In The Scarlet Letter, does Dimmesdale kill himself or does the letter A on Hester's chest kill him? I am writing an interpretative essay on The Scarlet...

From an
interpretive perspective it is arguable that the primary factor that motivatesto engage in the
practice of self-mutilation is the fact that he is the cause of 's punishment of wearing the
scarlet letter for the rest of her life as a token of shame.

Dimmesdale has a
strong reputation that precedes him and, as a result, he ends up believing in it: the townsfolk
see him as a sort of deity; he is referred to as the "divine" one and seen by everyone
as the epitome of the puritanical way of life. Surely the attention of his parishioners must
have fed Dimmesdale's ego, which is perhaps the reason why his speeches had always been so
eloquent and powerful. Even though he is a young man, he enjoys the respect and support of the
aldermen of the province. All of this points to a man who is of excellent character and
impeccable integrity.

Yet, he is not any of those things: Dimmesdale is a
hot blooded man with weaknesses like any other person. His attraction and desire
for...