Scarlet Letter Essay

Tahiya Chowdhury

Ms. Brannon

AP English

11 January 2014

Dimmesdale: A Lowly Coward

Arthur Dimmesdale, one of the protagonists in Nathanial Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”, is the most static character. He commits the sin of adultery in a theocratic Puritan society where sinners are punished with strict, biblical punishments. From his fall with Hester, he moves, in steps, reluctantly toward his public confession of his sin at the end of the novel. Throughout the story his confession remains an obstacle. Although Hester and Dimmesdale commit the same crime, there is a stark difference in the ways they approach their mistake. Hester confronts her sin with pride, while Dimmesdale does not even contain the courage to confront the possible consequences of his sin. Hawthorne characterizes Dimmesdale as a lowly coward who does not have the courage to tolerate the consequences of his sin and seeks to hide it under a mask of religion.

Dimmesdale does not have the strength to bear the punishment that could be thrust upon him and constantly avoids any opportunity of public confession of his sin.  He goes to the scaffold at midnight while everyone is asleep and attempts a vain confession. Even when no eyes were watching him “He felt his limbs growing stiff with the unaccustomed chilliness of the night… Morning would break and find him there.” (Hawthorne 131) Although Dimmesdale went to the scaffold with the intention to lessen his guilt of not confessing his sin earlier, he remains in constant fear of people finding out about his sin. He does realize that confession will bring him the inner the peace he has been searching for but he does not have the courage to bear the punishment he deserves. He does not stand beside Hester and Pearl when they face ignominy in public. However, at night when the whole town is asleep, he said, “Ye have both been here before, but I was not with you. Come up hither once again, and we will stand all three together.” (133) This is a clear example of Dimmesdale’s cowardice as he attempts to make up for his absence in Hester’s public condemnation by standing beside her and Pearl at the middle of the night when no eyes are there to witness. His fear also leads him to make false promises to his young daughter. When Pearl asks him to stand with her mother and her, he said, “I shall, indeed, stand with thy mother and thee one other day, but not tomorrow... At the great Judgment day!” (135) He does not even have the bravery to say truth to his own daughter. Dimmesdale tries to get away from confrontation by lying and consoling Pearl so he can save his cherished reputation.

Dimmesdale’s love for his reputation prevents him from publicly accepting his sin. He attempts to conceal his sin, like a coward, behind his false mask of a saint. Every time his secret gets a little closer to revealing itself, he delivers a sermon so powerful that wins over everyone’s heart. Describing Dimmesdale’s action in the day after standing on the scaffold, Hawthorne said, “The next day, however, being the Sabbath, he preached a discourse which was held be the richest and most powerful…” (137) After being so close to revealing his secret at the scaffold, Dimmesdale attempts to preach a powerful sermon and retain his place in the town people’s heart. By winning the people’s heart, he tries to avert any probability of them doubting him. Even after deciding to leave the town he tries to leave behind an impression on people through preaching and prevent them from judging him harshly. Hawthorne said, “That is most fortunate… It was because, on the third day from the present, he was to preach the Election Sermon…” (195) Dimmesdale wants to tries to maintain his reputation even before leaving the town by preaching a strong election Sermon and leave an impression on the townspeople.

Some may argue that Hawthorne characterized Dimmesdale as a sensitive saint. However, they are mistaken. Hawthorne portrayed his cowardice by using juxtaposition and creating a constant contrast between Hester’s and Dimmesdale’s action towards the sin that was equally committed by both. He portrays how Hester walks around publicly with the token of her sin, while Dimmesdale hides it under his garment. She admits her sin openly and never once tries to hide it. On the other hand, Dimmesdale perpetually conceals his sin. When a man asks him if had seen the bright light at the scaffold, he lies and says, “No, I had not heard of it.” (138) He lied despite if witnessing the light at the scaffold with his own eyes. Clearly, Hawthorne did not characterize him as a saint because saints do not lie. Hester also confronts the antagonist of the story, Roger Chillingworth, with bravery and challenges his actions.  On the contrary, Dimmesdale does not even dare to straightforwardly talk to Chillingworth about his evil deeds. When dismissing Chillingworth from his role as his physician he says, “I think to need no more of you drugs, my kind physician, good though they be, and administered by a friendly hand.” (196) Dimmesdale does not have the courage to talk about his sin with Chillingworth even after being aware of Chillingworth’s knowledge about it. Finally, he declares his sin immediately before his death, like a coward. Before dying he said, “For Hester, I am a dying man. So let me make haste to take my shame upon me.” (224) Dimmesdale confesses only before he knows he will die and will not have to face his share of due ignominy.

Hawthorne portrayed Arthur Dimmesdale as a man who lacked courage and inner strength.  He depicted his cowardice through his words and actions. He showed that Dimmesdale’s inability to confess is chiefly due to his fear, thus characterizing him as a coward. Throughout the novel, Dimmesdale continuously avoided every prospect of openly confessing his sin, whether it is by lying or making false promise to himself and his young daughter. His lack of courage is easily grasped through the hypocritical sermons he preaches and the manner in which he avoids confrontation of his sin. He lived the last few days of his life in fear and terror. Although he may have outwardly lived the life of a revered saint, deep inside he lived nothing but the life of a coward.