Corruption From Within

“It is the public scandal that offends; to sin in secret is no sin at all.” – Author: Moliere. How would you analyze this statement? Would you view it as necessarily being true? In the novel, the Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Reverend Authur Dimesdale is supposed to be a figure of holiness and withholding a highly honored position. His character, throughout the novel in its entirety, is faced with many challenges and chances of redemption. Many readers of the Scarlet Letter are often faced with the question of whether Reverend Authur Dimmesdale is a good man or a figure of corruption. Hawthorne often demonstrates the idea of Dimmesdale being the representation of sacred people being engulfed in sin, although they are often held to a higher religious expectation. The real question is: Is Reverend Dimmesdale a good man or a figure of corruption and evil in this novel? Dimmesdale is often seen throughout the novel being corrupted by Chillingworth, withholding his secret for his own benefit, and overall letting his guilt get the best of him.

Chillingworth is also a character readers of the Scarlet Letter watch develop through the novel; he is arguably one of the most devious and corrupt characters in the novel. Chillingworth isn’t just a corrupt character, he is sly and secretive. Just like the serpent that represented the Devil in the Bible, Chillingworth has the same attributes and character traits. The most dangerous attribute about Chillingworth is that he pretends to befriend and be Dimmesdale’s doctor. With doing this he was able to slowly contaminate Dimmesdale’s soul. Hawthorne quickly shows similar characterization between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale towards the middle of the novel making Chillingworth’s character almost a dissolving factor of Dimmesdale’s morals. The evil in Dimmesdale’s soul is way more prominent than good is as the book evolves the plot and storyline. Hawthorne indirectly describes Chillingworth as a leech in his chapter title, representing that Chillingworth is draining the life out of his patient, Dimmesdale, and acting like he was helping. “’I found them growing on a grave, which bore no tombstone, no other memorial of the dead man, save these ugly weeds, that have taken upon themselves to keep him in remembrance. They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess during his lifetime.” (Hawthorne 88). Dimmesdale’s biggest enemy expressed throughout the novel, although Chillingworth was a key factor in it, was his own guilt engulfing him from the inside out. “The heart, making itself guilty of such secrets, must perforce hold them, until the day when all hidden things shall be revealed.” (Hawthorne 88). Dimmesdale was often seen trying to almost justify his actions but at the same time he was seen being flooded with guilt that he withheld only for the benefit of himself.

Dimmesdale was looked upon by everyone in the village as an honorable and holy man, at times it seemed as though he could do no wrong; this might have been the problem that attributed to his guilt to a higher degree. He didn’t want to reveal his greatest secret because he had seen how unforgiving the townspeople were to Hester and his child. Dimmesdale was too selfish to endure the punishment he earned in repercussion of his sin. “Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life. What can thy silence do for him, except it tempt him–yea, compel him, as it were–to add hypocrisy to sin?” (Hawthorne 48). Dimmesdale, instead of standing with Hester on the scaffold at the beginning of the book, chooses to make an announcement directed to the child’s “father”. In his announcement he also makes condescending remarks towards Hester’s feelings for him calling her love for him mistaken pity and tenderness. Dimmesdale’s selfishness robs him of his holiness and health, robs Pearl of a father, and robs Hester of a companion. Dimmesdale was never thinking about anyone but his own reputation. “ “But, not to suggest more obvious reasons, it may be that they are kept silent by the very constitution of their nature. Or,—can we not suppose it?—guilty as they may be, retaining, nevertheless, a zeal for God’s glory and man’s welfare, they shrink from displaying themselves black and filthy in the view of men; because, thenceforward, no good can be achieved by them; no evil of the past be redeemed by better service.” (Hawthorne 89). Dimmesdale’s guilt was a very prominent problem he succumbed to by letting others’ opinions of him control his mind.

Dimmesdale’s biggest enemy was himself, and I will stand by that statement. He was the main source of all of his problems. If he would have originally admitted to his sin like a big boy, he would not have gone through all the self guilt and punishment he endured at the hand of himself. He let himself get corrupted by lies and torment, okay maybe he didn’t formally invite evil into his life, but by denying his sin and still acting as a holy clergyman he creates another sin for himself. As the storyline progresses, his sin and guilt grows and he starts to come up with ways to give self punishment.  “In Dimmesdale’s secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge…. It was his custom, too, as it has been that of many other pious Puritans, to fast… until his knees trembled beneath him… He kept vigils, likewise, night after night…” (Hawthorne 97). Dimmesdale tried to find other ways of punishment around repentance to try and make himself feel better and free from his sin, but this only caused more problems.

Dimmesdale’s problems were brought upon him by himself mainly and with the help of Chillingworth. He often let others’ opinion of himself get in the way of his morals which continuously brought corruption into his life. Although Chillingworth was constantly trying to fill Dimmesdale’s soul with evilness, Dimmesdale was the main factor of this evil. So, what does Hawthorne want you to think? Does he want Dimmesdale to be a symbolism of corruption throughout clergy members that are easily influenced by others opinions, or does Hawthorne just want us to feel badly for him?