Hester Prynne Love In Scarlet Letter

Words: 1816
Pages: 8

Love is a very powerful emotion and the love between major characters in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter has a profound effect on these people throughout the novel.The way these characters deal with the aspect of love reveals their differing personalities. Hester Prynne is very headstrong proud, and honest woman. Yet she has one weakness, love. Hester is so passionate about the love she feels for Arthur Dimmesdale that she is is willing to walk through fire if it means he will be safe. When emerging from the prison, Hester is described as “...tall, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale. She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with gleam…” (Hawthorne, 35). A picture of beauty, looking …show more content…
He feels love towards Hester, yet is not strong enough to express it due to the conflicting love he feels with his religion which is what keeps him from admitting his sin. When first introduced, it was said that “there was an air about this young minister,-an apprehensive, a startled, a half- frightened look, - as of being who felt himself quite astray, and at a loss in the pathway of human existence, and can only be an ease in some seclusion of its own,” (Hawthorne, 44). Dimmesdale, unlike his secret lover, cares greatly what others think of him. He acts in such a manner that almost makes him seem odd because he does not want to be ridiculed by the people he speaks to about his love for religion. being in such a naive state, Dimmesdale is easily influenced by Chillingworth and begins to greatly consider telling the truth. The confliction he feels between who he loves and what he does is worsened by Chillingworth’s input. Dimmesdale is not mentally strong enough to deal with this problem and “In Reverend Dimmesdale’s secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge. Oftentimes, this protestant and Puritan divine had piled it on his own shoulders…”(96). Dimmesdale is not rational in his current state so he decides that torturing himself is the only way he can attempt to get rid of the immense guilt he feels. Once reconnected with Hester, she …show more content…
Hester, a very headstrong and proud woman, cannot shake off the immense love she feels towards Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale is a very unsure man who cannot quite make a decision for himself, he needs constant reassurance. Chillingworth is very passionate and so determined that his whole life was dedicated to evil and investigation, leaving no room for anything else. Despite differing traits, all of these characters have a weakness for love, the difference in how they handle this is based on their mindsets and personality traits, both important and varying aspects of every human