The Scarlet Letter (Ch 11-12)

After Chillingworth is revealed to the truth about Dimmesdale, he decides to get into his head. Dimmesdale is not only feeling evil vibes from Chillingworth, he is also getting it at church. He tries to tell his church attendants that he has sinned, without coming out and saying exactly what was done. The people at his church has already looked up to Dimmesdale with great fellowship, and this makes them look up to him even more. They see how this will help him give them advice about their sins and feel their sorrow by being in their shoes. Dimmesdale begins feeling worse and tells them more often about his sin, but it only does exactly the opposite of his intentions. He begins to punish himself by fasting, using a scourge on himself, and staying awake without days of sleep. These punishments are only making his disease worse.
One night, he walks to town to the scaffold where Hester was punished three years before. He meets Hester and Pearl there, and they hold hands. Even though it is in the middle of the night with no people anywhere, they feel as though they are letting everyone know the truth of his identity as Pearl's father. Pearl asks Dimmesdale to hold her hand at the exact place on Great Judgement day to show the people that he is her father. Dimmesdale says no.
The next morning, Dimmesdale convinces himself that the previous night was just a dream. However, a Sexton tells him that his glove was found at the scaffold in town, revealing to him that he was, in fact, there.