What does Arthur Dimmesdale symbolize?
He is unable to reveal his sin. At worst, Dimmesdale is a symbol of hypocrisy and self-centered intellectualism; he knows what is right but has not the courage to make himself do the public act. As a symbol, he represents the secret sinner who fights the good fight in his soul and eventually wins.
Is Arthur Dimmesdale an admirable character How would you describe him and his relationship with Hester?
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.
Is Dimmesdale a good person?
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale was a good man and couldn’t bear the burden cast on his own soul by no confessing his sins. It was also Dimmesdale’s kindness of heart and his thirst for righteousness which made it unbearable for him to see Hester suffer alone;hence, his determination to confess to vindicate himself.
What is Dimmesdale’s role in The Scarlet Letter?
Arthur Dimmesdale is a fictional character in the 1850 romance The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A Puritan minister, he has fathered an illegitimate child, Pearl, with Hester Prynne and considers himself unable to reveal his sin.
Why is Dimmesdale so tortured?
Dimmesdale’s conscience was tortured tremendously when everyone believed he was a saint while he knew how sinful and horrible he was. It tortured him to see people love him. Hester did not have this pressure and conflict within her conscience as Dimmesdale did because she had nothing to hide.
Who did Hester Prynne cheat with?
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale
Why is Dimmesdale the worst sinner in the scarlet letter?
Throughout the novel, Chillingworth has discovered that a young minister named Dimmesdale is a Hester’s lover. Dimmesdale is the worst sinner than Chillingworth because Dimmesdale doesn’t have moral, he is a coward that decides to keep his secret, and he doesn’t have responsibility.
Why is Chillingworth the worst sinner?
The Scarlet Letter shows Chillingworth’s sins throughout the book. One of Hawthorne’s intentions was having Chillingworth as the worst sinner, because he used his herbs to keep Dimmesdale alive-he prolonged Dimmesdale’s torture, he used “black medicine”, and when Dimmesdale stopped taking the herbs, he passed away.
Was the scarlet letter based on a true story?
No, The Scarlet Letter is not a true story. However, Hawthorne took actual events and attitudes of Puritan America revealed in historical records and infused them into his work, exposing elements of truth and lending credibility to his historical novel.