Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale - the Scarlet Letter's Emotional Wreck

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale

The Scarlet Letter's Emotional Wreck

The Novel the Scarlet Letter written by Nathanial Hawthorne shows how characters in the Puritan time period have to live and deal with sins and the effects of sins and how people deal with them in there own personal ways. In the novel Hester Prynne moves to America awaiting her husband, Roger Chillingworth, who never came, so she started a relationship with Reverend Arthur Dimmsdale and had a child out of wedlock named Pearl. While all these characters are fascinating in their own way I believe the most fascinating character is the Reverend Arthur Dimmsdale. He is a very intellectual, spiritual man with many faults. He brings a sense of moral and remorse to the story, and is the easiest character to relate to. He is portrayed as the most vulnerable and weak character of the story. Though he is associated with nobleness and weakness he is a much stronger and powerful character then he is given credit for. He has an unbelievable amount of control in his way of handling his burdens, his demons. He displays great amounts of courage and intellect throughout the story yet is haunted by his mistakes and is incredibly unstable.

Though he will not admit it he is the father of Hester's child Pearl, though he refuses to admit it. He deals with his guilt by tormenting himself mercilessly, both physically and mentally, until eventually he develops a heart condition. Every time he gets close to allow himself to reveal the secret through his sermons he backs out, which drives him to take his guilt and punishment to new levels, which leads to even more deterioration not only though his mental and spiritual condition but his physical condition as well.

He is a very powerful priest, and because he is so emotional and intelligent his sermons are masterpieces, and very persuasive to his congregation. He is a very powerful speaker and a compassionate leader, and his congregation has the most upright respect for him, and receives deep spiritual guidance from his sermons. He was even chosen to do the Election Day sermon, the most important sermon of the year. Ironically the Election Day sermon was his most powerful, as well as his last sermon he ever preached before he died. The town idolized him, and after his last sermon the town's fascination with him reached new heights. He tries to portray his sins through his sermons, yet the townspeople don't pick up on it. The interpret it as a regular life moving sermon whether then any expression of personal guilt.

When we are first introduced to Dimmsdale he is portrayed as a nervous and sensitive individual. In chapter 3 it is stated the Dimmsdale showed "nervous sensibility and a vast power of self restraint." While at times the reverend seems to have great strength that also turns out to be his biggest flaw. He cannot allow himself to do what his heart is telling him to do, what deep down he knows is right. Dimmsdale tells Hester to tell the world the truth, about how the father of her child is, but Hester refuses and he cannot force himself to confess