The Scarlet Letter Analysis Essay Example For Students

The Scarlet Letter Analysis Essay The Scarlet LetterEssayBut (Hester) is not the protagonist; thechief actor, and the tragedy of The Scarlet Letter is not her tragedy,but Dimmesdales. He it was whom the sorrows of death encompassed.. Hispublic confession is one of the noblest climaxes of tragic literature.This statement by Randall Stewart doesnot contain the same ideas that I believed were contained within The ScarletLetter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I, on the contrary to Stewarts statement,think Dimmesdale is a coward and a hypocrite. Worse, he is a self-confessedcoward and hypocrite. He knows what he has to do to still the voice ofhis conscience and make his peace with God. Throughout the entire storyhis confession remains an obstacle . While Hester is a relatively constantcharacter, Dimmesdale is incredibly dynamic. From his fall with Hester,he moves, in steps, toward his public hint of sinning at the end of thenovel. He tries to unburden himself of his sin by revealing it to his congregation,but somehow can never q uite manage this. He is a typical diagnosis of awuss. We will write a custom essay on The Scarlet Letter Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now To some extent, Dimmesdales story is oneof a single man tempted into the depths of the hormonal world. This world,however, is a place where the society treats sexuality with ill grace. But his problem is enormously complicated by the fact of Hesters marriage(for him no technicality), and by his own image of himself as a clericdevoted to higher things. Unlike other young men, Dimmesdale cannot accepthis loss of innocence and go on from there. He must struggle futilely toget back to where he was. Torn between the desire to confess and atonethe cowardice which holds him back, Dimmesdale goes slightly mad. He takesup some morbid forms of penance-fasts and scourgings-but he can neitherwhip nor starve the sin from his soul. In his agony, he staggers to thepulpit to confess, but his words come out generalized, and meaninglessdeclarations of guilt. The reverend seems to want to reveal himself,but Chillingworths influence and his own shame are stronger than his weakconscience. Dimmesdale cannot surrender an identity which brings him thelove and admiration of his parishioners. He is far too intent on his earthlyimage to willingly reveal his sin. Once Hester explains Chillingworthsplans, and thus breaks Chillingworths spell, Dimmesdale begins to overcomehim. He does it, though, in a way which brings him even more earthly glory. Thus, he never loses his cherished image, and consequently, is pushed downthe slippery slope even further. I, unlike the community, think there isa problem with Dimmesdale. During his struggles to tell his parishionersthe truth, they misunderstand his statements, he loses his faith, whichis never completely regained. Dimmesdales sin has eaten away at him, reducinghim to a shriveling, pathetic creature. The only thing that brings himany strength is a re-affirmation of his sin with Hester, and the plot toescape the town (201): It was the exhilarating effect-upon a prisonerjust escaped from the dungeon of his own heart-of breathing the wild, freeatmosphere of an unredeemed, unchristianized, lawless region. In short,fallen nature has set him free from his inner distress, but left him inan unchristianized world, a heathen world, damnation. He has given into sin. He has, in effect, willingly agreed to commit more sins. Dimmesdalerealizes he is doing this but is too much of a coward to admit his originalsin to the public. He becomes a figure that no one can help but himself. Dimmesdale begins as a fallen man, fallsfarther, and near the end is, according to Mistress Hibbins, a servantof the devil (242). Hibbins words, however, should not be taken lightly. .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c , .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c .postImageUrl , .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c , .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c:hover , .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c:visited , .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c:active { border:0!important; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c:active , .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u44c85ca887bf309695380207f953342c:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros EssayShe seems to be one of the only characters who shows herself to have amouth of truth. Dimmesdale attempts to recover, though, with a massiveeffort, when he ascends the scaffold with Hester and Pearl. When Chillingworthexclaims, Thou hast escaped me! (256), he is speaking not only for himself,but for Evil. Dimmesdale has at least escaped damnation. He makes anothersmall step forward when Pearl kisses him. A spell was broken (256). Theredeeming angel has pulled Dimmesdale clear of the shadow of sin but notaway from its presence. After the kiss, Dimmesdale returns to speakingof God as merciful, and returns to praising Him. He claims, Had eitherof these agonies been wanting, I had been lost for ever! (257). He believeshimself to be saved. I, on the contrary believe that his attempt to confesswas not a complete confession at all. He never truly states that he hadcommitted adultery with Hester, and that Pearl was, in fact, his daughter. The reverend could bring them up to the scaffold, but still did not havethe courage to honestly confess. The sermon in which there was supposedto be a noble climax, was empty of such a thing. An incomplete confessionis a useless one to the people of the town, and that is exactly what Dimmesdalehad. Dimmesdales problem, during the courseof the story, is that he isnt much of a priest. He has lost his faith,and is thus false to himself, his congregation, and his god. Yet his penancehas been much more harsh. It seems that the heroic effort Dimmesdale makesto climb back into the light is an effort that only a desperate man couldhave made. He used all his strength to make one final grasp at redemptionbut still falls quite short. Dimmesdale has the potential, though, ofclimbing much higher after death. Hester is as Hester was and as Hesterwill always be. Dimmesdale, the weak, fallen priest, was taken from earthat the height of his pathetic ascent because if he hadnt been, he wouldsurely have fallen again. It is as if God was waiting for him to make hislast, valiant leap to reach Him, and then snatched him at the apex of hispathetic trajectory. Dimmesdale is redeemed, but, it would seem, conditionally. If the Puritans believed in a Purgatory, Dimmesdale would be there. However,with only a Heaven and Hell, Dimmesdale must be admitted into Heaven, grudgingly. Hawthorne writes, According to these highlyrespectable witnesses, the minister, conscious that he was dying,conscious,also, that the reverence of the multitude placed him already among saintsand angels (259). Hawthorne simply cant accept Dimmesdales totalredemption any more than he could Hesters, the same reason being: sinis permanent. When Hawthorne follows this passage with, Without disputinga truth so momentous, it is clear he is being sarcastic. All of these comments and observationsmake it quite clear that Dimmesdale is a complete coward. He has the chancethroughout the entire novel to confess. Despite it all, he is caught upin the fame and the excitement of his reverend-hood, which pushes him downthe slippery slope inch by inch. His confession is never a true publicone, and because of that, I believe the last scene of the novel was notquite as noble as Randall Stewart claims. The Scarlet Letter Analysis Essay Example For Students The Scarlet Letter Analysis Essay Symbolism is the practice of representing things by symbols. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a book of much symbolism. Set in 16th century New England, the book starts with the public punishment of Hester Prynne, a convicted adulterer. One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Hesters illegitimate daughter, Pearl. Throughout the story, she develops into a dynamic symbol one that is always changing. Pearl represents her mothers punishment, a rose, and the scarlet letter. In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritans forced Hester to wear a scarlet letter A across for her chest, for the crime of adultery. The punishment continued as Hester was treated as outcast and mocked by the town. Tomorrow would bring its own trial with it; so would the next day, so would the next, the narrator explained. On the other hand, Gods treatment of Hester for her sin was quite different than just a physical token: he gave Hester a very unique child which she named Pearl. The child was a constant mental and physical reminder to Hester of what she had done wrong and how she could not escape it. In this aspect, Pearl symbolized Gods way of punishing Hester for adultery.She named the infant Pearl as of being of great price-purchased with all her mother had, the narrator says. Pearl grew to be a very passionate and lively young girl. She becomes a contradicting factor in her mothers life. To her mother, Pearl symbolized the rosebush outside of the jail, because at some times she could be bright and vibrant. However at other times, she could be wilting. It was at these times when she was wilting that brought Hester the most grief. One final way in which Pearl symbolized something in the novel was her association with the scarlet letter. Hester began to think of the letter and her daughter as both the object of her affection and the emblem of her guilt and torture. Hester clothed the child in bright crimson dressed. That, combined with a vivid complexion, gave Pearl the appearance of the scarlet letter. The townspeople began to notice the similarities, also. While Hester and Pearl walked through town, someone announced, There is the woman of the scarlet letter; and, of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along by her side!In conclusion, Pearl was a source of many different kinds of symbolism. From being a rose, to representing the scarlet letter A, she was a burden, yet consolation for Hester. And as a final note, Pearl was more then her mothers only treasure; she was her mothers only source of hope. We will write a custom essay on The Scarlet Letter Analysis specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Words/ Pages : 478 / 24