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Guilt In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'

921 Words4 Pages

Adriana Miller
Miss O’Reilly
Honors American Literature, period 2
15 December 2022
Guilt is the Theif of Life
In Puritan society, shame and guilt are universal feelings citizens experience. These two domineering traits of Puritan society become prevalent when an individual's actions do not adhere to societal command. The critical difference between the two is that shame is a public feeling while guilt is private. Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter goes in-depth about the negative consequences associated with sin. Hester Prynne and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the protagonists, have both committed adultery, but the nature of their punishment is quite different. Prynne faced imprisonment, was isolated from her entire town, and wore a …show more content…

Dimmesdale submits to his wrongdoing by wearing “one face to himself and another to the multitude” and reaches a point where he does not know “which may be true” because of the frequent changes in his personality due to his surroundings (Hawthorne 206). Dimmesdale's difficulty compensating for both of his facades develops an internal conflict. Devoting much of his time pretending to be somebody else, the different masks within himself clash, and he can no longer keep track of himself or the person he wants to become together. As an act of penance, Dimmesdale “piled [a whip] on his shoulders… but rigorously, and until his knees trembled beneath him” as a different outlet to release the guilt he associates with his sin. Engaging in this form of self-punishment, he attempts to relinquish the repentance he undergoes, but this action does not satisfy his sin. Acclaimed critic Kenneth Pimple notes that during sermons, Dimmesdale commutes how he feels indirectly, but “he means what he says-- he feels vile --he is heard to be commenting on the human condition, rather than on his condition,” creating a substitution for himself. While Dimmesdale preaches, there is an inclination that Dimmesdale wants the Puritans to know about his sinful actions, speaking with an undertone of guilt and an eagerness for forgiveness to compensate for his incapability to reveal the truth, though the deed does not compare to the liberating feeling of telling the truth. The only option Dimmesdale has is to confess the crime he committed, leading him to die a "death triumphant of ignominy before the people [-] had either of these agonies been wanting, [he] would be lost forever" (Hawthorne 242). Confessing his crime, Dimmesdale experiences the shame Hester lived through the majority of those years, and because of his stance on religion, this confession brings him to his deathbed. The effects of guilt

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By not confessing to adultery, Dimmesdale retains his reputation, but at the cost of his soul. As a religious leader within the Puritan community, Dimmesdale must exhibit a moral example. Internalizing his guilt offers him a method of maintaining that position. Dimmesdale appears as “pure as new-fallen snow,” (84), but still hidden within him is his sin (84).

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Dimmesdale suffered through each day with the unbending remorse for what he had done. This sin deteriorated Dimmesdale’s mental health, leaving him with minute strength and power. Dimmesdale

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Dimmesdale’s guilt, which stems from his dread of not living

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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.

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Following his brief sense of freedom, Dimmesdale also feels that “the air was too fresh and chill to be long breathed” and he then “withdrew again within the limits of what their church defined as orthodox” (Hawthorne 102). The inner conflict within Dimmesdale as to what he truly believes in acts as a valuable example towards the muffling of one’s emotions, for Dimmesdale is indecisive as he ties himself to being a dedicated minister above even his own thinking. This see-saw of loyalty exposes that Dimmesdale also lives something akin to a double life, growing more and more withdrawn as the days go on without receiving either proper punishment for his affair or a clear sense of security that he truly belongs in the church. He has created an inimical attitude towards himself out of shame and confusion, deeply rooted in his mind and

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Dimmesdale's guilt overtakes him. With the stress from the congregation viewing him as someone who is "holier-than-thou", and Mr. Chillingworth bating him, he becomes conflicted with his feelings of sinfulness and feels the need to keep this a secret from the congregation. The more his guilt overtakes him, the better his sermons got. Because he is so overwhelmed with remorse and shame his sermons have become famous. he connects more with the audience because he believes that he is more sinful than they are.

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Erin Joel Mrs. Janosy English 2H P 5 22 October 2015 Quote Explication Dimmesdale is trying to overcome a conflict within his own soul, defying his own religion, and choosing to do wrong by keeping his sin to himself. In a theocracy type community like Dimmesdale's, God is known as the supreme civil ruler, and a crime would be known as a sin. On the other hand, Hester’s sin was made known to the public, receiving the public shame and ridicule she deserved. During the duration of time when the public knew Dimmesdale was hiding his sin, “the agony with which this public tortured him” (Hawthorne 119).

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Reverend Dimmesdale’s physical condition diminishes the longer he keeps his sin a secret. He feels so guilty, he tortures himself by fasting and whipping in addition to feeling like a hypocrite when his gives sermons. Reverend Dimmesdale expresses, “Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!” (Hawthorne 107).

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As a penance for his wrongdoing, Dimmesdale takes to a secret closet in which he brutally scourges his body, “laughing bitterly at himself the while, and smiting so much more the pitilessly because of that bitter laugh” (136). Dimmesdale’s self-torture proves to be his only outlet for his pent-up frustration and self-loathing. As a Puritan minister, Dimmesdale’s times spent brutalizing himself are his only times of complete truthfulness in his horrid life. In addition, Roger begins carving away at Dimmesdale’s morale “like a sexton delving into a grave, perhaps in quest of a jewel that had been buried on the dead man’s bosom” (121). The minister’s closest thing to a friend skulks in secret as an evil creature, fueled by a vengeful rage and desire to destroy him.

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Dimmesdale’s sins completely take over the sunshine that used to shine over the reverend. The sin that Dimmesdale eats at his soul from the inside and out. Dimmesdale had been transformed into a mirror of his transgression. Dimmesdale’s battle with sin was evident, “The Glow, which they had just before beheld burning on his cheek, was extinguished, like the flame that sinks down hopelessly among the late decaying embers.” Since Dimmesdale had been withholding his sins, the reverend becomes ill from hiding the truth.

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The Consequences of Sin Sin is defined as “an offense against religious or moral law”. The idea of sin and being ostracized for your sins was extremely relevant during the Puritan period when religion was the greatest component of daily life. The Puritans believed that they had entered a covenant with God and therefore any sin, such as crime and adultery were considered a breach of their covenant with God. This view led to the church punishing people who committed sin in order for God not to punish the church as a whole. The consequences and effects of sin is shown through the character development in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter.

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Dimmesdale had achieved a brilliant popularity in his sacred office. He won it, indeed, in great part by his sorrows. (Hawthorne 128) The guilt of his sin has eaten him alive, so much that his visage and demeanor are almost cadaverous. Dimmesdale does not confess his sin until the end of the novel because he does not want to disappoint his congregation.

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The Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, functions as an evaluation of Puritan ideas, customs, and culture during the 17th century. Through this evaluation, we can get a good idea of what core values and beliefs the Puritans possessed, as well as the actions they take in cases of adversity brought about by “sinners”. Some Puritan virtues created stark divisions between groups of people, some of which led to discrimination under certain circumstances. One of the most prominent of these is the treatment and standards of men and women, a concept that surfaced during some of the major points in The Scarlet Letter. The divisions that were created by Puritan standards of men and women played a great role in shaping the plot of The Scarlet Letter, determining the fate of many of the characters.

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