Direct Characterization In The Scarlet Letter

“I think with any characterization there's a point where you empathize, no matter how much of a deviance his or her actions may be from your understanding of humanity.” Actor Benedict Cumberbatch states, humanity will influence one to empathize with the character no matter what. Writers, through direct and indirect presentation, can provoke empathy for a character who was thought to be black-hearted. With direct presentation, the reader explicitly receives presented information about a character. Indirect presentation occurs when the author shapes a character through the dialogue or actions of the character, as well as the dialogue or actions of another character. By applying these techniques, the author can provide a well-developed, compelling character. …show more content…
Characters like Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester Prynne; the mother of Pearl, Pearl Prynne; the daughter of sin, and Roger Chillingworth; the revenge obsessed husband are all characters offering multiple examples of direct and indirect presentation. Although the novel may be focused on mainly Hester's sin, character Arthur Dimmesdale shares this sin as well. Dimmesdale has an immense struggle throughout the novel and should be seen as a strong, willful character. Furthermore, Hawthorne directly characterizes Dimmesdale as sick as well as, indirectly characterizing Dimmesdale as having a guilty conscience through his actions. On the other hand, Dimmesdale's death was not satisfactory to the reader. Therefore, through Hawthorne’s use of direct and indirect characterization, he presents Arthur Dimmesdale to be a round, dynamic character who exhibits that a guilty conscience has the potential to hurt someone beyond