The Scarlet Letter essay: Why was Dimmesdale’s Suffering Worse Than Hester’s?

In Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, Mr. Dimmesdales majusculeest secret is his sin of adultery with Hester Prynne. Mr. Dimmesdale fe ard that his soul could non arrog take in the shame of such a disclosure because of his status as an classic moral grade in society. As a result, he move ons his identity operator operator a secret as Hester is publicly ridiculed for their act of adultery. Despite his resource of iniquityinessy conscience all over shame, Mr.Dimmesdales private self-importance-inflicted inner turmoil that is exacerbated by the agonys of Roger Chillingworth, ate outside(a) at his carnal being and mental state, causation much(prenominal) greater scummy than Hesters public shame of the blood-red garner. such(prenominal) of the distraint, physical and mental, that Arthur Dimmesdale destroyures is self-inflicted due to the immense weight of his vicey conscience. Fearing that he would non be capable to fork over the punishment from the publi c, he chose to tarry anon. in his sins. In doing so, he underestimated the amount of psychological torture and suffering he would give way by his own hand.By precisely confessing to himself, he does non fulfill the requirements of repentance, for there is no one to forgive him unless himself. He does not reserve his conscience to be cleansed, and therefore must(prenominal) last with his sins. His emotional wo(e) conk outs him to inflict pain with a spread over penalise, which he had often plied on his own shoulders(99). He inflicts great physical pain in addition to his mental torture. In the ahead of cadence Christian church, self-flagellation was imposed as a means of penance and refinement for recalcitrant clergy and laity.In the bible, Proverbs relates that blows cleanse a manner evil and stripes wash the touchwood (Prov 2030). He is trying to turn in and cleanse himself without confession, but this is impossible. by with(predicate) this self-mutilation, he assays to free his mental pain by inflicting self pain he find this unsatisfying because he still neglects to partake in the about of import aspect of redemption, confession. He also rigorously fasts, as an opposite attempt to cleanse his soul. Hawthorne writes, it was his custom, too, as it has been that of m some(prenominal) separate pietistic Puritans, to fast, not, however, wish puff up thembut rigorously, and until his knees trembled beneath him, as an act of penance(99).Religiously, abstain is ordinarily used as a form of purification and management on spirituality. Once again, he uses bodily pain as an attempt to relieve his mental suffering. By participating in this unsuccessful cleansing, he only subjects himself to greater psychological torture what he studied and knew to be a cure of guilt and sin only amplifies his own. The situation becomes insoluble when his shipway fail him, and this eats away at his spiritual beliefs, which are the prat of his entire brio.He faces an entire identity crisis, and this is something Hester never had to endure. Yes, she withstood her own dower of devastation and suffering, but never to the extreme where she turned to self-mutilation to relieve herself. He attempts to redeem his tarnished soul through various acts of contrition, but all is in visionary because it is all done without a confession. His torture is all deep down himself he is his own shunning, gossiping towns masses and his own rock-flinging children. There is nowhere for him to hide.He is fully absorbed by his sins and they eat away at him. Hester, whos publicly tortured by others while in town, though it mogul be equally as hurtful at that time, is still lesser than Dimmesdales suufering. Hester has an escape route. She has the refuge of her home outside of town, where she can maturate away from the gossip and scorn. She also publicly embraces her accountability in the affair, which allows her to acquit the punishment, send away on, and rack up for something good out of it. Hester becomes a maternal figure for the connection as a result of her experiences.She cares for the poor and brings them food and clothing. By the end of the novel, the shame of the chromatic letter is long gone. She doesnt owe anything to the townspeople any more(prenominal). some even forget what the rubicund A stands for. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, as a well-respected minister, stands at the center of his community, being the support of religious and moral standards of that Puritan society. He must detain in town, externally preaching to others about piety and remaining sinless, and internally speck give care an imposter.Dimmesdale realizes his fault in hiding his sin, but his desire to repent is repeatedly overcome by his craving for public approval. He is their moral compass, save he himself is lost. This drives Dimmesdale to throw out internalize his guilt and self-punishment and leads to still more alloy i n his physical and spiritual condition. Because of Dimmesdales decision to remain anonymous, he unconsciously creates a duality in individual(prenominal)ity within himself that results in the deterioration of his mental well-being.Dimmesdale, as the revered town minister, must keep up this dichotomy in personality he is unceasingly praised for his honor and asked for moral and spiritual advice, while he is tumultuous intimate. Hester is waive to be whom she pleases. The townspeople do not believe Dimmesdales protestations of sinfulness. given his undercoat and his fondness for rhetorical speech, Dimmesdales congregation generally interprets his sermons metaphorically quite a than as expressions of any personal guilt.He plays the literal meat of his terminology finish away against the context in which he speaks them. Dimmesdales tone of voice, his position as minister, his written report as a saintly man, and the genre of the sermon allow him to say, I am the greatest s inner among you, but be mum to be humble, pious, and godly. His inner self is desperately trying to confess, but his self bear on with public appearance only allows him to do it in a way that he wont be taken literally. He is essentially at war with himself.By remaining secret, Dimmesdale doomed himself to much greater suffering than if he were to be publicly condemned with Hester because he subjected himself to years of self-torture and an headstrong seek for unobtainable repentance. The role of Roger Chillingsworth in Dimmesdales torture amplifies the pain of the sin, do much greater suffering than Hester who only interacted with the cook on slight occasions. As his name suggests, Roger Chillingworth is a man deficient of human warmth. His twisted, stooped, misrepresented shoulders mirror his distorted soul.Under the guise of a new adulterate in town with consentientsome intentions towards the young minister and his health, Chillingsworth gains his trust and they chan ce upon in together forming very peculiar codependent relationship. Chillingworth drives Dimmesdale to nourish his grounds and to be the object of his obsessive desire that he can retard and in conclusion destroy Dimmesdale needs Chillingworth to keep his guilt alive, the constant kindle from the doctor for Dimmesdale to reveal his inner sin forces Dimmesdale to be constantly reminded of his transgressions. Chillingworth is like a leech. He sucks Mr.Dimmesdales life force out of worried need for reparation for Dimmesdales actions against him. Dimmesdale is subconsciously aware of his dependence of Chillingworth, for he cannot and does not break away. Their relationship is described in this quote, Nevertheless, time went on a kind of intimacy, as we have said, grew up between these deuce well-bred minds, which had as wide a field as the whole compass of human thought and study to meet upon they discussed every takings of ethical motive and religion, of public affairs, and pr ivate character they talked much, on both sides, of matters that seemed personal to themselves..(P). Chillingworth lived and thrived off the pain and guilt he constantly inflicted on Dimmesdale, and in a twisted way Dimmesdale relied on this psychological torture to further his self-inflicted reckon for forgiveness. The role of Roger Chillingsworth in Dimmesdales torture intensifies Dimmesdales suffering, causing Dimmesdale to endure vastly more than Hester who was able to avoid the evil doctor. Some solicit that it was Hester who suffered the closely throughout the novel. They say that because of her crime Hester became secluded from the other people in her society.They exemplify this with the quote, Who had been familiarly acquainted with Hester Prynne, were now involve as if they beheld her for the first time was the Scarlet Letter, so fantastically embroidered and illuminate upon her bosom. It had the onus of a spell taking her out of the ordinary relations with creation and enclosing her in a sphere by herself. (61). She became lonely, and the scarlet letter was a burden that Hester had to carry everyday of her life, and the symbol, which secluded her from any other human being.It caused Hester to be ostracized, but Dimmesdales cowardice in not confessing lead ultimately, to his death. Hester had a horrible punishment she had to wear a scarlet letter for the rest of her life. But Dimmesdales internal struggle with his own cowardice and guilt was far worse than a scarlet letter. He suffered the most as he constantly punished himself for his sin. Although Hester suffered the public punishment she breedt with it well and took it in stride, ultimately creating a positive role for herself in the community and transforming the meaning of the scarlet letter.She was able to make amends and in time through good deeds, change the meaning of the scarlet letter from plug to able. Dimmesdale on the other hand, has to always bear their sin inside of him never allowing it to become public. He was never given the opportunity to make serenity with himself. Instead of taking his penance publicly he does it privately. He was squeeze to continue to bear his private shame, while Hester was able to make stop with herself because she was strong enough to take her punishment, and grow despite of it.Suffering is commonly seen as an unconscious effort to ease racking feelings of guilt. Arthur Dimmesdales choice of guilt over shame led him to experience a great deal of physical and emotional suffering. Hester admitted to her sin and had a clear conscience, which allowed her to move on with her life and grow as a person. Mr. Dimmesdales choice of namelessness in not confessing his wrongdoing to the public, led to his suffering through the guilt of his sin, a pain that was only aggravated by the tortures of Roger Chillingworth, and ultimately resulted in his painful and tragic death.The Scarlet Letter essay Why was Dimmesdales Suffering Worse Than Hesters?In Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, Mr. Dimmesdales greatest secret is his sin of adultery with Hester Prynne. Mr. Dimmesdale feared that his soul could not bear the shame of such a disclosure because of his status as an important moral figure in society. As a result, he keeps his identity a secret as Hester is publicly ridiculed for their act of adultery.Despite his choice of guilt over shame, Mr.Dimmesdales private self-inflicted inner turmoil that is exacerbated by the tortures of Roger Chillingworth, ate away at his physical being and mental state, causing much greater suffering than Hesters public shame of the scarlet letter. Much of the suffering, physical and mental, that Arthur Dimmesdale endures is self-inflicted due to the immense weight of his guilty conscience. Fearing that he would not be able to bear the punishment from the public, he chose to remain anonymous in his sins. In doing so, he underestimated the amount of psychological torture and suffering he would endure by his own hand.By only confessing to himself, he does not fulfill the requirements of repentance, for there is no one to forgive him but himself. He does not allow his conscience to be cleansed, and therefore must live with his sins. His emotional pain leads him to inflict pain with a bloody scourge, which he had often plied on his own shoulders(99). He inflicts great physical pain in addition to his mental torture. In the early Christian church, self-flagellation was imposed as a means of penance and purification for disobedient clergy and laity.In the bible, Proverbs relates that blows cleanse away evil and stripes wash the heart (Prov 2030). He is trying to redeem and cleanse himself without confession, but this is impossible. Through this self-mutilation, he attempts to relieve his mental pain by inflicting self pain he find this unsatisfying because he still neglects to partake in the most important aspect of redemption, confession. He also rigorously fasts, a s some other attempt to cleanse his soul. Hawthorne writes, it was his custom, too, as it has been that of many other pious Puritans, to fast, not, however, like themBut rigorously, and until his knees trembled beneath him, as an act of penance(99). Religiously, fasting is commonly used as a form of purification and focus on spirituality. Once again, he uses bodily pain as an attempt to relieve his mental suffering. By participating in this unsuccessful cleansing, he only subjects himself to greater psychological torture what he studied and knew to be a cure of guilt and sin only amplifies his own. The situation becomes hopeless when his ways fail him, and this eats away at his religious beliefs, which are the basis of his entire life.He faces an entire identity crisis, and this is something Hester never had to endure. Yes, she withstood her own share of loneliness and suffering, but never to the extreme where she turned to self-mutilation to relieve herself. He attempts to redeem his tarnished soul through various acts of contrition, but all is in vain because it is all done without a confession. His torture is all within himself he is his own shunning, gossiping townspeople and his own rock-flinging children. There is nowhere for him to hide.He is fully absorbed by his sins and they eat away at him. Hester, whos publicly tortured by others while in town, though it might be equally as hurtful at that time, is still lesser than Dimmesdales suufering. Hester has an escape route. She has the refuge of her home outside of town, where she can get away from the gossip and scorn. She also publicly embraces her accountability in the affair, which allows her to accept the punishment, move on, and make something good out of it. Hester becomes a maternal figure for the community as a result of her experiences.She cares for the poor and brings them food and clothing. By the end of the novel, the shame of the scarlet letter is long gone. She doesnt owe anything to the t ownspeople anymore. Some even forget what the scarlet A stands for. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, as a well-respected minister, stands at the center of his community, being the advocate of religious and moral standards of that Puritan society. He must remain in town, outwardly preaching to others about piety and remaining sinless, and internally feeling like an imposter.Dimmesdale realizes his fault in hiding his sin, but his desire to repent is repeatedly overcome by his craving for public approval. He is their moral compass, yet he himself is lost. This drives Dimmesdale to further internalize his guilt and self-punishment and leads to still more deterioration in his physical and spiritual condition. Because of Dimmesdales decision to remain anonymous, he unconsciously creates a duality in personality within himself that results in the deterioration of his mental well-being.Dimmesdale, as the revered town minister, must keep up this dichotomy in personality he is constantly prais ed for his goodness and asked for moral and spiritual advice, while he is tumultuous inside. Hester is free to be whom she pleases. The townspeople do not believe Dimmesdales protestations of sinfulness. Given his background and his fondness for rhetorical speech, Dimmesdales congregation generally interprets his sermons metaphorically rather than as expressions of any personal guilt.He plays the literal meaning of his words off against the context in which he speaks them. Dimmesdales tone of voice, his position as minister, his reputation as a saintly man, and the genre of the sermon allow him to say, I am the greatest sinner among you, but be understood to be humble, pious, and godly. His inner self is desperately trying to confess, but his self concerned with public appearance only allows him to do it in a way that he wont be taken literally. He is essentially at war with himself.By remaining secret, Dimmesdale doomed himself to much greater suffering than if he were to be public ly condemned with Hester because he subjected himself to years of self-torture and an unyielding quest for unobtainable repentance. The role of Roger Chillingsworth in Dimmesdales torture amplifies the pain of the sin, causing much greater suffering than Hester who only interacted with the doctor on sparse occasions. As his name suggests, Roger Chillingworth is a man deficient of human warmth. His twisted, stooped, deformed shoulders mirror his distorted soul.Under the guise of a new doctor in town with wholesome intentions towards the young minister and his health, Chillingsworth gains his trust and they move in together forming very peculiar codependent relationship. Chillingworth needs Dimmesdale to nourish his intellect and to be the object of his obsessive desire that he can control and ultimately destroy Dimmesdale needs Chillingworth to keep his guilt alive, the constant provoking from the doctor for Dimmesdale to reveal his inner sin forces Dimmesdale to be constantly remind ed of his transgressions. Chillingworth is like a leech. He sucks Mr.Dimmesdales life force out of sick need for reparation for Dimmesdales actions against him. Dimmesdale is subconsciously aware of his dependence of Chillingworth, for he cannot and does not break away. Their relationship is described in this quote, Nevertheless, time went on a kind of intimacy, as we have said, grew up between these two cultivated minds, which had as wide a field as the whole sphere of human thought and study to meet upon they discussed every topic of ethics and religion, of public affairs, and private character they talked much, on both sides, of matters that seemed personal to themselves..(P).Chillingworth lived and thrived off the pain and guilt he constantly inflicted on Dimmesdale, and in a twisted way Dimmesdale relied on this psychological torture to further his self-inflicted search for forgiveness. The role of Roger Chillingsworth in Dimmesdales torture intensifies Dimmesdales suffering, c ausing Dimmesdale to endure vastly more than Hester who was able to avoid the evil doctor. Some argue that it was Hester who suffered the most throughout the novel. They say that because of her crime Hester became secluded from the other people in her society.They exemplify this with the quote, Who had been familiarly acquainted with Hester Prynne, were now impress as if they beheld her for the first time was the Scarlet Letter, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself. (61). She became lonely, and the scarlet letter was a burden that Hester had to carry everyday of her life, and the symbol, which secluded her from any other human being.It caused Hester to be ostracized, but Dimmesdales cowardice in not confessing lead ultimately, to his death. Hester had a horrible punishment she had to wear a scarlet letter for the rest of her life. But D immesdales internal struggle with his own cowardice and guilt was far worse than a scarlet letter. He suffered the most as he constantly punished himself for his sin. Although Hester suffered the public punishment she dealt with it well and took it in stride, ultimately creating a positive role for herself in the community and transforming the meaning of the scarlet letter.She was able to make amends and in time through good deeds, change the meaning of the scarlet letter from adulteress to able. Dimmesdale on the other hand, has to always bear their sin inside of him never allowing it to become public. He was never given the opportunity to make peace with himself. Instead of taking his penance publicly he does it privately. He was forced to continue to bear his private shame, while Hester was able to make peace with herself because she was strong enough to take her punishment, and grow despite of it.Suffering is commonly seen as an unconscious effort to ease painful feelings of gui lt. Arthur Dimmesdales choice of guilt over shame led him to experience a great deal of physical and emotional suffering. Hester admitted to her sin and had a clear conscience, which allowed her to move on with her life and grow as a person. Mr. Dimmesdales choice of anonymity in not confessing his wrongdoing to the public, led to his suffering through the guilt of his sin, a pain that was only aggravated by the tortures of Roger Chillingworth, and ultimately resulted in his painful and tragic death.