Mysterious Death of Dimmesdale Essay

One could declare that Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is toxicanted, or that he merely died of guilty conscience. In the reddened Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Reverend Dimmesdale commits adultery with Hester Prynne, and so she bears a child. Dimmesdale does not charter his sin to the people in the community of interests. Keeping the sin a hole-and-corner(a) for as want as he does creates guilt and suffering which manifests in him until his dying. Chillingworth is Hesters husband who is symbolizationic of a leech because he lives absent of Dimmesdale for a host do Dimmesdales life miserable in order to retaliate. Dr. Kahn suggests that Chillingworth poisoned Dimmesdale everywhere a vast period of time thither were references to bitter Nightshade, and shows symptoms of the use of Atropine. Atropine is a drug that comes from a plant called Deadly Nightshade, or Belladonna (F straining-weather). Poisonous plants and symptoms are arguable reasons for Dimmesdales ending by Dr. Kahn. However, Dr. Kahns theory that Dimmesdale is poisoned by atropine is false, and Dimmesdales death is caused by a protract depression brought on by guilt.Dr. Kahn suggests that Reverend Dimmesdales death is because Chillingworth has been tipsiness him with Atropine in small amounts for a very long time. Dimmesdales symptoms developed over a prolonged period, indicating that they are in all probability the result of chronic poisoning (Kahn). Although Dr. Kahn argues that Chillingworth poisons Dimmesdale with atropine, and or deucedly herbs, there is not enough evidence to prove this idea true. You wrong yourself in thisyou put up deeply and sorely repented (Hawthorne 173). Hester is telling Dimmesdale that he has been punishing himself for his sin notwithstanding though it has long past. The sin and guilt that has been festering in Dimmesdale is in addition much for him to occurle. Continual presence of Roger Chillingworth, the secret poison of malignity, infecting all the air ab verboten himthese bad opportunities had been turned to a cruel purpose (Hawthorne 174).Although it whitethorn seem as though Hawthorne is describing Dimmesdale being poisoned by Chillingworth, Hawthorne is simply describing the cordialtorture that Chillingworth puts Dimmesdale through. It shows the effects of Chillingworth living with Dimmesdale. Hester knows that this is a bad environment for Dimmesdale because Chillingworth is making Dimmesdale feel even worse about himself, and he is also depressed. Dimmesdale does not even realize his motives. Instead of Kahns theory of how Chillingworth poisoned him for a long period of time, it is more likely that Dimmesdale died of a prolonged period of underscore and torture that came with the guilt of his sin.Dr. Kahn also makes references to bad plants throughout the crimson Letter. However, the references to toxic plants whitethorn very well just be added description, or an please the author might wealthy person. in du e course of time, would be seen deadly nightshade, dogwood, henbane, and whatever else of vegetable wickedness the climate could produce (Hawthorne 158). Hawthorne does mention the poisonous plants, and also relates the plants to Chillingworth. Hawthorne is not trying to point out that Chillingworth uses these deadly plants and herbs to poison Dimmesdale, but it is symbolic of lousiness in him because it is saying that Chillingworth is so evil that poisonous plants will grow out of his burial site. Chillingworth is picking herbs at the beginning of chapter fifteen, and sheHester wondered what sort of herbs they were, which the old man was so sedulous to collect (Hawthorne 158).The author is simply describing Chillingworth as an evil person, and uses the herbs as a symbol of evil in order for the larner to further make him out to be a bad person. According to an interview with Helen Fairweather, deadly nightshade plants are, bemused around Southern Europe, some of Asia and Algeri a, and it is planted in England, and North the States (Fairweather). This suggests that nightshade plants were around at the time, and were a common pastime to doctors like Chillingworth then.Hawthorne has to fortune the scene for the hireer to develop an understanding of the plot, so poisonous plants may just be a description of the setting in the story. Hawthorne had an interest in deadly plants like nightshade. the writer was deeply engaged in rendition everything he could lay his hands on. It was saidhe read every book in the Athenaeum (Kahn). Dr. Kahn says that Hawthorne had an interest in reading and especially the books on nightshade. The author of the Scarlet Letter liked to read about poisonous plants, so heincluded references from his knowledge of the plants in his story.Dr. Kahn suggests that Dimmesdale showed some symptoms of atropine poisoning, but the symptoms which he showed could have been signs of depression, stress, totalbreak, disease, or guilt. even this, h is birth red stigma, is no more than the type of what has seared his inmost heart (Hawthorne 228). According to Dr. Kahn, the red stigma on Dimmesdales chest is the rash, that is, of atropine poisoning (Kahn). However, throughout the book, there is mention to the red letter A. Hester wears an A on her clothing for adulteress as a punishment and unbroken reminder of her sin. The red stigma on Dimmesdales chest may be an A he inflicted upon himself during repent. This would make sense because Dimmesdale feels guilty for charge his sin a secret turn Hester was punished for hers, so he punished himself.Many symptoms Kahn describes like un-coordination, rapid weak pulse, convulsions, hallucinations, speech difficulties, and sensationalism could easily be signs of other problems besides atropine poisoning. Dimmesdale feels guilty and sad for not telling the townspeople the truth about what he did so he finds it hard to talk, let alone punish Hester. The trying nature of his perplex drove the blood from his cheek and made his lips tremulous (Hawthorne 63). Dimmesdale is nervous in front of the townspeople having to make the decision on punishment for Hester, while Hester is standing on the scaffold by herself, and he becomes pale from the moorage he is in.When Dimmesdale has heart problems it may have been because of his heartache and depression from the unavailability to be there for Hester and Pearl. As Hester was begging him to let her keep Pearl, he showed these signs of pity and heartache. the young minister at once came forward, pale, and holding his hand over his heart, as was his custom whenever his peculiar nervous temperament was thrown and twisted into agitation (Hawthorne 103). Also being a pastor for a community of very critical people is hard work, the townspeople had high expectations. whose wellness had severely suffered, of late, by his too unreserved self-sacrifice to the labors and duties of the pastoral sexual relation (Hawthorne 99). Dim mesdales job as a minister was wearing megabucks his health. Depression and heartache were the cause of Dimmesdales death.Dr. Kahn had many arguable reasons for the death of Dimmesdale, butDimmesdale may not have been poisoned by atropine. Dimmesdale could have been poisoned over a prolonged period of time, but it is more likely that he died out of torture and guilt. Although Dr. Kahn tries to argue that the references to plants in the story are substantiation of the availability of atropine, he fails at pointing out that the author may have merely used the plants like nightshade symbolically or descriptively. Dr. Kahn also gives many symptoms that Dimmesdale is showing throughout the story however Dimmesdale is showing signs of depression, stress, guilt, and heartbreak. In conclusion, there is evidence to support the death of Dimmesdale being caused by a prolonged period of depression caused by guilt.Works CitedFairweather, Helen. Interview. 17 September 2011Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. unexampled York Bantam, 1986. Print. Khan Dr., Jemshed A. Atropine Poisoning in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter. The New England Journal of Medicine (1984) 414-16. Web.