Contrasting Dimmesdale and Hester
It is merely human nature to commit sin. With this being true, how one deals with his or her sin determines his or her ability to achieve peace. Throughout the book, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne have sinned together in adultery. However, both characters have different approaches to how they cope with their wrongdoings. Even though they both have the same sin, Hester is the only character who has to deal with her sin being publicised, because she had a baby even though her husband has been presumably dead for two years. Hester refuses to reveal Dimmesdale as her partner in crime, as he is a Reverend in Puritan Boston, and it will diminish his very respected …show more content…
Hester is able to be with Pearl because her sin is publicised, and it is known that Pearl is Hester’s daughter. The narrator was discussing Pearl and her message when he wrote, “God, as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child, whose place was on that same dishonored bosom, to connect her parent for ever with the race and descent of mortals, and to be finally a blessed soul in Heaven!” (61). In this Quotation, the author is saying that even though Hester sinned, God blessed her with a beautiful child. God gave her someone to talk to, and someone that will always be there for her, which highlights the values of family. Because of Hester’s acceptance of her sin, she is able to form a quality bond with Pearl. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, clearly doesn’t value family and it is shown through his unwillingness to claim Pearl as his daughter in the public eye. Despite the consequences, if Dimmsdale really cared about his family, he would make his sin public. Because Dimmesdale is unwilling to claim Pearl in public, it is unhealthy for Dimmesdale and Pearl’s relationship. The two were talking at night when Pearl, “glanced upward at the minister, wore that naughty smile which made its expression frequently so elvish. She withdrew her hand from Mr. Dimmesdale’s,” (106). Pearl is really hurt that Dimmesdale won’t give her enough …show more content…
Dimmesdale, showed the exact opposite. By bundling up his sin, it mentally and physically tore him apart. Through Dimmesdale 's negligence of Pearl to his need for social acceptance, it clearly why this man could not be at ease. Hester’s values of honesty and self-acceptance allowed her to be at peace with herself, while Dimmesdale’s values of social acceptance and dishonesty picked him apart mentally and physically and made it nearly impossible for him to move on, Illustrating that one must be truthful and self-accepting in order to achieve
It is merely human nature to commit sin. With this being true, how one deals with his or her sin determines his or her ability to achieve peace. Throughout the book, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne have sinned together in adultery. However, both characters have different approaches to how they cope with their wrongdoings. Even though they both have the same sin, Hester is the only character who has to deal with her sin being publicised, because she had a baby even though her husband has been presumably dead for two years. Hester refuses to reveal Dimmesdale as her partner in crime, as he is a Reverend in Puritan Boston, and it will diminish his very respected …show more content…
Hester is able to be with Pearl because her sin is publicised, and it is known that Pearl is Hester’s daughter. The narrator was discussing Pearl and her message when he wrote, “God, as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child, whose place was on that same dishonored bosom, to connect her parent for ever with the race and descent of mortals, and to be finally a blessed soul in Heaven!” (61). In this Quotation, the author is saying that even though Hester sinned, God blessed her with a beautiful child. God gave her someone to talk to, and someone that will always be there for her, which highlights the values of family. Because of Hester’s acceptance of her sin, she is able to form a quality bond with Pearl. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, clearly doesn’t value family and it is shown through his unwillingness to claim Pearl as his daughter in the public eye. Despite the consequences, if Dimmsdale really cared about his family, he would make his sin public. Because Dimmesdale is unwilling to claim Pearl in public, it is unhealthy for Dimmesdale and Pearl’s relationship. The two were talking at night when Pearl, “glanced upward at the minister, wore that naughty smile which made its expression frequently so elvish. She withdrew her hand from Mr. Dimmesdale’s,” (106). Pearl is really hurt that Dimmesdale won’t give her enough …show more content…
Dimmesdale, showed the exact opposite. By bundling up his sin, it mentally and physically tore him apart. Through Dimmesdale 's negligence of Pearl to his need for social acceptance, it clearly why this man could not be at ease. Hester’s values of honesty and self-acceptance allowed her to be at peace with herself, while Dimmesdale’s values of social acceptance and dishonesty picked him apart mentally and physically and made it nearly impossible for him to move on, Illustrating that one must be truthful and self-accepting in order to achieve