Scarlet Letter Identity Essay
The Scarlet Letter characters struggle to accept their own personal identities. Hester embodies the scarlet letter, while Dimmesdale tries to break his stereotypical religious identity.
By wearing the scarlet letter, Salem publically shames Hester. If she leaves the town, then she could remove the A, but instead she stays. She could go away with her daughter Pearl and have a completely normal life. She refuses to leave because the letter has become her identity, and she uses its power. Some people in the town even think that the A now symbolizes “able”, which means something completely different than the original significance. The A now means that Hester’s strength defies everything else, making her able and capable of defending herself. Towards …show more content…
As the community minister, people see him as a messenger of God, so they idolize him. Truthfully, Dimmesdale commits adultery, which disproves the people’s view of him. Unlike Hester, Dimmesdale fails to realize that individuality and fortitude are achieved by inner strength and by accepting oneself. This severe internal struggle hinders him from achieving his individuality. Because he is now tied to Hester because of their daughter, Pearl, he feels guilt, which drives him to self-punishment. Over time, this deteriorates his physical and spiritual state of being. Through his sermons, Dimmesdale attempts to convey his wrongdoings, but nobody ever realizes this. “He longed to speak out, from his own pulpit, at the full height of his voice, and tell the people what he was” (Hawthorne 134). He believes that if he communicates with people and tells them his sins, he can move past his internal conflict. Ironically, everyone thinks that Dimmesdale is being rhetorical, which causes him further anguish. When at last Dimmesdale dies because of his personal struggles and punishments, he becomes even more of an icon than he was living. So it seems that Dimmesdale was unable to achieve his true identity, because some believed that his confession was symbolic, instead of
By wearing the scarlet letter, Salem publically shames Hester. If she leaves the town, then she could remove the A, but instead she stays. She could go away with her daughter Pearl and have a completely normal life. She refuses to leave because the letter has become her identity, and she uses its power. Some people in the town even think that the A now symbolizes “able”, which means something completely different than the original significance. The A now means that Hester’s strength defies everything else, making her able and capable of defending herself. Towards …show more content…
As the community minister, people see him as a messenger of God, so they idolize him. Truthfully, Dimmesdale commits adultery, which disproves the people’s view of him. Unlike Hester, Dimmesdale fails to realize that individuality and fortitude are achieved by inner strength and by accepting oneself. This severe internal struggle hinders him from achieving his individuality. Because he is now tied to Hester because of their daughter, Pearl, he feels guilt, which drives him to self-punishment. Over time, this deteriorates his physical and spiritual state of being. Through his sermons, Dimmesdale attempts to convey his wrongdoings, but nobody ever realizes this. “He longed to speak out, from his own pulpit, at the full height of his voice, and tell the people what he was” (Hawthorne 134). He believes that if he communicates with people and tells them his sins, he can move past his internal conflict. Ironically, everyone thinks that Dimmesdale is being rhetorical, which causes him further anguish. When at last Dimmesdale dies because of his personal struggles and punishments, he becomes even more of an icon than he was living. So it seems that Dimmesdale was unable to achieve his true identity, because some believed that his confession was symbolic, instead of