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Dimmesdale's Guilt Quotes

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Name: Madison Lowe Teacher: Battle Course/Period: AP English Language and Composition/Period 5 or 7 Date: 06/03/24 The damage Guilt has on a person Ever felt like you're dragging around an invisible weight that just won’t let you be? That's guilt, the ultimate party crasher in the brain. People hold on to guilt because they feel as if they want to protect someone or a relationship that they hold onto; it becomes a burden and what a person decides to keep to themselves does negatively affect them. It turns out it can affect more than just mental health negatively, it can also affect physical health. This happens to people all the time, all around the world. A fine example of this is in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, where Dimmesdale’s …show more content…

This quote highlights Dimmesdale’s internal struggle and the mental anguish caused by his secret sin. Additionally, Fadiman and Major suggest that Hawthrones’s portrayal of Dimmesdale’s guilt results in a deep understanding of human psychology, stating, "We read it as the work of a moral psychologist who knows as much about our own hidden guilts" (Fadiman and Major 4). Dimmesdale’s life was extremely complicated and his health was in terrible condition towards the end of the book. But, he truly did love Hester and Pearl, but was dealing with so much that he didn’t know what to do with himself. Through Dimmesdale’s character, Hawthorne explores the harmful effects of built-up guilt on mental and physical health, serving as an example for readers. Dimmesdale’s story helps us understand how hiding guilt can hurt the mind and body. Hawthorne wants his readers to see that keeping secrets can be harmful. Dimmesdale’s experiences warn people about the dangers of ignoring their conscience and the damage it can do to their mental and physical health. In conclusion, guilt is something that can eat a person away and cause them many mental and physical …show more content…

- "The 'Bath'" "Silence and Secrecy: Psychosomatics and Discourse in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter." Psyart, 2012, pp. 113-117. 1. What is the difference between a. and a. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/silence-secrecy-psychosomatics-discourse/docview/1403731182/se-2. Fadiman, C., & Major, J. S. (1997). 70. What is the difference between a '' and a ''? Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter, Selected Tales. Retrieved from https://www.proquest.com/books/70-nathaniel-hawthorne-scarlet-letter-selected/docview/2267046410/se-2. Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 1804-1864. The Scarlet Letter. New York, N.Y., U.S.A. :Signet Classics, 1988. Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" SIRS Renaissance, 2003. -. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/other-sources/nathaniel-hawthornes-scarlet-letter/docview/2249948283/se-2. Ruetenik, T.J. “Another View of Arthur Dimmesdale: Scapegoating and Revelation in ‘The Scarlet Letter.’” Contagion: Journal of Violence, Mimesis, and Culture, vol. 19, 2012, pp. 113-122. 69–86. The. JSTOR,

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