The Scarlet Letter

The original work of 'The Scarlet Letter' issued in 1850, is a historical fiction story

written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The novel is about a young lady named Hester who became a

mother without any marriage. Her lover is Arthur Dimmesdale, the father of her child, about

whom she told no one and takes all blame on herself alone. The novel is an engaging

combination of social, psychological and emotional oppression. The torment and suffering of

Dimmesdale, in the face of his sinful secret along with the physical and emotional indications of

his pain, aptly reflects the mentality of a society which begs to punish and inflict pain to its

so-called wrongdoers. Over the course of the scaffold scenes , Dimmesdale changes from

cowardly guilt and hypocrisy to desperate guilt and hypocrisy, to finally repentant hope.

Dimmesdale is a highly esteemed minister of Boston, but he has been in a relationship with

Hester, plus he is the father of Pearl. He has received immense respect, love, and admiration of

people, to an extent, that he became scared and egotistical to admit his wrongdoing and carry the

burden of suffering along with Hester. However, Dimmesdale covertly scolds himself for his

transgression at the same time. In the end, the pain and suffering he experiences, even if

unforced, turns out to be more hurtful than Hester's or Pearl's, which shows that there are more

treacherous sins than infidelity. Dimmesdale's culpable shame overcomes him like a disease, robs

him of his well-being, and stops him from parenting his daughter. His ultimate revelation comes

too slowly, and he dies in the sacrifice of his ego. Arthur Dimmesdale's personality depends

more on appearances than on nature. The reader learns that Dimmesdale was a professor at

Oxford University. His past implies that he is a reserved person, a man who has no natural

commiseration for a normal human being. Though, Dimmesdale has an extraordinarily sharp
moral sense. The point that Hester gets all of the guilt for their shared crime forces his moral

sense, and the resulting psychic pain and bodily frailty clears his mind and permits him to give

insight to others. As a result, he becomes a conscious and, sensitive strong preacher and humane

ruler, and his group can get significant religious advice from him.

In the character of Arthur Dimmesdale, his truly essential aspect lies in his position in

Putin society. Since he was a scholar, he deemed to be the most eminent model in the

community. Since he is a genuine believer, his affair with Hester Prynne weighed on him heavily.

For him, his relationship with Hester Prynne shames him and makes him feel guilty because he is

a sincere follower of Putin's faith. According to the review published at that time by The

Atlantic, it states,'' Dimmesdale cares more for his social reputation than for anything else. His

self-respect, his peace, his love, his soul — all may go: only let his reputation remain! And yet it

is that selfsame false reputation that daily causes him the keenest anguish of

all.''(HAWTHORNE). However, He secretly recognizes his fault but did not divulge it in public

and because of that, he cannot repent for his sin. Dimmesdale's conflict within himself among his

sin and his spiritual leader shows the concept of guilt versus redemption in the story of Nathaniel

Hawthorne.
Works Cited

HAWTHORNE. ‘The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Reviewed.' The Atlantic, APRIL 1886.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, Spector, Robert Donald, the Scarlet Letter. : Bantam Books [1965. Print.