Dimmesdale S Guilt example essay topic

Andrew Kim Period 1, AP English The Conscience of Reverend Dimmesdale Before the time of even the first psychologists, such as Sigmund Freud, or Karl Jung, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter. Today, it is well conceived that guilt drives such acts as sleepwalking, dreams, visions, and other paranormal events; however, Hawthorne was fairly ahead of his time. He explores the conscience thoroughly, as Shakespeare had done earlier in stories such as Macbeth. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses many literary elements, such as symbolism, syntax, and tone, to show the guilt of Reverend Dimmesdale and the guilt of his own mind. To show Dimmesdale!'s inner guilt, Hawthorne utilizes symbolism. The scaffold in which Hester Prynne walks represents the public humiliation she endures every day, however, one in the same, it is also a sign of Dimmesdale!'s own anguish.

The scaffold, being! ^0 black and weather-stained with the storm or sunshine of seven long years, and foot-worn, too! +/- shows the tortured Dimmesdale in context, as if the scaffold is a sign of his own self-torment. Even though Hawthorne utilizes symbolism as an important factor of displaying Dimmesdale!'s guilt, another important factor is tone inside the passage. The tone and attitude that Hawthorne takes to describe the scenario in which Dimmesdale is placed in, however monotonous and verbose it may be, is quite informative. Every guilt trip that Dimmesdale rides on is detailed and vividly portrayed by Hawthorne.

In fact, mid-way through the passage, Dimmesdale questions himself, asking! ^0 why, then, had he come hither? Was it but the mockery of penitence? A mockery, indeed, but in which his soul trifled with itself!! +/- showing Dimmesdale as a bit of a paranoid character through Hawthorne!'s paranoid tone. Not only this, but Dimmesdale also has Remorse and Cowardice on his tail as well, and through Hawthorne!'s usage of tone, Dimmesdale is quite well portrayed as a tortured and slightly paranoid man. However, the final component to Hawthorne!'s graceful description of Dimmesdale!'s guilt would be his thorough use of syntax.

Even through the very script and syntax that Hawthorne uses in The Scarlet Letter shows the inner guilt of Dimmesdale. He utilizes syntax to create a suspenseful mood, displaying the! ^0 obscure night of early May... unvaried pall of cloud [s] muff l [ing] the whole expanse of sky from zenith to horizon.! +/- By doing so, Hawthorne creates the atmosphere that Dimmesdale is alone where he stands, that the entire town is! ^0 all asleep.! +/- It is similar to the trite line seen many times as an example in literature, such as!

^0 it was a dark and stormy night.! +/- Hawthorne also tends to be verbose, and uses this method of syntax to his advantage. Instead of stating that! ^0 the minister had stood there in danger of catching a cold! +/- rather, it is the! ^0 minister might stand there, if it so pleased him, until morning should redden in the east, without other risk than that the dank and chill night-are would creep into his frame, and stiffen his joints with rheumatism, and clog his throat with catarrh and cough; thereby defrauding the expectant audience of to-morrow!'s prayer and sermon.!

+/- The very words and the very positions that the words are placed in shows Hawthorne!'s utilization of verbosity as a major tool and a trump card for syntax. Ultimately, Dimmesdale comes to the realization that he is at hand and at fault for Hester Prynne!'s misery. However, there was not much he could do about it, for the society had already condemned her. The thought remains and engages into Dimmesdale!'s mind, !

^0 What could I have done to save her?! +/- Hawthorne utilizes this to show and display that indeed, the human conscience is a very delicate aspect in literature, and not to be taken lightly.