Individuals respond to sin in different ways and Dimmesdale tortured himself by keeping his sin a secret. Dimmesdale overwhelmed himself with guilt, but should have found a healthy balance between guilt and acceptance. He suffered mental anguish and physical weakness; “but how could the young minister say so, when, with every successive Sabbath, his cheek was paler and thinner, and his voice more tremulous than before…” (83). Because of his sin and self-punishment, Dimmesdale’s health deteriorated in both his physical and spiritual condition. Dimmesdale experienced so much torment from himself that he branded himself internally. Chillingworth wanted to discover Dimmesdale's secret so he “ laid his hand upon his bosom, and thrust aside the vestment, that, …show more content…
As his health declined, he grew closer and closer to revealing the truth. Eventually, he confessed and died as a symbolic reflection of his sin. From a biblical perspective, sin must be acknowledged and should be forgiven. People are not to judge because God is the ultimate decider. An example would be how harshly the Puritans treated Hester and how Dimmesdale thought he should be severely punished. During Dimmesdale’s confession he shows the crowd his branded A, “A scarlet letter- the very semblance of that worn by Hester Prynne- imprinted in the flesh” (176). The Puritan mindset got so wrapped up in the idea of a city on a hill that they is not realize their actions were too similar to God’s role. God is the ultimate decider and the Puritans did not take that into consideration. John 1:9 says, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” God is not looking for a grand confession. He uses sin for the better and turns it into a lesson to learn from. Sin is not healthy to keep buried in hearts. Sin should be confessed so people can have repentance and eventually receive