasing frustration, Dimmesdale mounts the scaffold in the middle of the night, and he fantasizes about what ... would happen if everyone in town were to witness their holy minister standing in the place of public shame; he knows that his public disgrace could harden his ... and judge as he expose...

• Word Count: 1174
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate