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Conformity Revealed By Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Humans have a tendency to conform and often neglect the potential consequences of doing so. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author introduces those consequences through a respected clergyman and sinner named Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale struggles with his guilty conscience and cowardice to confess his sin which prompts him to abide by societal rules but question himself in private. Dimmesdale’s conflict between outward conformity and inward questioning contributes to the novel’s message that everybody must confront their sins or they will fall victim to some form of retribution. Initially, Dimmesdale does not appear incongruous to the Puritan society but acknowledges that vengeance will come upon him. He maintains his good …show more content…

The author describes that “his form grew emaciated; his voice, though still rich and sweet, had a certain melancholy prophecy of decay in it.”(82) This means that he is losing strength in all aspects because he has not confronted his sin and that his despondent tone is the result of his impairment. His inward questioning is physically and mentally tearing him apart and is the consequence of his sin. From the perspective of others around him, “He was often observed, on any slight alarm or other sudden accident, to put his hand over his heart, with first a flush and then a paleness, indicative of pain.” (82) Ever since Hester Prynne received the scarlet letter on her chest as punishment, Dimmesdale developed an impulse to cover up his chest with his hands from the guilt of not sharing the public shame with Hester. He is punishing himself for that and the gesture is a way of reminding himself of his cowardice. Even with ominous signs of impairment and culpability as the consequence of his sin, Dimmesdale still conforms to the rest of the Puritan society and even receives praise for his powerful sermons. However, since he has not confronted his sin, Dimmesdale is slowly dying

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602 Words | 3 Pages

I believe Dimmesdale did enough for forgiveness because in the end of the story, he stood on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl. In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in chapter 23 Hawthorne states; “Hester Prynne," cried he, with a piercing earnestness, "in the name of Him, so terrible and so merciful, who gives me grace, at this last moment, to do what--for my own heavy sin and miserable agony--I withheld myself from doing seven years ago, come hither now, and twine thy strength about me! Thy strength, Hester; but let it be guided by the will which God hath granted me! This wretched and wronged old man is opposing it with all his might!--with all his own might, and the fiend's! Come, Hester--come!

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727 Words | 3 Pages

In the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tackles the issue of hiding sins by using Dimmesdale and Chillingworth as pawns to portray his view on sinful secrets. Dimmesdale’s main argument relies on divine powers, while Chillingworth focuses on nature in his argument. Dimmesdale argues that sometimes people want to confess their sins, but cannot because they fear they won’t be able to redeem themselves, so instead of confessing, they just leave their secrets for the divine powers to reveal. While Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are talking about the man from the grave, Dimmesdale points out the fact that “‘he earnestly desired [to reveal his sin] but could not’“ (123). He is able to state that so easily because the man he is actually

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582 Words | 3 Pages

When we keep secrets we also keep guilt and guilt will destroy us from the inside. In the book of scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and how one woman who committed adultery with a character named dimmesdale who is the town revered. Dimmesdale kept secrets to maintaining his reputation but actions the guilt eats him from the inside. Dimmesdale the town revered for the puritan religion. He commits adultery with Hester and has a child, but instead of facing his sin he keeps inside for no one to know.

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741 Words | 3 Pages

In chapter 11 especially Dimmesdale struggles to come to terms with his sin and it weighs heavily on him but he is still not willing to sacrifice his respect within the community. Dimmesdale struggles to come to terms with his sin because he knows that he will be unable to fully redeem himself if he continues to hide his sin from puritan society but he feels extremely conflicted because he doesn't want to sacrifice his reputation. ”They deemed the young clergyman a miracle of holiness. They fancied him the mouth-piece of Heaven’s messages of wisdom, and rebuke, and love. In their eyes, the very ground on which he trod was sanctified”(pg.94).

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826 Words | 4 Pages

The devil knew it well, and fretted continually with the touch of his burning finger! But he hid it cunningly from men, and walked among you with mien spirit, He bids you look again at Hester’s Scarlett Letter! What he bears on his own chest,” (Hawthorne 174). From these final words Dimmesdale then passes away while on the scaffold. On his chest was the mark that Hester wore, the difference is that Hester confessed her sin and bore it on her clothing.

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463 Words | 2 Pages

The driving maxim of the story, “The Scarlet Letter,” is that recognising and dealing with our weaknesses makes us stronger. Hester Prynne embraces her scarlet letter and her child, the symbols of her sin, and in turn it allows her to grow and be embraced by the townspeople. Reverend Dimmesdale, however, keeps his sin concealed within him, his guilt consumes him and only made him weaken throughout the years to the point of his death. The town as a whole is portrayed to be a negative place, and only becomes better, seeming when they embrace the town adulterer, Hester, not as a sin, but as an able member of the community.

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559 Words | 3 Pages

Arthur Dimmesdale is a respected man. He is the puritan minister in The Scarlet Letter, and the community looks up to him. But he has a secret that no one but Hester Prynne knows. He is the father of her child, and confessing to his sin will cost him everything. In the beginning, we see Dimmesdale as a weak but religiously strong man, he is seen as cowardly through his avoidance of confessing of his sin.

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184 Words | 1 Pages

Rumors flew regarding how Dimmesdale got his scarlet letter: he carved it himself out of guilt, Chillingworth’s strong hatred increased its power, and that it was burnt onto him out of regret. All these rumors reflected the pain Dimmesdale got because he only thought of protecting his own reputation at first. Revealing that hiding anything and only to protect personal benefit will destroy one’s spirit and soul. Dimmesdale’s death impacted many characters. Chillingworth had no more sin to feed on and therefore withered; Pearl, found a happy new life in Europe.

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503 Words | 3 Pages

Arthur Dimmesdale’s main internal conflict was the guilt derived from his sins. Arthur was a well known and admired minister of the Puritans. However, after committing the sin of adultery with Hester Prynne, he is guilt ridden and cannot confess his sins openly. Due to Dimmesdale’s weak nature, he is incapable of dealing with sin. As Dimmesdale’s guilt continously gets worse by the pressure of Roger, he inflicts self punishment on himself, “secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge...

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978 Words | 4 Pages

In 1964, Lawrence Kohlberg, a psychologist introduced the idea that humans evolved through different stages of morality. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne male characters exemplify a moral development as the story unfolds. In particular, Arthur Dimmesdale’s morality differs from the beginning of the novel to the ending of the novel. His morality undergoes continuity and change by constantly changing from selfishness, social order, and social contract. Dimmesdale undergoes the morality maintaining the social order and being considerate of others to eventually being selfish and only thinks about himself.

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797 Words | 4 Pages

Dimmesdale’s Punishment in The Scarlet Letter Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, a brilliant spokesperson and a devout and wise Puritan minister in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, is the lover of a woman who commits adultery, Hester Prynne. Hester, a recognizable adulteress, wears the scarlet letter and lives as an outcast. Contradicting, Reverend Dimmesdale’s sin stays hidden from the Puritan community, known only to Hester and himself. As a minister, Dimmesdale believes he should suffer from punishments the way Hester did for committing the same crime, which leads him to fall into a terrible mental and physical state.

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315 Words | 2 Pages

From the beginning of their existence, humans have been destined to make mistakes. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates a tale of sin, evil, guilt, and shame, but also a story of failure. This juxtaposition of themes highlights not only mankind’s imperfection but its strength in the face of defeat. Hawthorne demonstrates the notion of man’s tendency to make errors, but still the power of resilience through the fallen withering yellow leaves on the forest floor.

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673 Words | 3 Pages

Dimmesdale, a young minister, and Hester Prynne committed adultery together. Hester was forced to bear her shame publicly whereas Dimmesdale’s sin went unknown. This did not save him from internal turmoil however. He was filled with great guilt and anxiety. The Scarlet Letter talks about these feelings.

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1492 Words | 6 Pages

Throughout the novel, readers notice the ugliness of townspeople’s lives because of embracing this tradition. Furthermore, readers examine what painful moments Dimmesdale— the clergyman—goes through for holding multiple faces. Thus, Scarlet Letter

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999 Words | 4 Pages

In this essay, we will focus on the effects this ideology had on the treatment of Hester and Dimmesdale, and the effects it had on Dimmesdale after he confessed to committing adultery. The Puritans’ treatment of women is blatantly evident at the beginning of the book where Hester is awaiting conviction upon the scaffold for her act of adultery. The townspeople present at the trial presented a very negative sentiment towards Hester,

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