Analysis of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay Example

The plot of “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is structured and brought together by a specific recurring event.  This is the event of the main characters standing upon the scaffold at the beginning, middle, and end of the novel.  Although similar in setting, each occurrence has a specific meaning and contributes to the evolution of the plot in its own unique way.  

The first instance of this is at the very beginning of the novel when Hester Prynne is with baby Pearl on the scaffold to be publicly humiliated and questioned by Reverend Dimmesdale.  The text says, “But in their great mercy and tenderness of heart, they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and then thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom” (Hawthorne, 53).  In this scene, it is revealed that Hester must wear the scarlet letter for the rest of her life.  Because this is revealed to the reader, the author has established the base of the structure for the entire novel.  In this first scaffold scene, Hester and Pearl are alone, which differs from the later two scenes.  The appearance of other characters standing upon the scaffold with Hester is foreshadowed by the quote, “‘...It irks me, nevertheless, that the partner of her iniquity should not, at least, stand on the scaffold by her side…’”(53).  This scene enables a transition into the plot and an understanding of what is to come in the story.

The second scaffold scene is vastly different than the first, but still shares some of the same aspects.  Hester and Pearl are still present in this scene but Mr. Dimmesdale appears on the scaffold this time and this scene is built around him.  Dimmesdale says, “Ye have both been here before, but I was not with you.  Come up hither once again, and we will stand all three together” (121).  This occurs after the reader has discovered that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl, so this scene explains to the reader that he feels guilty and feels that he should have been there with Hester and Pearl in the first scene mentioned.  This is his way of sharing the shame that Hester and Pearl have been subjected to over the course of the novel.  This differs from the first scene where Dimmesdale is hiding his guilt and his secret and putting all of it on Hester when he is questioning her.  While all three of these characters were standing together and holding hands, Pearl asks if Dimmesdale will hold their hands during the day when people could see and he says, “‘Not so my child.  I shall, indeed, stand with thy mother and thee one other day, but not to-morrow’” (121)!  This shows that Dimmesdale is still afraid to tell the public the truth which gives the reader anticipation for the remainder of the novel and the plot.

The third and final scaffold scene occurs at the very end of the novel after Dimmesdale gives his sermon and is walking in the parade.  He finally wants to come clean of his sins and tell the townspeople the truth about Hester, Pearl, and himself.  Dimmesdale calls out to Hester and Pearl, even though he was advised to keep his secret, and says, “‘Come, Hester, come!  Support me up yonder scaffold’” (196)!  He is no longer afraid of the truth and wishes to be free of his guilt and shame.  In the second scene, Dimmesdale was still trying to keep his secret but now he wants everyone to know what truly happened.  He says, “‘...ye that have loved me!- ye, that have deemed me holy!- behold me here, the one sinner of the world!  At last- at last!- I stand upon the spot where, seven years since, I should have stood…’”(197).  He still feels that he should have been with Hester and Pearl in the first scene, but the difference is that now he is finally admitting it to the public.  Dimmesdale needed the town to know his truth before he died.  This confession was his dying words which shows that over time, throughout the plot the guilt and shame along with his illness was slowly killing him.  This scene brings the structure of the story full circle and finally lifts the weight of sin and secrecy off of both Dimmesdale and Hester’s shoulders.  

Throughout the progression of “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the recurrence of the scaffold scenes play a major role in developing the structure of the novel.  Each one of the three scenes contributes its own independent and unique part in the plot.  In the first scaffold scene, Hester is being publicly shamed with Pearl and Dimmesdale is questioning her and keeping his secret.  The second scene shows dimmesdale feeling guilty for his actions in the first scene but still not being fully ready to come forward about the situation.  In the last scene on the scaffold, both Hester and Dimmesdale are present and telling the townspeople the truth.  Each scene, though same in setting, are very different and each have a specific effect on the plot and structure of the story.