Chapters: one - six
tint he beginning of the novel; the community stand outside of the prison waiting for Hester prynne to come out. The prison seams to be dark and depressing. Hester Prynne, who was being held for adultery; leaves the prison with her daughter Pearl, and has to display herself to the town as punishment while wearing an 'A' for Adultery. While standing there hester notices a man in the crowd who is later found to be Hesters husband; Roger Chillingworth, who approaches a townsman to ask what crime has Hester committed. The man explains. it's made clear that he intends to uncover the man who committed the crime with hester. As The day goes on Governor Bellingham, is, speaking to Hester from a high balcony overlooking the scaffold . He begins by speaking to a man who is sitting beside him. This man is the community reverend; Reverend Dimmesdale. He asks Reverend Dimmesdale to make Hester tell the crowd who her partner in this crime was. After a pause, Dimmesdale rises and makes an speech begging Hester to name her partner. At the end of the speech, Hester's daughter reaches her arms towards Dimmesdale in response to his speech. The Reverend Wilson, another local clergy man, asks Hester to name the man as well, and she would be allowed to take the Scarlet Letter off her breast. Whats happening here is Hester is being put out to the community for her punishment. Hester is being told by higher power as well as community people to give the name of the man who she has slept with causing her crime. She refuses to give his name and continues to stand her ground against the community. This to me is impressive. She’s an young woman who is imprisoned for having relations with someone she loves, without taking hands in marriage. In today's society you get that in almost every other household in your neighborhood. This shows how life was for her in the puritan community, shes constantly being judged and having the finger pointed at her for something as little as in their eyes having relations with someone who’s not her assumed to be dead husband. Chapters twenty one - twenty four |
Chapters: seven - twelvein this chapter Hester is delivering a pair of gloves she's made for the Governor to the mansion, however she's there with her daughter on her mind. she's herd about people wanting to take her daughter away from her. there she pleads that; her daughter is best with her, so she can teach her the lesson on her mistake. later i the novel people suspect that rev. Dimmesdale is ill and appears to be getting worse, therefor Chillingworth offers to live with the pastor to treat and take care of him. the towns people praised chillingworth for helping the pastor, however soon the very same people that once praised him began to call him the devil and say he as well as his physical features has changed, however chillinworth gives his life to the pastor; gathering herbs and medicines to help heal him. One day Dimmesdale questions chillingworth about an plant. Chillingworth remarks that he found it growing on an grave and thinks the dark weeds are the sign of the person’s UN-confessed sin. from there conversation starts on confession and redemption, at this time pearl is seen outside the window dancing in a graveyard. pearl and the men share contact with each other and she pulls her mother away. the conversation between the men continues, Chillingworth goes on about how Hester wears her sin on her breast, implying her fellow sinner should come out. then he stops not wanting to give himself away, but concludes his suspicion about the pastor.
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Chapters thirteen - twentyseven years have passed and Hester plays a different role in the community. she now feeds the poor and nurse the ill, however she still wears the "a" on her chest and is still looked at as an adulterer. she also becomes a better person, she now speaks up more. she even confronts chillingsworth, about torturing Demmsdale, and asks him to stop, but when she do, he tells her there's a chance she may be able to take the "A" off her chest. she reply by telling him the "A" can never be removed. I believe this means; that the letter means nothing to her, she still has committed sin in god's eyes. she's still an adulterer. later in the forest Hester and pearl waits for rev. Demmsdale to approach. while waiting pearl makes an interesting observation. she tells Hester the sun doesn't shine on her, it runs away and hide from her. this is showing Hester's unhappiness. when Demmsdale appears pearl refers to him as the "black man". here is where Hester reveals Chillingsworth's true identity. Demmsdale now out of fear,and anger, blames Hester for his pain and troubles. she then buries his head in her chest, against the scarlet letter. this is telling him that she has pain of her own as well, pain that he helped bring to her. he then forgives her, and looks at chillingsworth as the true and only sinner. he then starts to wonder and fear that chillingsworth will reveal him to the pubic. this is where the conversation terns to Hester and rev. Demmsdale, planning to escape to Europe with pearl, to start a new life. Demmsdale seems to be on board with his. Hester is ecstatic, she then jumps for joy, ripping the "A" off her chest, and letting her hair down, showing her beauty as the sun starts to shine throughout the forest. their both happy. Hester then calls pearl over but sh refuses to come, recognizing her mother. she then put the scarlet letter back on her chest , and ties her hair up, now pearl runs up to hug her mother. when Demmsdale leaves the forest he acts as if he was a mad man. when people walks up to him he say things like "i'm not the man you take me,I left him yonder in the forest". he then walks into his home, he fires chillingsworth, and writes a completely new sermon.
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in the final chapters,days has passed since the meet in the forest. today is the day the new governer is elected into office. this is a day of celebration, however it is explained to be dull. during the celebration, dimmsdale is to deliver a sermon. he makes his way to the scaffold, chillingsworth tries to stop him, but fail. when he's on the scaffold, dimmsdale invites hester and pearl up. this to me is exciting because he promised his daughter to stand with them on day and now he is doing so. i thought he was too much of a coward and scared to do it, it took him seven years however a stand is a stand. he then confess to the people of the town of being the father of pearl and the lover of hester. this is the moment when pearl start's to feel for him. he reveals the "a" on his chest and his health starts to give out. now pearl kisses her father before he pass away.