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Notes for 510 Case Summary Character Analysis Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale, the personification of "human frailty and sorrow," is young, pale, and physically delicate. He has large, melancholy eyes and a tremulous mouth, suggesting great sensitivity. An ordained Puritan minister, he is well educated, and he has a philosophical turn of mind. A well respected Boston reverend who has an affair with Hester Prynne and is the secret father of Pearl. Shy, retiring, and well loved and respected by his public, Dimmesdale is too frightened and selfish to reveal his sin and bear the burden of punishment with Hester.

The narrator says that the Puritans considered religion and law to be almost identical. Dimmesdale conforms to public expectation and demands that Hester divulge her lover's identity, but he lacks the courage to reveal that he's her lover. Like Chillingworth, he abandons her to protect himself.

Chillingworth forgives Hester for betraying him. He asks her to tell him the identity of the father, but once again she refuses. He then asks Hester to protect his identity by swearing never to identify him as her husband. Hester remains suspicious of Chillingworth and thinks she might be sealing her own doom by agreeing to keep his secret, but does it anyway. Hester hides Dimmesdale and Chillingworth's identities to protect them. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth conceal their own identities to protect themselves. Though a "sinner," Hester is selfless. Kestler, Justin. "The Scarlet Letter Chapter 4." LitCharts LLC, July 22, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2020. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-scarlet-letter/chapter-4.

Hester begs Dimmesdale to defend her. Dimmesdale argues that Pearl was sent by God to serve as Hester's one true punishment and to guard her from sinning again. He points out that Hester even dresses Pearl in red, likening her to the scarlet letter. Dimmesdale "defense" of Hester paints her as a sinner deserving punishment.

Dimmesdale's health worsens and he is seen often with his hand over his heart. Chillingworth treats Dimmesdale and soon the two move in together.

As Dimmesdale's health wanes, the locals notice that Chillingworth's has transformed from a kind, elderly, and somewhat misshapen gentleman into an ugly evil old man. The transformation makes them suspect that Chillingworth's intentions in getting so close to Dimmesdale might not be entirely charitable: they fear he might have been sent by the devil. Both Chillingworth and Dimmesdale suffer physically for their inner turmoil. In keeping secrets to hide their sins and conform to social pressure, they cause their bodies, their natures, to wither and die. Kestler, Justin. "The Scarlet Letter Chapter 9." LitCharts LLC, July 22, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2020. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-scarlet-letter/chapter-9.

Dimmesdale's health gets worse. Chillingworth attributes his illness to his secret, but Dimmesdale still refuses to reveal it. When Dimmesdale falls asleep, Chillingworth pushes aside Dimmesdale's shirt and sees something there that gives him joy. The narrator likens Chillingworth's touch to Satan stealing a soul. Dimmesdale continues to preach and delivers some of his most passionate sermons, which focus mostly on the topic of sin. He describes himself as a "pollution and a lie" to his parishioners, yet he does not confess and they continue to view him favorably. Dimmesdale's sin lets him empathize with other sinners. The Puritans, though they are so concerned with sin, can't recognize a sinner.

Dimmesdale's guilt makes him hate himself. He punishes himself physically and emotionally, staying up nights thinking about confessing, and starving and whipping himself. His health crumbles, as does his sense of self. As the narrator observes, "To the untrue man, the whole universe is false." Yet the chapter ends with the suggestion that Dimmesdale has come up with a plan that might help him ease his suffering. Dimmesdale's secrets reduce his identity to a shadow of doubt and self-hate. His secrets, kept to protect his public reputation, have made him internally "untrue." By this point it's obvious that relief can only come from confession of his sin. Kestler, Justin. "The Scarlet Letter Chapter 11." LitCharts LLC, July 22, 2013. Retrieved November 5, 2020. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-scarlet-letter/chapter-11.

Nature celebrates the scarlet letter. Yet Dimmesdale's goes with the "archfiend," He's chosen secret sin over punishment, repentance, and internal truth.

The next day Dimmesdale delivers his most powerful sermon ever. Afterward, the church sexton returns to Dimmesdale a black glove he found on the scaffold, saying Satan must have left it there. He mentions that other townspeople reported seeing a letter "A" formed by a meteor, which they took to stand for "angel" and to mean the dead governor has ascended to heaven. re hypocrisy: Dimmesdale's sermons against sin get more powerful as his own sins increase, and the Puritans continue to be blind to the sinning in their midst. Note how the letter "A" means only what popular opinion says it means. ACTIVE THEMES

Dimmesdale knows that his secret sin and the split identity it creates in him is actually killing him. Dimmesdale says living under Chillingworth's control is worse than death, but he sees no way out. Hester tells him to consider a life beyond Boston, in the safety and anonymity of Europe. Dimmesdale says he lacks the strength and courage to venture out alone. Hester says he wouldn't have to go alone. Hester gives Dimmesdale a solution to save himself that isn't confession: leave Boston and the Puritans with her. But note that this solution involves running from secrets, not confessing them. Dimmesdale and Hester discuss Pearl, whom Hester says she barely understands. Pearl, meanwhile, has been playing alone in the forest, where she fits in well among the wild animals. Hester calls her to come meet Dimmesdale, her father. Unity with nature shows purity. The implication is that Pearl, and therefore her parents' affair, are not sinful against God. They only sin against Puritanism.

Pearl asks if Dimmesdale will return with them hand in hand to town. Hester says he won't join them in public yet. Dimmesdale kisses Pearl. She runs to the brook to wash off his kiss.

Sin The Puritans believed people were born sinners. Puritan preachers depicted each human life as suspended by a string over the fiery pit of hell. As a result, the Puritans maintained strict watch over themselves and their fellow townspeople, and sins such as

adultery were punishable by death. Hester is spared execution only because the Puritans of Boston decided it would benefit the community to transform her into a "living sermon against sin." But just as… read analysis of Sin

Individuality and Conformity As an adulterer, Hester has broken Puritan society's harsh and strict rules. Puritan society demanded conformity because it considered any breach of that conformity a threat to its security and its religion. Hester doesn't conform and she suffers the conse

puritanisim The Scarlet Letter presents a critical, even disdainful, view of Puritanism. The narrator depicts Puritan society as drab, confining, unforgiving, and narrow-minded that unfairly victimizes Hester. In the scene in which Hester is released from prison, the narrator describes the town police official as representing the "whole dismal severity of the Puritanical code of law," which fused religion with law. In contrast, he describes Hester as a woman marked by "natural dignity…force of character…[and] free will." It is precisely these natural strengths, which the narrator holds in high esteem, that Puritan society suppresses. In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritans appear as shallow hypocrites whose opinion of Hester and Pearl improves only when they become more of an asset to the community, most notably when Hester becomes a seamstress and Pearl inherits a fortune from Chillingworth. Arthur Dimmesdale, like Hester Prynne, is an individual whose identity owes more to external circumstances than to his innate nature. The reader is told that Dimmesdale was a scholar of some renown at Oxford University. His past suggests that he is probably somewhat aloof, the kind of man who would not have much natural sympathy for ordinary men and women. However, Dimmesdale has an unusually active conscience. The fact that Hester takes all of the blame for their shared sin goads his conscience, and his resultant mental anguish and physical weakness open up his mind and allow him to empathize with others. Consequently, he becomes an eloquent and

emotionally powerful speaker and a compassionate leader, and his congregation is able to receive meaningful spiritual guidance from him. Ironically, the townspeople do not believe Dimmesdale’s protestations of sinfulness. Given his background and his penchant for rhetorical speech, Dimmesdale’s congregation generally interprets his sermons allegorically rather than as expressions of any personal guilt. This drives Dimmesdale to further internalize his guilt and self-punishment and leads to still more deterioration in his physical and spiritual condition. The town’s idolization of him reaches new heights after his Election Day sermon, which is his last. In his death, Dimmesdale becomes even more of an icon than he was in life. Many believe his confession was a symbolic act, while others believe Dimmesdale’s fate was an example of divine judgment. https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/scarlet/character/arthur-dimmesdale/ [ CITATION The20 \l 1033 ][ CITATION The20 \l 1033 ]

Bibliography The Scarlet Letter. (2020). Retrieved from spark notes: https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/scarlet/character/arthur-dimmesdale/

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ands omet i mesbyt hemostpower f ul l i ghtwhi c hhecoul dt hr owuponi t ," Het hus t y pi fi edt hec ons t anti nt r os pect i onwher ewi t hhet or t ur ed... " Fi nal l y ,t oaddt ot heDi mmesdal edi l emma,t hePur i t ans— t her ef or e,Di mmes dal e— di dnotbel i ev et hatgoodwor k sormor all i v i ngear neds al v at i onf ort hei ndi v i dual .As Di mmes dal es t at es ," Ther ei snos ubs t anc ei ni t[ goodwor ks ] . "( Hes t er ,whoi snot Pur i t an,bel i ev est hatDi mmes dal e' sgoodwor k ss houl dbr i nghi m peace. )ThePur i t an r easoni ngwast hat ,i fonec oul dear nhi s / herwayi nt oheav en,God' ss ov er ei gnt yi s di mi ni s hed.Si nc eGodc r eat edt hes oul andi nf us edi ti nt hehumanbody ,s al v at i oni s pr edes t i ned.Theyr easonedt hatt heel ect— t hati s ,God' sc hos enpeopl e— woul dnot orc oul dnotc ommi tev i l ac t s ;t heywoul dactt her ol e,asi twer e;t hus ,Di mmes dal e' s di l emma. Asami ni s t er ,Di mmes dal ehasav oi cet hatc ons ol esandanabi l i t yt os wa yaudi enc es . Hi scongr egat i onador eshi m andhi spar i s hi oner ss eekhi sadv i c e.Asami ni st er , Di mmes dal emus tbeabov er epr oac h,andt her ei snoques t i ont hatheex cel sathi s pr of es s i onandenj oy sar eput at i onamonghi sc ongr egat i onandot hermi ni st er s .Hi ss oul as i de,hedoesdogoodwor k s .Hi smi ni s t r yai dspeopl ei nl eadi nggoodl i v es .I fhe publ i c l yconf es ses ,hel os eshi sabi l i t yt obeeffect i v ei nt hi sr egar d. ForDi mmes dal e,howev er ,hi seffec t i v enessbet r ay shi sdes i r et oc onf es s .Themor ehe s uffer s ,t hebet t erhi ss er monsbecome.Themor ehewhi pshi ms el f ,t hemor eel oquent hei sonSundayandt hemor ehi sc ongr egat i onwor s hi pshi swor ds .Nev er t hel es s , Hawt hor nest at esi nChapt er20," Noman,f oranycons i der abl eper i od,c anwearone f ac et ohi ms el f ,andanot hert ot hemul t i t ude,wi t houtfinal l yget t i ngbewi l der edast o whi chmaybet r ue. " Di mmes dal e' ss t r uggl ei sdar kandhi spenanc ei shor r i f y i ngashet r i est ounr av el hi s my st er y .I nChapt er11," TheI nt er i orofaHear t , "Di mmes dal es t r uggl eswi t hhi s k nowl edgeofhi ssi n,hi si nabi l i t yt odi sc l os ei tt oPur i t ans oc i et y ,andhi sdes i r ef or penanc e.Hek nowshi sac t i onshav ef al l ens hor tofbot hGod' ss t andar dsandhi sown, andhef ear st hi sr epr es ent shi sl ackofs al v at i on.I nanat t emptt os eeks al v at i on,he f as t sunt i lhef ai nt sandwhi pshi ms el font hes houl der sunt i l hebl eeds .Butt hes e puni s hment sar edonei npr i v at er at hert hani npubl i canddonotpr ov i det hec l eansi ng Di mmes dal es eek sandneeds . Asas i nner ,hei sweak enedt ot empt at i on.Asdemons t r at edl at er ,hi sweak ened c ondi t i onmak esi teas i erf orhi mt oas soc i at ehi msel fwi t ht heBl ackMani nt hef or es t . Hi scongr egat i onex pect shi mt obeabov eot hermor t al s ,andhi sl i f eandt hough mus tex i s tonahi ghers pi r i t ual pl anet hanot her s .Ac c or di ngl y ,hi swonder f ul s er mons ar eappl audedbyal l f orar easonhi sl i s t ener sdon' tunder s t and:Si nandagonyhav e enabl edt hei nt el l ec t ual s chol ar mi ni s t ert or ec ogni z eandempat hi z ewi t hot hers i nner s .

I nt hef or es ts c ene,Di mmesdal eev i dent l yr eal i z est hathei shumanands houl das k f or gi v enessanddopenanc eopenl y .Ont hewayhome,hes eeshowf arhi sdef ens es hav ebeenbr eac hedbyev i l .Thes et hought sex pl ai nwhyhecans oeas i l ywr i t ehi s El ec t i onDays er mon,whi c hi sfi l l edwi t ht hepas s i onofhi ss t r uggl eandhi shumani t y . Di mmes dal e' sc onf ess i oni nt het hi r dsc affol ds c eneandt hec l i maxoft hes t or yi st he ac t i ont hatens ur eshi ss al v at i on.Ther eaders ens est hatwhet herc hos enorear ned, Di mmes dal e' ss al v at i oni sar eal i t y .Hav i nghads ev er al oppor t uni t i est oconf ess ,wi t hout s uc ces sunt i l t hi ss cene,t r uet ohi snat ur ei fnothi smi ni s t r y ,heas k sGod' sf or gi v enes s notonl yf orhi ms el f ,butal s of orChi l l i ngwor t h,whoconfi r mst hemi ni s t er ' st r i umphwhen hel ament s," Thouhas tes c apedme!...Thouhas tes c apedme! "Di mmes dal e' s c onf es si onal s obr i ngsaboutPear l ' shumanemet amor phos i s . I nt hel ongr un,Di mmes dal ehasnott hes t r engt hofHes t erPr y nneorherhones t y .He c annots t andal onet oc onf es s .I ndeat h,per hapshewi l l fi ndagent l erj udgmentt hathi s ownort hatofhi sf el l owc i t i z ensofBos t on. https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/s/the-scarlet-letter/character-analysis/arthurdimmesdale appearances The Scarlet Letter Created by Nathaniel Hawthorne Film/TV appearances The Scarlet Letter (1926) The Scarlet Letter (1934) The Scarlet Letter (WGBH, 1979) The Scarlet Letter (1995) Portrayals Lars Hanson (1926) Hardie Albright (1934) John Heard (1979) Gary Oldman (1995)

Character Information Full name Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale Other names/Alias Reverend Dimmesdale Master Dimmesdale Brother Dimmesdale Mr. Dimmesdale The Young Clergyman

The Clergyman The Minister Gender Male Age 20-30 years Nationality American Time period Mid 17th-century Occupation Minister Home Boston, Massachusetts Alignment Good Relationships Hester Prynne (love interest, †, deceased) Pearl (daughter) John Wilson (friend/mentor) Roger Chillingworth (opposer, †, deceased) Personalities Young, faithful, wise, noble, pious, kind, devoted, compassionate, tormented, delicate, afraid, shy, lovable, selfish, eloquent, sensitive, insane, well-educated, hypocritical, spiritual, guilty, sinful, frustrated, secretive, weak, emotional, sickly, frail Appearance Thin, pale, wears Puritan minister clothing, has a "A" symbol carved on his chest Allies Hester Prynne Pearl John Wilson Enemies Roger Chillingworth Likes Preaching, being with Hester Dislikes Trying to reveal his sins to the public, torturing himself Goal To keep his affair a secret from anyone To travel to Europe with Hester and Pearl and start a new life (all failed) Fate Reveals his secret by showing off a scarlet letter imprinted on his chest on the town scaffold and dies in Hester's arms Famous quotes "He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so!"

A young minister loved and worshipped by the Puritans, Arthur Dimmesdale is also a man who lacks the courage to reveal his secret to the townsfolk. While Hester Prynne was publicly shamed for adultery, Dimmesdale is shamed for it quietly and constantly torments himself physical and psychologically when he is having a hard time exposing the truth. He has true devotion to God and his religion, and knowing that not confessing his sin to the public and to God would have consequences for him. He may have been in love with Hester and fathered her child, but his sin was more greater than hers. He was present at Prynne's public shaming and defended her daughter from being taken away by authorities. He tried to be like a normal person, and had managed to keep his inner emotions private. He doesn't know when it would be the right time to confess to everyone and accept his punishment. He had lashed himself as torture and could have burned the "A" letter into his own flesh to atone for his sins. His health fails possibly from his stress that prevented him from being closer to Hester and from raising his daughter. While Dimmesdale never meant to have an illegitimate affair with Hester, he chose to die than live another day of guilt and shame. He died only showing a mark of his crime and not his full confession and lets Hester and Pearl live a more decent life without him. Most sinners would receive their harsh punishments since they deserved it, but Dimmesdale hated himself for the actions he did and hopes that he may only be forgiven by God than Hester and the Puritans. Arthur Dimmesdale is a young man who is deeply religious and devoted to his profession as a Boston minister. He believes in his Christian morals and often depicts the words of God in his sermons. At times, his sermons can be powerful and eloquent, which may be the reason why he is so beloved and respected by the locals, as they were deeply moved by his sermons and his soft, compassionate voice. He is talented enough to offer education and morality to the human heart and to the Boston citizens, as well as argue about the importance of his secret daughter to Hester while defending her from the authorities. He originally received his education from an English university and is often intelligent at his position. In addition, he is devoted towards God and often thinks about the consequences that his saviour can bring to him and to his pe...