Hidden Sin In The Scarlet Letter
Hidden vs Expressed Sin
Destroyed from the outside in or suffering for years on end; neither represents a favorable consequence, but one can lead to a rebirth. Consequences of sin can vary, because hidden sin and exposed sin express themselves in different ways. Hidden sin can eat away at a person, while expressed sin rehabilitates a lost soul. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, two main characters, Dimmesdale and Hester, demonstrate their own dealings with sin. The two had committed adultery, but only Hester’s sin revealed itself to the community. Outcasted from the community, Hester embraced her sin. In contrast, Dimmesdale, ironically, maintained the position of the minister in the town. Unable to absolve his own mistakes, Dimmesdale suffered through his secrecy. Moral consequences of hidden sin, exhibited when one's inner self becomes nothing but self-hate, is only redeemed with the truth. Dimmesdale received extensive internal punishment for his concealed sin, yet remained unforgiven, whereas Hester trivialized her sin and reinstated herself as an active member of society.
Morally, Dimmesdale suffered on the inside.
…show more content…
In order to redeemed a sin, a person must confess the crime and deal with the consequences. The community knew about Hester's crime, and slowly forgave her. On the other hand, Dimmesdale told no one and, consequently, the sin possessed his life. Dimmesdale suffered extreme anguish as his sin stayed with him, and wished his sin revealed itself along with Hester’s. Hawthorne's purpose in keeping Dimmesdale's sin hidden included that one must admit the crime before forgiveness can be given, or they must deal with a worse enemy: themselves. Although suffering for years with a confessed sin may seem harsh, it allows a sin to be redeemed, whereas a concealed sin leads to a life full of endless
Blindness In The Scarlet Letter
1270 Words | 6 PagesThroughout The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne exposes the blindness of the Puritan people through the treatment of Hester, Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale’s external characters. Hester Prynne is labeled as an adulteress and mistreated by society because of their unwillingness to see her true character. Chillingworth, the husband of Hester, leads the town to believe he is an honorable man and skillful doctor, when his true intents root from his vindictive nature Finally, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester’s lover and the father of her baby, acts as the perfect man therefore the town views him as an exemplar model, while he is truly a sinner. In the novel, Hawthorne portrays Hester as a strong, resilient woman, though the members of her community
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
The Guilt Of Reverend Dimmesdale
861 Words | 4 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is convicted of adultery and the whole town ostracises her for her sin and the secrecy of who the father is, who is coincidentally their preacher, Reverend Dimmesdale. The town fails to find out the true identity of the father until he confesses seven years later after the birth of Pearl. While Hester is able to forgive herself with the help of her only treasure, Pearl, Reverend Dimmesdale does not forgive himself. When Rev. Dimmesdale fails to confess and forgive himself, he dooms his life forever because of the burden of his sin; but, not only did it hurt his life, it hurt Hester and Pearl and the rest of the community. Reverend Dimmesdale feels very guilty for not confessing to
Dimmesdale And Chillingworth In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
727 Words | 3 PagesIn the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tackles the issue of hiding sins by using Dimmesdale and Chillingworth as pawns to portray his view on sinful secrets. Dimmesdale’s main argument relies on divine powers, while Chillingworth focuses on nature in his argument. Dimmesdale argues that sometimes people want to confess their sins, but cannot because they fear they won’t be able to redeem themselves, so instead of confessing, they just leave their secrets for the divine powers to reveal. While Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are talking about the man from the grave, Dimmesdale points out the fact that “‘he earnestly desired [to reveal his sin] but could not’“ (123). He is able to state that so easily because the man he is actually
Examples Of Secret Sin In The Scarlet Letter
806 Words | 4 PagesHis congregation only but reverenced him the more, and thought to themselves, what Dimmesdale thought about their sins and started feeling guilty. But Rev. Dimmesdale still thought to himself that he still deserved a penance, because he thought that was not right in the eyes of God. Hester Prynne also has a daughter that is named Pearl and she was
Consequences Of Sin In The Scarlet Letter
796 Words | 4 PagesThroughout the story, it is clear that he wants to confess his sin, when he is yelling at the scaffold at night but he’s too weak to do it publicly. The interactions between Hester and Dimmesdale show her hold over him because she has been publicly condemned for a sin that they had committed together. His inability to reveal and accept the truth makes him extremely weak. When Dimmesdale decides to reveal the truth during his Election Day speech, he passes away because he had waited too
The Scarlet Letter Penance Vs. Penitence
604 Words | 3 PagesHowever, he will not repent for his sin until he confesses. Penitence is regret for one’s wrongdoing. Dimmesdale does not feel penitence for his sins: Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years' cheat, to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am!
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.
Who Is Dimmesdale Guilty Of Adultery
582 Words | 3 PagesWhen we keep secrets we also keep guilt and guilt will destroy us from the inside. In the book of scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and how one woman who committed adultery with a character named dimmesdale who is the town revered. Dimmesdale kept secrets to maintaining his reputation but actions the guilt eats him from the inside. Dimmesdale the town revered for the puritan religion. He commits adultery with Hester and has a child, but instead of facing his sin he keeps inside for no one to know.
The Scarlet Letter Dimmesdale's Transformation
523 Words | 3 PagesMany characters from The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, changed throughout the progression of the novel, — including Chillingworth, Hester, and even Pearl herself. No character, however, has changed as much as Dimmesdale has. Towards the beginning of the novel, Dimmesdale tries to ignore his sinful actions. Near the middle of the book, the clergyman, with the ‘help’ of Chillingworth, is able to realize his wrongdoings, and starts obsessively thinking of those wrongdoings. Around the end of the novel, with the help of the forest’s freedom, is able to finally repent correctly for his sin.
Compare And Contrast The Minister's Black Veil And The Scarlet Letter
119 Words | 1 PagesIn 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
Dimmesdale's Responsibility For Sin In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
878 Words | 4 PagesHester and Dimmesdale each are equivalent in the sin that they commit, but their lives and fates are different because Hester had to repent for her crimes while Dimmesdale bottled up his guilt inside. The indirect result of Dimmesdale’s concealment of the truth was Chillingworth’s torture, which played a large role in Dimmesdale’s untimely death. Chillingworth snapped when Hester did not reveal Dimmesdale’s crimes. Hester, in part, helped Dimmesdale in
Compare And Contrast Dimmesdale And Chillingworth A Sinner
480 Words | 2 PagesDimmesdale sinned with Hester Prynne by committing adultery. Although this was terrible and looked down upon, his crime was self inflicting and done out of passion. After Hester was punished for the crime, Dimmesdale was overwhelmed with guilt and sadness. This showed that Dimmesdale was a good person
Hester And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
743 Words | 3 PagesIn Dimmesdale not confessing and facing a punishment in the eyes of the church as well as the townspeople, causing him to take to his own means, while Hester is able to face a punishment. Dimmesdale does what he believes is right for his punishment by doing acts that damaged his mind and body. Dimmesdale, in creating his own punishment, holds vigils that last all night, fasted to the point that he barely ate anything at all, beat himself, and lost the will to live. Dimmesdale's sin stays with him throughout the book, and the readers see his mind and body deteriorate through his mysterious sickness, while the readers see Hester become a closed off outcast trying to repent. The townspeople in the book see DImmesdale's sickness, and how devoted he is to his faith and begin to believe that he is holy, and an angel sent to sent to save them, while Hester has repented and become able, as well as an
The Sin Of Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
1404 Words | 6 PagesBecause of the effects that Dimmesdale’s sin has on Chillingworth, the town suffers as well. The betrayal of their pastor leads them to refuse to see the truth when he pleads for the public to see his guilt at the end of the novel, and his secrecy from the people that adore him is one of the slyest and vile parts of his sin. The blind faith that the public has in their reverend is mislead by his deceit, which causes his sin to grow to a scale that Hester’s never did. Dimmesdale also harmed Pearl, by not standing with her and Hester on the day they were condemned. When she is grown, she asks, “Doth
More about Hidden Sin In The Scarlet Letter
Blindness In The Scarlet Letter
1270 Words | 6 PagesWho Is Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
693 Words | 3 PagesThe Guilt Of Reverend Dimmesdale
861 Words | 4 PagesDimmesdale And Chillingworth In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
727 Words | 3 PagesExamples Of Secret Sin In The Scarlet Letter
806 Words | 4 PagesConsequences Of Sin In The Scarlet Letter
796 Words | 4 PagesThe Scarlet Letter Penance Vs. Penitence
604 Words | 3 PagesArthur Dimmesdale's Guilt Quotes
1158 Words | 5 PagesWho Is Dimmesdale Guilty Of Adultery
582 Words | 3 PagesThe Scarlet Letter Dimmesdale's Transformation
523 Words | 3 PagesCompare And Contrast The Minister's Black Veil And The Scarlet Letter
119 Words | 1 PagesDimmesdale's Responsibility For Sin In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
878 Words | 4 PagesCompare And Contrast Dimmesdale And Chillingworth A Sinner
480 Words | 2 PagesHester And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
743 Words | 3 PagesThe Sin Of Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
1404 Words | 6 Pages