Hidden Guilt Abolishes Selfhood Essay

Those who keep their underworlds and feelings to themselves cause themselves only anguish and despair. In The violent letter, a ro piecece by Nathaniel Hawthorne, high-minded Arthur Dimmesdale is a early man who achieved fame in England as a theologian and then immigrated to America. In a moment of weakness, he and Hester Prynne, a young, beautiful, married woman whose husband is international in Europe, become lovers. Although he will non confess it publicly, Dimmesdale is the father of her child similarly, he deals with the guilt by tormenting him ego physically and psychologically, developing a feel condition in the process. Dimmesdale is an intelligent and emotional man, and his sermons ar thus masterpieces of suaveness and persuasiveness. His commitments to his congregation are in constant fighting with his feelings of guiltfulness and need to confess.He lives behind a false self for many long time while un distinguishingly living beside Hesters husband, finally his real self appears and he is redeem of his sins as he studys them publicly. Selfhood can be achieved when a hypocritical persona is rejected and the true self consistently emerges. Dimmesdale is shown as the protagonist of the romance by means of Hawthornes use of characterization, conflict, by showing the transformation of Dimmesdale, and by showing that Roger Chillingworth and Dimmesdales own guilt oppose him.Hawthorne uses characterization through disclose The Scarlet Letter to show Dimmesdale as the protagonist. The Scarlet Letter is a story of characters that have to live and deal with the effects of sin in different rooms of these characters, the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is the character portrayed as the close inadequate. Despite this portrayal Dimmesdale was a stronger character than given credit for, his unbelievable amount of control in his way of handling his burdens displays his great sense of strength and intellect although, he is actually intelligent, his faults mask his dignity, Dimmesdale is aware that he is covering up his true self but hides these feelings to keep his reputation of being a pious, dutiful look. His shortcomings and distress throughout the communicatory conceal his pride, Dimmesdale clearly suffers from an excess of self. His weakness and suffering throughout almost of the romance, as I suggested earlier, havetended to blur 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 sensitive individual, despite his outer appearance, inside Dimmesdale is a rattling stable, strong person. Hawthorne states that he showed nervous sensibility and a great will prop iodinnt, His eloquence and religious fervor had already given the earnest of high eminence in his professionexpressing both nervous sensibility and a vast power of self-restraint (Hawthorne 51). While this codms to give Dimmesdale great strength, it is also his largest flaw moreover, his body refuses to do what his heart says is right. Dimmesdale instructs Hester to break out the truth, but when she refuses he does not have the inclination to confess himself.Therefore, his sin becomes even larger than hers, because while hers is an exposed sin. He continues to lie to himself and his followers by keeping his secret secluded, so his is a concealed 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 bear the weight of it, he creates an extremely interesting and tremendously strong character further, the scaffold is the place that Dimmesdale shows the amount of pain and self-loaaffair he is truly capable of concealing.Dimmesdale denies the fact that he is associated with Hester, and also that he is the father of Pearl multiple times, particularly during those crucial scaffold scenes. During those long seven y ears he made no move to diminish her load or his own. Seven years prior, Hester stood in this place and took the punishment for both of them while he quietly stood aside and led people to reckon that he also condemned her. During the first scaffold scene Dimmesdale interrogates Hester, his purpose was to find out who the father of her daughter was, Dimmesdale pretended as if he had never communicate to Hester before, as did Hester. Dimmesdale acknowledges their relationship later on in the register, but at this time 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 bit scaffold scene Dimmesdale has had all that he can bear and lets out a telephone that draws the attention of fellow villagers, Without any effort ofhis will, or power to restrain himself, he shrieked aloud (108). He curses himself for his silence and cowardice.Also in the second scaffol d scene Dimmesdale denies Hester and Pearl again when Pearl asks him to endorse 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 destination time Dimmesdale stood on the scaffold he accepted Hester and admitted that he was indeed the father of Pearl, The law we himself and Hester broke- the sin here so awfully revealed (181). During the third scaffold scene the true sign of strength is revealed, to admit he is wrong takes strength, but the way that he held in his sin thus committing two, one of the original sin, and two of the concealment, then confessing after years of frustrating cowardice takes a stronger man. Dimmesdale is also characterized as a very hypocritical being. He has the townsfolk believe that he is a pious, dedicated minister, when in actuality he has sinned greatly, But Dimmesdales burden keeps him on a level with the lowest. His cong regation worships him their adoration intensifies his guilty anguish and his suffering heightens his fervor (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 adultery. The only people who know his secret before he publicly condemns himself are Hester, Pearl, and Chillingworth. He suffers from this secret every(prenominal) 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 penance but, since he is not uncoerced to sacrifice the public image of himself, it is penance 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 justification is here a public matter (Martin 124).It takes Dimmesdale terce 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 unsung 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 actions in the story but strong he was able to look at the burdens, frustration, and pain throughout his life. Whether he was good, brave, or right in what he did is to remain unseen but the fact that he was strong is certain.Rev. Dimmesdale is proven to be the protagonist of the narrative also by conflict, he proves to be a sinner against man, against God and most importantly against himself because he has committed adultery with Hester. His wickedness against himself, for which he ultimately paid the price of death, proved to be more harmful and more destructive than this sin of the flesh, and his sin against God. Dimmesdales versed conflict causes him more anguish and discontent than any external conflict throughout the romance. His internal feelings of sin and his late night attempts to redeem himself on the scaffold are mo re of a fraudulence of ignominy 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 unavailing (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 slope 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 peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow -sinner and fellow- martyr Be not silent 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 hide a guilty heart through life? What can thy silence do for him, unless it tempt him-yea compel him as it were-to add hypocrisy 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 grand andyet, has, for the last seven years, worked on preaching the w ord of God, especially while he urges the congregation to confess openly to repent unto God. While, in reality, Dimmesdale is the one who needs 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 devouring 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 safe and sound 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 promised lands messages of wisdom, rebuke, and love. In their eyes, the very ground on which he trod was sanctified. (139).He has been living without revea ling his true self for seven years, and it was hard for him, mentally and physically. Mentally, his whole 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 outside he has spent many nights whipping himself. Perhaps this is a sign for him to feel he has punished himself, as God would have punished him, if he were on Earth. One day while Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth are talking about medicinal plants that Chillingworth shew on an old grave that had no tombstone or marking whatsoever, Chillingworth says to Dimmesdale, They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and which he had make 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 tha t, 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 disclose 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. Some are at the deathbed of the ailing governor who has just died.They do not remark him. As Hester and Pearl walk by, Dimmesdale tells them, grow 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 choice of the hour tells the reader that he can not 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 close 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 holding him so very high on a pedestal. Dimmesdale says to the town, ye, that have loved 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 t hat it can live on knowing 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 face every single day, because he was a minister and not only would have to arrange to the townsfolk after he had admitted but he had to face God everyday his character has perhaps the central fight back 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 Hawthor ne stated, Be true Be true Be true Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred. (242). When Hawthorne madethis quote in destination 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 kept 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 give tongue to that if you cannot at least get out the worst trait 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 salve himself from all the torment he had put himself thr ough 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 conscience 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 animal 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 sexual relation with him, daily receiving the old physician in his study or visiting the laboratory, and, for recreations sake, watching the process by which widows weeds were converted into drugs of mandate (95), but in actuality Chillingworth was torturing Dimmesdale without Dimmesdale knowing it.Chillingworth constantly tortured Dimmesdale physically and mentally. Chillingworth is always giving 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 taking 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 notices thissimilarity in himself, I have already told thee what I am A fiend (158). Chillingworth is given the name The sullen 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 timid to share 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 bu t 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 procession only to rise preceding(prenominal) 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 shows this through characterization, internal and external 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 thisthroughout the majority of The Scarlet Letter, he internalized his feelings and sins and was not able to expres s 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.