Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter

Improved Essays
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter is considered by everyone as a honorable person in the entire Puritan town. Practically nobody would think that he would be able to do any evil, more so doing the sin of adultery. Unexpectedly, Dimmesdale has the feeling that he is an individual who is much terrible for committing such a sin and not letting it be known to the townspeople. He is affected greatly by this sin but increases his popularity unexpectedly through inspiring him give intensifying more sermons. More adversely to the townspeople common opinion, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is not extremely honorable and therefore does not deserve to be praised at all.
Guilt and sins may cause causes more agony and pain. This has occurs in Arthur Dimmesdale’s life, who is a well-known among the community of puritan as a minister. The townspeople ironically don 't trust Dimmesdale 's sinful protestations. Given his experience and background and his penchant for explanatory speech, generally Dimmesdale 's
…show more content…
The introduction, "The Custom House," Hawthorne portrays finding the piece of cloth with the weaved "A" in the smelly, practically custom house that was lifeless where he used to work. The story he had learned about embroidery, in any case, demonstrates that the "A" is very far from a letter which is dead. It is the ultimate indication of a gripping and rich human dramatization. As the story reaches its conclusion, the real meaning of "A" is changed. The "A" that Hester is referred to wear is expected to remain for her immediate sin of Adultery. In any case, Hester is not restricted by her past disappointment and failure. She wins the support of a large number of the townspeople, and they all come now to see the "A" as the remaining for Angel or Able. In the meantime, Hester loves Arthur, so maybe in her thinking the "A" means Arthur, who is very close to her

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    The A means a variety of different things including adultery and able. Hester has a child in sin and is forced to wear a letter A on her chest for the rest of her life. She makes this A big and gold on scarlet fabric, which goes to show that she isn't ashamed of it in the slightest, that is until she stands up on the scaffold and is shamed publically. Pearl and the scarlet A itself; both are intimately connected to Hester's adultery. In her initial shame, Hester tries to conceal the A by holding Pearl close to her chest.…

    • 1688 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Mine burns in secret. ”(Hawthorne 232). This shows that Dimmesdale is feeling very sad as his guilt is deep and has destroyed him internally and made him weak. This also shows that as Dimmesdale is the clergyman of the church it is his duty to keep people on the right path but when he himself is guilty of sin he is just embarrassing himself in front of himself which makes him more weak and powerless. He is also not forgiving himself, this destruction of one’s soul by guilt and not forgiving oneself can also be seen in the Crucible when John Proctor who had committed lechery with Abigail tries saving his name and reputation by keeping his lechery a secret from the society.…

    • 1086 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Dimmesdale is a Puritan minister and is supposed to be very godly and honest. But Dimmesdale knows that with the depth of this sin, he cannot admit it without being severely punished or even executed. So Dimmesdale goes on with this guilt in his heart hiding his sin, and losing more of his Puritan presence each…

    • 464 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When it came to the reading of The Scarlet Letter plenty of people would realize that Reverend Dimmesdale was affected the most with his sin, and keeping that sin a secret throughout the novel was obviously a very difficult task. As the novel went…

    • 965 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The “A” Hester wears on her breast is a symbol or sin and adultery. Hawthorne first describes the letter in chapter two as “illuminating on her bosom.” 47 Immediately the reader can tell this letter is going to be important it makes her different and takes her out of “ordinary relations with humanity, and [encloses] her in a sphere by herself.” 47…

    • 1319 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In The Scarlet Letter Roger Chillingworth and Arthur Dimmesdale get into an argument over the root of Dimmesdales’ sickness and why men keep dark secrets. Roger Chillingworth takes the emotional approach as he tries to undermine Dimmesdale and explain to him that only moral problems such as hidden secrets may be the root of the sickness and confessing them will heal a mans soul. Dimmesdale obviously afraid to expose his sins tries to argue against him and claim that if they confess their sin it may keep them from coming to God and facing the judgment of the other people around them. Chillingworth presents the strongest argument even though Dimmesdale does not give in to his persuasion. Chillingworth in chapter 10 argues the emotional appeal by first saying where he found the herbs he was using, he claimed he found it by a dead mans memorial and that perhaps a hideous secret was also buried with him that was never shared.…

    • 659 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The introduction of The Scarlet Letter, titled ‘The Custom House’ is seen as somewhat irrelevant to the story of Hester Prynne by many. They usually end up feeling it was unnecessary to have it as an introduction, and skip the reading of it. In Hsiou-ling Lyu’s case, it is greatly relevant to The Scarlet Letter as it does not tell us a lot about the story itself, but about the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and his decision to write The Scarlet Letter. Lyu starts out her essay by stating that Hawthorne wrote this book with the intention of it selling well.…

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale’s life of hypocrisy is demonstrated. Dimmesdale is the highly respected pastor of the church of the New England Colony described in the Scarlet Letter. The deep reverence the people had for their pastor is clearly demonstrated when the people of the city concluded that “if Mr. Dimmesdale were really going to die, it was cause enough, that the world was not worthy to be any longer trodden by his feet” (136). This quote shows how the people believed Dimmesdale to be a righteous man, even more righteous than they were. On the Contrary, Dimmesdale knew who he truly was on the inside.…

    • 811 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    If she begged for forgiveness or acted ashamed to try to regain admission into the community, whether or not they accepted her, she would not be an individual. Hester does not conform to their standards as being a sinless woman, or, even as a sinner, one that is ashamed. The letter A she is forced to wear is meant to show her life of repentance and shame she is supposed to endure, but by ornately embroidering it, it showcases her…

    • 1663 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Being that Dimmesdale is a Reverend, or minister, he carries one of the highest positions in the town. He is the peoples’ spiritual leader, role model, and someone they can receive advice from on how to live their lives. And yet, he committed adultery. We know that it has affected him too, as we read, “..little strength wherewith I have crept hitherword” (Hawthorne 265), proving this whole ordeal has taken its toll on him. Dimmesdale’s actions are something a man of this stringent Christian faction should never do, and that is why his sin is the…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    The Miserable Minister “Being in a pitiable state of distress or unhappiness (as from want or shame)” (Miserable Definition). Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is in an extreme state of distress and unhappiness. This miserable state can be traced back to his shame from his romantic encounter with Ms. Hester Prynne. Dimmesdale eventually becomes physically and mentally sick from his shame and guilt.…

    • 1476 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    How does Hawthorne use Dimmesdale's character to help emphasize the hypocrisy of the puritan society? Puritan society of the 1800s saw the world in black and white, good or bad, right or wrong. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Dimmesdale’s character, who is a minister in a puritan society, to highlight how this simplistic view of the world is full of hypocrisy. In a society that does not see people for the multiple dimensions they have, individuals are easily painted in a single dimension and expected to conform to society’s expectations or face the consequences of not complying.…

    • 847 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Universal Truths of the Human Condition The Scarlet Letter, although written in the 1850’s, continues to speak truly about many universal truths of the human condition. The Novel displays all-consuming effects of guilt on a sinner and how it can be worse than the punishment itself, although religion can guide a person, it can not guide a government, and that no person is without sin. As displayed by Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, guilt can affect a person worse than the punishment for the crime. After committing adultery, Dimmesdale attempts to keep it hidden from the community for fear of execution.…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    “‘The judgment of God is on me,’ answered the conscience-stricken priest. ‘It is too mighty for me to struggle with!’. ‘Heaven would show mercy,’ rejoined Hester, ‘hadst thou but the strength to take advantage of it.’”. In the Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale cannot handle the guilt of his sin and when Hester offers advice to help him deal with his sin like she did, he cannot accept it. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale allows his guilt to consume him because he is unable to deal with it, as he physically deteriorates his mind is weakening, it plays tricks on him causing hallucinations and torturous visions.…

    • 1098 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Being seen as a pious, pure minister, he knows how the congregation admires and respects him. However, by his actions, it is evident that the minister is not some perfect, divine being, as everyone believes him to be, but is capable of falling into temptation, just as easily as the people in his congregation are. Dimmesdale is overcome with immense guilt and remorse, feeling like the greatest fraud there ever was. By repeatedly placing his hand over his heart, it is obvious that he is hurting internally, both mentally and emotionally. However, Dimmesdale, out of fear and the knowledge of “the light in which his vague confession would be viewed,” (99) decides not to repent until the very end.…

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays