Dimmesdale the minister and Hester’s secret lover watched Hester come out of prison for her crime of committing adultery. Although Dimmesdale’s congregation had not yet known that he was the secret lover, he slowly tormented himself of his shame and guilt and started to change throughout the novel. Dimmesdale would hold his hand over his heart as if something was hurting him; he started to act as if he was in poor health.
Before Dimmesdale revealed himself, he and Hester decided to run away together. A bad side of Dimmesdale started to a crew, he wanted to do things he had never wanted to do before and saw and then began to see a future outside of his ministry, “Come up hither once again, and we will stand all three together!”She silently ascended the steps, and stood on the platform, holding little Peal by the hand. The minister felt for the child’s other hand, and took it. The moment that he did so, there came what seemed a tumultuous rush of new life, other life than his own, pouring like a torrent into his heart, and hurrying through his veins, as if the mother and the child were communicating their vital warmth to his half torpid system. The three formed an electric chain” (Hawthorne 101).
Dimmesdale needed to apply extreme self-control over his tongue to keep himself from destroying other people’s faith and lives. On election Sunday, he preached his last sermon and decides to confess to his congregation and to the people of Boston his secret by revealing the scarlet mark on his chest, over his heart- the mark of the sin, a letter A.
Extra Credit Dimmesdale Glog:
Extra Credit Dimmesdale Glog:
