Dimmesdale's Personality In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of the Scarlet Letter, presents many ideas throughout his book pertaining to conflicting personality traits. Dimmesdale suffers from that very problem and struggles almost seven years with himself. Sigmund Freud, known as the father of psychoanalysis, conducted experiments that supported his dozens of theories about one’s inner self. These theories help the reader understand Dimmesdale’s psyche and the after effects of his characteristics battling each other for dominance over his mind, and therefore his actions. Freud’s psychoanalytical personality theory is divided into three distinct categories: id, ego, and superego, all of which demonstrate Dimmesdale’s complex inner conflicts and behavior before…show more content…
This part of a person’s personality is subdivided into eros and thanatos, both responsible for a large role in Dimmesdale’s state of mind and actions. Eros is the survival skill that all humans inherit, reproduction. Giving into this inherent desire, Dimmesdale had an affair and broke his covenant with God, resulting in extreme guilt and pleas for forgiveness: “ ‘The judgment of God is on me’, answered the conscience-stricken priest. ‘It is too mighty for me to struggle with!’ ” (Hawthorne 124). After committing the sin of adultery and surrendering to the personality trait of eros, Dimmesdale realizes the severe consequences that will arise with the potential of ruining his social status and religious leadership role. The…show more content…
Dimmesdale’s superego failed him when he was faced with a situation, whether to make public his sin of adultery, and chose the wrong path to take, not exposing himself for seven years. While in the forest, “Dimmesdale gazed into Hester's face with a look in which hope and joy shone out, indeed, but with fear betwixt them, and a kind of horror at her boldness, who had spoken what he vaguely hinted at, but dared not speak” (179). Dimmesdale has the opportunity to confront his sin by revealing himself, but instead his superego fails to lead him to the right decision. In good moral conduct this situation would have ended with Dimmesdale resuming his duty as father to Pearl and standing by Hester to claim their sin together, but instead his id overpowered his superego. These poor choices start to effect Dimmesdale’s appearance and attitude: “Never was there a blacker or a fiercer frown than Hester now encountered. For the brief space that it lasted, it was a dark transfiguration” (137). Hester is experiencing the difference in Dimmesdale’s facade after his failure to confront the community about his sin. Dimmesdale’s inefficient superego results in concealing his deepest sins, which has consequences
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