Psychoanalytic Criticism Of Chillingworth And Dimmesdale

Psychoanalytic criticism is where an analyst “tries to trace the movements of readers' and writers' desires in texts” (Shmoop Editorial Team). This type of criticism comes from the work of Sigmund Freud, who stated that “the unconscious is always going to crop up in everything you do.” (Shoomp Editorial Team). In the case of literary analysis though, you analyze the characters, author, and perhaps in some degree, the reader (also known as yourself). In the Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Roger Chillingworth and Arthur Dimmesdale both display rather unique unconscious behavior. Throughout the story of the Scarlet Letter Mr. Dimmesdale represses his desire to be with Hester while expressing severe guilt for committing adultery with her,

He claims he doesn’t what do deal with the fact of an unfaithful wife, but perhaps he is jealous of the man for taking the said unfaithful wife, or even afraid of the consequences of his planned actions? This would certainly explain why Chillingworth has such a hatred for the young minister, Mr. Dimmesdale, whom Chillingworth tortures and spies upon when the minister is unaware. However, Chillingworth’s hatred causes him to become sometimes careless and Dimmesdale would intuitively sense “the shadow of his [Chillingworth’s] presence, in a forbidden proximity, would be thrown across his victim” (Hawthorne 194-195). Chillingworth’s hatred causes the story to drive forwards and provides conflict with the main protagonist of the story,

Dimmesdale on the other hand, suffers from severe guilt, he states in chapter fifteen, The Pastor and his Parishioner, “What can a ruined soul like mine effect towards the redemption of other souls” (Hawthorne 287), Dimmesdale feels so guilty about having an affair with Hester that he even kept a “secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge.” (Hawthorne 217) and he “plied it on his own shoulders, laughing bitterly at himself the while, and smiting so much the more pitilessly because of that bitter laugh” (Hawthorne 217). This guilt causes him to commit certain actions, such as go to the weathered stand where Hester was judged, which then causes him to scream and act irrationally. But he also desires to be with Hester, and when he makes plans with Hester to depart Boston, Dimmesdale states that he went from “sick, sin-stained, and sorrow-blackened” (Hawthorne 303) and once Dimmesdale and Hester make plans to depart, Arthur feels as if he has “risen up all made anew, and with new powers to glorify Him [God] that hath been merciful! This is already the better life!” (Hawthorne 303). This then leads into the next chapter, where he feels tempted to do all sorts of wicked deeds, perhaps it is some vestiges of guilt that he has, yet he is happier now that he can be with