We all have secrets that we are not willing to acknowledge, even to ourselves. This is one of two themes that Nathaniel Hawthorne uses in almost all of his stories. The Scarlet Letter is not an exception. His other major theme is, when the mind and heart are in balance, a man is healthy. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates Dimmesdale’s tragic flaw as his incompetence to publicly admit the sin of adultery …showed first 75 words of 547 total…

…showed last 75 words of 547 total…his slow and tragic demise. Roger Chillingworth who becomes evil extorted this flaw by the none-stop destruction of Dimmesdale’s mind and soul. However, Dimmesdale is not entirely at fault for Dimmesdale’s demise. Dimmesdale was a very weak man, could not stand up to be looked down upon by the town, and hated himself for that. Lastly, Hester did not tell Dimmesdale that Chillingworth is her husband until the damage was all ready done.