Passage From the Text
" Before Mr. Dimmesdale reached home, his inner man gave him other evidences of a revolution in the sphere of thought and feeling. In truth nothing short of a total change of dynasty and moral code, in that interior kingdom, was adequate to account for the impulses now communicated to the unfortunate and startled minister. At every step he was incited to do some strange, wild, wicked thing or other, with a sense that it would be at once involuntary and intentional; in spite of himself, yet growing out of a profounder self than that which opposed the impulse." (170)
Response to the Text
3) The author seems to feel somewhat excited during this chapter. The change in character for Dimmesdale seems to bring joy to Nathanial Hawthorne as an author. This ties back to Hawthorne's purpose by having the well loved supposedly pious minister devolve into evil. This shows the hypocrisy and faults within the Puritan's utopian society. Man is a sinful being and God is meant to forgive us of our sins rather than permanently branding someone of their sins like the Puritans have. It is obvious that Hawthorne takes pride in tearing down Dimmesdale, because of the diction that the author uses. Hawthorne refers to Dimmesdale's character as undergoing a revolution, which is a phrase with a positive connotation. This phrase along with the use of the word dynasty make it seem like Dimmesdale is evolving into something better than he originally was, rather than something that is closer to being evil. This idea is really less focused specifically on Dimmesdale and more on how the Puritan society as a whole has devolved into evil. Hawthorne is excited to show the reader that the thoughts and impulses that Dimmesdale had can appear in anyone, regardless of status.