Character Analysis Of The Scar :: essays research papers

Most people believe that there exists at least one person in the world who matches their personality exactly. Others believe that for every person there is an exact opposite or an evil twin so to speak. In the case of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, they fall somewhere in between these two definitions. Both were sinners, and yet the people glorified Dimmesdale and cast Hester away, only because they were misinformed. Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale are, at first glance totally different, however upon closer inspection, they become increasingly more similar. Lifestyle is a trait everyone shares, however the trait itself can vary from person to person. Hester lived a life of exile and seclusion. The townspeople no longer wanted her. She was representative of sin and for that she had to be â€Å"cleansed† from the great Puritan body that was Boston. Dimmesdale, however, lived the life of a hero. He was, in the opinion of the people, the closest thing anyone of them had to God. He was often showered with praise and loved by the community. They did lead similar lifestyles, in the respect that they were both living a life based on keeping secrets. Hester was keeping secret the fact that Chillingworth was her husband. Chillingworth was trying to learn the identity of Pearl’s father â€Å"under the semblance of a friend and helper, and had availed himself of the opportunities thus afford to tapering with the delicate springs or Mr. Dimmsdale’s nature" (Hawthorne 173). Dimmesdale kept secret the fact that he was Pearl’s father and Hester’s â€Å"accomplice in sin†. Keeping the secret began to degrade Dimmesdale’s health, however even at his weakest, Dimmsdale’s secret was not revealed to the public (Hawthorne 285). All people share character traits, however much like lifestyle, the traits themselves can be as varied as the colors of the rainbow. In Hester’s case, her main character trait was her submission to the punishment of the â€Å"A†, however through this submission, she became strong. After seven years of abuse, she learned to live with the shame. She wore the â€Å"A† even after there was general acceptance of her in the colony. She also became caring. She made clothes for many people and always helped the needy. Dimmesdale begins the story as a hypocritical being, and he remains so until the end of the book. He engaged in the very same sin as Hester, but he makes her the topic of every sermon, and preaches to her about the wrongnesses of evil.