Dimmesdale's Secrets

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Secrets that are kept too long can not only be harmful to one's health but can cause a dramatic change in lifestyle. Some people may say that keeping a secret is a very simple task and that after time passes people will soon forget that the secret existed. However, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, the minister Dimmesdale shows the effects of keeping a secret. The Scarlet Letter takes place during the 1630’s in the Massachusett Bay colony and revolves around Hester Prynne, a puritan woman who keeps the secret that minister was her lover. This secret created an enigma for Dimmsdale, whether to fall into the guilt of not revealing the truth or to face the fears of losing his esteemed position. Through Dimmesdale's’ interactions…show more content…
Being a product of Dimmesdale and Hester’s sin “Pearl was born outcast of the infantile world. An imp of evil, emblem and product of sin, she had no right among christened infants”(90). Pearl is seen as an outcast in society and is believed to be a “demon child”. The town does not believe Hester was suited for raising Pearl and that Hester negatively influenced Pearl to mischievous and rebellious. However, Pearl’s actions are not solely caused by being a product of adultery because Dimmesdale’s unwillingness to reveal he was the father also influenced her growth. Due to the lack of a father, Pearl herself believes she is unlike the rest and states “I have no Heavenly Father!”(95). This belief makes her believe that rather than being born by a mother and father, she was plucked from rose bush. The secret influences many of Pearl’s rebellious actions, like throwing rocks and insulting other children, changing and transforming Pearl into the outcast that she thought she was. By not telling the town the truth, Dimmesdale causes Pearl to be mistreated, outcasted, and makes her believe that she is not part of society because she does not have a…show more content…
Dimmesdale's secret lover, Hester Prynne, was forced to wear a scarlet letter A as punishment. Feeling guilty about Hester’s punishment, Dimmesdale began to believe that he too was wearing the scarlet letter A. This symbol first when Robert Chillingworth, Hester’s real husband, becomes ecstatic after taking a peek at Dimmesdale’s chest(135). Chillingworth seeked vengeance and wanted to uncover the identity of Hester’s lover. Being desperate to look for evidence, Chillingworth’s thirst for revenge causes him to believe that there was indeed a scarlet A on Dimmesdale's chest. In the final scene, Dimmesdale tears away his ministerial band in an attempt to reveal his secret to the town(250). Being constantly tormented by the secret, Dimmesdale’s guilt gnawed at his heart and eventually manifested on his chest. His scarlet letter, unlike Hester’s, was created internally, through the inability to reveal the truth. This scarlet letter displays how the secret causes Dimmesdale to be consumed by his guilt, and Chillingworth to be consumed by his vengeance showing that secrets can create changes in a person’s emotions leading them to lead a completely different
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