The Scarlet Letter: The False Qualities Of Life
Irish novelist Brian Moore observed, "There comes a point in many
people's lives when they can no longer play the role they have chosen for
themselves" (Bookshelf 95). From Hollywood movie stars to professional
athletes, people have and will continue to lead false lives, under the
public spotlight, concealing their personal travails. In literature, the
preceding statement has held true numerous times, in works such as
Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Minister and respected citizen,
Arthur Dimmesdale, was perceived as an upstanding member of the community
who preached the word of the heavenly Father. But before the public, he
was only camouflaging his dark, hidden secret, ...
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his" (167).
Dimmesdale had risen through the ranks of the church and had the utmost
respect of the people of Boston. Dimmesdale's "eloquence and religious
fervor had already given the earnest of high eminence in his profession"
(48). Hawthorne pointed out that Dimmesdale was a very influential and
powerful speaker, whose soft spoken words, "affected them [the townspeople]
like the speech of an angel" (48). Dimmesdale also had the ability to
preach unmatched sermons, containing messages that could touch souls. This
was the case during a service following his vigil when, "Souls… were
brought to the truth by the efficacy of that sermon, and vowed within
themselves to cherish a holy gratitude towards Mr. Dimmesdale" (108).
Hawthorne made Dimmesdale's public character so morally, scholarly, and
biblically flawless, that his hidden past literally killed him from the
inside.
Hawthorne used Dimmesdale's secret passion with Hester to engineer
his relentless downfall. Despite ...
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the heavens for help. By
making this choice, Dimmesdale sealed his fate as one of ongoing personal
pain.
Hawthorne also made use of symbolism to illustrate Dimmesdale's
false qualities by using the scarlet "A." As Hester's sin was made clear
to the public, Dimesdale's half of the sin remained in the shadows. His
"A" burned from within, causing him to constantly clench his hand over his
heart, trying to extinguish an unquenchable fire. Hawthorne showed us
once again that Dimmesdale's inability to come forward with his past was
causing him to hurt not only on the inside, but also to experience physical
pain. Dimmesdale said to Hester, "Happy are you, Hester, that you wear ...
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"The Scarlet Letter: The False Qualities Of Life." Essayworld.com. February 16, 2004. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Scarlet-Letter-False-Qualities-Life/3141.
"The Scarlet Letter: The False Qualities Of Life." Essayworld.com. February 16, 2004. Accessed December 23, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Scarlet-Letter-False-Qualities-Life/3141.
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