Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" Character Analysis of Arthur Dimmesdale

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, provides us with intricate characters to analyze and evaluate. Hawthorne carefully constructs his characters, giving them each different emotions, values, physical attributes, and thus creating different souls. One sees character development throughout the book, until at the end, one is left with an image of a seemingly 'real' person. One of Hawthorne's carefully constructed characters is, Arthur Dimmesdale. With Arthur, one sees how sin changes him dramatically, causing in him …

…used his weakness to its advantage. Hawthorne allowed Chillingworth to toy with Dimmesdale. Hawthorne allowed Hester to be Dimmesdale's support. Hawthorne allowed the people to influence Dimmesdale. Hawthorne allowed Dimmesdale to become, as people today would call it, a follower and not a leader. Dimmesdale added character and flavor to this novel. With him, one feels pity, anger, and frustration. The character of Dimmesdale is excellently constructed through the actions and words that Hawthorne writes.