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Diction In The Scarlet Letter

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Diction In The Scarlet Letter
In the passage present above from the book “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hawthorne attitude of Dimmesdale is of passion and nobility. Hawthorne expressed his attitude through a multitude of devices such as diction, syntax, and imagery. His dictions for Dimmesdale is that of a man who does not care and just wanted to tell the truth. The syntax that Hawthorne applied is meant to undermined Dimmesdale with irony but at the same time, make Dimmesdale even nobler. Imageries were used as a series of Dimmesdale actions during the confession of the sin to portray Dimmesdale fervor. During the beginning of the passage, Dimmesdale commanded the people of New England with a strong, invigorating voice despite the weakness of the sin he carried. When Dimmesdale said “People of New England!”, Hawthorne ironically described Dimmesdale voice as “high, solemn, and majestic,- yet had always a tremor through it...struggling up out of the fathomless depth of remorse and woe.” Dimmesdale zeal is intensified with this paradoxical description, a high voice struggling from a fathomless depth, because it make Dimmesdale look like a person who’s is going against all the misery and pain that he held up for …show more content…
Dimmesdale preached to the town “ Ye have all shuddered at it [Hester and the scarlet letter]!... But there stood one in the midst of you, at whose brand of sin and infamy ye have not shuddered!” This ironic moment of Dimmesdale added to his warmth because he publicly implied that he is the person who Hester been with seven years ago but does not dare to pay for its price until now. Only character of great passion could expel their long due guilt and not die in regret, much like
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