Falsehood is one of the biggest themes in The Scarlet Letter. Most of the characters in the book are somehow affected by it. The three main characters' lives are affected and molded by the way that they deal with this falsehood. Hester and Dimmesdale have falsehood towards Hester's husband. Hester also has a falsehood towards Dimmesdale since she conceals Chillingworth's identity. Dimmesdale has a falsehood towards everyone by concealing his sin.
            
             Hester feels that her sin has taken away her morality and manifested the one good product of her shameful wrongdoing, her baby, Pearl. She feels that this sin was mostly her fault and does not think that her counterpart's identity is important. She does not reveal her husband's identity either. She withholds the fact that Chillingworth is her husband from Dimmesdale and withholds the fact that Pearl's father is Dimmesdale from Chillingworth. Although she is inclined to reveal Dimmesdale's identity, Dimmesdale asks her to keep it a secret and she does. Why she does we don't know. She also does not tell Dimmesdale that Chillingworth is her husband. While keeping all these secrets will keep the other people happy, it upsets herself.
            
             Dimmesdale does not confess until seven years after the crime takes place. He does not confess because he is too scared of being shunned as Hester was. Though he never receives a punishment from the government as Hester does, he punishes himself day and night. He is tortured with the knowledge of what he did and carries out prolonged vigils, fasts, and other physical damage to himself. Over the seven years, Dimmesdale becomes very ill. He becomes pale, nervous and sickly. The reason for his illness is not disease, but the effect of sin and guilt in his heart. Finally, after putting himself through a living hell for seven years, Dimmesdale's dying words are his confession. Clearly, the sin affected Dim...