The Scarlet Letter: Dimmesdale – Purification through DeathAlthough Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is primarily the story of an adulteress who atones for her sin and wins the regalia that bring her spiritual torment, the search for the partner in her sin, Arthur Dimmesdale, is no less important and even more painful. His quest, simply put, is to glorify God through his priesthood and atone for his sin of adultery – to save his soul – while protecting his reputation. To do this, he tries to continue day after day to carry out the work of the Lord he loves so much, relegating the crime he hates so much to the darkest and most secret recesses of his heart. Only in private does he torture himself over both his original sin and his ongoing deception. He almost fails in his attempt to become a holy man, as the horrible act he committed almost kills him due to self-hatred and sickness of spirit. Ultimately, however, he overcomes his fear of humiliation and stands triumphant, publicly repenting for his misdeeds and dying pure of heart. It is not known until The Scarlet Letter that Arthur Dimmesdale is Hester Prynne's lover, but by this point, his conscience has already begun to inflict painful punishment on her spirit: "His form became emaciated; his voice. .. had in it a certain melancholy prophecy of decay; he was often observed... placing his hand over his heart .. paleness, indicative of pain" (106). Although his reputation is impeccable and his parishioners believe that through death he will be called to a higher plane of existence, Dimmesdale states with what is believed to be humility that his impending death is "because of his unworthiness to carry out his mission here". on earth" (106). In retrospect, this marks the beginning of a critical and fatal duality of Dimmesdale's character: the audience believes him to be a saint, while Dimmesdale recognizes that he is the vilest sinner. His refusal to confess his misdeed only compounds his guilt, which is symbolized by his rapidly deteriorating physical condition. However, his strategy remains to hide his sin, leaving it to rot in darkness. It is at this point that Roger Chillingworth, doctor and husband of Hester Prynne, enters Dimmesdale's life. Chillingworth's job is to administer medical treatment to the sick priest. In doing so, however, he comes to notice a strange quality in Dimmesdale's character that leads him to suspect.