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

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, portrays the shameful life the main character, Hester Prynne, lives because of a sinful encounter that resulted with her daughter Pearl. Throughout the novel it is evident that she grows close with a minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, who later in context is revealed as the father of Pearl. However, her public shame in never shared with Dimmesdale since neither of them let it known that he acted with her. It is not until toward the end that Dimmesdale finds the strength, right before his death, to publicly announce he is Pearl’s father. Because of this, many infer that Hester’s ignominy was at greater price than the self-shame Dimmesdale brought upon himself. However, in reality, Hester's infamy was strengthening her, while Dimmesdale’s self-humiliation was weakening him. Although it may seem that his hesitance towards confessing his sin was killing him, it can be seen as the only thing keeping him alive. Hester may have been tormented by her mistake but she ended up being

It is not to say that she finds peace with her sin, but that Hester acknowledges it more as something to learn from. Hester helped the poor and the sick quite often that it became admired by the people. She was giving so much “that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification” (Hawthorne 157). Hester came to “have a part to perform in the world” , which gave her an empowerment while still letting her adhere to her penitence (Hawthorne 81). To be clear, this does not mean she finds complete happiness but she does find willpower. Again, she is not content with her life, but she did not let it limit her. She accepts the fact that she and Dimmesdale “are not the worst sinners in the world” (Hawthorne l91). The difference is that she is not shy of her sin and comes forth to accept the shame that once came with