Guilt In The Scarlet Letter English Literature Essay

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, the main characters struggle to overcome sin, guilt, and public humiliation in Puritan New England society. In the beginning of the novel, Hester Prynne is led to the scaffold to serve her punishment for committing adultery, a crime in Puritan culture. In addition to standing on the scaffold to be publicly condemned, Hester also must wear a scarlet letter “A” to signify her sin of adultery. The townspeople, including Hester’s estranged husband Roger Chillingworth, seek to reveal the identity of Hester’s lover and the father of her illegitimate child, Pearl. Hester refuses to publicly admit that Pearl’s father is Arthur Dimmesdale, the town minister; because she believes she is protecting him from humiliation. However, Dimmesdale’s guilt causes him inner turmoil and leads to his physical pain. At the end of the novel, Dimmesdale finally reveals his guilt when Hester and Pearl join him on the scaffold, and he publicly confesses his sin. After alleviating his conscience, he dies in his feeble state. Hawthorne demonstrates through Dimmesdale that the guilt of sin without repentance can burden one physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Hawthorne illustrates that people can lose control of their physical wellbeing if overcome with guilt. When Dimmesdale is called to the governor’s mansion to discuss the fate of Hester’s illegitimate child, Pearl, he experiences physical pain caused by his guilt. While arguing about the custody of Pearl, Dimmsdale is seen as “pale, and holding his hand over his heart” (Hawthorne 125). Pearl, the symbol of Dimmesdale’s sin, causes him to clutch his heart in agony because he is overcome with shame which leads to his physical suffering. He sees his sin as a lack of devotion to God, and he recognizes the hypocrisy of committing adultery because he is a minister. However, he refuses to confess his guilt because he fears the embarrassment and consequences for his actions; and therefore, he can never alleviate his guilt to release his pain. Although Dimmesdale refuses to acknowledge his sin, he still seeks forms of penance. He tries to lessen his guilt by whipping himself repeatedly with “a bloody scourge” (Hawthorne 160), but only causes himself additional physical pain. His scars from affliction fail to dissolve his inner turmoil, as he continues to suffer. Eventually Dimmesdale’s remorse drives him to ascend the scaffold to admit his sin publicly. To ascend there, he fights “his bodily weakness” (Hawthorne 280) to finally admit he is guilty of adultery. This last vestige of physical strength demonstrates that confessing his sin helps him to fight his weakness. He no longer feels physically burdened by the guilt of his sins after truly receiving penance.

Hawthorne demonstrates that one’s mentality can be damaged by guilt. When Dimmesdale ascends the scaffold in the middle of the night with the intention of confessing his sins, he shows signs of a weak mental state. Upon the scaffold, Dimmesdale begins to lose his mind, and without any “power to restrain himself” (Hawthorne 163), he shrieks aloud. Dimmesdale, suffering from guilt because of his past indiscretions, loses control due to his unstable mind plagued with guilt. Without a clear conscience, he shows that his mental health suffers. In addition to this sign of mental disarray, he also portrays an indication of his instability when he sees Reverend Wilson while on the scaffold. Dimmesdale can “hardly restrain himself from speaking to him” (Hawthorne 166), and his mental state allows him to believe that he talks to the minister. However, Dimmesdale later realizes he has not uttered a word, yet his guilt has caused him to believe he has spoken. The guilt of his sins clouds his mind and renders him incapable of distinguishing his imagination from reality. In the final scaffold scene, Dimmesdale reveals a stable mentality after he admits his sins. He bravely ascends the scaffold and admits his sins to the public. With his secrets revealed, he turns to Pearl and it “seems he would be sportive with the child” (Hawthorne 282). Before his burden is relieved, Dimmesdale neglects his daughter with the fear of exposing his secret, but now he comes to terms with reality because his mentality is not afflicted with the guilt of sin. The confusion of his troubled mind is relinquished as his guilt is relieved, and he realizes he must acknowledge and support his daughter Pearl.

Hawthorne illustrates the powerful effects of guilt on one’s emotions. During the meeting at the governor’s house to decide who will receive custody of Pearl, Dimmesdale reveals the emotional effects of his guilt. At the meeting, he is seen with his large dark eyes “in their troubled and melancholy depth” (Hawthorne 125). He is expressing that his remorse for the troubles he has caused Hester has begun to take a hold of him. Dimmesdale feels regretful for his sin, and he has formed an emotional connection to Hester and Pearl resulting from his guilt. After Chillingworth moves in with Dimmesdale to treat him, Dimmesdale reveals the emotional effects of a troubled conscience. Chillingworth begins questioning Dimmesdale, struggling to expose his sin of passion with Hester. Dimmesdale refuses to admit his sins, yet he breaks into an “unseemly outbreak of temper” (Hawthorne 151). Through his reaction, Dimmesdale illustrates that his guilt is causing him to lose control of his emotions at the mention of his sin. With a clear conscience, Dimmesdale would be able to restrain an emotional outbreak, yet his emotions are plagued by guilt. During one of Dimmesdale’s walks in the forest, he coincidentally encounters Hester. As they approach each other, they are “coldly shuddering in mutual dread” (Hawthorne 210). They are both reminded of their own sin and the resulting guilt causes them to be overcome with the emotions of grief and sorrow. Hester still bears the scarlet letter, which for Dimmesdale is a “symbol of his sinful nature and complicity” (Burt 190). Dimmesdale is further reminded of his guilt, stirring up uncontrollable emotions of depression and regret.

During the final scaffold scene, Dimmesdale finally relieves his guilt and unbearable sorrow for his sins. He triumphantly ascends the town scaffold, and he is joined by Hester and his daughter Pearl. Dimmesdale proclaims that he has committed adultery, and he reveals a mark on his chest, possibly an “A” carved into his body, which shocks his devoted congregation. Dimmesdale is no longer ravaged by the overwhelming effects of his guilt, and he dies with a clear conscience. Hawthorne reveals that guilt without atonement can significantly impair a person physically, mentally, and emotionally.