Khordad 3, AP. Chillingworth himself, however, intentionally commits the sin of seeking revenge against his fellow man. In addition, Chillingworth hides his feelings of anger and hatred in order to plot his revenge, thereby committing the further sin of deceit. Azar 1, AP. What is Hester coming to realize is the true sin she has committed? Home Roster. Dimmesdale is a Good Man Posted on May 22, by 18tahirum. This entry was posted in Uncategorized.
Bookmark the permalink. May 24, at pm. Log in to Reply. Leave a Reply Cancel reply You must be logged in to post a comment. Dimmesdale, the personification of "human frailty and sorrow," is young, pale, and physically delicate. He has large, melancholy eyes and a tremulous mouth, suggesting great sensitivity. An ordained Puritan minister, he is well educated, and he has a philosophical turn of mind. There is no doubt that he is devoted to God, passionate in his religion, and effective in the pulpit.
He also has the principal conflict in the novel, and his agonized suffering is the direct result of his inability to disclose his sin. Of the four major characters in this novel, which investigates the nature of evil and sin and is a criticism of Puritan rigidity and intolerance, Dimmesdale is the only Puritan. One really cannot understand Dimmesdale or his dilemma without at least a cursory understanding of the Puritans who inhabited Boston at this time see the essay "The Puritan Community" in the Critical Essays and Hawthorne's psychological perspective through which he presents this tragic character.
In Puritan terms, Dimmesdale's predicament is that he is unsure of his soul's status: He is exemplary in performing his duties as a Puritan minister, an indicator that he is one of the elect; however, he knows he has sinned and considers himself a hypocrite, a sign he is not chosen. The vigils he keeps are representative of this inward struggle to ascertain his heavenly status, the status of his very soul.
Note that Hawthorne says of Dimmesdale's nightly vigils, which are sometimes in darkness, sometimes in dim light, and sometimes by the most powerful light which he could throw upon it, "He thus typified the constant introspection wherewith he tortured.
Finally, to add to the Dimmesdale dilemma, the Puritans — therefore, Dimmesdale — did not believe that good works or moral living earned salvation for the individual. As Dimmesdale states, "There is no substance in it [good works]. The minister often regards his doctor with distrust and even loathing, but because he can assign no rational basis to his feelings, he dismisses them and continues to suffer. As a result, his self-probing keeps him up at night, and he even sees visions.
Even the Bible offers him little support. Dimmesdale begins to torture himself physically: he scourges himself with a whip, he fasts, and he holds extended vigils, during which he stays awake throughout the night meditating upon his sin. During one of these vigils, Dimmesdale seizes on an idea for what he believes may be a remedy to his pain. He decides to hold a vigil on the scaffold where, years before, Hester suffered for her sin.
Dimmesdale mounts the scaffold. The pain in his breast causes him to scream aloud, and he worries that everyone in the town will wake up and come to look at him. As Dimmesdale stands upon the scaffold, his mind turns to absurd thoughts. He almost laughs when he sees Reverend Wilson , and in his delirium he thinks that he calls out to the older minister.
Having come so close to being sighted, Dimmesdale begins to fantasize about what would happen if everyone in town were to witness their holy minister standing in the place of public shame. Dimmesdale laughs aloud and is answered by a laugh from Pearl , whose presence he had not noticed.
Dimmesdale invites them to join him on the scaffold, which they do. Suddenly, a meteor brightens the dark sky, momentarily illuminating their surroundings. At the same time, Pearl points to a figure that stands in the distance and watches them. It is Chillingworth.
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