by Nancy Adossi

Created on: October 29, 2008

In the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne writes about a woman who commits adultery in a puritan town. As the story progresses, she becomes the heroine who refuses to name the man whom she loves and the man responsible for her shame. As Hawthorne writes, he relates to the audience the truth about the nature of love in the human heart. Love has to be stronger than weakness and fear, otherwise there will never be room for love.

It is evident to the audience that Dimmesdale does not in any way want to be associated with Hester. When Governor Bellingham wanted to take Pearl away, it is not until Hester ", by a sudden impulse,[turned] to Dimmesdale[and said] Speak thou for me" that Dimmesdale defends her. (Hawthorne 116). Dimmesdale is afraid of saying something that would give his sin away that it takes a desperate plea from Hester to open his mouth up. He knows the mouth is more deceitful than the heart. By this time in her life, Hester needs to love man who needs to speak his mind in all things.

Subsequently as the story advances, Dimmesdale's actions communicate to the audience the fact that his ability not to forgive himself blocks his ability to love Hester. Dimmesdale "[loathes] his miserable self" (Hawthorne 150), but he never makes up in his mind to let of go of his anxiety and confess in order to stop feeling tortured and show Hester what he is worth. At least if he hated himself, he should have found space in his heart to love Hester. Hester's love also should have been enough for him to love himself.

Moreover, it seems that Dimmesdale is more concerned with what his positional appearance or what people might think of him than being committed to Hester. Dimmesdale states that "the heart, making itself guilty of such secrets, must perforce hold them until the day when all hidden things shall be revealed." (Hawthorne 136). This announcement is completely astounding especially since he is a pastor who hears confessions of the deepest sins. Dimmesdale is obsessed with the idea of hiding the secret from everyone on Earth until he has heard God's thoughts on his sin. It is unexpected that he does not seem to acknowledge the word "repent". This is the man who knows that it is better to repent on Earth in order to benefit mankind rather than waiting until the judgment day.

Consequently, Dimmesdale's cowardliness towards those who might judge him unfairly affects his show of any affection for Hester. Hawthorne gets his point across in the answer Dimmesdale gives

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