Often in Society people are criticized, punished, and despised for their individual choices and
             flaws. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author attempts to show the
             way society casts out individuals simply because their ideas differ from the common values. Two
             main characters in the novel that are alienated by society for different reasons include Arthur
             Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne.
             Arthur Dimmesdale alienates himself in the novel both socially and spiritually. He knows
             he cannot let his secret out about Pearl, so he has no one to share his pain with. All the guilt he
             has stored up in him slowly eats away at him, deteriorating his body and soul. Dimmesdale's pious
             attributes greatly contribute to the extent of his alienation. For the reverend it was "essential to his
             peace to feel the pressure of a faith about him." This need for punishment coupled with religious
             devotion gives reason for Dimmesdale's secrecy. Hiding his intimate self from other people
             bestows Dimmesdale the punishment he so desperately seeks. His mental breakdown stems from
             his social alienation. Arthur tortures himself until it eventually leads him to act irrationally.
             Dimmesdale's psychological agony partly stems from a form of spiritual alienation. As a
             minister, he has a close realtionship with God and has a strong sense of spirituality. Due to his sin,
             his relationship with God suffers in a way that his sin seperates him from the teachings of Jesus.
             Without the virtue and purity he once held, Dimmesdale views himself unworthy in the eyes of
             God. While lying on the forest floor, Dimmesdale utters. "The judgement of God is on me, he is
             too mighty for me to struggle with!" To close this gap of isolation between God and himself,
             Dimmesdale commits acts of penance to relieve his sin. Dimmesdale's faith and his position as a
             minister makes him more susceptible to spiritual alien...