The Scarlet Letter :: essays research papers

A person's morals and beliefs are the structure for which their life is built upon. Once you have defied these 'morals'; there is no greater punishment than having to live within oneself. The Scarlet Letter, a Nineteenth Century novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne, raises the question of what is worse is worse; A sin that has been allowed out in the open, or one that has been concealed. Hawthorne chooses a character, Arthur Dimmsdale, to demonstrate that.Dimmsdale, an ordained minister, is a man that is revered within his Puritan society for not only his quiet and effective sermons, but also for his kind hearted ways.A young clergyman coming straight from a university, Dimmsdale brought with him new ideas about religion as well as a renewed passion for the sermons which he gave. The Reverend is described as a 'person of very striking aspect, with a white, lofty, and intending brow, large, brown, melancholy eyes, and a mouth which, unless when he forcibly compressed it, was apt to be tremulo us, expressing both nervous sensibility and vastpower of self restraint.';. Though as the chapters go on it becomes apparent that Dimmsdale is in fact not quite the man that he had been perceived as.Though thoughtful and honest, Dimmsdale did not have the restraint as thought. He in fact, was the father of Hester Prynne's illegitimate daughter Pearl. Rather than having to face the public damnation as well as the detriment to his place within society, Dimmsdale choose to conceal his own guilt, allowing Hester to take the shame and scrutiny alone. Though it may seem that Dimmsdale is cold hearted, in fact the opposite is true. While it is true that Dimmsdale refused to publicly announce his sin, withholding it within himself turned out to be much more punishment than any other could have given. This carnal sin, moreover the concealment of it, in fact is what ultimately becomes this man's demise. A once vibrant man was literally eaten alive by the guilt for which he carried within his heart. The Reverand's vibrant eyes became dark, his rosy cheeks pale and hallow. His once young body now emaciated as if he was trying to purge the sin from within it. Yet if that was still not enough, Dimmsdale walked with a hand covering his heart. His own token reminder that though he himself is no longer an esteemed preacher of God, but simply a man living within a life of sin.