Arthur Dimmesdale's Guilt Quotes

Dimmesdale’s True Colors Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, also the father of Hester’s child, showed prominent parts of his character throughout the story. The first trait the reader becomes aware of is Dimmesdale’s cowardice. He has no intentions of revealing his sin to the public, due to how highly he is seen in the community’s eyes. Remorse, or guilt, is another term that can be associated with Dimmesdale, growing increasingly more prominent as the novel goes on. Cowardice, a lacking of bravery when facing danger, was a trait that Dimmesdale carried.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne tells not only the story of Hester Prynne’s sin, but also shows wickedness behind Roger Chillingworth’s and Arthur Dimmesdale’s public appearances. In The Scarlet Letter, the two men who both have feelings for Hester clash with each other and even themselves. Throughout the novel, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale have a rather dark and twisted relationship. Although the pair start off as friends somewhat and do try to at least be respectful to one another, neither can shake off the bad vibes they are sensing from each other. This leads to Chillingworth’s outright questioning of Dimmesdale’s sins and secrets, and Dimmesdale’s growing curiosity of Chillingworth’s true identity.

Everyone comes across something in their life that speaks to them--a symbol as it will be called. In the book, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there are many symbols, but there is one that really stands out above the rest, and that is the mark on Dimmesdale’s chest. The Scarlet Letter’s primary focus is on the life of Hester Prynne, who had an affair with someone and was accused of the crime and forced to wear a scarlet letter A for the rest of her life. The mark on Arthur Dimmesdale’s chest (although it was never truly stated what the mark actually was) can be seen as guilt in physical form which slowly begins to show over time.

Other than the inflation of chaos in a community, it appears that strict religious law codes may lead people to more pious lifestyles and can cause people to be more drawn to sin. We see numerous times in The Scarlet Letter, how these types of codes lead to people sinning more and more. Although a behavior system based on religious scripture also leads to more chaos in this book, the increase in sin is mainly highlighted. Being that religious based law codes can be so controlling, people living under them are more motivated and more likely to sin further than ever before. Along with these sins, comes regret.

Arthur Dimmesdale is suppose to be this role model for the townspeople. If the townspeople found out about his sin of adultery, he would begin getting mocked and harassed like Hester. He begins to punish himself brutally for his sin by whipping himself, his health begins to deteriorate. When he is standing on the scaffold he sees a meteor that looks like the letter “A” for adultery, his guilt is eating at him. Roger Chillingworth is Hester’s husband, he can 't let his secret get out of his true identity.

In the short story “The Minister’s Black Veil” and the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the stories of two men who keep their sins secret and are hurt deeply. In The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Dimmesdale does not reveal his sin to the community and experiences far more pain than Hester, whose sin is revealed. Years after the original sin, Hester has healed and is accepted by the community, while Dimmesdale still feels guilty, as can be seen when he mounts the scaffold. Dimmesdale’s experience is similar to that of Reverend Hooper, who covers his face after a secret sin and is eschewed by the community. When we refuse to admit our faults, we will feel guilty

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes place in a Puritan community of Boston during the 17th century, during which Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne commit the grave sin of adultery. Although the young woman, Hester Prynne, was accused and discovered guilty of this sin, she refused to give up the name of her partner in sin throughout her public punishment at the scaffold. Furthermore, when the young minister, Dimmesdale, was asked to question Hester, he did not push her to reveal his name due to fear for himself. However, the concealment of his identity drove Dimmesdale to more guilt, leading him to believe it would have been better if everyone had known. Thus, Dimmesdale began a series of self-penances, including a secret confession at the scaffold during the night.

Penance vs. Penitence In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne writes of the hypocrisy of the Puritans in the 1600’s. He expresses the hardships of Hester Prynne and her adulterous lover, Authur Dimmesdale, who is also the town’s preacher. Because Reverend Dimmesdale is a very noble preacher, he has to persist with the guilt of his sin and continue to preach how one should live a holy and pure lifestyle.

Beginning in seventeenth century Boston, Massachusetts, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays the fortitude of the Puritan society as well as major imperfections of its beliefs and religion. Using his familiarity of the Puritan ways of life, Hawthorne not only expresses his fondness of the culture, but also institutes a concern for the judgmental and irrational behaviors that are enforced by the Puritan religion. Hugo McPherson has claimed, “Hawthorne’s rejection of the Calvinist view of human nature, however, does not lead him to espouse the cause of man’s “natural goodness,” the Transcendental view. For him there is an ideal, perfect realm, and an imperfect, human realm. Human nature is inevitably imperfect.

Dimmesdale develops because in the beginning of the novel, he is a devout Puritan, and as the reader gets more into the novel, they recognize that Arthur Dimmesdale does not truly know himself and “have it all together” the way that every other person thinks that he does. Dimmesdale, the human depiction of "human frailty and sorrow," is young, pale, and physically unhealthy. He has large, sad-looking eyes and a constantly trembling mouth, suggesting that Dimmesdale is sensitive. As an ordained Puritan minister, he is well educated, and he has a philosophical train of thought. He is obviously fully devoted to God, passionate in his religion, and effective behind a minister’s podium.

Does lying to a community make a person feel better as a sinner? Does acting to a community help hide one’s true self? Arthur Dimmesdale, a hypocrite, depends on lying to survive. He loves but cannot show it in public; he is depressed but tries to hide his pain within his sermons. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s