Dimmesdale: An Inherent-Individual Identity In The Scarlett Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

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The world we live in today allows us to speak, think and do freely. People can do what they want without the result of the type of punishment the Puritans did. Any unsatisfactory decisions would be looked down upon in the strict Puritan Society. During the 1600s, any rebellious actions led to severe punishments. One major conflict, that continuously dominates the events of the novel, is the constant struggle between “socially-constructed identity” and an “inherent-individual identity.” Throughout the novel, Pearl, Hester, and Dimmesdale show great conflicts within themselves and the judgmental people of the town. Hester faces her biggest challenges at the beginning of the novel. As an adulterer, Hester has gone against the Puritan society's …show more content…

Dimmesdale, a lot of times, let his theory of not being accepted, from his life as a role- model type, religious man, take away from what he knew he was called forth to do. By these actions, he shows a yearn to be accepted even if it could effect his churchly values. Dimmesdale struggles greatly with his inner-self and moral sense. This shows that instead of having pure heart, he has a need to conform to the ways of the society around him. Dimmesdale carries his sin so heavily that he isolates himself from society. He experiences paranoia around anyone because he doesn't want anyone to know, and is too afraid to repent. "Trusting no man as his friend, he could not recognize his enemy when the latter actually appeared” (Hawthorne 128). This shows how closed off to the outside world Dimmesdale is and wants to be. Dimmesdale wants to keep away from society because he has seen what Hester has gone through, and he thinks if he comes around, people will call him out for his adultery. Dimmesdale was concealing himself so much because he couldn't bring himself to repent of his sin. Because he didn't have the capability to confess to the people and deal with his punishment, he began to shatter inside as a man. "Beholding Mr. Dimmesdale's frame so feeble while they were themselves so rugged in their infirmity," (pg. 139). The whole time Dimmesdale was keeping his sin to himself, he became very

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