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September 13, 2005
Cheap Escape
Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter (Ch 8-13) -- American Literature, 1800-1915 (EL 266)
""True; there are such men," answered Mr. Dimmesdale. "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. So, to their own unutterable torment, they go about among their fellow-creatures, looking pure as new-fallen snow while their hearts are all speckled and spotted with iniquity of which they cannot rid themselves."" (137)
This passage caught my eye when reading. I was drawn to the way Hawthorne seemed to do some foreshadowing. I read this and things instantly clicked. I realized that Dimmesdale was in fact Pearl's father and that he was feeling the severe guilt associated with his family's fate. Hester was so determined not to reveal the truth, but it seems like Dimmesdale is bursting at the seams! He feels horrible. Hawthorne showed this again when he screamed out in the night in the town square. He's miserable, yet, he is not ready to confess his sins to his peers. He tells Pearl he will stand with them on judgment day. I think this is a cheap way out. If he honestly feels that horrible, he should address that. Then again, as I sit and wonder what I would do in such a situation (feeling guilty for someone else being ostracized for a mutual sin, not committing adultery), I really don't know how I would handle it. If it was something small, I'm sure I would help someone. I am also trying to imagine Hester's feelings. She is protecting him from the community hatred. He states that he has a reason for her not to tell, but I did not encounter it quite yet.
Posted by MeredithHarber at September 13, 2005 11:47 PM
Comments
I just blogged something similar to this, and the passage I chose is actually right before the one you did.
I agree, this passage is definitely a turning point, as it makes the reader--and as I said in my blog, probably Chillingworth--realize the terrible sin Dimmesdale has committed.
Posted by: Valerie Masciarelli at September 14, 2005 12:41 AM
ahh... the great question... would you or would you not tell the truth? I can completly understand where Hester is coming from AND where dimmsworth is coming from...
do you think that maybe the reason they do not reveal the truth is for the well-being of the child?
Posted by: Leah Davis at September 14, 2005 08:33 PM
I really don't know if I would tell the truth. I'd like to think I would, but who knows? Somehow, I think they're protecting themselves more than Pearl. Dimmesdale is quite concerned with his personal appearance. Hester could be concerned with Pearl, but at this point, I don't think it would honestly harm Pearl to know who her father is. Any other thoughts?
Posted by: Meredith Harber at September 15, 2005 06:25 PM