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Although Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is primarily the story of an adulteress atoning for her sin and conquering the insignia which brings torment to her spirit, the quest of the partner in her sin, Arthur Dimmesdale, is no less important and even more painful. His quest, simply phrased, is to glorify God through his priesthood and expiate his sin of adultery - to save his soul - while protecting his reputation. To do so, he tries to continue day by day to do the work of the Lord which he so loves, while relegating to the darkest, most secret recesses of his heart the crime which he so hates. Only in private does he torture himself for both his original sin and his continued deceit. He nearly fails in his quest to be a holy man, as the horrific deed that he committed nearly kills him through self-hate and illness of spirit. Eventually, however, he succeeds in conquering his fears of humiliation and stands triumphant, publicly repenting for his misdeeds and......

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Approximate Word Count: 1294
Approximate Pages: 6 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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