Sin Used By Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlett Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, sin is defined as either an offense against the religious or moral law or an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible. In seventeenth-century Puritan society, sin was highly disapproved of. The Puritans were members of the Church of England involved in a reform movement regarding purifying members to achieve a near-perfect society throughout the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. When a member of Puritan society committed a sin, there were several different extreme methods in which the Puritans could punish that individual; imprisonment, whipping, public humiliation, hanging, and worse were all viable options that one might go through if their sin was to be exposed. Nathaniel Hawthorne

However, his sin is dealt with a bit differently. Dimmesdale is a well-respected and important pillar of their community, being that he is the minister. The people of society are in shock as they find out that Dimmesdale allows this terrible sin to occur. “People say,” said another, “that the Reverend Master Dimmesdale, her godly pastor, takes it very grievously to heart that such a scandal should have come upon his congregation” (Hawthorne #). Little do they know that he is the second half of the adultery that occurred with Hester and holds just as much blame and sin as she does. Dimmesdale is consumed by guilt caused by his sin; however, he is unable to confess to them. Due to the nature of the society that he and Hester are a part of, he understands that if he confesses, both his position as minister, as well as his part of their society and reputation will be jeopardized. His position as a minister makes it even more difficult for him to confess because he has a crucial role to uphold as a key member of the community. A minister knows better than anyone that sin is punished heavily. If he opens up publicly about his sin, he knows that “all the dread of public exposure, that had so long been the anguish of his life, had returned upon him” (Hawthorne, 185). The fact that Dimmesdale is in anguish because of to his sins is also apparent when one observes his physical state and the way he

Ann Hutchinson was a Puritan spiritual advisor who rebelled against Puritan society and was put on trial after defying societal norms, similar to Hester. Hawthorne first introduced Hutchinson in the novel in the first chapter of the novel. "This rose bush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally overshadowed it,—or whether, as there is fair authority for believing, it had sprung up under the footsteps of the sainted Ann Hutchinson, as she entered the prison-door,—we shall not take upon us to determine" (Hawthorne 53). The rosebush, although appearing only twice in the novel, is a very significant symbol in the story. It represents strength, hope, and defiance, similar to the scarlet letter itself. Ann and Hester are connected due to their passion, rebellion, bravery, and strength to defy these laws with sin, even in the face of their judgment. Another important historical figure seen in Puritan times was David and Bathsheba. According to 2 Samuel 11-12, David, who is the king, had an affair with Bathsheba and sent her husband to the frontline to die. However, Bathsheba's baby with David is killed by God. Their story connects to Hester, Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale in the way that