Essay on character changes in the Scarlet Letter Approx: 2.5 pages

The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne shows how character changes over the course of the novel relate to the novel's themes. A character who goes through significant change in The Scarlet Letter is the minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale's actions in the novel support the themes of fear and secrecy . Arthur Dimmesdale's biggest sin was committing adultery with Hester Prynne. This made him the father of Pearl, Hester's daughter. Although, for seven years he has …

…changes Dimmesdale went through were the results of his fear and his secrecy. These were major themes in the novel. The changes he went through were increased fear and suffering caused by the people around him. Dimmesdale feared the consequences of his sins. He stressed the importance of secrecy because he did not want his sin revealed, resulting in him being punished. Dimmesdale's character changes played an important role in the themes of the novel.