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Zarina Dominguez
Ms. Fay
AP Language and Composition
13 December 2021
Reverend Dimmesdale: The Biggest Sinner of Them All
In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, sin is defined as going against
God deliberately. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is the man Hester has an affair with, and is the
father of their daughter, Pearl. Throughout the book, Hawthorne produces and develops the sin
of adultery and its play in the novel through Dimmesdale's actions. Dimmesdale is the worst
sinner of them all because he hides behind Hester to avoid and shield his part in the sin they
share, and he doesn’t take responsibility for his own actions.
When Dimmesdale hid behind Hester and let her take all the blame for both of them
regarding their sin, he shows his true colors as a coward. In chapter 3, he says to the
townspeople, “If thou feelest it to be for thy souls’ peace, and that thy earthly punishment will
thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellowsinner and fellow-sufferer!” (Hawthorne 56). He says this openly, which to the townspeople
seems trustworthy for two reasons. One, is because he is not only a member of the church, but is
a reverend. People who worked for the church were known, and still are known, to be the holiest
of people. Holy people don’t sin, so why would he? Two, is because lying is a big sin in
Puritanism. If lying was such a big sin, why would anyone intentionally disobey God, especially
a member of the church? Dimmesdale knew what he did was wrong, but had not tried to repent
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or ask for forgiveness. The only way he would be cleansed would be if he admitted publicly what
he had done, and he avoided it every chance he could.
Dimmesdale also lacks responsibility for not only his own sin, but Hester’s and
Chillingworth’s sin as well. By not owning up to his part in bringing Pearl to this world, and by
neglecting her as her father, he causes a chain reaction of sins between Chillingworth and Hester.
In chapter 17, when he is talking to Hester privately, he proclaims, “Happy, are you, Hester, that
wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!” (Hawthorne 222). While
reading this quote, his tone comes across as jealousy or envy, as well as anger. Hester had to live
with her sin, and even learned to embrace it by adorning her scarlet A with beautiful gold trim,
and it became a part of who she was, in a way. However, Dimmesdale chose not to profess his
sin and cleanse himself, which was ultimately the fault for his demise into chaos and madness.
He thought he could run from it and forget it ever happened, even though he planned to run away
with Hester and Pearl, the cause of his own sin. Hester had that same choice earlier in the novel
to run away and forget everything, or live on the outskirts of town and remain shunned by the
townspeople. The major difference between Hester and Dimmesdale however, is their level of
peace and ownership. Hester lived on the outskirts and was at peace even if she was unhappy,
but Dimmesdale was both unhappy and unpeaceful living with his sin guiltily.
To the Puritans, God was their Savior, and they looked to him for guidance and
assistance. He told them that you should never lie, and if you do, say the truth and be cleansed of
it, and you will have a fresh start. Dimmesdale did neither of those things however. Instead, he
chose to ignore his sin and avoid it by masking himself, and by not taking control of his own
actions. Due to the culmination of all he has not done, he is the biggest sinner out of between the
3 of them.