Essay On The Character Of Hester And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter represents the struggle between man and sin, yet it can be repealed by the hand of God who redeems those worthy. There are two cases in the story, one being Hester who openly lives in sin and Dimmesdale who hiddenly lives a fake life. Both handle their matters differently which determine the roles and outcome of them in the story. In Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester is indeed the protagonists who makes wise decisions and moral choices that positively affect her life. Although Dimmesdale is a reverend and serves the Lord under his church, his actions do not change throughout the story resulting in his demise.
Hester is instituted as a sinner, yet in the novel is depicted as a moral person who makes just decisions
…show more content…
“She was self-ordained a Sister of Mercy…” (146). As the quote above clearly shows, Hester becomes an epitome of repentance done right. The townspeople now respect her and even the letter A is named as “Able”. Mercy had sunk into her life, which could only be provided by God himself. Furthermore, there is an indirect differentiate between Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester blatantly exposes herself and her sin, yet Dimmesdale has lived without confessing. The correlation between public and hidden sin appear since Dimmesdale's whole state is deteriorating (due to the lack of confession, unlike Hester). Accordingly, Hester is morally approved by God’s law, while Dimmesdale is approved by man’s law but his life is a lie. Hester towards the end of story proves to be a reliable source of kindness and support for those who need it. “O Hester, thou art my better angel!” (182). To further elaborate on Hester’s protagonist like qualities, her kind heart manifests when Dimmesdale begins to worsen. Dimmesdale struggles with concealed sin and as his friend and lover, Hester provides a key opportunity for him to be free. Her actions exemplify the bridge between man and God and how one can mend the wicked deeds done. Her help provides Dimmesdale's one step closer
Hester Prynne And Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
696 Words | 3 PagesIn chapter 17, Hester went to the forest to see if she could have a talk with Dimmesdale. When she spotted him, she asked Dimmesdale if he had found any peace. Dimmesdale replied, "None--nothing but despair!" and “Hester, I am most miserable!"
Forgiven Hester's Letter Persuasive Letter
260 Words | 2 PagesWhen Hester would remove her letter nothing bad would happen, instead she was showered with sunshine. The quote “ Such as sympathy from nature” shows that god has forgiven Hester and is going to surround her with positivity. Dimmesdale was never in situations like Hester. Hester was publically humiliated for her sin while Dimmesdale was was still loved by the citizens. Pearl was also living a great life along with Hester.
Who Is Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
693 Words | 3 PagesDimmesdale’s feelings were clearin that he explained that “it must needs be better for the sufferer to be free to show his pain, as this poor woman Hester is, than to cover it all up in his heart”(93). Dimmesdale said that once the extra sin of concealing the original sin is gone the load on the conscience lessens relieving the guilt and suffering. Hester did not have these additional burdens of guilt and suffering as Dimmesdale
Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
1227 Words | 5 PagesHester and Dimmesdale have both committed adultery, but Hester accepts and embraces what has happened. Alternatively, for Dimmesdale, enduring seven long years of guilt and sin are required to get him to finally reveal the truth. Taking so many years to do so shows how
Rhetorical Devices In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
416 Words | 2 PagesHester is unable to recognize Dimmesdale as “he seemed so remote from her own sphere, and utterly beyond her reach” (Hawthorne, 144). Even little Pearl “felt the remoteness and intangibility that had fallen around the minister” (Hawthorne, 145). Dimmesdale’s lack of feebleness made him look like a completely different person that
Who Is Dimmesdale's Decay In The Scarlet Letter
417 Words | 2 Pages“And the infectious poison of that sin had been thus rapidly diffused throughout his moral system” (Hawthorne 174). In The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale serves as the holiest person many people meet in their moral lifetime, and as the purest embodiment of God’s word. However, Dimmesdale has a wounding secret, a cancer, that tears his soul apart throughout his time in America. Dimmesdale falls prey to sin in a moment of passion with Hester, resulting in her condemnation by the townspeople, and the birth of their child, Pearl. For years, Dimmesdale’s life is defined by an internal conflict - his job demands his purity in the eye of the townspeople, but he desires the acceptance of herself that Hester achieves through her sin being made public.
Hester Prynne And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
1132 Words | 5 PagesHester went through public humiliation, wearing her sin for all to see and she lived till old age killed her. These two characters represent more than the sin they committed. They show us the pain of a hidden sin and the fruits of a public
Arthur Dimmesdale's Guilt Quotes
1158 Words | 5 PagesDimmesdale suffers differently from Hester, because while she “bore it all” to the townspeople (181), his fears forced him to hide his sin, living a life full of “nothing but despair” (177). Hester, though made a social pariah of the town, has a more honest and healthy way of dealing with her sin. Because Hester is forced to face her wrongdoings under the watchful eye of her Puritan neighbors, she did not have the same guilt of secrecy that Dimmesdale did. Dimmesdale, by hiding his sin, allows himself to become a captive to his guilt. The way that Dimmesdale dealt with his guilt was unhealthy for him, both mentally and physically.
Dimmesdale's Responsibility For Sin In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
878 Words | 4 PagesThe book “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a complex novel that has underlying themes of sin and the responsibility for sin. The novel takes place in a Puritanical society, but two people, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, fornicate with each other, even though Hester is married to someone else. Only Hester is punished, so Dimmesdale keeps his guilt inside, not revealing it to anyone. Hester’s husband, Chillingworth, then proceeds to ruin Hester’s partner in crime, corrupting his soul and being the ultimate cause for his death. Hester, on the other hand, leads a relatively happy life after she had repented for her sin.
Arthur Dimmesdale's Moral Development In Scarlet Letter
978 Words | 4 PagesThe narrator states, "Arthur Dimmesdale gazed into Hester's face with a look in which hope and joy shone out, indeed, but with fear betwixt them, and a kind of horror at her boldness, who had spoken what he vaguely hinted at, but dared not to speak" (Hawthorne 138). Nevertheless, his moral development continuously stays at Stage 1 "Obedience and Punishment Orientation" because yet again his actions are selfish. He is more considerate about his
Scarlet Letter Compare And Contrast Essay
354 Words | 2 PagesShe is brave and does not deny that she sinned. She realizes that she needs to let go of the misery that the scarlet letter has brought upon her. Rather than letting it define her, Hester uses the letter. She helps out in the community. It does not define who she is.
What Does The Deep Red Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter
940 Words | 4 PagesIt reveals how the character Dimmesdale evolves as time progresses, in the beginning he asks Hester to stand with him so he can confess his sins but only for a minute because he doesn't want to admit the sin. This adds to the guilt that increases with time but also foreshadows his final coming out with the truth and death caused by this action. Hester's past will always be apart of her although others have forgotten about the sin that tore her life apart. The scarlet letter becomes apart of her and also turns into a symbol of redemption and how she overcame the difficulties in her life. Although she was emotionally tormented as a young woman she was able to overcome and become a light to others.
Hester And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
743 Words | 3 PagesSome of the differences between these two characters are also what makes them alike, as well as setting them apart from the rest of the characters in the book. Hester and Dimmesdale’s need to repent and face their punishments in their own ways leads the reader through the book with surprises at every turn. The characters face challenges from holding in a secret, and facing a punishment all relating to the same actions taken before the book begins. Hester, the mother of Pearl ,as well as the main character, was
Hypocrisy Of The Puritan Society In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
936 Words | 4 PagesThroughout the novel, Hester is fraught by the Puritan society and her suffering is an effect of how evil society is. Hester continues to believe that the crime she committed was not wrong and she should not be punished for it. Her desire to protect and love Dimmesdale, turn her into a stronger person and become a heroine in the book. Although society still views her as a “naughty baggage” (Hawthorne 73) and is punished for her wrongdoing, Hester never thought to take revenge on them, yet she gives everything she has to the unfortunate and leaves herself with very little. She continues to stay positive no matter what society has for her.
Sin And The Chance Of Redemption In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
1029 Words | 5 PagesEffect of Sin and the Chance of Redemption Sin is a powerful action that has an everlasting consequence of guilt. Once done, the person wants to forget about his felonious actions; however, hopefully a person’s conscience is a constant, nagging reminder. In order to be free of the constant pain, redemption is pursued for even the person who sinned in public or private. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne proves that the truth of sin eventually need to be confronted in order for a person to stop suffering.
More about Essay On The Character Of Hester And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
Hester Prynne And Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
696 Words | 3 PagesForgiven Hester's Letter Persuasive Letter
260 Words | 2 PagesWho Is Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
693 Words | 3 PagesDimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
1227 Words | 5 PagesRhetorical Devices In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
416 Words | 2 PagesWho Is Dimmesdale's Decay In The Scarlet Letter
417 Words | 2 PagesHester Prynne And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
1132 Words | 5 PagesArthur Dimmesdale's Guilt Quotes
1158 Words | 5 PagesDimmesdale's Responsibility For Sin In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
878 Words | 4 PagesArthur Dimmesdale's Moral Development In Scarlet Letter
978 Words | 4 PagesScarlet Letter Compare And Contrast Essay
354 Words | 2 PagesWhat Does The Deep Red Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter
940 Words | 4 PagesHester And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
743 Words | 3 PagesHypocrisy Of The Puritan Society In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
936 Words | 4 PagesSin And The Chance Of Redemption In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
1029 Words | 5 Pages