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Scarlet Letter Guilt Quotes

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Guilt is a serious emotion that has the power to effect a person greatly. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates the true meaning of guilt by focusing on the grave consequences that follow a culpable deed. Hester and Dimmesdale have committed the sin of adultery and must live with the guilt that accompanies this. Through Dimmesdale’s death, Hester’s ridicule, and the narrator’s depiction of human nature, guilt is clearly interpreted. Hawthorne defines guilt as physical, social, and emotional suffering caused by an irreversible sinful action.
The aspects of physical suffering as a result of guilt is an essential part of Hawthorne’s plot. Due to his sin, Dimmesdale experiences a grim fate. When upon the scaffold with Hester and Pearl, he “tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed! But it were irreverent to describe that revelation...Then, down he sank upon the scaffold!” (250). Once Dimmesdale unveils his own scarlet letter, he finally experiences the final straw of his personal suffering. Because his guilt is so magnificent, he is condemned. Hawthorne …show more content…

A memorable scene is Hester’s public ridicule on the scaffold shortly after her sin is revealed. The crowd mocks her, shouting things such as, “They should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead” (49). This scorn is a mirror of the guilt that has manifested within Hester, causing her to “Clasp the infant closely to her bosom: not so much by impulse...as that she may conceal a certain token” (50). The guilt Hester experiences is so great that she uses Pearl in an attempt to conceal her sin. The ridicule Hester endures socially reflects the self-reproach she feels within. Guilt is outlined in this event through the mockery that is a result of her sinful offense. This conveys Hawthorn’s view on the social suffering that contributes to the delineation of

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Arthur Dimmesdale's Guilt Quotes

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In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale commits a mortal sin by having an affair with a married woman, Hester Prynne. As a man of the cloth in Puritan society, Dimmesdale is expected to be the embodiment of the town’s values. He becomes captive to a self-imposed guilt that manifests from affair and his fear that he won’t meet the town’s high expectations of him. In an attempt to mitigate this guilt, Dimmesdale acts “piously” and accepts Chillingworth’s torture, causing him to suffer privately, unlike Hester who repented in the eyes of the townspeople. When Dimmesdale finally reveals his sin to the townspeople, he is able to free himself from his guilt.

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Within the “Scarlet Letter”, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Dimsdale to show how hiding a sin can destroy a person's life . Dimmesdale's character developed dramatically through the 7 year time period. His character traits such as religion pruty, respect ,changes ,and tragic hero transforms throughout the story . Primarily, Dimmesdale’s religion is a main component in his life .He is a minister which automatically grants him to heaven. The fear he has with god keeps him a well grounded person.

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One spontaneous but significant mistake made by Arther Dimmesdale caused him to live the rest of his life crawling with guilt. Arthur Dimmesdale, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, had an affair with a married woman, and that crime ruined the lives of almost everyone in the novel. The Scarlet Letter remains a classic to this day because it emphasizes harsh penance which highlights the difference between the treatment of sinners today and those during the 17th century. The way Puritans view sin and guilt cause Dimmesdale’s life to come to an unfortunate end.

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In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses symbolism, to show how guilt can destroy someone. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale has caused himself pain mentally and physically. “His brain often reeled and visions seemed to flit before him." (Hawthorne 100). Dimmesdale didn’t know how to handle his guilt.

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Secret Sin & Guilt Arthur Dimmesdale is a guilty minister in the story of The Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This is a man who has been keeping a secret sin from the citizens of Boston, ironically telling them what is sinful and what is not. Though they do not know it, the baby of a special lady named Hester Prynne is the walking proof of his sin. It is revealed more and more as the story unfolds. A man, who happens to be Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, senses this secret sin and guilt in Dimmesdale’s conscience, and he plans to use this knowledge to his advantage to gain his revenge on this man for the sin he committed.

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