Scarlet Letter Arthur Dimmesdale's Failure

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, tells the tale of a Puritan community in Massachusetts, rocked by scandal. Hester Prynne is convicted of adultery after the birth of her daughter and the disappearance of her husband three years prior. Her fellow sinner, the reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, is never discovered after Hester lies to protect him. Dimmesdale is shown under constant duress throughout the story as the guilt of what he committed builds inside of him. The pressure and stress created by Dimmesdale’s knowledge of what he did begins to unravel him until his death. Arthur Dimmesdale’s death is caused by his failure to accept the consequences of the sin he committed with Hester Prynne, who’s acceptance allows her to survive.

By embracing the burden of the “A”, Hester Prynne is able to transform what started as punishment into a symbol of the effort she had put into the community. “… that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.” (141) This exemplifies Hester’s ability to change a situation for the better. Hester overcame incredible odds stacked …show more content…
“For Hester, I am a dying man. So let me make haste to take my shame upon me.” (220) Dimmesdale’s final act is a public confession of the sin that he committed in an attempt to clear his conscience before his death. He tries to divulge his shame and accept what crimes he committed. Dimmesdale’s death could have been avoided had he been honest about his involvement with Hester’s affair from the start. Had he done this, Dimmesdale could have followed Hester’s example and turned his source of public humiliation into a positive force. Instead, Dimmesdale bottled his emotions to a point where they had caused to much damage on his spirit that the damage became