Chapters 16-19 Response

       These chapters were easily my favorite ones in the novel. Hawthorne's use of nature, particularly the forest and light, along with the insight into Pearl, and the interaction between Hester and Dimmesdale made for an intriguing read. Pearl stood out the most to me because of her strange intuitiveness of both the characters and of nature. Pearl admonished her mother, "'the sunshine does not love you [...] it is afraid of something on your bosom [...] I am but a child. It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!'" (Hawthorne 166). Pearl connects the light as a symbol for happiness, purity, and favor, with Hester, who has sinned and has been shamed. When Hester reaches for the sunlight, it vanishes, which astonished me, as it astonished Hester. That Pearl's teases and fantasies would ring true caused me to really focus on Pearl as a character for the rest of the chapters. In addition to Pearl, Hawthorne's use of nature elements such as the forest impressed me and made me really think about the multiple meanings, or duality of elements of the book. The forest offers both a physical and mental distance from the Puritan society and settlement. It additionally is the symbol of sin and wrongdoing in the novel, so by Hester and Dimmesdale entering and conferring in the forest, they have decided to embrace and face their darkness. Just like when Dimmesdale went on the scaffold at night in the darkness, they meet in the "darkness". The darkness enables them to be open and address their sin and situation. They have crossed into the forest or sin, and they decide to flee to England to attempt to find happiness and peace. This decision illustrates how they believe themselves to already be doomed for eternity, and so they think that they might try for some happiness and redemption on earth. This was the culmination of years of their two different tortures: Hester's shame and Dimmesdales's guilt. At the end of these chapters I actually found myself curious and excited about what would become of their plan.      




  1) Why does Hester prefer to meet with Dimmesdale in the forest rather than in the settlement?
The forest is a place so far removed from the settlement, both physically and mentally. The physical distance provides a favorable place for the discussion Hester has with Dimmesdale because it is concealed, safe, and empty due to the stigma and fear that the forest carries for most of the settlers In addition to the physical distance, the mental distance from the settlement enables Hester and Dimmesdale to drop their facades, as well as it allows them to address their situations without Puritanical or societal pressures. Dimmesdale and Hester have no fear of the forest and place no stigma on it because the forest is a symbol of sin and darkness, and they feel that they have already, metaphorically speaking, crossed into the forest.

     10) What is the significance of Pearl's reaction to the minister?
Pearl is very wary of the minister and she hurriedly washes off his kiss in the brook. I believe that Pearl's strong, negative reaction to Dimmesdale comes from her associating him with Chillingworth, or the Black Man. Chillingworth and Dimmesdale live together, and to Pearl that makes it seem as if Dimmesdale is in consort and contract with the Black Man.
Pearl's reaction also illustrates that she is an intuitive child who is able to discern that the minister is concealing something. Having lived with Hester her whole life, Pearl sees that her mother wears her sin in the open, unconcealed. Pearl sees Dimmesdale as the opposite, someone who hides his secret, or sin. He is inhibited by it, and Pearl wonders if Dimmesdale will free himself and become like Hester.  She asks her mother, "'Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town?"", and "'will he always keep his hand over his heart?'" (Hawthorne 191). These questions, along with her actions, demonstrate that Pearl will not accept the minister unless he wears his sin in the open, as Hester does through wearing the scarlet letter. This ultimately shows that Pearl believes that it is better to wear one's sin on the outside and live with the consequences rather than to keep it concealed.