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Hawthorne, 2001) even though Dimmesdale is seen as the most holy man in the Puritan community. One really cannot understand Dimmesdale or his dilemma without at least a cursory understanding of the Puritans who inhabited Boston at this time and because he is in the dilemma of the love to Hester and Pearl and the loyalty to the God, so it is destined that he is a tragic character. Dimmesdale is a minister, love means sin to him. But he loves Hester. From this point, he is not only a sinner to God but also a lover of Hester and a father to Pearl. He lives in this dilemma and cannot get away from it. As a minister, Dimmesdale has a voice that consoles and an ability to sway audience. His congregation adores him and his parishioners seek his advice. As a minister, Dimmesdale must be above reproach, and there is no question that he excels at his profession and enjoys a reputation among his ministry aids people in leading good lives. If he publicly confesses, he will lose his ability to be effective in this regard. For Dimmesdale, however, his effectiveness betrays his desire to confess. The more he suffers the better his sermons become. The more he whips himself, the more eloquent he is on Sunday and the more his congregation worships his words. Nevertheless, Hawthorne states in chapter 20, “No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true.” (Hawthorne, 2001) Dimmesdale’s struggle is dark and his penance is horrifying as he tries to unravel his mystery. In chapter 11, “The Interior of a Heart,” (Hawthorne, 2001) Dimmesdale struggled with his sin, his inability to disclose it to Puritan society, his desire for penance, he knows his actions have fallen short of both God’s standards and his own, and he fears this represents his lack of salvation. In an attempt to seek salvation, he fasts until he faints and whips himself on the shoulders until he bleeds. However, these punishment are done in private rather than in public and do not provide the cleansing Dimmesdale seeks and needs. As a sinner, Dimmesdale is weakened to temptation. As demonstrated later, his weakened condition makes it easier for him to associate himself with Black Man in the forest. His congregations expect himto be above other mortals, and his life and thoughts must exist on a higher spiritual plant than others. Accordingly, his wonderful sermons are applauded by all for a reason his listeners do not understand. Sin and agony have enabled the intellectual scholar-minister to recognize and emphasized with other sinners. Hawthorne writes about one of Dimmesdale’s sermons that are, “addressed to the multitude a discourse on sin, in all its branches.” (Hawthorne, 2001) In Dimmesdale’s sermons, he speaks out against sin while at the same time he commits his sin, just as the Puritans commit sins that they condemn Dimmesdale’s character models Puritan society in the way they treat religions persecution. In fact, Dimmesdale has many opportunities to admit his sin and get the guilt off his chest. The first opportunity is when Dimmesdale was making his speech in front of an audience. He tries to tell the truth but more lies just come out. The second opportunity that Dimmesdale has to confess what is troubling him and again, Dimmesdale refuses to confess. Finally, the third time that Dimmesdale has a great opportunity to confess is at the end of the story during the festival o