mesdale not only lacks aplace in his heart for Hester, but thinks that she is an accomplice of thedevil. On his journey through the town, he sees an "obtrusive sense of change" cast upon everything he passes. Hawthorne implies thatDimmesdale's encounter with Hester forces his character to undergo "atotal change of dynasty and moral code." Dimmesdale notices his inwarddecay after "every step he was incited to do some strange, wild, wickedthing or another." Dimmesdale does not understand his sudden change,"What is it that haunts and tempts me thus?" he asks himself. Finally,Dimmesdale makes an assumption that he would like to believe, "Did Imake a contract with him(the devil) in the forest, and sign it with myblood?" Why would Dimmesdale want to believe Hester was an agent ofthe devil? First, if Hester was evil, then it would have not been his faultthat he had been so strongly tempted, he would be rid of blame. Also,Dimmesdale would feel noble for resisting Hester's bid of a new life andconfessing his temptation towards sin before the congregation. The factthat Dimmesdale was questioning whether Hester was evil or not impliesthat he wasn't even thinking about loving her. While Hester constantlyforgives and blesses Dimmesdale, showing her devotion towards him,Dimmesdale displays no signs towards an involvement in her life, agesture that her love is not returned. ...
