Puritan Values in Dimmesdale from "Scarlet Letter"
Puritan Values in Dimmesdale from "Scarlet Letter"
In the book The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne tells the story of the adultery of Hester Prynne. In developing his story, he uses many images to give his characters depth and to help explain the plot. Many of these images are religious and natural ones that undermine Puritan ideals. Hawthorne uses these images to show his dislike for the austerity of the religion.
To undercut the Puritan religion, Hawthorne uses many religious images. Early in the novel, he describes Hester and her baby as "... this beautiful woman, so picturesque in her attire and mien, and with the infant at her bosom, an object to remind him of the image of the Divine Maternity" (pg. 53). The Divine Maternity refers to the birth of Jesus by the Virgin Mary. The Puritans feel that because of her unfaithfulness, Hester is someone to scorn and look down upon. By comparing her to the Virgin Mary, Hawthorne shows that, despite her sin, Hester really is a good and holy person.
A little later in the book, Mistress Prynne, concerning Roger Chillingworth, says, " Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us" (pg. 71-72). The Black Man is another name for the Devil's messenger or the Devil himself. The Puritans believe that Roger Chillingworth is a good man, there helping the Reverend Dimmesdale restore to his former good health. This image shows instead that Chillingworth has darker and more evil intentions than the facade observed by the village. Roger is there to torment the Reverend for his sin. Also, later in the story, a man observing Roger "... would have no need to ask how Satan comports himself when a precious human soul is lost to heaven, and won to his kingdom" (pg. 127). This passage also shows the wickedness of Chillingworth's character that is not observed by the Puritans.
About halfway through the book, Hawthorne says that Dimmesdale's fellow clergymen lacked "... the gift that descended upon the chosen disciples at Pentecost" (pg. 130). The gift refers to the Holy Spirit. The Puritans believed that their clergymen were the most holy, having spent many years acquiring knowledge of their faith and being spoken to by God. Hawthorne undermines them by saying that despite all their knowledge, they lack the most important thing needed by a reverend, the gift of the...