Reverend Dimmesdale's Transformation In The Scarlet Letter

Reverend Dimmesdale’s Transformation in The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays Reverend Dimmesdale as a man who cowardly strays away from the truth and cannot manage the shame that he has brought upon himself in The Scarlet Letter. In a moment of vulnerability, Dimmesdale falls in love with Hester Prynne who then bores his child, even though they are not married. In the eyes of this puritanical community, Hester has sinned against God. To punish her, the heads of the town force her to wear a scarlet “A” for adulteress. She must stand upon a scaffold, a raised wooden platform that is used for public executions, in front of the whole town. While Hester is being punished for her sin, Dimmesdale is too apprehensive to admit to his sin …show more content…
Reverend Dimmesdale appears to be nervous as he stands on the balcony while Hester and Pearl remain on the scaffold. Although he is brave enough to question Hester, Dimmesdale apprehensively awaits Hester’s answers. Dimmesdale exclaims, “Speak; and give your child a father!” (Hawthorne 64) but Hester will not speak. Hawthorne explains to the reader that while awaiting for Hester’s reply Dimmesdale places his hand upon his heart. This action reveals that Dimmesdale is ambivalent in his position towards questioning Hester (The Scarlet Letter 112). While on the scaffold Dimmesdale trembles at the thought of Hester revealing his true self to the townspeople, who admire him so lovingly. Hawthorne states, “The young pastor's voice2 was tremulously sweet, rich, deep, and broken” (63). But simultaneously, he knows deep down in his heart that if Hester does not announce Dimmesdale’s actions he will never have the courage to admit to himself and the people of the town that he is also an …show more content…
The reverend is noticeably not willing to confess his sin to the community. Dimmesdale takes a stand on the scaffold at midnight, “There was no peril of discovery” (134). The reverend is still too fearful to be seen by anyone in the community as he stands upon the scaffold. Instead of openly confessing his sin to the community, Dimmesdale lets his shame control him. It is brought the reader's attention that Dimmesdale is making a mockery of his penance. Hawthorne clarifies, “A mockery, indeed, but in which his soul trifled with itself!. . . He had been driven hither by the impulse of that Remorse which dogged him everywhere”(134). The deep regret, “Remorse,” is what brought Dimmesdale to the scaffold at midnight, but the cowardice inside of him holds him back from confessing his sin to the community. Instead of confessing, Dimmesdale lets the guilt and shame build up inside of him which eventually leads to his downfall. Dimmesdale knows that the right thing to do is confess, but he makes a mockery of his penance by standing on the scaffold with the hope that one may find him. He wants the guilt off his chest, but does not have the courage to confess his sin himself. The remorse has brought him to stand upon the scaffold, but the cowardliness wins as his scaffold appearance is when no one is