"The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Significance of the Three Scaffold Scenes in Relation to Dimmesdale
Throughout The Scarlet Letter, the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is constantly battling with his need to accept and confess his sin, from the first scaffold scene at the beginning of the story to the third and last scaffold scene at the end. Each of these three scenes shows the dramatic changes in Dimmesdale over time, physically, mentally, and spiritually. They also show how much of a weight a sin can be on the heart and mind if not confessed.
In the first scaffold scene we see Hester, with Pearl in her arms, standing on the scaffold in front of the townspeople who have come to see her humiliation and hear Mr. Wilson's sermon on sin. …