Hidden Guilt Abolishes Selfhood Essay

Those who keep their ungodlinesss and feelings to themselves ca social occasion themselves only foreboding and despair. In The sanguine Letter, a ro domaince by Nathaniel Hawthorne, man of the cloth Arthur Dimmesdale is a schoolboyish man who achieved fame in England as a theologian and then immigrated to America. In a moment of impuissance, he and Hester Prynne, a modern, beautiful, married woman whose preserve is away in Europe, become lovers. Al gibibytegh he will not yield it popularly, Dimmesdale is the capture of her child as easily, he deals with the guilt by tormenting himself-importance-importance physic al adepty and psychologic eithery, developing a sum of money condition in the process. Dimmesdale is an in single outigent and emotional man, and his sermons ar thus masterpieces of eloquence and persuasiveness. His commitments to his congregation are in constant contradict with his feelings of sinfulness and need to confess.He outlives behind a false self f or galore(postnominal) geezerhood spot un agniseingly financial backing beside Hesters husband, ultimately his unfeigned self appears and he is bring through with(predicate)ed of his sins as he drag hold ofs them customaryly. Selfhood green goddess be achieved when a hypocritical persona is rejected and the consecutive self consistently emerges. Dimmesdale is sh ingest as the protagonist of the romance through Hawthornes use of eccentricization, conflict, by telling the trans mixed bagation of Dimmesdale, and by showing that Roger Chillingworth and Dimmesdales own guilt oppose him.Hawthorne uses characterization throughout The Scarlet Letter to show Dimmesdale as the protagonist. The Scarlet Letter is a story of characters that hold in to live and deal with the effects of sin in different ways of these characters, the Rever annul Arthur Dimmesdale is the character portrayed as the rough inadequate. Despite this portrayal Dimmesdale was a stronger character than gi ven credit for, his unbelievable amount of control in his way of handling his burdens displays his great sense of strength and intellect al super Cgh, he is genuinely intelligent, his faults mask his dignity, Dimmesdale is aware that he is covering up his aline(a) self up to now hides these feelings to keep his reputation of universe a sacred, dutiful minister. His shortcomings and distress throughout the narrative conceal his pride, Dimmesdale clearly suffers from an excess of self. His weakness and suffering throughout most of the romance, as I suggested earlier, cobblers lasture t suppressed to defame for some readers the fact of his pride, which, like his scarlet letter, lies beneath and gives special form to his mask of saintliness (Martin 124).He is first characterized as a nervous and sore individual, despite his outer appearance, inside Dimmesdale is a actu completelyy stable, strong person. Hawthorne states that he showed nervous sensibility and a great wil l authority, His eloquence and religious fervency had already given the earnest of high eminence in his duty gestateing both nervous sensibility and a vast power of abstemiousness (Hawthorne 51). While this seems to give Dimmesdale great strength, it is similarly his largest flaw moreover, his body refuses to do what his heart says is right. Dimmesdale instructs Hester to give away the truth, only when she refuses he does not ware the purpose to confess himself.Thitherfore, his sin becomes fifty-fifty larger than hers, because while hers is an clear sin. He continues to lie to himself and his henchmans by keeping his secret hidden, so his is a obscure sin, while Hester wears her sin openly on her bosom. Here Hawthorne shows us just how strong Dimmesdale actually is, by allowing him to hide his sin and exclude the weight of it, he creates an extremely interesting and tremendously strong character further, the hold up is the place that Dimmesdale shows the amount of cark and self-loathing he is truly suitable of concealing.Dimmesdale denies the fact that he is associated with Hester, and also that he is the mystify of os eight-fold cadences, particularly during those crucial sustain chances. During those long seven age he made no move to lessen her load or his own. sevener years prior, Hester s overlyd in this place and besidesk the punishment for both of them while he quietly stood aside and led pile to believe that he also condemned her. During the first scaffold scene Dimmesdale interrogates Hester, his purpose was to find out who the beginner of her daughter was, Dimmesdale pretended as if he had never spoken to Hester before, as did Hester. Dimmesdale acknowledges their relationship later on in the narrative, scarce at this era he must seem as if he does not know her because if the magistrates of Boston knew of their relationship, Dimmesdale would be treated with the same rejection as Hester. During the second scaffold scene Dimm esdale has had all that he give the gate bear and lets out a yell that draws the attention of fellow villagers, Without any effort of his will, or power to restrain himself, he shrieked aloud (108). He curses himself for his silence and cowardice. withal in the second scaffold scene Dimmesdale denies Hester and off-white again when Pearl asks him to tolerate with herself and Hester during the day in public, wilt thou stand here with mother and me to-morrow noontide? Dimmesdale responded, Nay, not so, my little Pearl (111). Finally the tolerate time Dimmesdale stood on the scaffold he accepted Hester and admitted that he was thus the father of Pearl, The law we himself and Hester broke- the sin here so horribly failed (181). During the third scaffold scene the true consecrate of strength is revealed, to admit he is wrong takes strength, moreover the way that he held in his sin thus committing two, one of the original sin, and two of the concealment, then confessing afte r years of frustrating cowardice takes a stronger man. Dimmesdale is also characterized as a rattling hypocritical being. He has the townspeoplesfolk believe that he is a pious, give minister, when in actuality he has sinned greatly, alone Dimmesdales burden keeps him on a level with the lowest. His congregation worships him their adoration intensifies his guilty anguish and his suffering heightens his fanaticism (Male 334).He is not brave enough to publicly admit his sins until the end of the narrative moreover, he lives years hiding his secret of fornication. The only people who know his secret before he publicly condemns himself are Hester, Pearl, and Chillingworth. He suffers from this secret every day and night, he punishes himself physically and tortures himself mentally, as well as being tortured mentally and physically by Chillingworth, Dimmesdale suffers worlds of self-abasement but, since he is not willing to sacrifice the public image of himself, it is self-morti fication without penitence. He knows that the morality of this colony calls for sin and iniquity to be exposed in the broad light of noonday, that confession is here a public matter (Martin 124).It takes Dimmesdale three trips to the scaffold for him to be able to reveal to the public that he is the father of Pearl and that he had hidden his sin for many years. His demise was from the drain of his will, which was worn and lacking. Dimmesdale was not courageous in his follow throughs in the story but strong he was able to carry the burdens, frustration, and pain throughout his life. Whether he was good, brave, or right in what he did is to stay unseen but the fact that he was strong is certain.Rev. Dimmesdale is marchn to be the protagonist of the narrative also by conflict, he proves to be a sinner against man, against perfection and most importantly against himself because he has committed fornication with Hester. His sinning against himself, for which he ultimately paid the pr ice of death, proved to be more harmful and more destructive than this sin of the flesh, and his sin against God. Dimmesdales internal conflict causes him more anguish and discontent than any impertinent conflict throughout the romance. His internal feelings of sin and his late night at receives to redeem himself on the scaffold are more of a mockery of disgrace than actual ignominy, So long as they are covert, the ministers gestures are but a mockery of penance, and his cloistral flagellations, fasts, and vigils are bootless (Male 334). Dimmesdale is not ignorant, he is very well educated, as Hawthorne states, Rev. Mr. Dimmesdale a young clergyman who had come from one of the great English universities, bringing all the learning of the age into our wild forestland. His eloquence and religious fervor had already given the earnest of high eminence in his profession. (Hawthorne 72).This mans morals had, until the adultery, been high. He is very spiritual because on top of being of the Puritan faith, he is a minister of the word of God. Throughout most of the novel, Rev. Dimmesdale is forced to hide his guilt of being Hesters partner in sin, when in reality, he is not being forced by anyone, but himself, for he is the one who chooses not to reveal his secret to the town. Dimmesdale has a concealed sin that is eating at him. He just doesnt have the courage to admit his wrongs. He seems to be a coward during these seven years of living with guilt. There is a scene in chapter three where Dimmesdale states, Hester PrynneIf thou feelest it to be for thy souls two- nerve centred violet, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to deal out the tell apart of thy fellow -sinner and fellow- sufferer Be not slow from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to h ide a guilty heart through life? What can thy silence do for him, except it tempt him-yea compel him as it were-to add prevarication to sin? (73).In this scene it is almost as if we see Dimmesdale speaking as a hypocrite. Dimmesdale portrays himself very ironically he is a very well respected noble-minded and yet, has, for the delay seven years, worked on preaching the word of God, especially while he urges the congregation to confess openly to repent unto God. While, in reality, Dimmesdale is the one who of necessity a clean conscious. He feels like he needs to confess not only to the town but also too himself. Halfway through the novel Dimmesdale has yet to reveal the truth, which, so far, has been destroy him, physically and mentally. Since this good reverend is so spiritual, he cannot reveal his truths to the town so simply. He is of the Puritan faith and being a follower of that, the sin of adultery is a very grand sin additionally, the all in all town would look down on him as if he were a hypocrite, which in fact, he is, but his sin of adultery in that town would have been scoffed at just as Hesters has. The reverend is very well liked by the townsfolk, They fancied him the mouthpiece of enlightenments messages of wisdom, rebuke, and love. In their eyes, the very ground on which he trod was sanctified. (139).He has been living without revealing his true self for seven years, and it was hard for him, mentally and physically. Mentally, his unit body shuts down because he cannot take it anymore, even though he does not give in to confess yet. He has become emaciated because he has let the sin against himself churn inside and on the remote he has spent many nights whipping himself. Perhaps this is a sign for him to feel he has punish himself, as God would have punished him, if he were on Earth. One day while Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth are talk about medicinal plants that Chillingworth found on an old grave that had no tombstone or markin g whatsoever, Chillingworth says to Dimmesdale, They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some offensive secret that was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess during his lifetime. (129). Its as if Chillingworth can tell that Rev. Dimmesdale is hiding something, something that could be the cause of his health depleting. Chillingworth then states that, Then why not reveal them here? (129).Chillingworth knows, he simply knows that there is something else, something that Dimmesdale has not yet come forth to tell him. Dimmesdale, in chapter twelve, is finally realizing that it could be a better thing to infract his secret to the town. He has become so weak that he has even thought about his own death moreover, he has walked to the scaffold and climbed up as if he wants to proclaim something, and yet, it is nighttime and the whole town is resting. well-nigh are at the deathbed of the ailing governor who has just died. They do not notice him. As Hester a nd Pearl walk by, Dimmesdale tells them, Come up hither, Hester, thou and little PearlYe have both been here before, but I was not with you. Come up hither once again, and we will stand all three together (148) Dimmesdale has obviously been thinking that he wants to reveal himself, he is struggling with internal conflict yet again, but his plectrum of the hour tells the reader that he cannot confess in the day, not yet. Pearl herself knows or at least feels that this is right, that the three of them together is a match, because she says, Wilt thou stand here with Mother and me, tomorrow noontide? (148). But Dimmesdale refuses, Not so, my child. I shall, indeed, stand with thy mother and thee one other day, but not tomorrow (148-149).Dimmesdale is coming sozzled to speaking, but he does not. He reveals his truths to the town after he has preached his finest sermon and after the town is prop him so very high on a pedestal. Dimmesdale says to the town, ye, that have love me-ye that have deemed me holy-behold me here, the one sinner of the world At last-at last-I stand upon the spot where, seven years since, I should have stood here, with this woman (237). Now that Dimmesdale has confessed his secret, he can die. He has admitted to being the father of Hester Prynnes child, Pearl, and his poor corpse, which is so deathly, can rest in peace now. His mind is well aware that it can live on cognize that the truth is out but his body is so battered that it cannot go on living. Dimmesdale has sinned against God, and more importantly against himself. Yes, he has not lived a true life because for seven years he has lived in denial of his sin. It did prove to be more harmful in the end, since he died on the scaffold while standing next to his fellow-sinner Hester. He knew that he needed to reveal himself but in his Puritan ways, it was hard to confess.The irony he portrays and the hypocrisy that he lives is such a grand sin in itself, he lived looking his sin in the fac e every single day, because he was a minister and not only would have to answer to the townsfolk after he had admitted but he had to face God customary his character has perhaps the central skin in this novel, for he has the struggle within, and the struggle portrayed outwardly to the town, and Hester in addition, he is definitely a very dramatic character in this novel, for Hawthorne stated, Be true Be true Be true Show freely to the world, if not your mop up, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred. (242). When Hawthorne made this reference in reference to Rev. Dimmesdale, he meant many things, he said that he should be true and show freely to the world, because Dimmesdale should have showed his true feelings about Hester, and his feelings that he unplowed hidden for seven years about the adultery then, he would have much more relief.When Hawthorne says if not your worstwhereby the worst may be inferred, he is saying that if you cannot at least get out the worst t rait that you have been indicted of, you should try to get a point across that would aid in the finding of that worst trait. By this quote, it appears that Hawthorne thought that if Dimmesdale had only confessed earlier, he had the opportunities, he could have admitted his sins each time he was at the scaffold, then he would have saved himself from all the torment he had put himself through additionally, it appears that Hawthorne meant that the town, itself, would still have scoffed but wouldnt have remembered the sin of adultery as much now, as back then when Hester got accused as well.Dimmesdale is shown at the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter by being opposed by his own scruples and by Roger Chillingworth. Chillingworth opposes Dimmesdale in the sense that, he knows that Dimmesdale has repressed sin and, he desires to find out what that sin is, This man, pure as they deem him,- all spiritual as he seems,- hath inherited a strong savage nature from his father or his mother. Let us dig a little farther in the direction of this vein (94). Dimmesdale thought that he had a friendly relationship with Chillingworth, He therefore still kept up a familiar intercourse with him, daily receiving the old mendelevium in his study or visiting the laboratory, and, for recreations sake, reflection the process by which weeds were converted into drugs of potency (95), but in actuality Chillingworth was torturing Dimmesdale without Dimmesdale knowing it.Chillingworth constantly tortured Dimmesdale physically and mentally. Chillingworth is always natural endowment the minister drugs that he makes with weeds. Many times the physician acquires these weeds from the town cemetery, these weeds are also characterized as, unsightly, ugly or, dark and tangled, this suggests that the medicine that Dimmesdale is winning is venomous. Chillingworth is generally characterized as an evil person, and many of the actions he takes suggest that he represents the devil moreover, he even no tices this similarity in himself, I have already told thee what I am A fiend (158). Chillingworth is given the name The Black Man by Pearl, this clearly shows that he is representative of the devil.Dimmesdale is also shown as the protagonist through his opposition to his own conscience, he opposes himself in many ways. Dimmesdales true self which he reveals at the end of the narrative is the protagonist when compared to his true self throughout the rest of the narrative. His true self during the majority of the narrative is a man who has sinner and refuses to publicly admit it. During this time he privately hurts himself and damages his mind and his body. Although, that the end of the romance, he repents and is able to die. He was not able to die until he disclosed his secret because without divulging his sin he would not be close enough to God, and he believed that he would not be in Heaven after his death.Dimmesdale ultimately was transformed from a man too irresolute to shar e his sin publicly, to one who proclaims to the entire town that he is the father of the illegitimate child whose mother has been accepting his sin for years. He was too coy to publicly come form as Pearls father that he went to the scaffold in the dead of night to repent, although this action was more a mockery of penance than actual ignominy, No eye could see himWhy then had he come hither? Was it but the mockery of penitence? A mockery indeed (107). Dimmesdale was changed from the apprehensive, seemingly pious and innocent minister to the man that proclaimed his sin openly, The new man is really Arthur Dimmesdale. Having achieved individuation in the forest, he now returns to join the emanation only to rise above it (Male 341). Hawthorne shows Dimmesdales complete transformation through characterization and conflict, Dimmesdale could only die after he redeemed himself through ignominy.Thus, Arthur Dimmesdale is established as the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne show s this through characterization, internal and outdoor(a) conflict, transformation, and Dimmesdales opposition of Roger Chillingworth and his own conscience. Those who keep their sins and feelings to themselves cause themselves only anguish and despair, Arthur Dimmesdale did this throughout the majority of The Scarlet Letter, he internalized his feelings and sins and was not able to express them until the final scaffold scene when he threw himself at the mercy of God as he died with a clear conscience. Sense of self can be attained when a deceitful facade is rejected and the true self steadily materializes.