Scarlet Letter Essay -- Literary Analysis, Hawthorne

After the oddment of Nathaniel Hawthornes character Dimmesdale from the entertain the Scarlet Letter, thither have been many theories about the cause of his death. Some literary analyzers plead that his guilt was the cause of his death. separates say that Roger Chillingworth, a physician, poisoned him with Atropine and hyoscine. In Nathaniel Hawthornes book The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdales guilt appears to be the cause of his death, merely his prognostics even out towards Atropine and Scopolamine poisoning.In The Scarlet Letter, all the symptoms Dimmesdale experiences provide evidence that he is poisoned with Atropine and Scopolamine. The action of gripping hard at the breast leads readers to see that Dimmesdale is poisoned with Scopolamine and Atropine. Gripping hard at his breast is a cardio vascular symptom which is associated to Scopolamine and Atropine poisoning. Shafer points out that he was often observed, on any lithesome alarm, to put his hand over his midri ff, with first a flush and past a paleness, indicative of chafe (qtd. in Hawthorne 88). Scopolamine and Atropine poisoning causes pain in the chest therefore Dimmesdales symptom is one of degenerative intoxication. Shafer quotes Hawthorne saying how the gripping of the chest had now become a invariant habit, rather than a casual gesture, to press his hand over his heart (qtd. in Hawthorne 88). Because Dimmesdale forms the constant habit of putting his hand over his heart, it shows that he constantly has pain in his chest and is being gradually poisoned. Other symptoms of Scopolamine and Atropine poisoning that Dimmesdale experiences are gait disturbances, tremors, and convulsions. Shafer mentions that Dimmesdale has a nervous heartsickness in his Dimmesdales air (qtd... ...n materialise. If overdosed, Atropine can cause truly serious consequences but fatalities from Atropine poisoning are very rare but can occur in adults and children. Atropine is the safest alkaloid o f all the potential alkaloids. Since death caused by Atropine alone is very rare, the fatal dose has not medically been discovered. If ever overdosed, the side do of dry mouth, blurred vision, photophobia, anhidrosis, and constipation are unavoidable.Although The Scarlet Letter makes readers believe that Dimmesdale died of guilt, there is enough medical evidence to prove that he was poisoned by Scopolamine and Atropine. Not only is there enough evidence of the poison, there is also evidence on how Chillingworth caused his death. All in all, Dimmesdales death in The Scarlet Letter was caused because of Scopolamine and Atropine poisoning by Roger Chillingworth.