The Scarlet Letter

In the Scarlet letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne has created a character with very

potent interior conflicts. Reverend Dimmesdale has a problem within himself, an

unconfused sin in which he has committed. Dimmesdale is full of guilt and is starting to

become emotionally ill.

The novel takes place in Boston, Massachusetts in the seventeenth century.

Although Hester Prynne is married to a man named Roger Chillingworth; She and Arthur

Dimmesdale together conceive a Child named Pearl. Hester is then sent to prison for

committing the crime of adultery. She is standing on the town scaffold and is questioned

by the townspeople. They ask her who her secret lover is, but she continuously refuses to

give away her lovers identity. Hester’s punishment is to wear a scarlet letter on her breast

and to face public humiliation while standing on the scaffold. Chillingworth is in town

when he hears about Hester’s situation, he is then determined to seek revenge on whoever

Hester’s lover may be. Dimmesdale agonizes from a heart problem so Chillingworth

(pretending to be a doctor) moves in with him so he can provide Dimmesdale with

constant care. Chillingworth’s curiosity then leads him to find a scarlet letter on

Dimmesdale’s breast. Later Hester warns Dimmesdale of Chillingworth, she tells him

who Roger Chillingworth really is. Dimmesdale and Hester then plan to go away to

Europe so that they can leave everything and start a better life with their daughter Pearl.

Four days later Dimmesdale is scheduled to preach an election sermon in front of the

town. After his very powerful and touching sermon Dimmesdale gets onto the scaffold

with Hester and Pearl. He then confesses to the town his sin and shows them the a mark

he has left on his body that resembles the scarlet letter that Hester wears. After his

confession Dimmesdale then ironically dies on the scaffold.

One of the themes that

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