Coleman 1 Casey Coleman Mrs. Simon Academy Language Arts 3-4 H 15 December 2 13 A Cold Hearted Sin Many !eo!

le" #$en t$in%ing o& 'at$aniel Ha#t$orne(s boo%" )$e Scarlet Letter" only remember a sad #oman called Hester #$o committed adultery and #as said to #ear a scarlet to%en t$e rest o& $er li&e. Ho#e*er" #$at about $er !artner in sin+ Art$ur Dimmesdale" a !raised c$urc$ leader" and one #$o can seemingly do no #rong" is none ot$er t$an t$e &at$er to Hester(s daug$ter" and co-adulterer. Ho#e*er" Hester re&uses to admit to $im being in*ol*ed" so $e s!ends se*en years under t$e guilt o& $is c$oices. ,e*erend Dimmesdale" an in&luential yet a#%#ardly #ea% man" %no#n in t$e -uritan to#n as a s!iritual role model" is tormented by t$e conse.uences o& $is unbiblical actions. )o begin" Ha#t$orne begins $is introduction o& ,e*erend Dimmesdale as a brilliant" in&luential man #$o seems a bit un%no#ing o& $is reason &or $is li&e on eart$. /it$ t$e ,e*erend(s &irst real a!!earance in t$e boo%" Ha#t$orne de!icts $im as $a*ing an 0air about t$is young minister"-- an a!!re$ensi*e" a startled" a $al&-&rig$tened loo%"-as o& a being #$o &elt $imsel& .uite astray" and at a loss in t$e !at$#ay o& $uman e1istence" and could only be at ease in some seclusion o& $is o#n.2 3Cro#t$er" 1 44 D51. Ha#t$orne c$ooses to use direct c$aracteri6ation in t$is e1am!le7 most li%ely so t$at #e $a*e a better understanding o& t$e t$oug$ts and &eelings o& Dimmesdale as t$e story !rogresses. )$e aut$or gi*es us a clear understanding t$at alt$oug$ t$e man is brilliant"

Coleman 2 $e $as an a#%#ardness" or insecurity about $im t$at is no doubt going to create some ty!e o& con&lict &urt$er in t$e story A1. Secondly" ,e*erend Dimmesdale is %no#n as a s!iritual role model in t$e small to#n o& 8oston. 09He: $ad come &rom one o& t$e great ;nglis$ uni*ersities" bringing all t$e learning o& t$e age into our #ild &orest land. His elo.uence and religious &er*or $ad already gi*en t$e earnest o& $ig$ eminence in $is !ro&ession2 3Cro#t$er" 1 44 D51. )$is is one o& t$e &irst insig$ts into t$e c$aracter o& Dimmesdale t$at t$e aut$or s$ares #it$ $is readers. )$is !iece is a $ig$ly im!ortant bit o& in&ormation t$at greatly adds to $o# t$e story !lays out. <t mentions t$at $e came &rom a great uni*ersity and broug$t t$e %no#ledge o& religion #it$ $im to t$is 0#ild &orest land2. )$is suggests t$at $e is t$e most %no#ledgeable !erson o& religion in t$e city and t$at e*eryone #ill loo% u! to $im &or t$eir religious o!inions and learnings7 !ossibly ma%ing $im t$e most in&luential man in t$e city. )$e aut$or not only uses indirect c$aracteri6ation to in&er o& t$e man(s in&luential nature7 but also uses direct c$aracteri6ation to re*eal $is brilliance A1. 0'e*er $ad man s!o%en in so #ise" so $ig$" and so $oly a s!irit" as $e t$at s!o%e t$is day7 nor $ad ins!iration e*er breat$ed t$roug$ mortal li!s more e*idently t$an it did t$roug$ $is. <ts in&luence could be seen" as it #ere" descending u!on $im" and !ossessing $im" and continually li&ting $im out o& t$e #ritten discourse t$at lay be&ore $im" and &illing $im #it$ ideas t$at must $a*e been as mar*elous to $imsel& as to $is audience.2 3Cro#t$er" 3=24 D52. At t$is !oint" t$e reader is no longer le&t to second guess t$eir original assum!tions7 t$e #ords on t$e !age clearly *alidate t$e !astor(s in&luence o*er t$e congregation. /it$ t$e deat$ o& t$e !astor lur%ing around t$e corner" Ha#t$orne &inally c$ooses to use direct c$aracteri6ation to solidi&y $is !re*ious insinuations A2.

Coleman 3 Lastly" ,e*erend Dimmesdale is troubled #it$ !syc$ological !ain &rom t$e guilt o& $is $idden sin. )$is !syc$ological !ain is more t$an $e can bear and e*en re*eals itsel& during $is nig$t *igils #$en >$is brain o&ten reeled and *isions seemed to &lit be&ore $im> 3Cro#t$er" 22?4 D51. <n addition to $is emotional !ain" &ollo#ing $is -uritan belie&s" $e also in&licts !$ysical !ain on $imsel& as a #ay o& !unis$ment &or t$e crime t$at $e $ad committed. 0@a bloody scourge@!lied on $is o#n s$oulders> 3Cro#t$er" 22?4 D52 and &asts to suc$ e1treme measures t$at 0$is %nees trembled beneat$ $im2 3Cro#t$er" 22?4 D53. )$e inesca!able agony o& $is !$ysical and emotional !ain" trans&orms into t$e

!$ysical ailment o& $eart disease7 #$ic$ is #$at &inally ends u! %illing ,e*erend Art$ur Dimmesdale. Ha#t$orne c$ooses to use direct c$aracteri6ation in t$ese .uotes because $e needs to s$o# t$e true !ain t$at Art$ur is going t$roug$. ;arlier in t$e story $e im!lies t$at t$e guilt #as #eig$ing $ea*ily on $is $eart7 $o#e*er t$e aut$or needed to ma%e an im!act o& $o# serious t$is guilt #as and $e did t$at by gi*ing e1treme e1am!les o& emotional !ain" so serious" t$at $e sel&-$armed A1. <n conclusion" t$e a#%#ardly #ea%" yet in&luential ,e*erend Dimmesdale" is tormented by t$e conse.uences o& $is unbiblical actions #$ile being %no#n in t$e -uritan to#n as a s!iritual role model. ;*en t$oug$ Art$ur Dimmesdale #as a re*erend c$urc$ leader" $e still made a mista%e" #$ic$ le&t $im to deal #it$ $is guilt internally" and &ace t$e conse.uences silently. Alt$oug$ Hester !ublicly bore t$e s$ame o& t$eir sin" Dimmesdale(s transgressions #ere too muc$ &or $im to bear a&ter se*en long years. His in&luential s!$ere in t$e c$urc$ came to an end" and t$e moral t$at 0#$at !eo!le don(t %no#" can(t $urt t$em2 is c$anged to" 0#$at !eo!le don(t %no#" $urts you2.

Coleman 4 /or%s Cited Cro#t$er" Ao$n" ed. 0'o Bear )$e Scarlet Letter.2 S!ar%'otes.com. S!ar%'otes LLC. 2 =. /eb. 14 Aug. 2 13