Arthur Dimmesdale's Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter

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In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses symbolism to demonstrate how the secret sin that Dimmesdale lives with is destroying his life. According to Nan Lei of the Yangtze University in China, Hawthorne made use of symbolism when he came up with the main characters’ name. In the novel, Arthur Dimmesdale’s name is not only the name of the character, but also a representation of what is going on in his life. Lei says that Dim means not bright, hopeful, or good while ‘dale’ means valley. The minister’s name symbolizes the hopelessness that he lives day to day due to the sin that he has committed, and how isolated he is due to it. (Lei) We are able to see this in chapter ten, where Dimmesdale’s hopeless nature is very evident. “The child probably …show more content…
In chapter ten we are able to see an example of Dimmesdale’s isolation and how anguish has taken over him. Furthermore, calling the minister by his last name also symbolizes his position in the community which he withheld, and how conflicted he is of losing it. In accordance with David Leverenz of the University of California, Dimmesdale is nearly-never called ‘Arthur’, this clearly indicates the minister’s anxious conformity to the social codes inherited by his ancestors. (Leverenz) We are able to see what’s at stake for Dimmesdale, and why he is a man so affected by guilt in chapter nine. “This learned stranger was exemplary, as regarded at least the outward forms of a religious life, and, early after his arrival, had chosen for his spiritual guide the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. The young divine, whose scholar like renown still lived in Oxford, was considered by his more fervent admirers as little less than a heavenly, ordained apostle, destined, should he live and labor for the ordinary term of life, to do as great deeds for the now feeble New England Church, as the early Fathers had achieved for the infancy of the Christian faith.” (Hawthorne, 71) Dimmesdale is nearly-always called by his last name when others are either talking to him or about him, this represents his role in the community and how important and respected he …show more content…
A sin that he’s scared of confessing because if he did, he’d lose all respect and credibility. Due to this unconfessed sin, Dimmesdale is haunted day and night. Even though Dimmesdale’s sin is secret, it still has the power to destroy him by making him feel guilty and gnawing at his chest causing him a great pain. Dimmesdale’s guilt gets him stuck in a hole where he isn’t able to get out of. His character isn’t able to develop due to this and he instead decides to hide in his religion. (Loring) “But how could the younger minister say so, when, with every successive Sabbath, his cheek was paler and thinner, and his voice more tremulous than before—when it had now become a constant habit, rather than a casual gesture, to press his hand over his heart?” (Hawthorne,73) Dimmesdale’s deteriorating health symbolizes the guilt that he is unable to deal with due to the secret sin that lives within
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