Shades of Gray

What does it truly mean to be a villain? The fact of the matter is, good and evil are not surface level; there is not one sole characteristic that defines how we see a person, a character. This is heavily showcased throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Roger Chillingworth is a textbook example of a villain: storming into the town after two years gone, seeking revenge on his young wife’s lover, scaring her into submission. Is he a good person? Of course not. But there is something to be said about the emotions behind his actions. The fact that he is in pain by no means excuses the deeds he did, but they do explain them. Upon closer inspection, another character causes much more harm than Chillingworth ever did, with no obvious excuse in sight. Despite how Hester’s husband is presented to the audience, Arthur Dimmesdale is the true antagonist of her story. He is a symbol of corruption and sin in her life and her town, and his impact on her life is certainly not positive. Dimmesdale is the evil in The Scarlet Letter; he traps Hester Prynne in a pernicious relationship, proves his selfish nature time and time again, and physically embodies the torments of the patriarchy that plagues women.

While it is certainly true that Chillingworth is the antagonist of Dimmesdale’s story, a much darker character haunts Hester. Throughout the novel, the audience, as well as Hester, witnesses Dimmesdale’s slow decline into near madness. No one deserves to live with the all-consuming pain that he does, but that by no means excuses the fact that he allows his own guilt to negatively impact others. Arthur Dimmesdale is quick to drag Hester down with him, trapping her in an extremely unhealthy relationship. This is first illustrated in the woods, at the site of Hester’s confession about her true relationship to Chillingworth: “‘Why did I not understand? O Hester Prynne, thou little, little knowest all the horror of this thing! And the shame!—the indelicacy!—the horrible ugliness of this exposure of a sick and guilty heart to the very eye that would gloat over it! Woman, woman, thou art accountable for this! I cannot forgive thee!’” (Hawthorne 178). It is, of course, understandable that Dimmesdale is upset over this turn of events. The issue is that he is angry at the wrong person. Hester has been through the same, if not worse, situation as him, and yet he fails to recognize that this was a difficult piece of information to reveal. Dimmesdale does not even stop to consider that she was taking a risk in telling him, immediately screaming at her that she is “accountable for this,” when Chillingworth is the real source of his agony. It is okay to struggle, but it is not okay to inflict your pain, your blame, onto others.

Not only does Arthur Dimmesdale take his anger out on Hester, he also goes back on his word, proving that their relationship was not as sacred, as important as he promised. His words help Hester survive, yet when all was said and done they turned out to be false. Shortly after Hester’s confession in the woods, she and Dimmesdale are able to make amends and plan for the future. The pair agrees that they are not the true sinners in this scenario, but rather their love “had a consecration of its own” (Hawthorne 178). Hester seems so sure of his devotion, so positive that their bond is right, and Dimmesdale, at first glance, agrees. Yet, it is not so surprising that he goes back on his word when it matters most. With his dying breaths, Dimmesdale responds to Hester’s hopes they will meet again with: “‘Hush, Hester, hush!’…’The law we broke!—the sin here so awfully revealed!—let these alone be in thy thoughts!’” (Hawthorne 235). This is Dimmesdale’s last chance to say goodbye to the woman he “loves,” the one he has sacrificed so much for. In his very last moments, though, he chooses to instead remind her that their love is insignificant compared to the sin of their actions. Puritan times may have been very different from our modern age, but that is not love.

Aside from the fact that Dimmesdale draws Hester into a toxic, unhealthy relationship, he also proves repeatedly that his selfish nature consumes all other aspects of his personality; it appears in far too many of his major decisions. One example of this that particularly stands out is his blatant disregard for the lives of those around him. At the end of the novel, after Dimmesdale gives his speech to the town, he draws both Hester and Pearl, his only remaining family members, onto the scaffolding in front of everyone. It is there that he announces his sin to the world: he is Pearl’s father, the lover that Hester has sacrificed everything for. Not only does this disrespect Hester’s losses, it jeopardizes their plans to leave for no reason at all. Dimmesdale was under no obligation, aside from his own guilt, to expose this secret to the town. Did it make him feel better to finally be his true self? Perhaps. But, in the end, it renews the town’s interest in the crime Hester spent so long burying, as well as completely demolishes their chance to leave once and for all. Dimmesdale’s decision in that moment benefited no one but himself, and even put literal lives at risk, as shown when Hester voices her concern: “‘I know not! I know not!’ she hurriedly replied. ‘Better? Yea; so we both may die, and little Pearl die with us!’ ‘For thee and Pearl, be it as God shall order’” (Hawthorne 232). Whether or not Hester and Pearl were actually at risk of death does not matter here; what matters is what Dimmesdale thinks. And he makes it quite clear that their deaths would have little impact on him. Arthur Dimmesdale is already going to die, and he knows it; what does it matter if his last actions bring about the deaths of those around him? He won’t be around to see it.

The Scarlet Letter is not a feminist novel. Do Hester and Pearl showcase elements of feminism? Absolutely. Ultimately, though, the tone of the novel and certain choices by the author undermine these elements. No character in this version of Puritan Boston benefits from the patriarchy more than Arthur Dimmesdale. In fact, he is a physical representation of the torments of the patriarchal society that plagues the novel’s main female characters, and still exists today. Much like men in today’s age, Dimmesdale is able to take full advantage of his power and privilege. It may not be a conscious decision, but it happens nonetheless. He is viewed favorably throughout his life and career in Boston, with no one questioning his purity and morality, even after death; this is unlike the women, who are under constant scrutiny. The narrator shows this particularly well after his death and the reveal of his sin: “Neither, by their report, had his dying words acknowledged, nor even remotely  implied, any, the slightest connection, on his part, with the guilt for which Hester Prynne had so long worn the scarlet letter. According to these highly respectable witnesses, the minister, conscious that he was dying,—conscious, also, that the reverence of the multitude placed him already among saints and angels,—had desired, by yielding up his breath in the arms of that fallen woman, to express to the world how utterly nugatory is the choicest of man’s own righteousness” (Hawthorne 237). Even in death, even after stating himself that he sinned, Dimmesdale is still portrayed as an angel, and Hester is still left to deal with the consequences of their sin, however much they have waned. This description by the narrator only goes to show the extent of Dimmedale’s privilege: the people downright refuse to see him in a negative light. Contrasted with the scene in the beginning of the novel, in which Hester is picked apart by women she has never met, it emphasizes the privilege Dimmesdale, and men in general, have; they are able to escape these dark and terrible situations with their reputations intact solely due to their sex assigned at birth.

Not only does Arthur Dimmesdale reap the benefits of the patriarchy, he is also a figurehead for male superiority in Puritan society. It is made abundantly clear throughout The Scarlet Letter that Dimmesdale is seen as the moral core of the town; he is their guiding light, the figure they turn to for advice. And yet, he is still incredibly corrupt. He is able to take advantage of his position to avoid persecution, and many citizens almost literally worship the ground he walks on. Dimmesdale is often seen throughout the novel in the company of other ministers and governors, and they all trust his opinions. The man is an embodiment of abuse of power and position, and still the only official that the people care about. Not only that, but it is stated that power is often hereditary; it is passed down, rather than earned, with few chances for exchange. The narrator illustrates this in this description of the men in the parade: “And yet the men of civil eminence, who came immediately behind the military escort, were better worth a thoughtful observer’s eye…It was an age when what we call talent had far less consideration than now…The people possessed, by hereditary right, the quality of reverence” (Hawthorne 217). These men are not known for their talent, that is made clear. So what gained them their power? The narrator has an answer for that as well: the circumstances of their birth. At the head of the town, the government, is Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale is a figurehead, a representation not only of those in charge, but what they stand for.

No person, no character, is black and white, good or evil. Arthur Dimmesdale is a prime example of this, a man illustrated in shades of gray. At first, he appears to be the poor victim of the villain of the story, subject to revenge plots and emotional torture. In reality, it is not that simple. Dimmesdale inflicts just as much pain as is inflicted upon him, and stands for some of the evils that torment Hester and Pearl throughout the novel. He traps Hester in a relationship more harmful than healthy, cannot restrain his selfish nature, and symbolizes the pains of the patriarchy.