Dimmesdale Beckons Hester And Pearl example essay topic

A main theme of the work concerns that one should always speak the truth no matter how evil the sin. Keeping a sin concealed can destroy a person. This theme is evident through the story of Arthur Dimmesdale. For seven years, he cannot publicly admit his sin of adultery with Hester Prynne and that he is the father of her daughter, Pearl. His guilt destroys his health until he cannot take the shame anymore. Right before he dies, he announces in front of all of Boston on Election Day that he is Pearl's father.

When he tears off the ministerial band from his chest, the crowd sees a scarlet letter, identical to that of Hester's, imprinted in his flesh. Hawthorne himself points out his intended meaning of the book in the Conclusion. "Among many of the morals which we press upon us from the poor minister's miserable experience, we put only this into a sentence: 'Be true! Be true! Be true!

Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some fait whereby the worst may be inferred! (236) ' " A dominant tone of the work could be described as extreme darkness. Hester and Dimmesdale's sin has left their world dark and lonely. While Hester makes Pearl's clothes colorful with bright patterns, she remains wearing dark somber. When Hester and Pearl are walking through the woods, rays of sunshine break through the clouds above them.

Pearl, being an innocent child, has fun running through the gleaming light. When Hester reaches out to touch the light, it disappears. Pearl remarks, "Mother, the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom (166)".

Also on their forest walk, pearl asks Hester about the Black Man that she heard an old woman talking about. Hester reveals to her, "Once in my life I met the Black Man! The scarlet letter is his mark! (168) " Dimmesdale life is also filled darkness. In the daylight, Dimmesdale's seems like he no secrets and he portrays a normal life. But at nighttime, his guilt took him to the scaffold where he should have stood seven years ago.

His scarlet letter is always covered up by some article of clothing, concealed in darkness. Only when he confesses his sin does his letter see light. A strong scene that feels as though it will provide a good doorway for thoughtful attention to an important aspect of the work is the second scaffold scene in chapter 12, The Minister's Vigil. In this scene, Dimmesdale walks to the scaffold, where seven years earlier he should have stood with Hester. As he stands on the scaffold, he is so overcome by guilt that he shrieked into the night.

As he begins to relax, he sees Father Wilson walking home from Governor Winthrop's deathbed. Dimmesdale struggles from calling out to Wilson as he passes. As the night wheres on, the cold, damp night stiffens the ministers body and wonders if he is going to be able to get down. His tired mind imagines the reactions of Governor Bellingham, Mistress Hibbing and the rest of the town the next morning to seeing him on the scaffold. The horror of this scene makes him laugh out loud.

Pearl's childish laugh echoes his own. Hester and Pearl were also coming back from the deathbed of Governor Winthrop's. Dimmesdale beckons Hester and Pearl to stand with him on the scaffold. Twice Pearl asks him if he will stand with her and her mother tomorrow. He declines and says he will stand with them another time "at the great judgment day" (138).

As he talks a red light shaped in the letter "A" illuminates the sky. Pearl then points to Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale is overcome with fear and asks Hester about his true identity. She remembers her promise and remains silent. Chillingworth passes by and says he is on his way home from Winthrop's and remarks on Dimmesdales strange behavior.

The next day when the sexton asks Dimmesdale if he saw the letter A in the sky which he thinks stands for angel for Winthrop, Dimmesdale says no. As I think about this scene, some of the ways in which I start to connect it to the work and start to make interpretive meaning are recognizing the symbolism between some of the actions and objects with some of the values of the book. Dimmesdales scream and impulse to call out to Father Wilson shows his extreme guilt and urge to reveal himself as Pearl's father. When the three of them hold hands, Hester and Dimmesdale are linked by Pearl, the symbol of their sin and result of their love. A supernatural red light appears in the sky and forms into a letter A. Because of the misty weather, the light is diffused throughout the whole sky. Hawthorne suggests the letter "A" can only be seen by Dimmesdale, caused by his intense guilt, who believes it is a sign from God.