There are strict religious rules in the Puritan society, with the strong belief that all good comes from God and all bad comes from the devil. Despite the fact that they fled Europe to avoid persecution, the Puritans managed to come to the new world and do the same thing with their harsh condemnation of sin. Nathaniel Hawthorne presents this in his novel, The Scarlet Letter, through protagonists Hester Prynne, the now infamous adulterer, and Dimmesdale, the young minister who helps Hester gain her title. The love fair they engage in is the greatest sin in the Puritan society. Hester is immediately convicted, their child providing undeniable evidence, but Dimmesdale stays quiet about his sin leaving Hester to take the fall by herself and the reader to characterize him as the ultimate coward.
Dimmesdale’s reluctance to confess his sins regardless of the numerous opportunities he gets to do so proves him to be a coward. Dimmesdale is scared of the repercussions his actions will cause and is not brave enough to face them. Instead while Hester serves her punishment he urges her to “out the name of thy fellow-sinner,” because he is too afraid to do so himself. Eventually Dimmesdale is so…show more content… Once it is revealed that Chillingworth is plotting against Dimmesdale, Dimmesdale does nothing to confront Chillingworth and instead becomes frantic. Hester even asks, “wilt thou die for very weakness?” revealing even she views him as weak which is not far from Chillingworth’s perception of Dimmesdale’s “spirit lack[ing] the strength.” When Hester reveals that Chillingworth is deceptive, Hawthorne creates a tone of distress through Dimmesdale’s response. He says, “think for me” and “resolve for me” showing how Dimmesdale is helpless and desperate. He is cowardly for relying on Hester to save him despite the fact that he lets her suffer the pain of their sin
