Chapter 23 and 24
“Yes; their minister whom they so loved- and who so loved them all, that he could not depart heavenward without a sigh- had the foreboding of untimely death upon him, and would soon leave them in their tears” (222)!
All hope for Dimmesdale leaving the town with Hester is lost. Escaping to Europe will not free Dimmesdale from his guilt. Regardless of where he is, God will always be watching him. Unless he repents for his sins he will never be forgiven. After giving the best sermon of his life, in which he inspired and influenced all the townspeople, Dimmesdale feels obligated to tell the truth. His sermon which, “was his mission to foretell a high and glorious destiny for the newly gathered people of the Lord” (222), cannot be based on a lie. Everyone knew Dimmesdale’s death was approaching; however, they never imagined it would happen the way it did.
“Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred” (231)!
The most important lesson we learn from Dimmesdale’s tragic experience is to always tell the truth. Dimmesdale’s failure to confess caused him to suffer so much, it cost him his life. Through wearing the scarlet letter, Hester’s sin was visible to anyone who saw her. She was confessing everyday. Although she suffered, she felt less guilt then Dimmesdale. If everyone knows your worst, you can only get better. Hester changed the meaning of the letter A, from Adulterous to Able. Hester was able to comfort and console all other sinners. Dimmesdale’s attempts to confess failed and made him appear saint like. The people's respect for him, caused him even more pain. If Dimmesdale had been honest from the beginning he would have saved his life.
Ethereal: Light, airy, or tenuous; Extremely delicate or refined; Heavenly or celestial; Of or pertaining to the upper regions of space (dictionary.com)
"The angel and apostle of the coming revelation must be a woman indeed, but lofty pure, and beautiful; and wise, moreover, not through dusky grief, but the ethereal medium of joy; and showing how sacred love should make us happy, by the truest test of a life successful to such an end" (235)!
Countenance: appearance, especially the look or expression of the face (dictionary.com)
"Old Roger Chillingworth knelt down beside him, with a black, dull countenance, out of which the life seemed to have departed" (228).
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