Dimmesdale, He's Psychologically Complex.. and Disturbed

Dimmesdale, Dimesdale, Dimmesdale!

Oh, where should I begin to describe the fall… the unraveling… the insanity! the passion! and finally the redemption of this deep character.

How about the beginning?

Okay!
The little we know about Dimmesdale is garnered from one of the spectator’s in the second chapter describing him to Chillingworth. He is said to have been a brilliant scholar, but you get the sense from the description that he might have been too caught up in the world of ideas, too intellectual, to relate to the masses. Coincidentally, very similar to Chillingworth.

Dimmesdale and Hester get it on.
Again, before the book starts, but it if the description of Dimmesdale above is true, this act of passion must have dramatically changed Dimmesdale. Guilt aside, it showed him love, and brought him down from his Ivory Towers into the human world.

Dimmesdale sees Hester on the scaffold.
Dimmesdale is already starting to appear sick. He is timid as he asks Hester to name her partner in sin, but quickly pounces on the right of the secret’s of women’s minds when Hester refuses. The scene on the scaffold is important for two reasons. (1) This is the site of his betrayal of Hester by not sharing her guilt, and (2) the beginning of his public lie and public persona which is not himself.

Dimmesdale and Pearl meet in the Governor’s hall
See, the governor’s hall is like the ultimate symbol of Puritan formality, which Dimmesdale is trying to maintain even though he has sinned. Meeting Hester and Pearl there for the first time since the scaffolding is very significant. He is clearly distraught by seeing them. Also, Pearl’s gesture of affection is interesting because it appears both comforting to Dimmesdale, and nerve racking. This (1) really starts to set up the split between two opposite desires that drives much of Dimmesdale’s unraveling throughout the book.

Dimmesdale and Chillingworth
I always saw Chillingworth as more of a “mental phantom” than a real person, sort of like the Classical Furies. He is always right behind Dimmesdale, just out of view, aggravating his guilt. Chillingworth almost becomes part of Dimmesdale through his intense hate. Looking at Chillingworth as the devil allegorically shows how sin and evil can creep inside someone. This part also shows Dimmesdale’s psychological depth. He is a very complex character and his true motives are even hidden from himself. The depth of Dimmesdale’s psyche is most adequately demonstrated by Chillingworth comparing his investigation into Dimmesdale’s guilt as digging and excavating. Also during this time Dimmesdale’s physical appearance has greatly deteriated. It is a reflection of his own guilt and the state of his soul. He is torturing himself physically, hoping that it will somehow be penance, but he is also mentally torturing himself.

Dimmesdale and the Scaffold
The entire scene of the scaffold, I see it as a lay out of Dimmesdale’s subconscious, and as such, a detailed It is a dark and foggy night. This reflects the nature of his soul. Dark because of the sin, foggy because of the confusion in his life. In the middle of the scene, the heart of the scene, is the scaffolding, rising up over the rest of the village. This is a symbol of his guilt. It is where he first denied Hester and first started his public lie. It is described as festering, (like the sin is festering Dimmesdale’s heart) and covered with the footsteps of all of the people who have been put to justice there (Dimmesdale’s guilt over not being caught). Behind it looms the meeting house, which is like the Puritan church. It is a symbol of eternal and divine justice which Dimmesdale has to temporarily turn his back to but never can quite escape. Also, the juxtaposition of the meeting house and the scaffolding represents his to lives, the sinful one and the falsely pious one. Dimmesdale lets out a huge scream, again indicative of his mental make up. Ghostly people appear. He tries to call out but can’t. In the distance he can see Mistress Hibbins, a witch. These are shadows and worries of his subconscious. Pearl and Hester appear and they join hands and he is able to for a little while pretend that he has confessed and take some pleasure in being honest, but then Pearl snaps that away with her comments, more guilty conscious kind of thing, except not it is compounded because he realizes that he is using them more and more. A comet appears, and everything is illuminated in red. This shows how the reality of his sin lays bare all of his mental tricks and disguises. A giant A appears in the sky and looms over his entire being and world. As the light begins to fade, Pearl points out Chillingworth, probably always behind Dimmesdale, is still there staring. Despite everything he does, Dimmesdale won’t be able to escape from Chillingworth and his guilt.

Dimmesdale in the Forest
Dimmesdale is walking through a forest, a crazy forest, representative of his moral uncertainty, when he encounters Hester. The two are like ghosts, wandering through life completely alone, but not living. Ironically, the sin during which they were completely intimate has now completely alienated them from everyone. By touching, they are suddenly brought together. Dimmesdale learns about Chillingworth, and this is a vital revelation. He now “knows” his enemy, and later will discover how to destroy him, but in the mean time the two decide to run away. Dimmesdale had previously been creating a second life, running away from his sin, and now he is taking it to the max, by actually giving up his old life entirely. Momentarily, his world is happy and flooded with sunshine as they are alone in the forest. But Dimmesdale is still not completely truthful with himself. He wants Pearl to love him, but at the same time hopes no one recognizes his features in her.

Dimmesdale’s rampage
Basically, Dimmesdale is full of sin, and he is angry, and tom and adam think I am taking too long so I ll just say that, that’s all.

-But he goes home and burns his old sermon and writes a new one.

Dimmesdale confesses
First, he is full of energy because he is now honest with himself, but he gets weak because he is about to die. He sees Hester and Pearl, and goes up to the scaffolding, fulfilling Pearl’s words. He ignores Chillingworth, triumphing over the devil and finally confesses. With nothing left to do he dies. That’s it. Game Over.