How Is Diction Used In The Scarlet Letter

During the time at which the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, was written, people were help to higher standards regarding what was viewed as acceptable in a society, mostly shown through religious moral standards. Hawthorne was also able to show the effects of guilt specifically during that time, following a sin that was seen as completely unacceptable in this society, and how it would affect someone in their life, especially if kept private. Hawthorne uses literary devices to show how private guilt causes more personal damage than public guilt and how it can become an everlasting punishment.
Through the use of diction, Hawthorne is able to show how private guilt causes more personal damage and can have a great internal punishment

Hawthorne shows how the guilt and sin have overcome Dimmesdale, which will lead to his death. Hawthorne’s word choice with this line shows how Dimmesdale must die following the terrible actions he has committed and not owning up to any of them. With this curt word choice, he is able to show how Dimmesdale must die for hiding the truth and how this overwhelming guilt has taken over him altogether. Dimmesdale internal guilt with himself continues to build and eventually leads him to his death, while Hester’s public guilt and shame does not affect her as greatly and she is able to continue with her life in an easier way than Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale is shown on the Scaffold looking at Hester and Pearl with “a ghastly look” on his face, but was also said to be “tender and strangely triumphant in it” (206). Hawthorne uses the change in words to show the change in mind with what has happened to Dimmesdale

The private guilt within Dimmesdale had overtaken his body and caused him to have to “[fight] back the bodily weakness” and have to develop “the faintness of heart, that was striving for the mastery with him” (208). Hawthorne uses this to show how his guilt and sin were taking over him and his confessions were going to help him get into heaven when he dies. Dimmesdale internal struggle with guilt had begun to overcome his body and become an everlasting punishment of he did not confess to his wrongdoings. Although he did not have any public shaming like Hester, he was much worse off than Hester because it was a constant struggle with his own moral values and it eventually got the best of him. Following Dimmesdale’s confession, it is said that “a spell was broken” and that Pearl, “in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies” (209). Hawthorne uses this imagery to show the depth of the confession and how the “spell” could be seen as him being freed from his sins, and helped into Heaven. He uses this imagery to show how even though Dimmesdale had done something so terrible for his time, he was saved and freed from his sin by God and was able to go to Heaven in the afterlife due to his confession of his growing, internal guilt. Following Dimmesdale’s final remarks, Hawthorne explains