Scott Pero
AP English Language-Mr. George
February 11, 2010
Why is Dimmesdale’s punishment so poignant for him,
and why does he believe it to be a blessing from God?
The Reverend’s Retribution
When someone commits a wrongdoing, that person is punished. There are always consequences for a sin or unjust act. Punishment itself can be anything, from incarceration to death. In The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the character Roger Chillingworth inflicts a terrible punishment on Reverend Dimmesdale, the man who committed adultery with his wife, Hester. Dimmesdale’s punishment is especially poignant for him because Chillingworth designed it so that it would perpetuate itself in a vicious, never-ending cycle of torture and pain.
Dimmesdale committed the sin of Adultery with Hester Prynne, Chillingworth’s wife. Hester admits to their sin and bears her punishment, the scarlet letter ‘A’ on her chest, accordingly. Dimmesdale keeps his sin a secret, and thus the endless cycle of punishment begins: “He[Dimmesdale] had yielded himself, with deliberate choice, as he had never done before, to what he knew was deadly sin. And the infectious poison of that sin had been thus rapidly diffused throughout his moral system” (Hawthorne 199). Dimmesdale despises sin, and yet, it has worked its way through his entire being, consuming him in hatred. His sin eats away at the edges of his soul, pestering him day and night. Dimmesdale knows he has to repent, but he cannot. The way to repent is to confess his sin, and that he cannot do.
The people of Boston look up to Dimmesdale, venerating him as the holiest of men. If Dimmesdale confesses, it will devastate the faith of the people. So much of their faith lies with Dimmesdale. If their object of devotion falls, their faith will shatter. Dimmesdale, the holy reverend that he is, holds the Christian faith as the most important thing there is. His main priority is the people that follow him: “‘Lost as my own soul is, I would still do what I may for other human souls! I dare not quit my post, though an unfaithful sentinel, whose sure reward is death and dishonor, when his dreary watch shall come to an end!’” (178). Dimmesdale believes that serving the people is more important than confessing his sin. The priesthood places him in a sticky situation; he has a responsibility to his congregation, and must uphold their faith, but at the same time, he sees himself as unfaithful, and longs to free himself of the pain.
Dimmesdale then feels he has to say something. He cannot confess his sin, because that would utterly cripple the people, so he must relieve himself some other way. Dimmesdale tells his congregation in his sermon that he is despicable and detestable: “They heard it all, and did but reverence him the more…he had spoken the very truth, and transformed it into the veriest falsehood. And yet, by the constitution of his nature, he loved the truth, and loathed the lie, as few men ever did. Therefore…he loathed his miserable self!” (131). Dimmesdale thinks he is the vilest sinner. The people, however, see him as the pinnacle of all virtue. They see Dimmesdale’s sermon as an act of humility, which only venerates him more in their eyes. This causes a great disparity between Dimmesdale’s opinion of himself and the opinion of the people: “‘I have laughed, in bitterness and agony of heart, at the contrast between what I seem and what I am!’” (172). Dimmesdale is a hypocrite. He is believed to be a perfect, sinless man, but in reality he has sinned greater than others. This hypocrisy pains Dimmesdale to no end, only furthering his torment. The people love him more, and he only hates himself more because of it.
Even more painful, Dimmesdale believes his suffering to be the will of God. He sees all of his pain and torment as a blessing from the Lord. Dimmesdale, as he is dying upon the scaffold, praises God for his blessing: “‘He[God] is merciful! He hath proved his mercy, most of all, in my afflictions. By giving me this burning torture to bear upon my breast! By sending yonder dark and terrible old man, to keep the torture always at red-heat!...Had either of these agonies been wanting, I had been lost forever!’” (229). To Dimmesdale, God has a plan for him, and his punishment is a part of that plan. If Dimmesdale can endure and accept the torment, he can be saved. It is Dimmesdale’s cross to bear, his rite of passage into Heaven.
Dimmesdale also recognizes the confidentiality in his suffering. He thinks his punishment is a blessing because he only needs to tell God of his sins, and no one else: “‘The heart, making itself guilty of such secrets, must perforce hold them, until the day when all hidden things shall be revealed. Nor have I so read or interpreted Holy Writ, as to understand that the disclosure of human thoughts and deeds, then to be made, is intended as part of the retribution’” (119). Like John Proctor from The Crucible, Dimmesdale sees that there need only be a confession between a man and his God. He sees his pain as a blessing because, since he cannot tell another human soul, he can only commune with God.
Chillingworth was a nefarious old man to exact such a vengeance on Dimmesdale because it continued in an endless cycle. Dimmesdale hated his sin, but could not speak a word of it. When he tried to hint at it, people only loved him more, increasing his self-hatred. Dimmesdale’s internalized pain built up until it was too much: he died once he confessed his ignominy to the town.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1986
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Scarlet Letter 10
1.) "The shipmaster...was so smitten with Pearl's aspect, that he attempted to lay hands on her, with purpose to snatch a kiss...he took from his hat the gold chain that was twisted about it, and threw it to the child. Pearl immediately twined it around her neck and waist, with such happy skill, that, once seen there, it became a part of her, and it was difficult to imagine her without it" (Hawthorne 219).
Pearl's encounter with the seafarers is analogous to Hester's story. Pearl enters a throng of sailors, and they are so enthralled by her beauty that one of the sailors tries to kiss her. That sailor was the head of the ship, the shipmaster. Unable to catch Pearl, the shipmaster threw a golden chain about to her. Pearl took that chain and wore it on her figure so beautifully that she was not herself without it. The same can be said for Hester. she was one of the most beautiful women of Boston, if not the most beautiful. Dimmesdale, a figure of great power and popularity, a veritable shipmaster of Boston, loved her and slept with her. Hester's gold chain was the Scarlet Letter. She made it elegant and marvellous, brilliantly weaving it into a work of art, and wore it as such. When she wore it, the letter became a part of her, so much so that you could not imagine her without it. The only difference between Pearl's instance and her mother's story is that Pearl was able to evade the sailors, bu Hester gave in to her love for Dimmesdale. This is echoed later in the book, when it shows that Pearl would not succumb to sin as her mother did.
2.) "Pearl kissed his[Dimmesdale's] lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor forever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. Towards her mother, too, Pearl's errand as a messenger of anguish was all fulfilled" (229).
It is interesting that, at the story's end, Hawthorne ends with the beginning. Throughout the story, Pearl has been likened to a rose. She is always in red, and even says she was plucked from the rose bush, than born of her mother. She is the embodiment of the Scarlet Letter, always reminding her mother of her sin, but what of her father? What does Pearl do for her father? In the beginning of the novel, Hawthorne gives us a hint, in the form of a rose: "It[a rose] may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow" (46). For the entire story so far, Pearl has been Hester's moral blossom. She has kept her mother on the right track, and draws out the pure and saintly aspect of Hester through her wild actions. Pearl's role is complete when Dimmesdale confesses. The last thing he asks for as he is dying is that Pearl, the girl who would not kiss him and would not let him kiss her, kiss him. She would not in the forest, but he hopes she will now. When she does, she changes. She is no longer her wild, impish self, but instead will grow up to be a woman of joy and happiness. Dimmesdale's life ends with Pearl's kiss. Thus, Pearl has fulfilled her role in the novel. She has guided her mother, and now she is the end to her father's, Dimmesdale's, story of frailty and sorrow.
Pearl's encounter with the seafarers is analogous to Hester's story. Pearl enters a throng of sailors, and they are so enthralled by her beauty that one of the sailors tries to kiss her. That sailor was the head of the ship, the shipmaster. Unable to catch Pearl, the shipmaster threw a golden chain about to her. Pearl took that chain and wore it on her figure so beautifully that she was not herself without it. The same can be said for Hester. she was one of the most beautiful women of Boston, if not the most beautiful. Dimmesdale, a figure of great power and popularity, a veritable shipmaster of Boston, loved her and slept with her. Hester's gold chain was the Scarlet Letter. She made it elegant and marvellous, brilliantly weaving it into a work of art, and wore it as such. When she wore it, the letter became a part of her, so much so that you could not imagine her without it. The only difference between Pearl's instance and her mother's story is that Pearl was able to evade the sailors, bu Hester gave in to her love for Dimmesdale. This is echoed later in the book, when it shows that Pearl would not succumb to sin as her mother did.
2.) "Pearl kissed his[Dimmesdale's] lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor forever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it. Towards her mother, too, Pearl's errand as a messenger of anguish was all fulfilled" (229).
It is interesting that, at the story's end, Hawthorne ends with the beginning. Throughout the story, Pearl has been likened to a rose. She is always in red, and even says she was plucked from the rose bush, than born of her mother. She is the embodiment of the Scarlet Letter, always reminding her mother of her sin, but what of her father? What does Pearl do for her father? In the beginning of the novel, Hawthorne gives us a hint, in the form of a rose: "It[a rose] may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow" (46). For the entire story so far, Pearl has been Hester's moral blossom. She has kept her mother on the right track, and draws out the pure and saintly aspect of Hester through her wild actions. Pearl's role is complete when Dimmesdale confesses. The last thing he asks for as he is dying is that Pearl, the girl who would not kiss him and would not let him kiss her, kiss him. She would not in the forest, but he hopes she will now. When she does, she changes. She is no longer her wild, impish self, but instead will grow up to be a woman of joy and happiness. Dimmesdale's life ends with Pearl's kiss. Thus, Pearl has fulfilled her role in the novel. She has guided her mother, and now she is the end to her father's, Dimmesdale's, story of frailty and sorrow.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Scarlet Letter 9
1.) "'Yes; now I will!' answered the child, bounding across the brook, and clasping Hester in her arms. 'Now thou art my mother indeed! And I am thy little Pearl!'" (Hawthorne 190).
Pearl would not go to her Hester unless Hester wore the Scarlet Letter. This can be explained easily by, as Hester says, the fact that children get confused if something they daily see is removed. Because Hester had worn the Letter all of Pearl's life, seeing Hester without it may have been a shock to Pearl. This also serves as an interesting insight into the nature of the Scarlet Letter. Hester was worn the Scarlet Letter for so long, that it has become her. Everyone knows Hester because of the Scarlet A. The symbol of her sin has merged with Hester, and she cannot be herself without it. It is synonymous with Hester in the eyes of the townspeople. Without it, people may not recognize her. This is the case with Pearl. Without the Scarlet A, Hester is her wild former self, hair down and free, that had just slept with the Minister. When she puts on the Scarlet Letter, however, it reminds her of her true self, and Hester is once again rendered the caring mother Pearl knows and loves. It is the one distinguishing characteristic that Hester is now known by. Without it, she is not herself.
2.) "No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true" (194).
This is very true. When I first read this, it reminded me of a quote from the movie V for Vendetta. In the movie, the character Gordon Dietrich tells Evey, "You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it." Dietrich, in V for Vendetta's dystopian, 1984-esque London, is the host of a Variety Show, and is meant to be a very proud, masculine character. Because of this, he often invites young women to his home to entertain them. In truth, however, Dietrich can never truly "quench his appetite for unconventional fare" as he puts it. The government has outlawed and imprisoned any homosexuals, which is why Dietrich can not be his true self. He pretends to be someone he is not, and after while, he forgets who he truly is. This is the same for both Dimmesdale and Hester in The Scarlet Letter. For seven years, Dimmesdale has lied to his congregation. He purports as a pure, godly man, when he knows he is despicable and vile. He has, though, masqueraded as a good person for so long, that he forgets which version of himself is the true one--the one he believes, or the one the people believe. The same can be said for Hester. The Scarlet Letter acts as her mask. She wears it for so long, masquerading as a heavenly saint, that she forgets the reason she originally was forced to wear the Letter in the first place--she was the woman who had an affair with the Reverend.
Pearl would not go to her Hester unless Hester wore the Scarlet Letter. This can be explained easily by, as Hester says, the fact that children get confused if something they daily see is removed. Because Hester had worn the Letter all of Pearl's life, seeing Hester without it may have been a shock to Pearl. This also serves as an interesting insight into the nature of the Scarlet Letter. Hester was worn the Scarlet Letter for so long, that it has become her. Everyone knows Hester because of the Scarlet A. The symbol of her sin has merged with Hester, and she cannot be herself without it. It is synonymous with Hester in the eyes of the townspeople. Without it, people may not recognize her. This is the case with Pearl. Without the Scarlet A, Hester is her wild former self, hair down and free, that had just slept with the Minister. When she puts on the Scarlet Letter, however, it reminds her of her true self, and Hester is once again rendered the caring mother Pearl knows and loves. It is the one distinguishing characteristic that Hester is now known by. Without it, she is not herself.
2.) "No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true" (194).
This is very true. When I first read this, it reminded me of a quote from the movie V for Vendetta. In the movie, the character Gordon Dietrich tells Evey, "You wear a mask for so long, you forget who you were beneath it." Dietrich, in V for Vendetta's dystopian, 1984-esque London, is the host of a Variety Show, and is meant to be a very proud, masculine character. Because of this, he often invites young women to his home to entertain them. In truth, however, Dietrich can never truly "quench his appetite for unconventional fare" as he puts it. The government has outlawed and imprisoned any homosexuals, which is why Dietrich can not be his true self. He pretends to be someone he is not, and after while, he forgets who he truly is. This is the same for both Dimmesdale and Hester in The Scarlet Letter. For seven years, Dimmesdale has lied to his congregation. He purports as a pure, godly man, when he knows he is despicable and vile. He has, though, masqueraded as a good person for so long, that he forgets which version of himself is the true one--the one he believes, or the one the people believe. The same can be said for Hester. The Scarlet Letter acts as her mask. She wears it for so long, masquerading as a heavenly saint, that she forgets the reason she originally was forced to wear the Letter in the first place--she was the woman who had an affair with the Reverend.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Scarlet Letter 8
1) "And it seemed a fouler offence committed by Roger Chillingworth, than any which had since been done to him, that, in the time when her[Hester's] heart grew no better, he had persuaded her to fancy herself happy by his side" (Hawthorne 159).
Chillingworth and Hester's marriage was a sham. Chillingworth loved Hester, but Hester did not love him in return. She never pretended to love him either. Chillingworth knew his wife did not love him, and yet he made it seem like she did. He persuaded her to feel happy when she really was not. This is why his crime is worse than Hester's sin. With Hester and her sin, she actually loved, and it was a mutual love between herself and Dimmesdale. It was solely between the two of them, and affected no one else. Chillingworth, however, fabricated love where there was none. You can not force someone to love you. If they are meant to love you, then they will; there is no point in trying to water a plant when there was no seed planted in the first place. Forcing some to love you is a worse sin than actually giving in to real love. Love is a heavenly emotion, and trying to create false love is anything but heavenly. If you try and make someone love you when they do not, you are bound to, like Chillingworth, be cheated on. He even admitted it was no surprise that Hester committed adultery. Therefore, he should not be getting as worked up as he is over someone who never loved him.
2) "No golden light had ever been so precious as the gloom of this dark forest. Here, seen only by his[Dimmesdale's] eyes, the scarlet letter need not burn into the bosom of the fallen woman[Hester]! Here, seen only by her eyes, Arthur Dimmesdale, false to God and man, might be, for one moment, true!" (177).
In each others' eyes, Hester and Dimmesdale are absolved of the thing that burdens them most. For Hester, it is the Scarlet Letter. It has burned its likeness onto her soul for the past seven years, enforced by little Pearl. She could not go anywhere without anyone looking at her differently, seeing the Scarlet A and immediately condemning her. It has weighed down her garments all these years, and only recently has its weight begun to lessen. It is still there, however, no matter what, and it will always retain its original meaning to Hester, no matter what others may say it means now. To Dimmesdale, though, it did not matter, because he shared in its inferno. For Dimmesdale, it is the fact that he has lied to everyone. His congregation believes him to be the holiest man since Christ, and here he is deceiving them all. He tries to confess, but they only venerate him more. He has not told a soul of his sin, lying to them all. It may not have been as severe in the beginning, but over the past seven years it has culminated to pain him at every turn. For Hester, the pain has lessened, but for Dimmesdale, the pain is worse. To Hester, Dimmesdale was not lying, because she knew the truth. Hester is the one person he does not have to lie to, but she shares the same secret. She only made hers public.
Chillingworth and Hester's marriage was a sham. Chillingworth loved Hester, but Hester did not love him in return. She never pretended to love him either. Chillingworth knew his wife did not love him, and yet he made it seem like she did. He persuaded her to feel happy when she really was not. This is why his crime is worse than Hester's sin. With Hester and her sin, she actually loved, and it was a mutual love between herself and Dimmesdale. It was solely between the two of them, and affected no one else. Chillingworth, however, fabricated love where there was none. You can not force someone to love you. If they are meant to love you, then they will; there is no point in trying to water a plant when there was no seed planted in the first place. Forcing some to love you is a worse sin than actually giving in to real love. Love is a heavenly emotion, and trying to create false love is anything but heavenly. If you try and make someone love you when they do not, you are bound to, like Chillingworth, be cheated on. He even admitted it was no surprise that Hester committed adultery. Therefore, he should not be getting as worked up as he is over someone who never loved him.
2) "No golden light had ever been so precious as the gloom of this dark forest. Here, seen only by his[Dimmesdale's] eyes, the scarlet letter need not burn into the bosom of the fallen woman[Hester]! Here, seen only by her eyes, Arthur Dimmesdale, false to God and man, might be, for one moment, true!" (177).
In each others' eyes, Hester and Dimmesdale are absolved of the thing that burdens them most. For Hester, it is the Scarlet Letter. It has burned its likeness onto her soul for the past seven years, enforced by little Pearl. She could not go anywhere without anyone looking at her differently, seeing the Scarlet A and immediately condemning her. It has weighed down her garments all these years, and only recently has its weight begun to lessen. It is still there, however, no matter what, and it will always retain its original meaning to Hester, no matter what others may say it means now. To Dimmesdale, though, it did not matter, because he shared in its inferno. For Dimmesdale, it is the fact that he has lied to everyone. His congregation believes him to be the holiest man since Christ, and here he is deceiving them all. He tries to confess, but they only venerate him more. He has not told a soul of his sin, lying to them all. It may not have been as severe in the beginning, but over the past seven years it has culminated to pain him at every turn. For Hester, the pain has lessened, but for Dimmesdale, the pain is worse. To Hester, Dimmesdale was not lying, because she knew the truth. Hester is the one person he does not have to lie to, but she shares the same secret. She only made hers public.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Scarlet Letter 7
1.) "Individuals in private life, meanwhile, had quite forgiven Hester Prynne for her frailty; nay, more, they had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, not of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance, but of her many good deeds since" (Hawthorne 147).
Hester is no longer regarded as the town adulteress. That ship has sailed long ago. Because of the Scarlet Letter, Hester has endeavored to be a better person. She embroiders and makes clothes for the poor, when really her talents would be put to better use designing for monarchs. She never makes any waves, and always accepts her punishment willingly. Ever since her one moment of sin, she has been nothing but a good person with what she has been given. She tries her best to keep Pearl in line, and does not try to hide the A that has scorned her life for an entire seven years time. Now, Hester is seen almost as a Saint by society. They will not think the A stands for Adultery anymore. Hester has changed in society, and the court is even considering removing the Scarlet Letter and letting Hester live her life normally again. Chillingworth, however, has to be a jerk about everything. He still regards Hester as an adulteress, even though her sin happened seven years ago. Yes, Hester was his wife, but everyone thought he was dead. They made it clear that they did not love each other, so why not just continue on with the fake name bit and leave each other? Hester would be rid of him, and Chillingworth would not have to avenge anything.
2.) "Better had he died at once! Never did mortal suffer what this man has suffered...he new that no friendly hand was pulling at his heart-strings, and that an eye was looking curiously into him, which sought only evil, and found it.But he knew not that the eye and hand were mine!...Yea, indeed!--he did not err!--there was a fiend at his elbow! a mortal man, with once a human heart, has become a fiend for his especial torment!" (155).
I cannot stand Chillingworth. He is too obsessive over things he should not be obsessive about. For one, he went out of his way to make one man's life a living hell. Yes, Dimmesdale slept with his wife, but Chillingworth was believed to be dead, she had not seen him in two years, and she had not even loved him anyway! Chillingworth, the learned man that he is, could not comprehend that fact, for whatever reason. Why is he going so far over someone who does not love him? He should have seen Hester's adultery as a sign that she truly did not love him, and moved on. He could have kept his fake name and led a new life, but he had to make Dimmesdale suffer. Now, that has consumed him. His entire purpose of life now is to torture Dimmesdale. What is the point? Chillingworth needs a hobby, and he needs one bad. If this is the one thing he actually gets excited over--ruining a man's life--he needs help. Then, he tries to get both Hester and us, the readers, to feel bad for him when Hester confronts him about Dimmesdale. How can both Hester and we feel bad about someone who intentionally purports to be someone's friend only with the purpose of tearing them to smithereens in due time? Chillingworth admits and takes pride in the fact he has changed, that he has become the devil. We cannot help but despise him. He talks like he is so clever. While he may be, he rubs it in others' faces, and thinks himself better than others. He has been consumed by vengeance, so much so that he cannot see the good in anything anymore. He does not see that Hester has done all of these things for society and has endeavored to raise Pearl correctly--he only sees the Scarlet A on her bosom. He does not see the type of man Dimmesdale really is--the type of man who punishes himself for every little thing and who is loved by the entire community and Hester. He only sees the man that in one fleeting moment of passion stole a wife from him that did not want to be wived in the first place.
Hester is no longer regarded as the town adulteress. That ship has sailed long ago. Because of the Scarlet Letter, Hester has endeavored to be a better person. She embroiders and makes clothes for the poor, when really her talents would be put to better use designing for monarchs. She never makes any waves, and always accepts her punishment willingly. Ever since her one moment of sin, she has been nothing but a good person with what she has been given. She tries her best to keep Pearl in line, and does not try to hide the A that has scorned her life for an entire seven years time. Now, Hester is seen almost as a Saint by society. They will not think the A stands for Adultery anymore. Hester has changed in society, and the court is even considering removing the Scarlet Letter and letting Hester live her life normally again. Chillingworth, however, has to be a jerk about everything. He still regards Hester as an adulteress, even though her sin happened seven years ago. Yes, Hester was his wife, but everyone thought he was dead. They made it clear that they did not love each other, so why not just continue on with the fake name bit and leave each other? Hester would be rid of him, and Chillingworth would not have to avenge anything.
2.) "Better had he died at once! Never did mortal suffer what this man has suffered...he new that no friendly hand was pulling at his heart-strings, and that an eye was looking curiously into him, which sought only evil, and found it.But he knew not that the eye and hand were mine!...Yea, indeed!--he did not err!--there was a fiend at his elbow! a mortal man, with once a human heart, has become a fiend for his especial torment!" (155).
I cannot stand Chillingworth. He is too obsessive over things he should not be obsessive about. For one, he went out of his way to make one man's life a living hell. Yes, Dimmesdale slept with his wife, but Chillingworth was believed to be dead, she had not seen him in two years, and she had not even loved him anyway! Chillingworth, the learned man that he is, could not comprehend that fact, for whatever reason. Why is he going so far over someone who does not love him? He should have seen Hester's adultery as a sign that she truly did not love him, and moved on. He could have kept his fake name and led a new life, but he had to make Dimmesdale suffer. Now, that has consumed him. His entire purpose of life now is to torture Dimmesdale. What is the point? Chillingworth needs a hobby, and he needs one bad. If this is the one thing he actually gets excited over--ruining a man's life--he needs help. Then, he tries to get both Hester and us, the readers, to feel bad for him when Hester confronts him about Dimmesdale. How can both Hester and we feel bad about someone who intentionally purports to be someone's friend only with the purpose of tearing them to smithereens in due time? Chillingworth admits and takes pride in the fact he has changed, that he has become the devil. We cannot help but despise him. He talks like he is so clever. While he may be, he rubs it in others' faces, and thinks himself better than others. He has been consumed by vengeance, so much so that he cannot see the good in anything anymore. He does not see that Hester has done all of these things for society and has endeavored to raise Pearl correctly--he only sees the Scarlet A on her bosom. He does not see the type of man Dimmesdale really is--the type of man who punishes himself for every little thing and who is loved by the entire community and Hester. He only sees the man that in one fleeting moment of passion stole a wife from him that did not want to be wived in the first place.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Scarlet Letter 6
1.) "He[Dimmesdale] had told his hearers that he was altogether vile...they heard it all, and did but reverence him the more...He had spoken the very truth, and transformed it into the veriest falsehood...Therefore, above all things else, he loathed his miserable self!" (Hawthorne 131).
I cannot imagine what Dimmesdale is going through. Firstly, he has a terrible shame eating away at his core. He has to keep hidden a hypocrisy that, as long as it is hidden, torments him to no end, day and night. He has to keep this secret from the very people that venerate him as an angel. Secondly, when he tries to tell them the truth, they do not believe him! How frustrating that must be! Dimmesdale came clean to his followers that he is not the holy man they make him out to be, and yet they take it as a sign of humility on his part. That must only deepen the shame he feels for having disappointed these people, if even when he tells the horrible truth, they think him a martyr still. Even more so, Dimmesdale hates himself because of it all. He committed adultery with Hester, but Hester got the punishment, while got off free. And now, everyone is praising him when he did just as much as Hester in the sin. He goes to such lengths as to whip himself in punishment: "Oftentimes, this Protestant and Puritan divine had plied it[the whip] on his own shoulders; laughing bitterly at himself the while, and smiting so much the more pitilessly because of that bitter laugh" (132). Dimmesdale whips himself as the only punishment he receives, but laughs bitterly as he does it. Then, because of that laugh, he whips harder! It is a vicious, endless cycle that has sprung from his shame and hatred. All the while, Chillingworth lurks silently in the background, goading him on. This is what Chillingworth means to do--the shame, the frustration, and the hatred are eating away at Dimmesdale slowly until he finally breaks, but the road to that point is sure to be harsh and cruel.
I cannot imagine what Dimmesdale is going through. Firstly, he has a terrible shame eating away at his core. He has to keep hidden a hypocrisy that, as long as it is hidden, torments him to no end, day and night. He has to keep this secret from the very people that venerate him as an angel. Secondly, when he tries to tell them the truth, they do not believe him! How frustrating that must be! Dimmesdale came clean to his followers that he is not the holy man they make him out to be, and yet they take it as a sign of humility on his part. That must only deepen the shame he feels for having disappointed these people, if even when he tells the horrible truth, they think him a martyr still. Even more so, Dimmesdale hates himself because of it all. He committed adultery with Hester, but Hester got the punishment, while got off free. And now, everyone is praising him when he did just as much as Hester in the sin. He goes to such lengths as to whip himself in punishment: "Oftentimes, this Protestant and Puritan divine had plied it[the whip] on his own shoulders; laughing bitterly at himself the while, and smiting so much the more pitilessly because of that bitter laugh" (132). Dimmesdale whips himself as the only punishment he receives, but laughs bitterly as he does it. Then, because of that laugh, he whips harder! It is a vicious, endless cycle that has sprung from his shame and hatred. All the while, Chillingworth lurks silently in the background, goading him on. This is what Chillingworth means to do--the shame, the frustration, and the hatred are eating away at Dimmesdale slowly until he finally breaks, but the road to that point is sure to be harsh and cruel.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Scarlet Letter 5
1.) "'I found them[weeds] growing on a grave, which bore no tombstone, nor other memorial of the dead man, save these ugly weeds, that have taken upon themselves to keep him in remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess during his lifetime'" (Hawthorne 119).
It is interesting to note the symbolic use of plants in this story. From the very beginning, we are presented with a rose. A rose bush stood outside the prison door as Hester left. The Scarlet Letter is the same color as a rose. Pearl is fascinated with roses and likens herself to one, saying she was plucked from a rose bush. On the other side of the spectrum, we have the weeds that Chillingworth finds with dark leaves. These are so different from a rose in every way. Where a rose represents beauty, weeds are ugly, and where red is a bright, vibrant color, the weeds dark leaves are anything but. Chillingworth tells Dimmesdale that the weeds grew over a man's grave, signifying some secret that the man did not confess during his life. The lies were manifesting themselves as his only remembrance, as the grave did not have even a burial marker. Chillingworth uses the weeds to try and get to the secret he suspects Dimmesdale of hiding, a secret the same as Hester. Hester has already made known her sin, and is reminded of it every day. Dimmesdale keeps his secret hidden, allowing it to eat away at him each day. This is worse than making his secret public, as s represented by the weeds when compared to Hester's roses.
2.) "'Come away, mother! Come away, or yonder Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already. Come away, mother, or he will catch you! But he cannot catch little Pearl!'" (122).
Pearl offers some interesting insight when she sees Dimmesdale. She cautions her mother to follow her, or else the Black Man, i.e. the Devil's messenger, will get her, and that he has already gotten Dimmesdale. Most would not expect Dimmesdale to succumb to any devil, literally or figuratively, as he is a holy man of the cloth. Dimmesdale has, however, figuratively sold himself to the devil, in a way. It has been said that whichever parent has the child and brings it to Heaven is sure to follow, but the other is not guaranteed inside the holy gates. Therefore, Dimmesdale thinks himself going to hell. Hester has taken responsibility for their sin, but he has not. In this way, by keeping it in, he is sentenced to hell, whereas Hester, bearing both her Scarlet Letter as well as Pearl, is able to go to heaven having confessed to her sins. The Devil cannot catch Pearl because she is the reason Hester will go to heaven. She is Hester's moral compass, guiding her there, but not Dimmesdale. The Black Man is silently eating away at Dimmesdale's soul, while Hester is offered a chance at absolution in Pearl.
It is interesting to note the symbolic use of plants in this story. From the very beginning, we are presented with a rose. A rose bush stood outside the prison door as Hester left. The Scarlet Letter is the same color as a rose. Pearl is fascinated with roses and likens herself to one, saying she was plucked from a rose bush. On the other side of the spectrum, we have the weeds that Chillingworth finds with dark leaves. These are so different from a rose in every way. Where a rose represents beauty, weeds are ugly, and where red is a bright, vibrant color, the weeds dark leaves are anything but. Chillingworth tells Dimmesdale that the weeds grew over a man's grave, signifying some secret that the man did not confess during his life. The lies were manifesting themselves as his only remembrance, as the grave did not have even a burial marker. Chillingworth uses the weeds to try and get to the secret he suspects Dimmesdale of hiding, a secret the same as Hester. Hester has already made known her sin, and is reminded of it every day. Dimmesdale keeps his secret hidden, allowing it to eat away at him each day. This is worse than making his secret public, as s represented by the weeds when compared to Hester's roses.
2.) "'Come away, mother! Come away, or yonder Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already. Come away, mother, or he will catch you! But he cannot catch little Pearl!'" (122).
Pearl offers some interesting insight when she sees Dimmesdale. She cautions her mother to follow her, or else the Black Man, i.e. the Devil's messenger, will get her, and that he has already gotten Dimmesdale. Most would not expect Dimmesdale to succumb to any devil, literally or figuratively, as he is a holy man of the cloth. Dimmesdale has, however, figuratively sold himself to the devil, in a way. It has been said that whichever parent has the child and brings it to Heaven is sure to follow, but the other is not guaranteed inside the holy gates. Therefore, Dimmesdale thinks himself going to hell. Hester has taken responsibility for their sin, but he has not. In this way, by keeping it in, he is sentenced to hell, whereas Hester, bearing both her Scarlet Letter as well as Pearl, is able to go to heaven having confessed to her sins. The Devil cannot catch Pearl because she is the reason Hester will go to heaven. She is Hester's moral compass, guiding her there, but not Dimmesdale. The Black Man is silently eating away at Dimmesdale's soul, while Hester is offered a chance at absolution in Pearl.
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