Sample Literary Analysis
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Topic Sentence
Text Evidence
Analysis
One body paragraph from an essay analyzing the suffering of the three main characters of The
Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne:
Arthur Dimmesdale is by far one of the most misunderstood characters in all of American
literature as he is often perceived as completely selfish when in reality he is motivated by his
concern for the welfare of his parishioners. Because he hides his identity as Pearl’s father, most
readers at first see him as thinking only of his own well-being. He allows Hester to shoulder the
burden of their adulterous act alone. It appears that he wants to protect his reputation, living a
comfortable life in the high praise of his flock. With this surface understanding of his character,
it is easy to despise him. Not until Dimmesdale, hidden in the seclusion of the forest with Hester,
confesses his sincere concern for the fragile souls of his followers is the reader able to begin to
understand the depth of his motives. His true fear is for the salvation of the souls for which he
has undertaken to protect and lead to God. He is afraid that if he shows his human weakness that
they in turn will turn to sin and suffer in everlasting damnation. The final confirmation of
Dimmesdale’s selflessness presents itself when he reveals his self-flagellation to the community.
The scars on his back from the daily flogging combined with his branding of the letter A upon
his chest are evidence of the internal conflict he suffers every day as he yearns to confess his sins
and accept his punishment as Hester does. Although Hester suffers a great deal of personal pain
and humiliation because of her public shame and shunning, Dimmesdale’s silent suffering
outweighs hers because he has to endure the agony of his own torture in addition to the more
subtle needling of Roger Chillingworth over a span of many years. A deeper look into Arthur
Dimmesdale’s experiences reveals his true nature, that of a miserable, repentant man.