Chapters 20-22

When I first started reading the novel, I found it hard to follow, and quite honestly it confused me. Now, while reading the final chapters of the novel, I have begun to have a deeper appreciation for the novel. Nathaniel Hawthorne's writing style may be too wordy and lengthy at times, but I truly admire how he develops his characters and symbols in his novel. It took me a while to fully understand how each character has changed, but once I did I developed a respect for Nathaniel Hawthorne that I had not had before starting The Scarlet Letter. 

As I was reading chapters 20, 21, and 22, I realized that the woods had changed Dimmesdale. Not only did the Reverend look different, but his actions were different too. Walking back from the woods, Dimmesdale is tempted to stop and blurt out "inappropriate" things to multiple people on his way. One interesting part of chapter 20 that really caught my eye was Dimmesdale's interaction with Mistress Hibbins. On his journey back from the woods, she says that she would be glad to escort him to the woods next time he wishes to go. Dimmesdale then says he will, and later regrets is because he believes that he has just made a bargain with the devil. Right after he realizes this he thinks to himself, "He had made a bargain very like it! Tempted by a dream of happiness, he had yielded himself, with deliberate choice, as he had never done before, to what he knew was a deadly sin" (Hawthorne 199). The deadly sin that Dimmesdale is referring to, is making an agreement with the devil. Out of all of the sins to commit, this one is the worst, especially for a minister. Another matter that I wish to bring up about these three chapters is my dislike for Roger Chillingworth. Although Hawthorne puts so many complex elements into his character, I can't help but dislike him. Throughout the novel, he is determined to make Dimmesdale and Hester suffer, and it consumes his life. Everywhere Dimmesdale and Hester go, Chillingworth is always lurking in the shadows. In chapter 21, Hester sees Chillingworth smirking in the corner during the celebration after learning that he will be accompanying Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale to Europe. His smug grin and plans to destroy the lives of others just does not sit well with me, which is why I do not like Chillingworth as a person, especially in these chapters. By going to Europe, Hester and Dimmesdale are going to be able to start from scratch, no one will know who they are or what sins they have committed.  By leaving Boston, the two sinners are leaving behind their past, and Chillingworth is a part of their past. He is connected to Hester and Dimmesdale because he is the only one in the Puritan society that knows the truth about Pearl's father. Chillingworth going to Europe means that Hester and Dimmesdale can not escape from their pasts. 

Question 1: What is Hester's plan for Dimmesdale, Pearl, and herself?

Hester's plan is to take a boat back to Europe, and live there with Dimmesdale and Pearl. Hester wants the three of them to leave the Puritan society to help keep their past a secret, and Europe appears to be a better fit for the Reverend, due to his ailing health. By leaving the strict Puritan society, Hester and Dimmesdale are escaping from their past. In Europe, no one will know who they are, let alone what the two of them have done together. Leaving for Europe allows the two of them to leave the past behind, and start with a new foundation. Hester and Dimmesdale will be able to live their lives without suffering from the judgement of others. 

Question 10: What is Pearl doing during the sermon?

During the sermon, Pearl is off playing by herself in the market place. As Pearl is moving to and fro in a peculiar way, she is making the crowd happy. Hawthorne describes Pearl during this moment, saying, "She made the sombre crowd cheerful by her erratic and glistening ray" (Hawthorne 218). Once known as the imp in this Puritan society, Pearl seems to now have some kind of control over the Puritan people. The people fixate on her movements, and they can not help but watch her move around, distracting themselves from the sermon, and changing their moods. 

Connection:

My Rant on Chapters 16-19

I wish not to spend my post raging about Hawthorne's advanced word choice nor his explaining of every detail to ensure that the reader takes from his book the message he had hoped to instill. Rather, I shall focus the reactionary portion of my post complaining about the evolution of Hester Prynne's character - an evolution which I for one is not too fond of. Up until this point in the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, I owed all respect to Hester Prynne - only to be completely swayed by the early events of these chapters. You see, in the past, I regarded Hester as symbol of strength. She may have sinned, but she wore her shame proudly, unlike the rest of the Puritan society. Hester wasn't afraid of what people thought of her - and for the longest time, I didn't think she cared either. She welcomed society's judgement, which I respected - for everyone sins at some point, but she was the only person who was willing to acknowledge what she did. Even in such unforgiving a community, Hester was able to withstand the blunt of damage cast at her by the other settlers. Keep in mind, these were the same settlers that keep their sins to themselves out of fear of what the society would think of them. I admired Hester so solely because she was different in that sense.

Things change though in the sixteenth chapter of the novel. The chapter begins with Hester taking Pearl with her to the forest. She had hoped to meet Dimmesdale there to unveil to him the true identity of Roger Chillingworth and to discuss with him what to do with their lives and their secret. It was in this part of the novel that I came across this passage: "'Doth the universe lie within the compass of yonder town, which only a little time ago was but a leaf-strewn desert, as lonely as this around us? Whither leads yonder forest-track? Backward to the settlement, thou sayest! Yes; but onward, too. Deeper it goes, and deeper, into the wilderness, less plainly to be seen at every step, until, some few miles hence, the yellow leaves will show no vestige of the white man's tread. There thou art free! [...] The future is yet full of trial and success. There is happiness to be enjoyed! There is good to be done! Exchange this false life of thine for a true one [...]. Give up this name of Arthur Dimmesdale, and make thyself another [...] such as thou canst wear without fear or shame'" (Hawthorne 178-79). Ina nutshell, this passage exhibits Hester telling Dimmesdale that they should run away from their shame. They could go elsewhere and pretend as though it never happened. This is like the rest of the Puritan society trying to pretend like they themselves do sin (or as though their own sins never happen). I makes me really angry to hear this from Hester. The whole time, I thought she wore her shame proudly and did not try to shrink away from it out of cowardice. And then, this happens, and she talks about running away from her sins and pretending they never happened like...

Sigh. What more can I say? People will be people I suppose. We are all cowards and disappointments to the ideals that we all have. Moving on to my questions:

2. What significance can be attributed to the play of sunlight on Pearl and Hester?

When I first read through the chapters, I thought it was kind of ironic how the sunlight seems to shun Hester like society does. Almost the whole time in the forest, the sunlight would disappear from wherever Hester was present. Pearl points out at one point "'[The] sunlight does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here and let me run and catch it [...].' Pearl set forth, at a great pace, and, as Hester smiled to perceive, did actually catch the sunshine, and stood laughing in the midst of it, all brightened by its splendor, and scintillating with the vivacity excited by rapid motion" (Hawthorne 165-66). Even though the sunlight keeps out of the way of Hester, it does not seem to flee from Pearl when she is near. I think this shows that even though society may shun Hester for her sin, they do not exactly shun Pearl in the same sense. It really isn't her fault that she is intertwined in such a situation - she was but a product of her mother's sin. The detail about Pearl trying to catch the sunlight seems to me like she has a certain power over the sunlight - and thus a certain power over the society. I believe the play of sunlight in the forest is meant to show that Pearl is but a reminder to everyone about their own sins. No matter how hard they try to conceal them, a part of it will always be present to haunt them and control them - like Pearl does to the sunlight.

Pearl holding the sun in her hands.

3. What story does Pearl hear of her mother's involvement with the Black Man of the Forest?

Pearl hears that there is a "Black Man" that dwells in the forest and that he keeps a book of name with him. Whenever he encounters someone new, he asks them to sign the book. From then on, the signer would bear a symbol on his/her chest - just like Hester Prynne and her scarlet letter. Pearl becomes curious as to the whereabouts of her mother's letter and whether or not it has any correlation with this "Black Man" and whether or not Dimmesdale also has one. Hester explains to her after a while that she is obligated to wear her letter because of the "Black Man". She doesn't come out and just say that Chillingworth is the "Black Man", but it is implied. Chillingworth was the reason she wore her letter so miserably in the moment. He was also the reason that Dimmesdale would torture himself day-in and day-out. They have both made a pact with the "Black Man" - the devil - who now comes to haunt them.

The "Black Man's" book of souls.

Chapters 13-15

Although I find Hawthorne’s writing unnecessarily wordy, the plot line is original and I especially enjoyed Hester’s development in these chapters. She is described as strong; she helps those in trouble and seems to overcome this once prominent A. In chapter 13 Hawthorne writes, “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.” (146). This transformation of the A, once a negative connotation representing sin, is now the contrary. A once scorned woman is no longer. Only a few chapters ago Hester was abhorred by society, her title of adulteress has worn off. Hawthorne also writes of the A’s transformation as he states, “Elsewhere the token of sin, it was the taper of the sick-chamber. It had even thrown its gleam, in the sufferer’s hard extremity, across the verge of time. It had shown him where to set his foot, while the light of earth was fast becoming dim” (146). This shows how the A, that once stood out in a negative way, now acts as a guide, or candle to light in way for those in need of help. I really like this quote because it adds more to its appearance. The A, always described as bright and sticking out, remains these things, however the brightness now guides people like a candle. This ties into how Hester's sin helps those who have sinned and are in the dark and struggling to cope. Although set in the 1800’s Hawthorne’s message that nothing lasts forever is relatable even today as in our own lives and in media, what seem like major events, fame or scandal, eventually lose its power as things die down and new events arise.

My connection from the outside has to do with current events. Although very different people, Hester and Malala Yousafzai are somewhat alike. Malala is a young girl from Pakistan who was shot after speaking up for women’s education. Both committed an act that went against the standards of society (although adultery is much different than promoting education). Hester continues to go against her society by raising Pearl despite the public’s wishes and refusing to share who the father of her child is. Malala, despite her tragic injury, continues to help raise awareness and speak up for many other young girls in Pakistan that lack proper education and opportunities because much like Hester, she acts based on what she believes to be morally correct rather than within the constraints of society. Much like Malala, Hester continued to help those in need and became known as a woman of strength. Both women become leaders in their environments and act boldly.

Question 5: The line, “The scarlet letter had not done its office” means that the letter had not served the purpose it intended to. Earlier in the passage Hawthorne writes, “Thus, Hester Prynne, whose heart had lost its regular and healthy throb, wandered without a clew in the dark labyrinth of mind” (150). Hester’s letter was supposed to cause isolation from society and serve as a punishment, which was supposed to further make her realize her wrong doings and learn to follow Puritan standards strictly. However, her isolation has done the opposite, it was made her question society more and to think freely, without society’s restraints to tie her down.

Question 4: Hester believes three things must be done before women would be treated equally in society. Hawthorne writes, “As a first step, the whole system of society is to be torn down, and built up anew. Then, the very nature of the opposite sex, or its long hereditary habit, which has become like nature, is to be essentially modified, before woman can be allowed to assume what seems a fair and suitable position. Finally, all other difficulties being obviated, woman cannot take advantage of these preliminary reforms, until she herself shall have undergone a still mightier change”(150). Summarizing these points Hester Ultimately believes, the society must be rebuilt, gender roles must be eliminated for generations to come, children must be taught different standards of equality in order for this change to last. Finally, she believes these changes must not be abused for progress may regress.

Chapters 23-24 Response

The final chapters of the novel depicted powerful scenes of Dimmesdale's reveal or confession to the Puritan society.  When I finished reading, I began to think about the last thought that Hawthorne leaves his readers with.  He leaves us with the image of Hester's and Dimmesdale's tombstone with the words, "On a field, sable, the letter A, gules" carved into it.  Even after their death, the letter A still  remains the most prominent figure in their lives, carved into their gravestone for generations to see.  There are two ways that I looked at this.  It could be seen as an everlasting image of their sin, and serve as a punishment after death.  However, because of the proximity between the two graves, this scene could also illustrate the acceptance that Hester and Dimmesdale received after their passing.  Even after Dimmesdale's death, these chapters show the beginning of the acceptance of Hester into their community.  Women begin to reach out to her and ask her for advice about dealing with their own personal sin.  Hawthorne explains, "As Hester Prynne had no selfish ends, nor lived in any measure for her own profit and enjoyment, people brought all their sorrows and perplexities, and besought her counsel, as one who had herself gone through a mighty trouble" (234).  This shows the figure that Hester became, and that women in her community began to look up to for advice.  She was no longer receiving scorn and bitterness, but instead was "looked upon with awe, yet with reverence, too".  Along with the image of their gravestones, Dimmesdale's triumphant death remained a prominent scene in the chapters.  When he reveals to his community who he really is, he feels like a huge burden is lifted off of his shoulders.  The sin that he committed was breaking him down and eating him alive.  On the scaffold, Dimmesdale is a weak and dilapidated man that needs help to ascend the few steps to stand with his family.  The moment of this scene that I felt was the most powerful was when Pearl accepts his presence in her life, and kisses him.  She finally accepts him as her father, once he admits his identity to the society and joins Hester on the scaffold.

Questions:
5) What moral does the narrator say is central to the story?
The narrator states that the moral is, "Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred" (231).  This is a very important message pertaining to the novel.  It is saying to not hold anything back, do not hide anything from anyone, even your worst qualities.  The most important thing is to be true to yourself and others.

10) Are the two lovers ever united?
I talked in more detail about this question in my initial response.  The two lovers are in a sense finally united after their deaths.  Their graves are right next to each other, and both share the same tombstone.  Their unity after death can be symbolic of their acceptance into the society as people to look up to and learn from.

Connection:


Elementary is a crime drama television series.  I chose this as my connection in relation to my answer to question 5.  The main character Sherlock Homes was a drug addict who had difficulties opening up to anyone about his troubles, and in return was unable to heal.  However, once he opened up to his "sober companion" named Joan Watson, she was able to help him recover from his addiction.  Also, because this is a crime drama, there are crimes that need to be solved, often with criminals trying to hide from the police or hide specific evidence to protect themselves.  However, they are always caught, and the evidence is always found.  In these cases, if the criminal was to admit to the crime right away, their punishment could have very well been mitigated.  Both these examples in the show highlight the moral the narrator portrays. Be true, be  true, be true.  Hiding anything will never help. 

Chapters 23-24 Response

Upon finishing the novel my thoughts first turned to Dimmesdale and his revealing of his sin. I began to think about the way the three main characters were affected. For Dimmesdale and Hester I believe Dimmesdale's honesty liberated them. Hester was trapped from the moment she stood upon the scaffold. Although I believe it was honorable of Hester to keep Dimmesdale's secret hidden, I think it caused her to became even more tormented by the Puritan society and even her own guilt because she had to bear the punishment alone. No one else understood the guilt and darkness that stained her heart except for Dimmesdale, but he wouldn't stand by her side. Over the course of the novel Hester became of a shadow of the strong woman who once stood on the scaffold. In the forest Hester seems to return to her old self though when Dimmesdale decides to reveal the truth to the public and leave with her, leaving their sin behind. She sheds her letter, "The stigma gone, Hester heaved a long, deep sigh, in which the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit. Oh, exquisite relief!" (Hawthorne 182). She is liberated from her sin because Dimmesdale will reveal the truth with her and leave. Likewise, Dimmesdale is liberated by his actions. In my opinion, Dimmesdale struggled the whole novel with the shame of having Hester bear the burden of their sin alone and the shame of denying his daughter. By revealing his sin he is freed of this shame because he stands with Hester and acknowledges Pearl as his own. Pearl even kisses him. Dimmesdale is also liberated from the tortures of Chillingworth. Chillingworth exclaims to Dimmesdale, "'Thou hast escaped me!' he repeated more than once. 'Thou hast escaped me!'" (Hawthorne 228). By admitting his sin Chillingworth can no longer control him. Chillingworth also was affected. Chillingworth was torturing Dimmesdale but when his sin is revealed Chillingworth looses all his power over him. Over the past 7 years Chillingworth had lived to lived to torture Dimmesdale. It was his reason to live, and without a purpose in life Chillingworth dies.

Question #3:
Where are the four major characters during the final scaffold scene?
Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale all stand together during the final scaffold scene as Dimmesdale finally tells the truth and reveals his sin. Chillingworth also is on the scaffold standing with the family.

Question #7:
What is the effect of Dimmesdale's confession on Chillingworth?
In the past 7 years Chillingworth has devoted his whole being to torturing Dimmesdale. When Dimmesdale reveals his sin Chillingworth can no longer torture him. Hawthorne writes, "It is a curious subject of observation and inquiry, whether hatred and love be not the same thing at bottom. Each, in its utmost development, supposes a high degree of intimacy and heart-knowledge; each renders one individual dependent for the food of his affections and spiritual life upon another; each leaves the passionate lover, or the no less passionate hater, forlorn and desolate by the withdrawal of his subject" (Hawthorne 232). This excerpt shows how an individual can become dependent upon hate or love. Chillingworth is dependent upon his hate for Dimmesdale, it fuels his life, and without out he has no purpose and dies.

Connection:

Chapters 16-19 Response

I have to admit, right after I finished reading chapter 16 I was as lost as one could be. The only thing I seemed to have remembered about the reading was that there was a forest. But after looking at it multiple times, I realized it's one of my favorite chapters of the novel. I love how Hawthorne spends the entire chapter intensely focusing on the forest and the character's relationship with it. It seems like this is the most obvious section of the novel where Hawthorne's true passion shines through; transcendentalism. He doesn't think of the forest as a material, stationary object, he looks at it as an interactive story in the process of being told. Pearl tries to catch the sunshine, the brook babbles, everything seems to be alive and in sync. It did take me a little time though to realize that these lengthy, wordy descriptions told such a complex, unique story when broken down. Everything seemed to have a duality; the brook is an old man constantly telling and seeing history, while at the same time, it's a reflection of whoever's looking at it. I think I'm so drawn to chapter 16 because it's like a puzzle that readers have to decode and figure out. The next chapter, for me, is the moment when everything comes out between Dimmesdale and Hester. Hester is so daring and brave in her endeavor to reach Dimmesdale emotionally that she actually breaks through to him. I think it's kind of interesting to see this new side of Hester that is so optimistic and attuned to helping Dimmesdale. She understands exactly what's going on through his head, and after years of Dimmesdale hating himself, I think it's amazing that she turns that around with one pep talk. That being said, words can't even describe how annoying I found Dimmesdale. He kept saying, "Think for me, Hester! Thou are strong. Resolve for me!...It is too mighty for me to struggle with!...Be thou strong for me!" (Hawthorne 177). He was having the world's biggest pity party for himself, and I absolutely commend Hester for pressing on and still trying to encourage him. She ends her speech with one of the best pep talks I've heard and he is completely inspired afterwards. Soon after, when Hester takes off her Scarlet letter, I love how Hawthorne describes the forest and everything in it as having sunshine fall around it. There's this idea of bursting perfection and radiance, as soon as Hester removes the sin ridden A. This is also when I start to realize how close of a relationship Pearl has with the A. Pearl is undeniably in place and radiating, and the forest recognizes it as well. I really like how Hawthorne epitomizes Pearl's wildness and nature side in these chapters. Overall, while these chapters seem long winded and at times dull, I really like the complex meanings that the reader has to discover.

6) How does Pearl fit into the forest setting?

Pearl seems to be not only acknowledged by other creatures in the forest, but recognized as familiar. The animals don't necessarily like or hate her presence, but they all notice something different about her innate within them as well. Pearl interacts with the forest, it is clear to the reader that she belongs there. She plays with the sunlight and the nature itself. Not only does she speak with the brook, she sees herself in it's reflection. In the wilderness, Pearl has a different air about her; she is somehow gentler and more tender than she is in society. This is also the setting where her impish figure finally turns into a reality that fits well in the forest.

8) Why does Pearl insist that the scarlet letter be replaced?

In these latter chapters, Hawthorne writes of the two separate worlds in which Dimmesdale and Hester, and Pearl live. I think this plays into Pearl's insistence that the scarlet letter be replaced. Pearl refuses to cross the brook until the letter is replaced because she exists in the world where the letter exists. Since it is cast away upon the bank, Pearl almost feels the same way. She doesn't want to cross into her mother's world because the scarlet letter doesn't exist there, therefore Pearl isn't there either. On a plot based level, I think Pearl refuses because she doesn't like change and wants to be stubborn. But I think Hawthorne intends for us to see it as Pearl's correlation with the letter.

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.