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In Hawthorne's classic, The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is a self-confessed coward and hypocrite. He is fully aware of the means by which he must liberate his soul from the confines of his grave sin, and make his concord with God. Yet, throughout the story his confession remains an impediment, constraining him, from then onwards, to a life of atonement. Reverend Dimmesdale's guilt complex causes him to cultivate a crop of internal conflicts. He attempts to divest himself of his peccadillo by revealing it to his parishioners during services, but somehow never manages to accomplish the task, illuminating the reader of what he truly is, a pathetic weakling.
For the most part, Dimmesdale's story is one of a lonely man who has given into temptation and desire. His carnal craving is looked upon with ignominy. The matter is further convoluted by Hester's marriage, and his unwillingness to mar his reputation among the villagers as the faithful and innocent priest. He is now stranded at a crossroad, not knowing whether to confess or carry on a life of self-punishment. The sin begins to gnaw away at his sanity. As a form of penance he partakes in late night vigils, starvation, and self-mutilation.
His acts of penance were severe and drained him of much of his life force. Finally becoming fed up with his prolonged misery, he walked unsteadily to the podium to expose his secret, but his confession was ambiguous and inconclusive, and people thought he was speaking about the sins of humanity. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale has many opportunities to confess. One of the very first moments available to Dimmesdale to confess was on the scaffolding in the beginning when Hester was publicly humiliated in front of the townspeople.
Dimmesdale was preaching to her for hours without end about her sin, yet he was her co-sinner. If thou feels it to be for thy souls peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer! (59) He asked whom it was she had this adulterous affair with. Dimmesdale now has the perfect opportunity to confess and he does not because he is frightened. He could have easily admitted his sin and endured the wrath of Puritan society, but he made it linger. There was also a time during story when Dimmesdale climbed up the scaffolding in the midst of the night. He had two opportunities to face public recognition of his sin.
Once, as Reverend Mr. Wilson, walked by, and he said in his mind, A good evening to you, venerable Father Wilson! Come up hither, I pray you, and pass a pleasant hour with me! (135). Once again his courage failed him. The second opportunity came when Hester and Pearl joined him on the scaffolding and Pearl asked, Wilt thou stand here with Mother and me, tomorrow noontide? (137). The reverend turned down the offer, even though Pearl and Hester would have accompanied him.
Pearl made another offer similar to the previous one day at the Brookside, and once again he declined. The following morning his glove was found on the scaffolding by a sexton, but instead of confessing he goes along with the sextons story about Satan stealing it from him and placing it there. Dimmesdale is pathetic, because in no more than twenty-four hours, he is given three different chances to free his soul and cast them aside as if they cease to exist. Deliverance is but a dream for Dimmesdale. Mistress Hobbies confronted Dimmesdale about his rendezvous forest. She is supposedly a witch and is a pariah amongst the townspeople.
Even if Dimmesdale confessed to her, no one would believe her. He does not feel the immediate need to divulge his secret. He has learned to live with it, even though it goes against his ethics. It is obvious that he has been living with sin for long that it has become him.
Roger Chillingworth, the husband of Hester, and the antagonist of the story, dedicates his life on earth, to haunt and seek vengeance on the man who committed adultery with his wife. Chillingworth is the Black Man who haunts the forest and hunts for Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale (68). The pact between Hester and Chillingworth, to keep the man of infamy a secret, will prove to be the ruin of Dimmesdale's soul (68). Hester's husband implants himself into this Puritan society, under the alias of Roger Chillingworth, the town physician (the leech). As Dimmesdale's condition worsen due to remorse, he feels it necessary that he be under the supervision of the town physician.
At many times during the course of the novel the reverend gives the impression that he wants to reveal his deep, dark secret. Chillingworth's manipulation and his own sense of dishonor are triumphant over his weak conscience. Dimmesdale refuses to give up his standing the embodiment of love and devotion. He is far too intent on upholding his social status to reveal his sin.
Once Hester elucidates Chillingworth's scheme, and thus rids Dimmesdale of Chillingworth's hex. From that point onward Dimmesdale has a renewed confidence and begins to quell his malevolent plan. He manages to overcome the physician in the end in such a manner that he never defames his treasured name. During his battle to confess, he is unable to find his faith. That faith was never really completely recovered. Through the harboring of this sin, he has become weak both internally and externally.
The only way he can gather any mental or physical strength is through his re-affirmation of his sin during the meeting with Hester in the forest, and the elaborate plan to break away from the town. In the final scenes the Election Sermon, Dimmesdale ascends the scaffolding with Hester and Pearl, and makes one last attempt to confess. Chillingworth attempted to stop his confession but he was too late and his role the plot was essentially finished because when Chillingworth cries out, "Thou hast escaped me!" (233), he is not only speaking for himself, but also on behalf of the Devil. Dimmesdale has altered his fate, and escaped from the grasp of evil. He is now amongst the saved. When Pearl kissed him the burden was removed (233).
The child had long awaited public recognition of her father and mothers relationship; the voice of Dimmesdale's conscience was effaced. After the kiss, Dimmesdale returns to preaching of Gods of forgiveness and praising Him. He believes he has achieved salvation but his attempt to confess attempt was not a full confession. He never really says that he committed adultery with Hester, and that Pearl was, in fact, his daughter. Although he had the courage to bring them upon the scaffold, he lacked the bravery to confess his sin beyond doubt.
He does not have public recognition of his sin because his sermon was vague and imprecise. Although he tried to attain salvation through his valiant speech, it lacked sufficient evidence to prove he was intimately involved with Hester, which is a major shortcoming for one wanting emancipation. With all of the information provided above it is obvious that Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is a pathetic coward. All through the novel, Dimmesdale does not admit his sin. The respect given to Arthur Dimmesdale for being of high social standing in his society was an honor.
His fixation with his image amongst his people would eventually prove to be his downfall, for he loses his sanity, his love, and his livelihood in the abysmal depths of sin. Hawthorne is trying to say that not all sins can be rectified. Some sins are everlasting, and there are no shortcuts to salvation. Sometimes the weight of the sins must penetrate ones soul for eternity.
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