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A Comparison and Contrast In Both A's Worn By Hester and
Dimmesdale
The two A's worn in the novel by both Hester and Dimmesdale
are
dramatically different, yet they are born and made by the
same
identical sins.
These letters are also differentiated by the infinitely
changing
emotional state
and physical well being of the character, the towns views of
morality
and
natural order, and the affecting environment. The two sins of
most
importance
in the novel and that serve the greatest beneficiality in
the
appearance of the
A's are--of course-- adultery and hypocrisy.
The separation in the appearance of both of the A's begins
with
each
characters own personal interpretation of the extremity of their
sins.
Where
Hester's A is beautiful and artistically done
("fantasticallyembroidered and
illuminated upon her bosom; pg.37) her interpretation of the
extremity
of her
sins is one of self composure and nonchalantness. She views her
sins
solely as
a "violation in the natural order" of the environment and
therefore
cannot even
perceive her sin as being evil except through outside
brainwashing.
While
Dimmesdale's personal interpretation as to the extremity of his
own
sins is a
"violation of God's law," which is the law that he is totally
dedicated
to and
supported by. Dimmesdale's interpretation of his sin is much
more
severe than
Hester's, it is a breach and direct contradiction of his own
self
consciousness
and physical existence. Therefore the appearance of his A, even
though
it is
never directly described in the novel, must be raw, jagged,
and
brutally crooked
(...a ghastly rapture; pg.95). Maybe Dimmesdale's self torture
is so
horrifying
or inconceivable that it is either indescribable, (...too mighty
to be
expressed
only by the eye of his figure; pg.95), or best left up to the
reader's
imagination. Unlike Hester, Dimmesdale, because of self
interpretation,cannot
in any way conceive his sins of being anything but evil.
Although the appearance of the A's are proportional to the
interpretation by each character; also the appearance of the A's
is
directly
correlated between the consequences each character receives
because of
their
sins, both Hester's and Dimmesdale's punishment is introduced
through a
new
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character and some sort of isolation. The new character's are a
form of
abstract contrasting where each new character is an extension of
the
sinner's
"A" itself. Where as Chillingworth is a doubled extension of
Dimmesdale's
consciousness; Pearl is a contrast to Hester's creativity,
patience, and
composure. Dimmesdale's punishment through Chillingworth is one
of
mental
bombardment and spiritual torture which supports the theory
that
Dimmesdale's A
must be horrifically putrid and indescribable. Pearl's
punishment
towards
Hester is one of irritation that attempts to counter balance
Hester's
everlasting patience and composure. Because Hester does not let
her
irritation
get to her and remains constantly tranquil, the A that she wears
(ie.
the
extension of the A she bears) is as beautiful and natural as she
is.
So the A's worn in the novel, even though from the same
origin,
are the
exact antithesis of each other separated by personal
interpretation andindividual consequences. Where one character's
beauty and open
mindedness to
her crime and punishment makes her A and her punishment (Pearl)
natural
and
beautiful. While the other character's torture and self hatred
of
himself and
his crime make the burden that he carries much more heavy.
Dimmesdale's
A and
the extension to his A (Chillingworth) are ugly, and brutal.
