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Irony In The Scarlet Letter

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Recommended: Psychological portrait of Arthur dimmesdale in the scarlet letter

Every time she saw him, a passion as white-hot as the sun hit her with more force than when the carpenter down the road smacked his hammer onto the head of a nail. He was dressed as a clergyman, yet a robe blacker than Satan’s soul adorned his body like a sinner’s cloak. The reader, I would say, might find this ironic, but irony in this situation is the key to what causes trouble in the first place. As she watched him walk down the dirt path, occasionally stopping to converse with those who greeted him, she noticed that he strode haughtily, yet it seemed like he tried hiding it. He did not want people to see him stroll proudly, for he was a minister, and it would be expected of him to walk with humility. One would be unable to tell how confidently …show more content…

Dimmesdale,” she heard an elderly man say to the minister as they passed each other, for it was Sunday, the Lord’s Day, and she had forgotten again. Either the minister had not heard the elderly man, or he simply chose to ignore the comment, as his gaze shot up to the woman who had been so intently staring at him. As their eyes locked, the woman, quickly looked down, and before she knew it he was standing directly in front of her. “Hester,” he said with a lightness in his voice, “I did not see thee at my homily this morning. That has been the third time now.” “I apologize Mr. Dimmesdale,” said Hester, who could not fast enough think of an excuse to say to the minister. “Nonsense,” he replied. “I’ll see thee for confession in private right now. Show me the path to thy abode.” He rested one hand on the small of her back and the other was outstretched, as if urging her to take the first steps towards her home. However for a second or two, Hester could not find the will to move her legs, as the hand that rested on her back seemed to burn right through the cloth of her dress. It was the same white-hot passionate desire that she felt every time she looked at him. A passion so deep that she desperately ached for the satisfaction that only one person could bring her. She, Hester Prynne, a married woman, wanted Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, a minister, to be

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In the short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” and the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the stories of two men who keep their sins secret and are hurt deeply. In The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Dimmesdale does not reveal his sin to the community and experiences far more pain than Hester, whose sin is revealed. Years after the original sin, Hester has healed and is accepted by the community, while Dimmesdale still feels guilty, as can be seen when he mounts the scaffold. Dimmesdale’s experience is similar to that of Reverend Hooper, who covers his face after a secret sin and is eschewed by the community. When we refuse to admit our faults, we will feel guilty

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Puritan’s harsh beliefs represented the beginning of the Nineteenth Century in the newly colonized America. Their community ruled with an iron fist: unforgiving, pitiless, stern. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses his disagreement with puritan priorities by revealing the hypocrisy widely practiced throughout their community. Hawthorne’s utilization of dim diction aids in the establishment of his scornful tone, while inclusion of symbols and intricate juxtaposition all serve to accentuate the Puritan’s duplicity. All these factors combine to develop a critical tone which rebukes puritan society.

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He comes close to uncover Arthur Dimmesdale participation in Hester’s sin but never fully succeeds. The gilt stricken pastor tries to find forgiveness for his sins, but in the end dies, after confessing his love to Hester. Hawthorne’s novel is about sin, repentance, dignity, and

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