The Scarlet Letter - Impact of Sin on Dimmmesdale, Chillingworth and Hester

The Scarlet Letter - Impact of Sin on Dimmmesdale, Chillingworth and Hester

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a seventeenth century Baptist preacher, commented that, "Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of." An individual either faces their actions or runs from them, and Gothic Romance authors often write about the evil that emerges in people when they conceal their sins. Throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates this idea through the actions of his three main characters, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. In spite of the nearly equal severity of their sins, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth and Hester react to their dilemmas in varying ways such as guilt, revenge and reconciliation.

Although he portrays the pious pastor, Arthur Dimmesdale handles his sin, adultery, by hiding this fault from everyone and in turn destroys himself with his guilt. Beginning in chapter three, the townspeople constantly see Dimmesdale with his hand over his heart. He does not posses the courage to show his shame openly, so he decides to punish himself through physical pain and nightly vigils. This torture becomes evident in chapter ten when Chillingworth removes Dimmesdale's garments and rejoices at the image of a scarlet letter, along with other markings, upon the preacher's chest. His strong sense of guilt also becomes apparent when he takes a midnight walk to the scaffold, where Hester and Pearl join him. At this point, Dimmesdale still cannot truly endure the shame in front of the real crowd. Ironically, the more guilt he feels the more compelling his sermons become. He attempts many times to indirectly tell his congregation...

... middle of paper ...

... differently towards sin and Hester proves reconciliation as the best response to wrongdoings. Through Hester, Hawthorne successfully conveys his theme that concealing a person's faults draws forth more evil than imaginable, but bearing the consequences leads to salvation. Indeed, life's difficult trials bring out the true essence of a person, and one must exhibit inner strength while facing their shame in order to survive these trials.

Works Cited and Consulted:

Brown, Bryan D. "Reexamining Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. http://www.usinternet.com/users/bdbournellonie.htm. July 1, 2003.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Penguin Books USA Inc., 1996.

Smiles, Samuel. "The Scarlet Letter." The Power of Sin. Ed. Martin Tucker. New York City: Frederick Ungar Publishing Company, 1962. 266.