“But there stood one in the midst of you, at whose brand of sin and infamy ye have not shuddered” (Hawthorne 305) In the book the Scarlet Letter, the revered minister Arthur Dimmesdale hid his sinful affair with Hester Prynne from everyone for over seven years. While she was forced to endure constant public humiliation, he was held up on a pedestal by the public. Arthur Dimmesdale was highly revered by his congregation and those around him, and he knew that the revelation of his sin would cause a huge uproar and destroy both his professional and social life so he hid it from everyone. However, the guilt that comes with living a lie consumed him and eventually lead to his death.
Reverend Dimmesdale’s affair with Hester Prynne was initially …show more content…
Without the reverend hiding his sin from the world, the book would not have even half of the many lessons that can be learned from it. Due to his dishonesty, the book is a perfect example of the dangers of hypocrisy and guilt. It also affected many of the characters in the book. Hester was forced to raise Pearl without a father because he wished his identify to remain unknown. Roger Chillingworth became consumed with the thought of revenge on the minister and had power over him because he knew his secret. Even the general public was greatly affected by his lies. They considered him a holy man to look up to and aspire to be. “He stood, at this moment, on the very proudest eminence of superiority, to which the gifts of intellect, rich lore, prevaling eloquence, and a reputation of whitest sanctity, could exalt a clergyman in New England’s earliest days, when the professional character was of itself a lofty pedestal” (Hawthorne 299) This made their shock when he revealed his sins all the greater. It more than likely caused them to question things they once thought they were sure about, possibly even things regarding the spiritual realm. Arthur Dimmesdale had no idea that the concealing of his sins would have such a negative effect on so many
Reverend Dimmesdale’s affair with Hester Prynne was initially …show more content…
Without the reverend hiding his sin from the world, the book would not have even half of the many lessons that can be learned from it. Due to his dishonesty, the book is a perfect example of the dangers of hypocrisy and guilt. It also affected many of the characters in the book. Hester was forced to raise Pearl without a father because he wished his identify to remain unknown. Roger Chillingworth became consumed with the thought of revenge on the minister and had power over him because he knew his secret. Even the general public was greatly affected by his lies. They considered him a holy man to look up to and aspire to be. “He stood, at this moment, on the very proudest eminence of superiority, to which the gifts of intellect, rich lore, prevaling eloquence, and a reputation of whitest sanctity, could exalt a clergyman in New England’s earliest days, when the professional character was of itself a lofty pedestal” (Hawthorne 299) This made their shock when he revealed his sins all the greater. It more than likely caused them to question things they once thought they were sure about, possibly even things regarding the spiritual realm. Arthur Dimmesdale had no idea that the concealing of his sins would have such a negative effect on so many