There is a distinct and obvious difference between great literature and extraordinary literature. Many novels are written very well, and have a captivating surface level story. But truly profound literature can be investigated far beneath its surface level, and contains far reaching metaphors, themes, and other forms of figurative language throughout. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, would fall under this category of truly thoughtful writing that can be explored far deeper than most. The novel The Scarlet Letter is focused around three central scaffold scenes that each contain much significance about the main characters in them and the story as a whole. The initial scaffold scene, in chapter three, lays much of the groundwork for
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What allows him to do this, though, is not an enlightening talk from one of his fellow clergymen, or an epiphany in his own mind. The real reason he finally admits his guilt is that he knows he is going to die, and must come to peace with his guilt before leaving the mortal world. With Hester on the scaffold, and a large crowd around them, he beckons them and then ascends the scaffold with them. After confessing that he should have stood there with her seven years ago, he finally reveals his own scarlet letter to the crowd. “’People of New England!’ cried he… ‘I stand upon the spot where, seven years since, I should have stood; here, with this woman… [who] sustains me, at this dreadful moment, from groveling down upon my face!’… ‘There stood one in the midst of you, at whose brand of sin and infamy ye have not shuddered!’” (241). Even though Dimmesdale is not direct in his phrasing, the message he is conveying is clear. In this final scaffold scene, Dimmesdale and Hester are once again on the scaffold together, but in public. The truth of their relationship has now been made public knowledge, and this defeats Chillingworth. He is seen directly intervening, grabbing the minister by his arm, and pleading in a last ditch effort that Dimmesdale doesn’t do this. But it’s too late, Dimmesdale has come to peace with his fatal guilt, and Chillingworth’s malignant plan
What allows him to do this, though, is not an enlightening talk from one of his fellow clergymen, or an epiphany in his own mind. The real reason he finally admits his guilt is that he knows he is going to die, and must come to peace with his guilt before leaving the mortal world. With Hester on the scaffold, and a large crowd around them, he beckons them and then ascends the scaffold with them. After confessing that he should have stood there with her seven years ago, he finally reveals his own scarlet letter to the crowd. “’People of New England!’ cried he… ‘I stand upon the spot where, seven years since, I should have stood; here, with this woman… [who] sustains me, at this dreadful moment, from groveling down upon my face!’… ‘There stood one in the midst of you, at whose brand of sin and infamy ye have not shuddered!’” (241). Even though Dimmesdale is not direct in his phrasing, the message he is conveying is clear. In this final scaffold scene, Dimmesdale and Hester are once again on the scaffold together, but in public. The truth of their relationship has now been made public knowledge, and this defeats Chillingworth. He is seen directly intervening, grabbing the minister by his arm, and pleading in a last ditch effort that Dimmesdale doesn’t do this. But it’s too late, Dimmesdale has come to peace with his fatal guilt, and Chillingworth’s malignant plan