The Scarlett Letter

The strict moral values that ruled the Puritan society were the cause of more misery, and contributed more to the downfall of that way of life than any other factor. The perfection the Puritans were seeking was impossible to obtain. No man can conceal his sin from the public without getting confused about what is the honest truth. This is the plight of Reverend Dimmesdale, Doctor Chillingworth, and Hester Prynne, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.
The townspeople perceive Reverend Dimmesdale as a living example of moral perfection that should be emulated throughout their Puritan colony. Dimmesdale’s role in town, coupled with the interference of Doctor Chillingworth, makes it impossible for Dimmesdale to lay his burden down. The reverend is plagued by his lingering obsession with his crime of passion. Dimmesdale falls through an intricate spiral that leads to insanity, with only death granting a relief from his torture. By the reverend’s refusal to confess ...