3.2 Arthur Dimmesdale
In giving the portrait of Arthur Dimmesdale, the writer proves that Hawthorne reveals his greats psychological penetration and insight. Hester is
comparatively simpler natures. She is a romantic woman believing in complete freedom for the individual and in the individuals unlimited right to find his own
happiness. But Dimesdale has a complex mind, and it demands a vast knowledge of the intricacies of human nature to be able to portray such a mind. Dimmesdale
is oppressed by the weight of his crime. He suffers an agony of remorse. But he does not have the courage to make a public confession of his guilt. He does not
wish to tarnish the noble image which the public has of him. Therefore, this man may be called rightly as “remorseful hypocrite”. The writer analyzes that this man
can have climbed to the highest peak of sanctity, if he has not constantly been haunted by a deepsense of guilt. The public considers him to be a “miracle of
holliness”. But public veneration serves merely to enhance his agony, as quotation written below “It is inconceivable, the agony with which this pulic veneration
tortured him” Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1993, p.139. Dimmesdale know8 that even in thus speaking the truth about his
sinfulness, he has been uttering a false hood, and he leathes himself for this hypocristy. He undergoes a teriible penance in private. He keeps vigils, and fasts,
night after night, he even flogie and scouragee himself till blood oozes out of his body. He sees halusinations, sometimes a herd of diabolic shapes and sometimes a
group ofshining angels. But he has no enough courage to confess his guilty openly. Once again, in depicting the mind of conscience- stricken hypocritical,
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and cowardly individual the writer proves that Hawthorne shows himself as a true psychologist.
The pricks and pangs of the conscience compel Dimmesdale one night to go and stand upon the scaffold where once stood in her punishment. That was 7
years ago. However, since Dimmesdale is not a courrageous man, he goes toward the scaffold at night time, when no one can see him.
Why, then, had he come hither? was it but the mockery of panitence? A mockery, indeed, but in which soul trifled
with it self A mockery to which angels blushed and wept, while fiend rejoiced, with jeering laughter.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1993, p.144 It is his deep sense of remorse that Arthur dares to stand upon the scaffold.
The scaffold actually is symbolic of public disgrace because Hester was made to stand there once. But he is a coward in the sence that the doe8 not have any
sufficient courage to make a public confession. It is in this show expatiation” Nathaniel Hawthorrne, 1993, p.144 that Dimmesdale stands upon scaffold. He
overcomes a great honor of the consequences of this shame becoming public. In this sense, the writer deems that readers the mixed up feelings of the strifetorn
soul of minister. It is the haunting sense of guilt, the desire to confess, the fear of the consequences of the confession, the anxiety to keep his public image intact the
impulse to shriek and this attract attention, and so forth. The circumtances in which the minister experiences his fally, by areeing to
Heeters plan of escape from Boston to the free atmosphere of Europe, is also psychologically portrayed by the Arthir. The minister, has no power to result the
temptation. His succum being to temptation here is psychologically quite
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convincing. Hesters plan opens out a new possibility for him and Hester will give the support which he needs to carry out tha plan. He returns from his interview
with her in a light mood. The excitement of Mr. Dimmesdales feelings as he returned
from his interview with Hester lent him unaccustomed physical energy, and hurried him townward at a rapidface.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1993, p.211
The descriptiom of the ministers impluse to utter profanities and obecinities as subconcious mind is a masterpiece of psychological writing which
shows a Freudian knowledge before he framed his theories. ……..it was only by the most careful self— control that
the former could refrain from uttering certain blasphemous suggestions that rose into his mine, respecting the
communication supper. Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1993, p.213—241
Indeed, the writer still wonders how Hawthorne can show so much
understanding of human psychology before the science of psychology has made the progress which it has made in the twentieth century.
Dimmesdales decision to make the public confession must have come after a conflict of the most acute and agonizing kind. It is an exceptional degree of
sensitivy and with a most delicate consience to serve to the opposite extrema and make a public disclosure of the onfamous deed committed by him. The analysis of
such a conflict has proved a very interreting opportunity for a di8play of psychological sweep and depth. The writer believes that Hawthorne de8ists from
further exercising his extra ordinary psychological power.
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3.3 Roger Chillingworht
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