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Notes for 510 Case
Summary
Theories Of Counseling (Liberty
University)
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Dimmesdale "defense" of Hester paints her as a sinner deserving
punishment.
Notes for 510 Case Summary
Character Analysis Arthur Dimmesdale. 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.
A well respected Boston reverend who has an affair with Hester Prynne and is
the secret father of Pearl. Shy, retiring, and well loved and respected by his
public, Dimmesdale is too frightened and selfish to reveal his sin and bear
the burden of punishment with Hester.
The narrator says that the Puritans considered religion and law to
be almost identical.
Dimmesdale conforms to public expectation and demands that
Hester divulge her lover's identity, but he lacks the courage to
reveal that he's her lover. Like Chillingworth, he abandons her to
protect himself.
Chillingworth forgives Hester for betraying him. He asks her to tell
him the identity of the father, but once again she refuses. He then
asks Hester to protect his identity by swearing never to identify him
as her husband. Hester remains suspicious of Chillingworth and
thinks she might be sealing her own doom by agreeing to keep his
secret, but does it anyway.
Hester hides Dimmesdale and Chillingworth's identities to protect
them. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth conceal their own identities to
protect themselves. Though a "sinner," Hester is selfless.
Kestler, Justin. "The Scarlet Letter Chapter 4." LitCharts LLC, July 22, 2013.
Retrieved November 5, 2020. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-scarlet-
letter/chapter-4.
Hester begs Dimmesdale to defend her. Dimmesdale argues that
Pearl was sent by God to serve as Hester's one true punishment and
to guard her from sinning again. He points out that Hester even
dresses Pearl in red, likening her to the scarlet letter .
Dimmesdale's health worsens and he is seen often with his hand over
his
heart. Chillingworth treats Dimmesdale and soon the two move in
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together.
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As Dimmesdale's health wanes, the locals notice that Chillingworth's
has transformed from a kind, elderly, and somewhat misshapen
gentleman into an ugly evil old man. The transformation makes
them suspect that Chillingworth's intentions in getting so close to
Dimmesdale might not be entirely charitable: they fear he might
have been sent by the devil.
Both Chillingworth and Dimmesdale suffer physically for their inner
turmoil. In keeping secrets to hide their sins and conform to social
pressure, they cause their bodies, their natures, to wither and die.
Kestler, Justin. "The Scarlet Letter Chapter 9." LitCharts LLC, July 22, 2013.
Retrieved November 5, 2020. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-scarlet-
letter/chapter-9.
Dimmesdale's health gets worse. Chillingworth attributes his illness
to his secret, but Dimmesdale still refuses to reveal it. When
Dimmesdale falls asleep, Chillingworth pushes aside Dimmesdale's
shirt and sees something there that gives him joy. The narrator
likens Chillingworth's touch to Satan stealing a soul.
Dimmesdale continues to preach and delivers some of his most
passionate sermons, which focus mostly on the topic of sin. He
describes himself as a "pollution and a lie" to his parishioners, yet
he does not confess and they continue to view him favorably.
Dimmesdale's sin lets him empathize with other sinners. The Puritans,
though they are so concerned with sin, can't recognize a sinner.
Dimmesdale's guilt makes him hate himself. He punishes himself
physically
and emotionally, staying up nights thinking about confessing, and
starving and whipping himself. His health crumbles, as does his
sense of self. As the narrator observes, "To the untrue man, the
whole universe is false." Yet the chapter ends with the suggestion
that Dimmesdale has come up with a plan that might help him ease
his suffering.
Dimmesdale's secrets reduce his identity to a shadow of doubt and self-hate.
His secrets, kept to protect his public reputation, have made him internally
"untrue." By this point it's obvious that relief can only come from confession
of his sin.
Kestler, Justin. "The Scarlet Letter Chapter 11." LitCharts LLC, July 22, 2013.
Retrieved
November 5, 2020.
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-scarlet-letter/chapter-11. Nature
celebrates the scarlet letter. Yet Dimmesdale's goes with the
"arch- fiend," He's chosen secret sin over punishment,
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repentance, and internal truth.
Unity with nature shows purity. The implication is that Pearl, and therefore
her parents' affair, are not sinful against God. They only sin against
Puritanism.
Sin
The Puritans believed people were born sinners. Puritan preachers depicted
each human life as suspended by a string over the fiery pit of hell. As a
result, the Puritans maintained strict watch over themselves and their fellow
Hester gives Dimmesdale a solution to save himself that isn't confession: leave Boston and the Puritans with her. But note that this solution involves running from secrets, not confessing them.
Dimmesdale says living under Chillingworth's control is worse than death, but he sees no way out. Hester tells him to consider a life beyond Boston, in the safety and anonymity of Europe. Dimmesdale says he lacks the strength and courage to venture out alone. Hester says he wouldn't have to go alone.
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The next day Dimmesdale delivers his most powerful sermon ever.
Afterward, the church sexton returns to Dimmesdale a black glove
he found on the scaffold, saying Satan must have left it there. He
mentions that other townspeople reported seeing a letter "A"
formed by a meteor, which they took to stand for "angel" and to
mean the dead governor has ascended to heaven.
re hypocrisy: Dimmesdale's sermons against sin get more powerful as his
own sins increase, and the Puritans continue to be blind to the sinning in
their midst. Note how the letter "A" means only what popular opinion says
it
means.
Dimmesdale knows that his secret sin and the split identity it creates
in him is
actually killing him.
Dimmesdale and Hester discuss Pearl, whom Hester says she barely understands. Pearl,
meanwhile, has been playing alone in the forest, where she fits in well among the wild animals.
Hester calls her to come meet Dimmesdale, her father.
Pearl asks if Dimmesdale will return with them hand in hand to
town. Hester says he won't join them in public yet. Dimmesdale
kisses Pearl. She runs to the brook to wash off his kiss.
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adultery were punishable by death. Hester is spared execution only because
the Puritans of Boston decided it would benefit the community to transform
her into a "living sermon against sin." But just as…
read analysis of Sin
Individuality and Conformity
As an adulterer, Hester has broken Puritan society's harsh and strict rules.
Puritan society demanded conformity because it considered any breach of
that conformity a threat to its security and its religion. Hester doesn't
conform and she suffers the conse
puritanisim
The Scarlet Letter presents a critical, even disdainful, view of Puritanism. The
narrator depicts Puritan society as drab, confining, unforgiving, and narrow-
minded that unfairly victimizes Hester. In the scene in which Hester is
released from prison, the narrator describes the town police official as
representing the "whole dismal severity of the Puritanical code of law,"
which fused religion with law. In contrast, he describes Hester as a woman
marked by "natural dignity…force of character…[and] free will." It is
precisely these natural strengths, which the narrator holds in high esteem,
that Puritan society suppresses. In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritans appear as
shallow hypocrites whose opinion of Hester and Pearl improves only when
they become more of an asset to the community, most notably when Hester
becomes a seamstress and Pearl inherits a fortune from Chillingworth.
Arthur Dimmesdale, like Hester Prynne, is an individual whose
identity owes more to external circumstances than to his innate
nature. The reader is told that Dimmesdale was a scholar of some
renown at Oxford University. His past suggests that he is probably
somewhat aloof, the kind of man who would not have much natural
sympathy for ordinary men and women. However, Dimmesdale has
an unusually active conscience. The fact that Hester takes all of the
blame for their shared sin goads his conscience, and his resultant
mental anguish and physical weakness open up his mind and allow
him to empathize with others. Consequently, he becomes an eloquent
and
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emotionally powerful speaker and a compassionate leader, and his
congregation is able to receive meaningful spiritual guidance from
him.
Ironically, the townspeople do not believe Dimmesdale’s
protestations of sinfulness. Given his background and his penchant
for rhetorical speech, Dimmesdale’s congregation generally
interprets his sermons allegorically rather than as expressions of any
personal guilt. This drives Dimmesdale to further internalize his guilt
and self-punishment and leads to still more deterioration in his
physical and spiritual condition. The town’s idolization of him reaches
new heights after his Election Day sermon, which is his last. In his
death, Dimmesdale becomes even more of an icon than he was in
life.
Many believe his confession was a symbolic act, while others believe
Dimmesdale’s fate was an example of divine judgment.
https:// www.sparknotes.com/lit/scarlet/character/arthur-dimmesdale/
[ CITATION The20 \l 1033 ][ CITATION The20 \l 1033 ]
Bibliography
The Scarlet Letter. (2020). Retrieved from spark notes:
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/scarlet/character/arthur-dimmesdale/
Dimmesdale,thepersonificationof"humanfrailtyandsorow,"isyo
ung,pale,and
physicalydelicate.Hehaslarge,melancholyeyesandatremulous
mouth,sugesting
greatsensitivity.AnordainedPuritanminister,heisweleducated,a
ndhehasa
philosophicalturnofmind.ThereisnodoubthatheisdevotedtoGod
,pasionateinhis
religion,andeffectiveinthepulpit.Healsohastheprincipalconflicti
nthenovel,andhis
agonizedsufferingisthedirectresultofhisinabilitytodisclosehissi
n.
Ofthefourmajorcharactersinthisnovel,whichinvestigatesthenat
ureofevilandsin andisacriticism
ofPuritanrigidityandintolerance,DimmesdaleistheonlyPuritan.
One realycan
otunderstandDimmesdaleorhisdilemmawithoutatleastacursor
y
understandingofthePuritanswhoinhabitedBostonathistime(se
theesay"The
PuritanCommunity"intheCriticalEsays)andHawthorne'spsychol
ogicalperspective
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throughwhichhepresentsthistragiccharacter.
InPuritanterms,Dimmesdale'spredicamentisthatheisunsureof
hissoul'sstatus:He
isexemplaryinperforminghisdutiesasaPuritanminister,anindic
atorthatheisoneof theelect;however,heknowshehassin
edandconsidershimselfahypocrite,asignhe
isnotchosen.Thevigilsheke
psarerepresentativeofthisinwardstrugletoascertain
hisheavenlystatus,thestatusofhisverysoul.NotethatHawthorn
esaysof
Dimmesdale'snightlyvigils,whicharesometimesindarknes,so
metimesindim light,
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andsometimesbythemostpowerfulightwhichhecouldthrowup
onit,"Hethus
typifiedtheconstantintrospectionwherewithhetortured. ."
Finaly,toad totheDimmesdaledilemma,thePuritans—
therefore,Dimmesdale— didnotbelievethatgo
dworksormoralivingearnedsalvationfortheindividual.As
Dimmesdalestates,"Thereisnosubstanceinit[go
dworks]."(Hester,whoisnot
Puritan,believesthatDimmesdale'sgo dworksshouldbringhim
peace.)ThePuritan
reasoningwasthat,ifonecouldearnhis/herwayintoheaven,God's
sovereigntyis
diminished.SinceGodcreatedthesoulandinfuseditinthehumanb
ody,salvationis predestined.Theyreasonedthatheelect—
thatis,God'schosenpeople— wouldnot
orcouldnotcommitevilacts;theywouldactherole,asitwere;thus,
Dimmesdale's dilemma.
Asaminister,Dimmesdalehasavoicethatconsolesandanabilityto
swayaudiences. Hiscongregationadoreshim
andhisparishionersse khisadvice.Asaminister,
Dimmesdalemustbeabovereproach,andthereisnoquestionthat
heexcelsathis
profesionandenjoysareputationamonghiscongregationandothe
rministers.Hissoul aside,hedoesdogo
dworks.Hisministryaidspeopleinleadinggo dlives.Ifhe
publiclyconfeses,heloseshisabilitytobeeffectiveinthisregard.
ForDimmesdale,however,hiseffectivenes
betrayshisdesiretoconfes.Themorehe
suffers,thebeterhissermonsbecome.Themorehewhipshimsel
f,themoreeloquent
heisonSundayandthemorehiscongregationworshipshiswords
.Nevertheles,
HawthornestatesinChapter20,"Noman,foranyconsiderablep
eriod,canwearone
facetohimself,andanothertothemultitude,withoutfinalygetin
gbewilderedasto whichmaybetrue."
Dimmesdale'sstrugleisdarkandhispenanceishorifyingashetrie
stounravelhis
mystery.InChapter1 ,"TheInteriorofaHeart,"Dimmesdalestrug
leswithhis
knowledgeofhissin,hisinabilitytodiscloseitoPuritansociety,and
hisdesirefor
penance.HeknowshisactionshavefalenshortofbothGod'sstand
ardsandhisown,
andhefearsthisrepresentshislackofsalvation.Inanatemptose
ksalvation,he
fastsuntilhefaintsandwhipshimselfontheshouldersuntilheble
ds.Buthese
punishmentsaredoneinprivateratherthaninpublicanddonotpr
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ovidethecleansing Dimmesdalese ksandne ds.
Asasin
er,heisweakenedtotemptation.Asdemonstratedlater,hiswea
kened conditionmakesiteasierforhim
toasociatehimselfwiththeBlackManintheforest.
Hiscongregationexpectshim
tobeaboveothermortals,andhislifeandthough
mustexistonahigherspiritualplanethanothers.Acordingly,his
wonderfulsermons areap
laudedbyalforareasonhislistenersdon'tunderstand:Sinandag
onyhave enabledtheintelectualscholar-
ministertorecognizeandempathizewithothersin ers.
appearances
The Scarlet
Letter
Created
by
Nathaniel
Hawthorne Film/TV
appearances
The Scarlet Letter (1926)
The Scarlet Letter (1934)
The Scarlet Letter (WGBH,
1979) The Scarlet Letter
(1995) Portrayals
Lars Hanson (1926)
Hardie Albright (1934)
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Intheforestscene,Dimmesdaleevidentlyrealizesthatheishum
anandshouldask forgivenes
anddopenanceopenly.Onthewayhome,hese
showfarhisdefenses havebe
nbreachedbyevil.Thesethoughtsexplainwhyhecansoeasilywr
itehis
ElectionDaysermon,whichisfiledwiththepasionofhisstruglean
dhishumanity.
Dimmesdale'sconfesioninthethirdscaffoldsceneandtheclimaxo
fthestoryisthe
actionthatensureshissalvation.Thereadersensesthatwhetherch
osenorearned,
Dimmesdale'ssalvationisareality.Havinghadseveralop
ortunitiestoconfes,without suces
untilthisscene,truetohisnatureifnothisministry,heasksGod'sfor
givenes
notonlyforhimself,butalsoforChilingworth,whoconfirmsthemini
ster'striumphwhen
helaments,"Thouhastescapedme!. .Thouhastescapedme!"Dim
mesdale's
confesionalsobringsaboutPearl'shumanemetamorphosis.
Inthelongrun,DimmesdalehasnothestrengthofHesterPryn
eorherhonesty.He can
otstandalonetoconfes.Indeath,perhapshewilfindagentlerjud
gmenthathis ownorthatofhisfelowcitizensofBoston.
https:// www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/s/the-scarlet-letter/character-analysis/arthur-
dimmesdale
Character
Information
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Full name
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale
O
t
h
e
r
n
a
m
e
s
/
A
l
i
a
s
Reverend Dimmesdale
Master Dimmesdale
Brother Dimmesdale
Mr. Dimmesdale
The Young Clergyman
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The Clergyman
The Minister
Gender
Male
Age
20-30 years
Nationality
American
Time
period
Mid 17th-century
Occupation
Minister
Home
Boston, Massachusetts
Alignment
Good
Relationship
s
Hester Prynne (love interest, †, deceased)
Pearl (daughter)
John Wilson (friend/mentor)
Roger Chillingworth (opposer, †, deceased)
Personalities
Young, faithful, wise, noble, pious, kind, devoted, compassionate, tormented, delicate, afraid, shy, lovable, selfish, eloquent,
sensitive, insane, well-educated, hypocritical, spiritual, guilty, sinful, frustrated, secretive, weak, emotional, sickly, frail
Appearance
Thin, pale, wears Puritan minister clothing, has a "A" symbol carved on his chest
Allies
Hester Prynne
Pearl
John Wilson
Enemies
Roger Chillingworth
Likes
Preaching, being with Hester
Dislikes
Trying to reveal his sins to the public, torturing himself
Goal
To keep his affair a secret from anyone
To travel to Europe with Hester and Pearl and start a new life (all failed)
Fate
Reveals his secret by showing off a scarlet letter imprinted on his chest on the town scaffold and dies in Hester's arms
Famous quotes
"He has violated, in cold blood, the sanctity of human heart. Thou and I, Hester, never did so!"
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A young minister loved and worshipped by the Puritans, Arthur Dimmesdale is also a man
who lacks the courage to reveal his secret to the townsfolk. While Hester Prynne was
publicly shamed for adultery, Dimmesdale is shamed for it quietly and constantly
torments himself physical and psychologically when he is having a hard time exposing the
truth. He has true devotion to God and his religion, and knowing that not confessing his
sin to the public and to God would have consequences for him.
He may have been in love with Hester and fathered her child, but his sin was more greater
than hers. He was present at Prynne's public shaming and defended her daughter from
being taken away by authorities. He tried to be like a normal person, and had managed to
keep his inner emotions private. He doesn't know when it would be the right time to confess
to everyone and accept his punishment. He had lashed himself as torture and could have
burned the "A" letter into his own flesh to atone for his sins. His health fails possibly from
his stress that prevented him from being closer to Hester and from raising his daughter.
While Dimmesdale never meant to have an illegitimate affair with Hester, he chose to die
than live another day of guilt and shame. He died only showing a mark of his crime and
not his full confession and lets Hester and Pearl live a more decent life without him. Most
sinners would receive their harsh punishments since they deserved it, but Dimmesdale
hated himself for the actions he did and hopes that he may only be forgiven by God than
Hester and the Puritans.
Arthur Dimmesdale is a young man who is deeply religious and devoted to his profession as
a Boston minister. He believes in his Christian morals and often depicts the words of God
in his sermons. At times, his sermons can be powerful and eloquent, which may be the
reason why he is so beloved and respected by the locals, as they were deeply moved by his
sermons and his soft, compassionate voice. He is talented enough to offer education and
morality to the human heart and to the Boston citizens, as well as argue about the
importance of his secret daughter to Hester while defending her from the authorities. He
originally received his education from an English university and is often intelligent at his
position. In addition, he is devoted towards God and often thinks about the consequences
that his saviour can bring to him and to his people, including when he would rather be
punished from God than the townsfolk and tells Hester that the holy lord can decide their
fate in the afterlife when they would be with each other again. His sermons were originally
about spiritualism and God's virtue to the Puritans, but as he becomes more insane and
demented, the topic then focuses on sin and makes him tremble when in the presence of his
parishioners.
Despite his respect and intelligence, he is usually a fearful, sensitive and weak man. After
his relationship with Hester and got her pregnant, he realizes that he had done something
really evil and knew he will face a grim punishment that would leave a black mark on his
reputation. His sensitivity is overbearing for him and wanting to be more revealing, but he
is so afraid of the consequences, he instead chose to confess of it in secret and to himself,
since he refuses to share it to anyone; not even to Chillingworth. His intense fear, anxiety
and stress takes a toll of his fragile health and the more he is secretive and worried, the
more his health damages until he is on the verge of death. He is also afraid of
Chillingworth's ruthless cruelty, and he finds himself turning insane and torturing himself
while being tormented mentally by the physician, as well as being anxious of the physician
exposing his secrets. These punishments include hurting himself such as whipping himself
and even having an "A" symbol carved onto his flesh, as a symbol of his adultery guilt like
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how Hester wore the scarlet letter on her chest like him. He also has visions of Hester and
Pearl, which leaves him more tormented and guilty. His tortured life makes him miserable
and is too weak, both physically and emotionally, to do anything to stop it and constantly
blames his own frustration for his sin. He grows more sickly possibly from his own stress
that results in him developing a fatal heart condition that could be caused from his "A"
scar.
While he is supportive and sympathetic to Hester by defending her from having Pearl
being removed from her care, he barely interacts with her during the first few years after
their daughter and doesn't even bother to offer her more help as she struggles being an
outsider. He even sees his over as sinful and child as a symbol of sin and immorality, and
they have been indirectly responsible for his demented misery and is unable to clean up his
act from bearing an illegitimate child. He is often a bit shy whenever he is around Hester
and Pearl, and can be too afraid to speak up to them. Such as when his voice breaks when
he gives a sermon to Hester and when he turns down Pearl into wanting to join each other
as a family. But as Hester is willing to save him escape from Chillingworth's cruelty, he
temporarily brightens and recovers on the idea of him restarting his new life and for once
be a more devoted partner and parent. He is also more kind and compassionate to Hester's
situation and towards Pearl, and whenever he is with them, he feels more warm and safe.
But the severe pain he caused on himself continued to have his health fail rapidly until he
is at death's door when he mounts the scaffold and shows off his "A" scar to the public.
Dimmesdale is described as having fair, pale skin with brown eyes, and generally becomes
more frail as the novel progresses. He also wears Puritan minister clothing to symbolize his
position as a clergyman.
John Wilson- Dimmesdale's mentor, who is also a clergyman. He often sees the older
man as a father-figure to him and would often be moved by Dimmesdale's eloquent
speeches and sermons.
Portrayals
Hester Prynne- Dimmesdale's lover. His relationship with her resulted in the birth of their
child, and finds himself racked with guilt and shame of his adultery and indirectly allowing
them to suffer from their sin. Despite being disregardful of her originally, such as asking
her to reveal her lover's name at her public shaming, he really does care of her such as
when he defended her from the governor wanting to take Pearl away by speaking out
about the girl's importance to her mother. He looked up to her for help and agreed on the
idea of wanting to restart his life with her. Before he died in her arms, he hopes they will be
together again in the afterlife.
Pearl- Dimmesdale's daughter. Conceived from his affair with Hester, Dimmesdale at first
saw her as a "demon-child" but knew that she is essential to Hester as her faithful
companion to prevent her from sinning again. He tries to show his love to her, such as
holding her hand and kissing her like a father, and as he lays dying in Hester's arms, he
has Pearl kiss him as a sign she loves him as well.
https://classic-literature.fandom.com/wiki/Arthur_Dimmesdale#Portrayals
