Why does Dimmesdale reveal his chest?

Most say they saw on his chest a scarlet letter exactly like Hester’s. To their minds, it resulted from Chillingworth’s poisonous magic, from the minister’s self-torture, or from his inner remorse.

Why does Dimmesdale cover his heart?

What is Dimmesdale’s idosyncratic gesture? He puts his hand over his heart to “cover” up his guilt and pain for not admitting to the sin he committed. He’s trying to hold himself back from not exposing himself.

Why does Dimmesdale clutch his chest?

He appears to be wasting away, and he frequently clutches at his chest as though his heart pains him. Because Dimmesdale refuses to marry any of the young women who have devoted themselves to him, Chillingworth urges the town leadership to insist that Dimmesdale allow the doctor to live with him.

What is on the chest of Dimmesdale?

The red mark on Dimmesdale’s chest represents the same thing Hester’s scarlet letter did. … The red mark on Dimmesdale’s chest represents adultery in the beginning, guilt in the middle, and pain and death in the end.

What page does Dimmesdale reveal his chest?

Page 196 Dimmesdale tells the crowd that he is at last standing on the spot where he should have stood seven years ago. He tells the crowd that he bears a scarlet letter on his chest just as Hester does, and then he dramatically tears away his ministerial band to reveal the mark on his chest.

What did Chillingworth find on Dimmesdale’s chest?

One day, not long afterward, Chillingworth finds Dimmesdale asleep in a chair. Pulling aside the minister’s vestment, he stares at the clergyman’s chest. What he sees there causes “a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror,” and he does a spontaneous dance of ecstasy.

Why is Chillingworth upset that Dimmesdale has chosen to expose himself?

Why is Chillingworth upset that Dimmesdale has chosen to expose himself? … Dimmesdale does not tell the whole truth about his sins. Chillingworth wanted to be the one to expose Dimmesdale.

Why does Dimmesdale go to the scaffold?

Dimmesdale climbs the scaffold at night so that he can confess his sin and feel how Hester felt. The source of his chest pain is the scarlet “A” he bears. … Dimmesdale’s behavior on the scaffold reveals his psychological stress by him screaming.