Dimmesdale's Dilemma

          We all know the feeling of guilt. It festers in our conscience until it begins to wear away the soul and human encasing it. All throughout the Scarlet Letter we see the deterioration of Dimmesdale, a highly respected minister in the Puritan village. He begins as a confident man who helps others with their sins, but by chapter sixteen he is described as " having a listlessness in his gait as if he saw no reason for taking one step further, nor felt any desire to do so, but would have been glad, could he be glad of anything, to fling himself down at the root of the nearest tree, and lie there passive, forevermore"(Hawthorne 185).  He lets the guilt of his adultery eat him inside, leading to a sorrowful dilemma; if he confesses he faces great shame and possibly death, but if he remains silent he will most likely turn insane.  The fact that Dimmesdale is a respected man of God puts him in an even more treacherous situation.  If people realize that even the most religious man in their town has committed a sin, then the laws of God will be questioned. People will begin to think that committing adultery is okay in the eyes of God because Dimmesdale has done it.

            Dimmesdale has almost accepted the fact that not telling the world his sin is punishment enough.  The ugliness of his sin is portrayed through his physical appearance hinting at the secret buried in the chambers of his mind.  By not publicly telling his sin he may also be protecting the townspeople.  He is their most trusted Minister and without his kindness and wisdom many will be upset.  This raises the question, is Dimmesdale being selfless by not relying his sin to the town or is he a coward for not joining Hester and Pearl upon the scaffold?