Subject Of The Scarlet Letter Essay, Research Paper

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses three scenes on the scaffold to stress agony and torture in Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Throughout the book, the scaffold has been the symbol of puritan society? s rough penalty for evildoers. The three scaffold scenes in The Scarlet Letter convey the subject of wickedness non being tolerated whatsoever in Puritan Society.

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is tormented throughout the narrative and in all three scenes with the scaffold. In the 2nd scaffold scene, Dimmesdale is? overwhelmed with shame, and stand [ s ] where Hester Prynne had stood? ( pg. 139 ) . He? shriek [ s ] aloud? ( pg. 136 ) as he remembers the anguish he had to digest during Hester? s derision. His drawn-out torture of maintaining his dark secret causes him a great trade of torment. His place as a curate entitles him to be a function theoretical account for the Christian religion, but he feels unworthy because he is a evildoer. In the last scene, Dimmesdale is so burdened with his? heavy wickedness and suffering torment? ( pg. 230 ) , that he at last confesses his wickedness to the universe. He is compelled to discontinue keep backing his atrocious secret any longer from the dignified and venerable swayers, his fellow curates, and his swearing fold. The last scaffold scene is Dimmesdale? s release of his load, which accumulates through the narrative. Dimmesdale? s anguish is stretched throughout the narrative in all three scaffold scenes.

Another important obstruction for Dimmesdale is to derive Pearl? s credence, which is accomplished in the last scaffold scene. The curate? s concluding address is at last delivered, and pearl shows her credence when she? kisse [ s ] his lips? ( pg. 233 ) . All other times that Dimmesdale seeks Pearl? s credence, she replies with mentions to the sca

ffold, farther disturbing him. The curate milk sicknesss at the idea of what could go on if the populace would happen out his secret. Pearl, who ne’er ceases to be cheerful, is overjoyed in the last scene, ? and her cryings [ autumn ] upon her male parent? s cheek? ( pg. 233 ) . She has a true bond with Dimmesdale that is apparent even in the 2nd scaffold scene. Dimmesdale is cognizant of this because he ne’er gets along with kids, yet Pearl takes kindly to him ( although does non yet to the full accept him ) . This cognition of Pearl? s yearning for a bond punishes him throughout the narrative, because there is no manner he can acknowledge that Pearl is his ain.

All three scenes in the novel besides have the missive A nowadays in some signifier to remind Dimmesdale of his ain guilt. In the 2nd scene, there is? the visual aspect of an huge missive, & # 8211 ; the missive A, & # 8211 ; marked out in lines of dull ruddy visible radiation? ( pg. ( 143 ) . This serves as an alternate manner of branding the A into Dimmesdale? s head. It is nighttime and Hester? s vermilion missive is non seeable, so the meteor? s visible radiation reiterates the symbol. The first clip the missive A comes into the narrative, it is? luxuriant embellishment and antic flourishes of gold yarn? ( pg. 50 ) , and the last clip it is in the narrative, it is a? ghastly miracle? ( pg. 232 ) on Dimmesdale? s flesh. The original embroidered vermilion missive is the icon for Dimmesdale? s hereafter haunting. Dimmesdale? s old ages of anguish include seizing his thorax, where the symbol is located on Hester. The missive A curses Dimmesdale in all three scenes, and eventually manifests itself physically on him.

All in all, Arthur Dimmesdale suffers the ultimate penalty for his wickedness. The stalking consequence of the vermilion missive, distance from his kid, and psychological anguish are all things that he digest to non be known as a evildoer among fellow Puritans.