Please focus your commentary on one or two of this week's assigned chapters:
"The Interior of a Heart"
"The Minister's Vigil"
"Another View of Hester"
"Hester and the Physician"
To keep practicing close reading skills, you may wish to consider in your response the author's use of a couple of the following literary devices in his development of Dimmesdale:
- diction
- imagery (esp. contrasting light and dark imagery)
- juxtaposition with other characters
- selection of detail (especially his appearance and actions)
Also, let's push ourselves to think about the bigger picture here, now that we are halfway through the novel. What exactly is Hawthorne getting at in his portrayal of Arthur Dimmesdale's torment? What larger truth about human nature seems to surface in his development of this character? What understanding might Hawthorne hope readers come to when they think about Dimmesdale's psychological turmoil? What Puritan ideals does Hawthorne appear to question through his depiction of the minister? In contrast, what more Romantic notions does Hawthorne implicitly endorse through depicting this character's intense inner conflict?
In the chapter “The interior of the heart” readers are able to see how Hawthorne uses diction to describe Dimmesdale to be demonic and also trying to be honest to the puritans because he is trying to do the right thing. The congregation is in denial because as “ Even when he tells them how vile he is, they don't believe him,” they must feel close to Dimmesdale as they don't want to accept he is correct for them. The word vile illustrates someone to be a snake and cannot be trusted. Hawthorne seems to use juxtaposition in order to contrast good and evil about Dimmesdale, “A dim perception of some evil influence watching over him,” this explains to the readers that he even doesn't want to be in charge to the puritans because he cannot be unsinful to them instead realizes that evil follows him. Dimmesdale also describes himself to be “Believed that he would go heavenword,” this tells us that he at one point believed that he was pure and saintful but then is later compared to actually feeling demonic or sinful. Finally at the end of the chapter Hawthorne creates selection of detail by Instead of confessing what he did wrong, Dimmesdale must beat himself, But no matter how hard he beats himself, he can't purify the sin. This selection of details conveys how he must take physical action in his appearance in order to make him feel less guilty than what he already is. This tells us what type of people the puritans make him feel, he can't confess due to embarrassment so still follow the laws of puritans to get rid of the sin.
ReplyDeleteI would like to disagree that Hawthorne describe Dimmesdale as "demonic". Being "demonic" usually refers to being evil which isn't correct in this case. Dimmesdale might have considered a sin but he doesn't process evil intentions like Chillingworth. Furthermore in the chapters read over the weekend, Hawthorne establish the distinction between sin and evil. Sin, as seen in Hester's scenario, is actions that attack the social and moral order of the society. Evil, on the other hand, can be found in the hearts of Chillingworth who seeks to destruct happiness and cause direct harm to others.
DeleteIt is obvious that Hawthorne wants us to like Dimmesdale but I question why. When Hawthorne negatively describes Chillingworth as devil himself digging at minister’s pure and bright heart, one cannot help but see Dimmesdale as a victim. In “Interior of the Heart” Hawthorne uses word “poor” when describing Dimmesdale three or four times. His last name means a lost soul in “dark valley”. But my common sense doesn't allow me to sympathize with this man. His is not lost, he is a coward. He went against all his Puritan beliefs and had sex with a married woman. Then, instead owing up to his deed, he cowardly let Hester suffer all public shame and hatred. Couldn’t he give Hester a break and tell everyone that he was the father? Moreover, he didn’t even help to raise Pearl. He never, even secretly, gave food, money or cared about a child.Yet, Hawthorne paints a beautiful picture of an angel suffering from the hands of cruel and passionless Chillingworth.
ReplyDeletePuritan community loves their young minister because of his “intellectual gifts...power of experiencing and communication” and most importantly “his moral perceptions”. Ironically, he is popular for the thing he fakes. He is fake and a coward. But Hawthorne continues to push his readers into “Team Dimmesdale” by describing his deep emotional and physical sufferings. “Lengthened vigils” and “visions” filled his mind but I just call it karma. Even when he stood at scaffold in “Minister’s Vigil” and wanted everyone to wake up and hear his confession, he suddenly changed his mind. He said to Hester and little Pearl and once he will stand by them but only on the Judgement Day. Basically, he implied that shame from public exposure is unbearable for him. So it is bearable for Hester?
I really don’t understand Hawthorne’s attempt to make Dimmesdale a victim. He is not a victim simply because Puritan’s don’t know his secret. He has no problem preaching, judging and living the life a “divine” . Moreover, he is a symbol for Puritan community because of his hypocrisy and lack of sympathy.
I think some background information on Puritan beliefs could help here: Puritans did not believe that humans could forgive themselves or others for sins. Only God had the power to do this. God also was solely responsible for deciding who would get into heaven and who would be damned to hell; humans who had sinned could not work their way back into God's good graces through acts of penance. Once you'd fallen, you couldn't get back to your formerly pure status by behaving well in the future.
DeleteBecause, according to Puritan belief, God is all-knowing and all-powerful, He knows in advance who will be one of the "elect" to enter heaven. As you can imagine, Puritans devoted a great deal of time to searching their souls for evidence that they were one of the chosen.
How does Hawthorne, through his depiction of Dimmesdale's struggle, question this rigid outlook? Dimmesdale is under immense pressure to maintain a faultless purity -- he has no room to err, or to be human. What does Hawthorne seem to suggest is the consequence for living under this kind of punishing belief system?
Nathaniel Hawthorne continues his description of the battle between purity and sin within the society through the guilt of the Puritan Reverend, Arthur Dimmesdale. In “The Interior of the Heart”, Dimmesdale continues his preaching on Puritanism. His people see him as a man who holds great ‘intellect’ and has unbelievable ‘moral perceptions’, unlike the feeling he attains of holding a malevolent secret. He who rose above men who were undoubtedly ‘pure’ and had their ‘morality’ still clinging to them, was unable to feel at peace with his life because it contains ‘anguish’. The belief that those who come from pure sanctions can not be anything but pure, Hawthorne clearly puts to test. Dimmesdale told his people that he was nothing more than a ‘sinner’, but he merged it within his famous speeches. Therefore, the expectation that he wanted, to be condemned, never came. This exclusive thought illustrates Dimmesdale's torment within himself, the need to be punished for the sin but the need to stay pure or at least a reverend. He felt the battle between the ‘Protestant’ side and the ‘Puritan divine’ side, where he recognizes the wrong of sleeping with a married women, the puritan side, but not facing condemnation, protestant side that believes in forgiveness upon telling god. As a result, his soul turns ‘black’ from the hypocrisy of the faith that he himself put himself in. Nevertheless, Dimmesdale feels that the only way he could be a pure man was through living with his ‘anguish’, yet this can not apply to him since he never faced retribution for his actions, like Hester Prynne did. Not only does the punishment mean outcasting the person, but also serves as a symbol for those who remain pure to stay pure. Hawthorne includes this personal detail to convey how the Puritan society overtakes a person's mentality and portrays how even those who have high power fold under the tendencies of human nature. Ultimately, on an ‘ugly’ night Dimmesdale feels as if he can acquire peace somehow. The image of a dark night brings way to a menacing area where one should not go to for a stroll. Yet, Dimmesdale feels like this precise moment was the time to have a revelation on how he was feeling. The darkness of the night contrasts the thought of the light, purity, revealing the truth, it would be the night that would shine upon the truth. Hawthorne explicitly mentions the romantic ideal of through pain and agony one will be able to find oneself; Dimmesdale will be at peace once he accepts the nature of humanity, sin.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with your comment that Dimmesdale feels he isn't pure but feels anguish because in the chapter "The Pastor and Parishioner" readers see how Dimmesdale reveals to Hester that he feels miserable as he shouldnt be a minister. He knows that there is evil in his heart making him not pure but in reality evil or anguish like you mentioned. By this Dimmesdale has grown because we clearly see this is his way of repenting his sins of ruining Hester's life and creating an illusion to the puritans that he is this certain type of person but in reality isnt. Like you said Dimmesdale feels like he can attain peace which in reality is happening as Hester does not feel hate towards him but actually is there by his side supporting him. Hester and Dimmesdale will be in peace if they are together as they both accept and are understanding of each other, and there plan is to run away with each other.
DeleteIn “The Minister’s Vigil”, Hawthorne paints Reverend Dimmsdale as a man who, by avoiding the necessary punishment for his sin, unintentionally takes on the appearance and character of a satanic figure, rather than a godly one. At the very beginning, when the pain in his chest causes him to cry out, his shouts are mistaken for those of “witches” or “fiends” by the townspeople. This word choice comes off as especially noteworthy because although the Puritan villagers believe Dimmsdale to be so saintly that, to paraphrase, the only reason he is dying is because the earth isn’t good enough for him, but when unaware of his presence, mistake him for a feared demon. This could be a separate commentary on how, in their pursuit of purity, the Puritans were unable to recognize actual human suffering, and felt that anguish was something horrible rather than something needing empathy.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, as Dimmsdale is joined by Pearl and Hester Prynne, the only person who can truly understand his shame, he is lifted out of his “half-torpid state”, implying that the only possible way he can relieve his guilt and misery is by atoning for it and further aiding his daughter, transferring blame from the undeserving child onto him. The “electric chain” formed by Hester and Pearl further confirms this, as Dimmsdale can apparently only be comforted by those aware of his transgressions, people who, unlike the townspeople, are capable of forgiving him.
Ultimately, as the mysterious A-shaped meteor hits, Hawthorne makes one last commentary on Romantic values, when he notes that Dimmsdale has become “morbidly self-contemplative”. Understanding of ‘the self’ is a massive focus of Romanticism, along with the idea that individualism and personal understanding are goals to be achieved. By painting all these values as damaging, Hawthorne creates a criticism of Romanticism’s emphasis on ignoring society, stating that it can actually be harmful.
I don’t think that Hawthorne aims to criticize Romantic ideas as much as the ones of the Puritan community. Dimmesdale suffers emotionally and physically not because he had an affair with a married woman but because his society made it an unforgivable sin. Puritans don’t believe in redemption and Hawthorne criticises them for that. Only when Dimmesdale turns away from his community and sticks with Hester, who embodies many Romantic ideas, “strange enjoyment [throws] its brightness over the trouble of his breast” meaning that his suffering was illuminated with joy.
DeleteIn “The Interior of a Heart” Hawthorne sets up the heart trouble to be felt in “The Minister’s Vigil”. Dimmesdale is infested with sin and Chillingworth has the intention of having him “pay the debt of vengeance”. But Dimmesdale remains in the dark about these intentions. He is aware that there is some evil hovering over him, this manifests itself in physical illness. His pale and weak demeanor is a result of a “dim perception of some evil influence watching over him”. Although he has some sense that it is Chillingworth he finds there are no proper reason to accuse him being this evil presence. In contrast the physique of the minister, Chillingworth is described as “deformed”. Deformed is a strong word that has a much greater effect than strange or weird. Deformed implies that he does not have a normal figure. This deformity appears rather non-human; he is described as a figure instead of a body. As a demonic presence, he is able to torture Dimmesdale for the life of sin he has chosen. For the first time, the cowardly minister approaches the scaffold in which Hester previously stood accountable for her sins. He does this in efforts to relieve the physical and mental pain that is consuming him. However, Dimmesdale is doomed with the inability to confront his past and his sin. Despite his urges to relieve this burden he carries, he decides against it in fear of the public’s opinion. I think that this is a pivotal point in the novel.
ReplyDeleteI think Hawthorne is trying to express his issue with society’s tendency to shun others for their behavior. Dimmesdale is left in the dark in many ways, but what has motivated him to feel as if he can not act as he pleases. This societal code of conduct established by puritans is extremely critical and harsh. Although we see Dimmesdale as wrong in many ways, I do not think Hawthorne wants us to dislike him. Dimmesdale is referred to as “poor” throughout the novel. Additionally, he is seen as trying to do the right thing but there is something that is stopping him from doing so. Hawthorne is keen to the inevitability of mistake and sin in life.
I agree that Hawthorne doesn't want us to dislike Dimmesdale, but, more, he wants us to empathize with him. Hawthorne wants us to to reveal the torture of having to follow such strict rules the Puritans live by. Following that theme, he furthers Dimmesdale's cowardice of breaking free from the Puritan society in "The Pastor and his Parishioner." When Hester's ghost encourages him to start a new life for himself, he sorrowfully shuts that idea down, saying that he hasn't enough "courage" to "venture into the wide, strange, difficult world, alone!" "Alone" reveals that Dimmesdale's self has been cut to fit the narrow views of the Puritans. So much so that he has gone through that binding torment alone. His name, meaning "lost soul", too, furthers his miserable nature. To add, when he says "difficult," that confirms he only knows the Puritan way of life and no other, therefore, moving would conjure more challenges because he'd be rebelling the system. All in all, Hawthorne wants us to note that Dimmesdale's hopelessness is due to the dark Puritans. By his rapidly worsening state, it's certain that he won't be going anywhere.
DeleteThe Reverend Dimmesdale continues to be depicted as a lost soul through the portrayal of his torture. We learn in “The Interior of a Heart” that Roger Chillingworth continues to dig and burrow into the conscience of Dimmesdale, who is already frail and sickly. He begins to have visions, one including Hester and Pearl, where Hester points to her scarlet “A” and then points to “the clergyman’s own breast”. These visions only further break his spirit, much like the eerie presence of Chillingworth that constantly haunts him. Not only is Dimmesdale psychologically tortured, he is physically tortured by this “inward trouble” as well. As a form of punishment and perhaps a cry for divine forgiveness, he whips himself, fasts, and deprives himself from sleep. Dimmesdale is so troubled that he cannot even resort to sacred measures to ease his conscience. The townspeople see him as As a minister who is greatly cherished and praised in the Puritanical community, he additionally must bear the guilt of being a hypocritical holy figure. Dimmesdale is further depicted as a lost soul as he falls deeper and deeper into this spiral of guilt and sin, especially since he strays away from his righteous position as the town’s minister. He even convinces himself that the universe is “false” and “impalpable”. We are forced to ask ourselves: Is Dimmesdale still considered to be a Puritan, despite committing an unforgivable sin? Perhaps this is Hawthorne’s way of saying that to be a true Puritan is impossible, the rules are so strict and the standard is set so high that even a practicing minister, God’s very own speaker, cannot reach it.
ReplyDeleteI very much agree that Dimmesdale is tortured in many ways, but I would like to elaborate on the point of him being unable to turn to “sacred measures to ease his conscience.” The reason he cannot use this as relief is because this is also a source of torture for him. Dimmesdale reveals this when he talks to Hester in the forest. He describes his religious actions as “cold and dead.” They do not provide any substance in his life; they are devoid of meaning. To answer your posed question: he cannot be considered a Puritan anymore, not only because of the sin he has committed, but also because he considers all of the required beliefs empty and pointless.
DeleteIn the chapters “The Interior of a Heart” and “The Minister’s Vigil,” Hawthorne questions the purity of Arthur Dimmesdale to suggest that even the most devout conformist falls prey to sin and romantic ideals. In the first of the two chapters, this idea is illustrated through the thoughts of Arthur Dimmesdale himself. He creates an image of his grave, in which he wonders “...whether the grass would ever grow on it…” This illustrates that Dimmesdale knows he corrupted and has fallen prey to sin, since the grass on his grave symbolizes life after death in heaven, and there is none growing on his grave. This is best understood in the context in which Dimmesdale thinks about his sin, as right before he thinks about the grass, he is thinking about how the rest of the townspeople look up to him. He juxtaposes how the people think of him and how he thinks of himself in order to demonstrate how he has lost his purity to to sin that Puritans call Romanticism.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of Dimmesdale converting to Romanticism is seen further in the second of the two chapters when Dimmesdale stands on the platform that Hester stood upon to be judged seven years ago. Here, he gets lost in thought, and feels “...as if the universe were gazing…” upon him. This coincides with the romantic ideal about finding your place in the world. “Universe” can be thought of as the word that symbolizes romanticism, since it represents vast and mysterious beauty. As it looks down on Dimmesdale, it places itself unto him, and he feels more and more enveloped by the romantic beliefs about connection with nature, but to his Puritan mind, it is torture. His refusal to fully accept romantic ideals is what causes his sickness.
I doubt that Hawthorne intended for Dimmesdale to crave "Romanticism". First of all, we must understand that the time of this book's setting is two centuries in the past from when it was written. Two centuries before Hawthorne, the term "Romantic" had not even been coined or thought of. Dimmesdale does not want to become a romantic; it is clearly identified in the book that he wants to avoid confronting his sin to society because of his desire to be a conformist. The author exemplifies this idea with Dimmesdale's status, a minister, the leaders of the Puritan community. His body is degrading because he is not "healthy" to the Puritan society anymore. Indulging in sin, trying to be independent, had such an effect on his conformist beliefs, that it affects his physical form. Ultimately, Arthur Dimmesdale represents the result of a conformist who broke the moral norms of his society.
DeleteSo far in The Scarlet Letter we have not been able to understand Arthur Dimmesdale’s actions but in recent chapters such as “The Interior of a Heart” and “The Minister’s Vigil” we see him in a new light. Throughout “The Interior of a Heart” we see Dimmesdale’s internalization regarding his affair with Hester Prynne. Dimmesdale sees himself as a sinner—an impure soul. This is demonstrated through his acts of minor penance such as fasting to the brink of starvation as well as keeping vigils. On the one hand, Dimmesdale knows these acts of penance do not relieve him nor cleanse him; but on the other hand, we see that he is unable to tell the truth because he is an esteemed holy figure in his town and would surely be killed for the years of lying on top of his affair and the devilish child that resulted from it. I believe that this predicament is caused by the intolerable surface of the puritans. In “The Interior of a Heart,” it is said that Dimmesdale spoke of his being an “altogether vile” (135) person on multiple occasions to his audience but all he was met with was praise and more praise.
ReplyDeleteIn “The Minister’s Vigil,” we learn that Arthur Dimmesdale went to the scaffolding that Hester Prynne stood on for hours in public ignominy the night after it happened. It is said that he went there in “mockery” (139) of himself and in order to feel his cowardice.
As the text has progressed, Hawthorne seems to want the reader to sympathize with Dimmesdale. He punishes himself continuously for his actions and has an inner dispute about how he can find true penance. Although it seems that Dimmesdale will never reveal himself to be Pearl’s father, Hawthorne allows the reader to comprehend his inner feud.
Hawthorne continues this sympathy for Dimmesdale through Hester. In the chapter "A Flood of Sunshine", Arthur and Hester come to resolve what happened to them in the past. Hester even pities Arthur's guilt and shame to the point of nestling him "in her bosom". This act of sympathy and love shows from Hester herself, a woman who at this point Hawthorne has characterized as cold and damaged, shows the audience that Dimmesdale is a character who has suffered enough for his crimes, and deserves to be forgiven.
DeleteI happen to slightly disagree with both of you. Although Hawthorne portrays Dimmesdale as one who has suffered and has endured the wrath of Chillingworth, he is still a coward. In the scene with Pearl on the scaffolding I think that it is very evident that Dimmesdale is not going to reveal himself to his society. Although it is clear how impossible that would be for him to do given his standing in society (as well as the regulations in puritanism) he is seen as a coward. Dimmesdale's role as a coward overpowers his role as a victim. His name alone represents a vast valley of darkness. A victim in many ways could feel this as a result of their victimization, however a coward is more deserving of this way of life. He allows Hester to go on fully responsible for the sins they jointly committed. I find this to be in itself Hawthorne's commentary on Dimmesdale, demonstrating his inability to face himself or the consequences of his actions.
DeleteIn “The Interior of a Heart” and “The Minister’s Vigil” Hawthorne continues to illustrate the complexity of human nature through Arthur Dimmesdale. Reverend Dimmesdale is being consumed by his guilt of committing a sin but receiving no punishment for it. In an attempt to quell his guilty conscience he admits to the townspeople that he is “utterly a pollution and a lie.” The word pollution directly signifies that Reverend Dimmesdale is not as pure as the puritans believe him to be. He is a “lie” because his persona as a reverend for the past few years has been fictitious. He has been preaching about puritanical values while simultaneously living a hidden life of sin. Although this does seem like an honest attempt made by the reverend to come clean about his sin, it’s more of a discrete way to admit to his sin without facing consequences. He never directly confesses to the puritan people what his sin is therefore, they are under the assumption that he is being modest and saintlike. In addition, the reverend had gone to “the pulpit ... more than a hundred times” with the intentions of confessing but never does it. This illustrates the inner struggle of a person because although Dimmesdale wants to confess but he cannot bring himself to actually do it. It could be related to his inner battle with being a puritan or a romantic. More of this is seen in “The Minister’s Vigil” when Dimmesdale goes to the scaffold, where Hester received her punishment, to be shamed by the townspeople. Dimmesdale decides to go at night when “the town is sleeping” and the chances of him being seen are slim to none. He stands up there with Hester and Pearl but decides he will not stand with them publicly. It seems as if the reverend does not actually want to be punished he just wants to be freed of his guilt so that he can be a part of the puritan society. If felt actual remorse he would choose to be with Hester and Pearl publicly.
ReplyDeleteDimmesdale's inner conflict continues in the chapter "The Pastor and His Parishioner." He describes how his sin "burns in secret" and how he longs to know someone who "recognizes me for what I am." Dimmesdale clearly feels the weight of his sin. He wants someone who will help him carry that weight. However, Dimmesdale doesn't seem to mention wanting to be punished for what he has done. He talks at length about the "misery" and "despair" he undergoes, but never about facing the same fate Hester has. I think Dimmesdale does feel remorse. It is clear this shame is causing him immense pain. Nonetheless, his fear of what the puritans might do to him out weighs his guilt.
DeleteI agree . . . for the most part. Dimmesdale doesn’t want to be punished, that much is clear, but he also feels as though he is already and eternally being punished for his crimes. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that not being shunned by society actually makes his guilt worse. You’re right, he’s living in a constant lie and it is both figurative and literally killing him. It’s gotten to the point where he believes that if he were “an atheist -- a man devoid of conscience -- a wretch with coarse and brutal instincts -- [he might] have found peace” and “never should have lost it.” Assuming that atheism was sinful in this time period, it should be safe to say that a religious figure -- a reverend -- considering the sanctuary of ignorance (because, at the time, those who did not believe in god were “devoid of conscience”) would be more blissful that telling the truth and moving on.
DeleteIn “The Interior of the Heart,” Hawthorne focuses mainly on how Dimmesdale’s (sin that he hasn’t confessed to being Pearl’s father) is torturing him internally. Although we’ve kept up with Roger Chillingworth’s scheme of vengeance to slowly kill Dimmesdale, that kind of takes a back seat in this chapter. Dimmesdale is fully aware, by intuition, of what Chillingworth is doing to him. Nonetheless, he feels that his judgment is untrustworthy because he is hiding his sin from everyone around him; therefore, he continues to befriend his physician. Moreover, Hawthorne conveys the comparison between trust and distrust through Dimmesdale's perceived godliness by the Puritan community and by his own sin that could ultimately destroy his name.
ReplyDeleteWhen Dimmesdale decides to clear his heart of anymore guilt to the Puritan community, who adores him, the response isn’t one he hopes for. Dimmesdale thinks that everyone would want to tear him down to even further depths than Hester’s eternal punishment because he’s a Reverend, but “they heard it all, and did but reverence him the more.” They then chant the words “the godly youth!” and “the saint on earth!” which makes him loathe himself even more. Due to his internal breakage composed of agony, we see that his frail body continues to weaken because he’s too scared of confessing what he’s done.
In the chapter “The Interior of a Heart”, Hawthorne develops Arthur Dimmesdale’s painful agony as he continues to feel guilt to confess to being Hester’s lover and Pearl’s father. This is due to Roger Chillingworth seeking vengeance on him for having an affair with his wife and fathering a child by her. Dimmesdale begins to notice that Chillingworth is a untrustworthy, “Though he had constantly a dim perception of some evil influence watching over him, could never gain a knowledge of it actual nature. But due to Dimmesdale believing he is a sinner he doesn't follow his intuition.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore Hawthorne uses dark imagery to specify Dimmesdale physical decline. “While thus suffering under bodily disease, and gnawed and tortured by some black trouble of the soul, and given over to the machinations of his deadliest enemy, the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale had achieved a brilliant popularity in his sacred office.” The word “black” suggests the reason for his physical distress is correlated to the borne of his sorrow and guilt. Because of this he beats himself all night in a secret room as an act of penance instead of confessing.
Moreover Hawthorne is making a point of the hypocrisy of the Puritan society. As Hawthorne’s health deteriorates due to his hidden sin he becomes more popular as a preacher and pastor. While those who love his preaching would be the first to condemn him for his sin of adultery. Also while Roger Chillingworth thinks he is doing a rightful act by seeking vengeance on Dimsdale he is committing a sin by causing harm to others.
I agree with your connection on the hypocrisy of the Puritans and Father Dimmesdale, however, at the same time, I feel that Hawthorne is attempting to tell us that despite Dimmesdale being a "sinner" he is suffering too and the specific language used by the author built upon the "self-acknowledged" shame Dimmesdale lives with attunes the reader to share a more empathetic view of the man, especially considering Chillingsworth considers the only reason for his "existence is to punish his own anguished soul". He's obviously shamed, and is aware that he deserves his punishment, however he doesn't want anyone else to do it for him, instead he would rather punish himself. Consequently, we may actually see the 'good Father' accept his fate at Chillingsworth's mercy. Personally, Dimmesdale physical decline seems like a warning, foreshadowing something terrible to come in the next chapters, specifically the constant reminders about his aging body, which we will surely determine in the coming week.
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