What actions does Dimmesdale take to punish himself?
To relieve his guilt, Dimmesdale punishes himself in several ways. He goes without food and sleep for long periods of time, and he also whips himself on his back, causing cuts and bleeding. These attempts to atone for his sins do not work.
What is Dimmesdale’s secret?
Dimmesdale’s secret closet was a bloody whip. This Puritan had often whipped himself with it, laughing bitterly while he did, and then beating himself more brutally for his bitter laughter.
What happens in chapter 10 of the scarlet letter?
Summary—Chapter 10: The Leech and His Patient The doctor relentlessly and mercilessly seeks to find the root of his patient’s condition. Chillingworth shows great persistence in inquiring into the most private details of Dimmesdale’s life, but Dimmesdale has grown suspicious of all men and will confide in no one.
Are Hester and Dimmesdale in love?
Throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, us readers are led to believe that Dimmesdale did not truly love Hester because of the way that he had been treating her.
Why does Chillingworth hate Dimmesdale?
Chillingworth hates Dimmesdale. Yet his thirst for revenge means that he can never be free of Dimmesdale. So bound up is he in Dimmesdale that he eventually moves in with him, in the guise of caring for him as the kindly physician. They are so connected that Chillingworth dies less than a year after Dimmesdale.
Why is Chillingworth called a leech?
Roger Chillingworth is called “the leech” because he sucks the spirit and strength from Reverend Dimmesdale the way the aquatic leech exploits and often kills its host. He pretends to be a caring physician, but he extorts favors from the clergyman to serve his own selfish need to be near Hester, his legal wife.
What do Chillingworth and Dimmesdale discuss in Chapter 10?
Most of Chapter 10 concerns the pulling and tugging by Chillingworth at the heart and soul of Dimmesdale. One day in Chillingworth’s study, they are interrupted in their earnest discussion by Pearl and Hester’s voices outside in the graveyard.
What is Hester coming to realize is the true sin?
What is Hester coming to realize is the true sin she has committed? Her true sin was marrying Chillingsworth out of convenience and not love. What does Hester realize about her “repentance”? She realizes her repentance can never be complete until Pearl knows who she is.
Is Chillingworth sin worse than Dimmesdale?
Consumed by his sin, he is permanently altered into an evil spirit for the acts of vengeance he has pursued. This condemnation Hawthorne describes expresses without a doubt to the reader that Chillingworth’s sin is far worse than that of the remorseful and solemn Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale.
Who is Hester Prynne’s lover?
Arthur Dimmesdale
How did Dimmesdale get the A on his chest?
He discovers that Dimmesdale, out of the guilt and sadness he feels from what occurs with Hester, has carved a letter “A” on his chest. This act of self-mutilation is essentially his own way to “share” the pain of Hester’s humiliation.
What do the townspeople think of Dimmesdale?
The majority of townspeople therefore believe that what lies behind Dimmesdale is his own unceasing labours as their priest, and that he is so committed to godly acts and study that he is not looking after himself as he should.
Does Dimmesdale show any remorse for his actions?
Mr. Dimmesdale’s ever present guilt and boundless penance cause him an ongoing mental struggle of remorse and his conscience as well as deep physical pain from deprivation and self inflicted wounds.
Is the scarlet letter A romance discuss?
In combining realistic and imaginative elements to tell a moving and dreamlike story, The Scarlet Letter is an example of the romance genre.
What was Henry David Thoreau’s most important work?
Published in 1854, Walden is Thoreau’s most famous book and many would argue is his best. The book is about the virtues of simple living and self-sufficiency in a modern world and was inspired by the two years Thoreau spent living in a small cabin at the edge of Walden Pond in the 1840s.
How is the scarlet letter A psychological romance?
Finally, The Scarlet Letter is a psychological romance. Hawthorne proposes to study the effects of sin on the lives of his characters. Doubt and self-torture provide psychological shadows in the character of Dimmesdale. Rebellion and defiance in the face of repressive laws can be seen in his heroine, Hester Prynne.
How does Hester evolve through the course of the story?
Through the course of the novel, it appears that Hester changes from an arrogant, unremorseful woman to a much kinder and helpful, repentant woman. In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, we see Hester being punished publicly for the sin she has committed with Arthur Dimmesdale.
Why does Dimmesdale reject Chillingworth’s offer of help?
Why does Dimmesdale reject Chillingworth’s offer of help? Dimmesdale believes his condition to be spiritual and therefore no earthly doctor can help. He felt guilty for continually turning away an offer for help and possibly didn’t want Chillingworth to become more suspicious, so he accepted his help.
What is Henry David Thoreau known for?
American essayist, poet, and practical philosopher Henry David Thoreau is renowned for having lived the doctrines of Transcendentalism as recorded in his masterwork, Walden (1854). He was also an advocate of civil liberties, as evidenced in the essay “Civil Disobedience” (1849).
What has become of Dimmesdale’s attitude toward Chillingworth?
What has become of Dimmesdale’s attitude toward Chillingworth? Dimmesdale regards Chillingworth with distrust and even loathing, but because he can assign no rational basis to his feelings, he dismisses them and continues to suffer. His suffering inspires him to deliver powerful sermons focusing on the topic of sin.