“The sun, but little its meridian, shone down upon the clergyman, and gave a distinctiveness to his figure, as he stood out from all the earth, to put in his plea of guilty at the bar of Eternal Justice” (Hawthorn 227).

Arthur Dimmesdale finally gained enough courage to finally face his worst critiques, and with his guilty plea he was able to gain salvation. It is saddening and also very uplifting to know that his parting words with the world were the confession of his greatest sin. It is heartbreaking that his confession came at the end of his life, because he never had a chance to know his daughter or be at her wedding, and never the chance leave a peaceful life, without torment. All things are not bad because for the first time in seven year Dimmesdale was the man he felt in the inside. They were no longer a disparity between whom he felt in the inside and who he truly was. He no longer felt like the hypocrite who was revered as the pinnacle of goodness and religion. No one is perfect and he was finally able to show that to the people of Boston. The most important thing Dimmesdale learned was that the worst people can obtain salvation. Because when he spent his final hour on the scaffold he told Hester that, “He [God] is merciful” (229). Like Proctor, Dimmesdale was able to find redemption and subsequently Dimmesdale was able to find freedom.

“Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!” (231).

Being true to yourself is a great life lesson that all should learn, no one is truly perfect and never will we ever. The only thing we can do is try the best we can possibly achieve and God will take care of the rest. It is unhealthy for people to hold in emotions like Dimmesdale did because he became trap and allowed his feeling to dictate is life. Dimmesdale became so wrath up in his sentiment that he became blinded by the truth. Also the fact that he held on to these feeling for so long that it was one of the dominating factors of his death. Another person who was not truthful to themselves and died was Roger Chillingworth. He also concentrated a great deal of time and passion in carrying out his evil plan that when Dimmesdale died he was exhausted and had no stamina to go on. Something that every ironic about this quote is that is goes against Puritan teaching, because the Puritans belief that they are without sin.