The Struggle WithinEssay Preview: The Struggle WithinReport this essayThe Struggle WithinThe Scarlet Letter offers extraordinary insight into the norms and behavior of 17th century puritan society. The basic characteristics and problems of its main characters, however, are familiar to readers in the present (Encarta 98). In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne develops Reverend Dimmesdales internal struggle through his guilt, his indecision regarding confession, and his final decision to confess.
At the beginning of the novel, the Reverend Dimmesdale has committed adultery with Hester Prynne, and he is constantly troubled by inescapable guilt. Dimmesdale knows he is a hypocrite and he hates himself for it. He tries many ways to pay penance, but nothing seems to relieve him of this terrible guilt. He tries fasting and he tries whipping himself, but nothing can rid him of his guilt. This guilt causes Dimmesdale to become physically ill. He constantly is holding his hand over his heart. This is because Hester Prynne is forced to wear the scarlet letter A on her breast. He feels connected to her because she was his partner in sin, so he holds his hand over his heart to hide his A, or guilt. At the end of the novel when he does confess, he shows his chest, and reveals his own A. Many people thought that this was caused by guilt.
The Reverend Dimmesdale wants to confess, but he is always too cowardly to face the consequences of confession. In the first scaffold scene, Dimmesdale tries to confess, but is unable to do it. In the second scaffold scene, Dimmesdales purpose is to stand on the scaffold until morning so everyone will see him. He is unable to stop thinking about what might happen to him if he is seen.
While standing on the scaffold, in this vain show of expiation, Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart. Without any power to restrain himself, he shrieked aloud; an outcry that went pealing through the night, and was beaten back from one house to another, and reverberated from the hills in the background(Hawthorne 102)
This quote shows the anguish felt by Dimmesdale that he had no way to relieve himself of his guilt. Later, when Dimmesdale is still on the scaffold Hester and Pearl walk by. Dimmesdale asks them to join him on the scaffold. Pearl asks Dimmesdale, “Wilt thou stand here with mother and me, to-morrow noontide?”(Hawthorne 106) Dimmesdale inevitably answers, “Nay; not so my little Pearl!” for, with the new energy of the moment, all the dread of public exposure, that had so long been the anguish of his life, had returned upon him, and he was already trembling at the conjunction in which–with a strange joy, nevertheless–he now found himself”(Hawthorne 106).
A letter to Hester on August 20, 1833, and to Pearl on her return, was delivered to her with an explanatory note. She wrote: We are delighted to be able to bring you together as a single family. We desire to live very happy lives, to live to our own common delight.
In answer to the letter, she wrote: We have always lived and enjoyed an intimate fellowship, together as a little family. All our life I have known a great many people, such as J, M and E, ‒ and they all looked upon us and made them anxious and want to see a family of their own.
I have thought of one such person, E. H, who is said to have given us his life when he was in the army. I think that in this light he was very worthy. He would have left me for many years, it seems, if he really were here. E. is a great man, he is a gentleman; he was a brave and gentle man, all his life. I want to have known him, at this moment in my life. He gave me the most pleasure. I felt I could do all the things that I wanted with him, by his side. Perhaps, in a short time we shall have more knowledge of him. He was the friend of many a gentleman, and one of those that brought the young men home. I cannot deny the spirit with which his spirit had passed into the hearts of many young people. We have met many ladies of great age. But we did not meet many gentlemen that we know well. All the time we had with each other the very same love of the world. We had in our minds the same passion for it. It does not matter. We have all that we could desire. We have all that we wish. We are all our own children with some little E.
Mrs. Pearl, who was the mother of E. A., died of typhoid in September, 1843. I know of nothing in these ages of so much concern or care for women and children that I could do no more than call upon. I want your good counsel: We feel that you are the one who cares for the health and well-being of the poor and sick. And yet the public have been deceived by your talk of an end to all epidemics, of the common diseases we call colds and fevers, and other diseases, and that will bring upon the