Cowardice

A detailed Summary of Cowardice

A Life Sentence in Cowardice: Arthur Dimmesdale's Secret Conflict

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, behavior is centered around a rigid

Puritan society that leads to great consequences in the lives of Hester Prynne and Arthur

Dimmesdale. Their act of adultery greatly effects their lives and its result greatly alters

their presence in the community. Hester handles her situation with as much dignity and

pride as possible while Dimmesdale, the minister, acts in a different and cowardly

manner. Hester openly confesses her sin and bears the punishment, while Dimmesdale

does not even contain the strength to confess and tolerate the results that could be thrust

upon him. Arthur Dimmesdale's inability to confess is strictly due to his fear of

confrontation thus characterizing him as a coward.

The fact that Dimmesdale does not publicly acknowledge or reveal his sin only

contributes in denouncing himself as well as his courage. His lack of a confession solely

results in the loss of power, self-esteem, and dignity. His great lack of inner strength is

easily grasped due to the lies he preaches every we

to deal with the fact that he has broken the mold. Dimmesdale is aware that he has to still

"the wondrous strength and generosity of a woman's heart!" (Hawthorne 69) rather than

knowledge that if he does, he will have a chance of forgiveness from God. His confession

well-respected minister has been a part of a great sin.

quantities of dread and fear within, digging Dimmesdale farther into a hole of shame and

goodness, yet he himself does not abide these simple laws of the Puritan lifestyle. The

Dimmesdale only exposes his cowardice to his community and denounces his position,

and in the manner in which he avoids confrontation. He spreads the word of holiness and

power than himself, for degrading her would be extremely hypocritical for a man in his

- seven years of silence and sinning, seven years of inflicting pain and torture. Once he

only to himself, but to his congregation as well. The fact that he his held above the rest in

Approximate Word count = 749
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous

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