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Arthur Dimmesdale's Guilt In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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The definition of guilt is defined as a feeling you have done wrong or failed an obligation, now imagine feeling that way for seven years. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne one of the main characters sits on secrets, lies and sins for almost a decade. Arthur Dimmesdale lives with a guilty conscience for not taking responsibility for his actions. He watches the woman he loves become outcasted by society and permanently branded. Dimmesdale’s health takes a turn for the worst, which puts him at death’s door for most of the novel. He then resorts to self inflicted pain and self punishment as a way to serve his sentence. All of Dimmesdale’s feelings are due to his own cowardice and inability to take blame.
Unable to tell the truth,
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