The book begins by describing the various downfalls of the new society in the 1600s. This is shown by telling about the prison doors, which all wished would not be necessary, but no society is perfect. There is a group of people standing outside of them, waiting for something to happen. The doors are described as being weather worn, unlike most other things in the town, due to the function of the doors and building they belong to. The only part that sticks out and doesn't belong there is the wild rose bush that remains from the time when the area was only dense forrest.
Chapter 2 shows the revelation of Hester Prynne and her child. The women of the town believe the punishment she is given is not harsh enough for her crime. Hester initially hides her scarlet letter with the baby, but then decides to let everyone see what they already know is there. The women believe she should not be allowed to wear such an elaborate scarlet letter. Hester then walks from the prison to the scaffold that hold the stocks, where she has to stand on display in front of the entire town until one in the afternoon. During that time, Hester recalls things from her childhood, before all of this ocurred.
Chapters 3 and 4
Chapter 3 begins with Hester noticing a man wearing a combination of native and civilized clothing accompanied by an Indian. Hester immediately recognizes the man, but it takes a little while for the man to recognize Hester. He asks a townsman what Hester has done, and the townsman tells him of Hester's crime, conceiving a child, without her husband. Next, the magistrates and clergymen of the town charge Hester to come forth with the name of the father of her child, but Hester refuses, saying her child will only know a Heavenly father. Hester is then lead back to the prison.
Chapter 4 begins with Hester and the baby back in the prison and in need of a doctor to calm them. The doctor begins by giving the baby medicine, which Hester believes will poison the baby. The medicine actually causes the baby to stop crying. The doctor then gives Hester medicine to calm her nerves. The man then apologizes to Hester for marrying her when she was so young and he was so old, and he wronged her in doing that. The man is her husband that sent her to the colony and she thought she would never see again. He also says she wronged him in what she has done. The man also asks Hester to tell him who the father is, but Hester again refuses. The only other thing he asks her is that she not tell anyone who he really is so he can live the rest of his life as Roger Chillingworth. hester agrees to do so.
Chapters 5 and 6
In chapter 5, the narrator begins by describing where Hester lives after her release from prison. She lives in a small cottage on the outskirts of town with her child. She stays in town because she feels chained there due to her sin. Hester then makes her living as a seamstress. She makes items ranging from gloves for government officials to the garments deceased people are buried in. The only thing she is never asked to make is the clothing a bride will wear at a wedding. Due to her livelihood, Hester dresses her daughter in very ornate clothing. However, despite Hester toiling to help others, every person in the town constantly frowns upon her and never lets hef forget they know exactly what the scarlet letter on her chest stands for and they will not forget it. With every time someone looks at the scarlet letter, Hester feels it burning into her chest, where it will forever stay.
Chapter 6 is all about Pearl, Hester's daughter. She was named that because everything was taken away from Hester to get her precious Pearl. She is a picture of perfection, but she has a small evil streak in her. However, Hester never would try to beat this out of her, like so many other Puritan parents. Hester loves Pearl, who she oten will refer to as her elf-child. Because of her conception, Pearl never had any children her age to be an aquaintance with, so she would be content playing with inanimate objects around the cottage. Also, Pearl has an odd fascination with Hester's scarlet letter, and will often-times point to it, and even throw small items, such as burrs from trees at it. Another peculiarity of Pearl is her disbelief in God, even though Hester repeatedly tells her that is how she came to be. This is so peculiar due to the society in which the two live.
Chapters 7 and 8
Chapter 7 starts with Hester delivering a pair of gloves to Governor Bellingham, but Hester has another agenda for this meeting. She plans to plead with him and the other men in power not to take Pearl away from her. As the two are travelling there, a few children begin to taunt them, and we get an insight into Pearl's character, since she goes after them to leave them alone. Once they arrive at the mansion, they have to wait for the men to come inside, so Hester admires the home. It is richly decorated with amazing architecture and furnishings. There are many paintings of the governor's forefathers. When they looked outside, they saw a lavish garden, which contained a rosebush, which caused Pearl to cry for the desire of it. The governor and his guests then arrived from the garden.
Chapter 8 reveals that the guests of Governor Bellingham are Reverend Wilson, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. The men do not initially see Hester, only Pearl. They then see Hester, and inform her that they are debating whether or not to take Pearl from her. They decide to test Pearl by asking a simple question about religion that all children her age know. When Pearl does not give a satisfactory answer, they decide not to question to take Pearl, but Hester pleads with Reverend Dimmesdale to help her keep Pearl. Reverend Dimmesdale gives a riveting speech, then retreats to the shadows to let the men reflect on this. Pearl then goes and grasps his hand, but then skips away. The men decide to let Hester keep Pearl. As they are leaving the mansion, Governor Bellingham's sister asks if Hester will go with her into the forrest that evening, and Hester declines.
Chapters 9 and 10
The character of Roger Chillingworth is described in great detail in chapter 9. He is a learned man, and many in the town treated him as a doctor. After he arrived in the town, he chose Reverend Dimmesdale as his pastor, but Dimmesdale was becoming ill at the time. Many accounted this illness for his devotion to studying, and urged him to seek the medical attention he needed, which came in the form of Roger Chillingworth. He initially refused, but soon found himself living in the same home as Chillingworth. Chillingworth, however, creates a close friendship with Dimmesdale, and his calm face soon begins to take on an evil appearance. It goes so far as to say the fire in Chillingworth's lab comes straight from Hell itself. Chillingworth is just beginning to delve into the pastor's soul to destroy and torture him emotionally.
The relationship between Chillingworth and Dimmesdale is explored in chapter 10. It begins with a conversation between the two one afternoon. The are arguing about whether or not a man should come clean with all of his sins before all citizens, as opposed to taking it to the grave. Chillingworth, knowing Dimmesdale is hiding something, says a man should clean his conscience, but Dimmesdale counters him by saying a man may wish for people to remember him as a good man. Chillingworth, digging even deeper tells Dimmesdale that man can hide nothing from God, no matter what. At this time, the men see Pearl and Hester out the window. Chillingworth again points out that a person must come out with his sin, as Hester did with hers. After a while longer, Chillingworth goes to his room, and Dimmesdale falls asleep. Chillingworth takes this opportunity to see what is hidden on Dimmesdale's chest, and celebrates when it is finally revealed.
Chapters 11 and 12
Chapter 11 gives an insight of Reverend Dimmesdale. He is a shy, reserved man, therefore, it was difficult for Chillingworth to initially get at him. Once the mark on his chest was revealed, Chillingworth began to emotionally torture him. Dimmesdale does not realize that Chillingworth knows so much, but begins to hate him. However, Chillingworth is only putting more pressure on Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale often preaches with such vigor that the people of his church believe him to be all the more holy. He is only such because of his sin, which he wishes he could get off his conscience, but never gathers up the courage to do so. He feels as if he is a hypocrite because of this. In addition to the emotional torture he is going through, Dimmesdale puts his body through much stress as well. In a secret, locked closet, he keeps a bloody scourge that he will beat his back with. laughing all the while. He will also fast for an unhealthy amount of time to attempt to cleanse his body. In addition to all of this, he will often stay up for hours at a time in a vigil, staring at himself in a mirror. All of this occurs before he finally gets an idea.
Dimmesdale gets the idea to stand on the scaffold that Hester and Pearl stood upon in the beginning of everything, and does so in the middle of the night in chapter 12. The only difference is that there was no witness to him standing there. In the midst of all of this, he lets out a cry that he believes will wake the town, but only Governor Bellingham and his sister even stir. Soon, Reverend Wilson walks by after being at a deathbed all night, but never sees Dimmesdale. After that, Hester and Pearl walk by after measuring the deceased for his burial clothes. He asks them to come up and stand with him, which they do. Pearl then asks if they will do this the next day at noo, but Dimmesdale says they will not. Soon thereafter, meteors fly through the sky, and form a red-blazing "A." He takes this as a sign of what he is. He soon makes out the figure of Chillingworth, and tells Hester that he absolutely hates the man, but Hester reveals nothing about who he really is. The three then leave the scaffold. The next day when asked about the "A" in the sky, Dimmesdale denies seeing it. The people of the town take it as standing for angel for the man that had just become an angel.
Chapters 13 and 14
Seven years have passed, and Hester is not treated in the same demeaning way by the townspeople. Chapter 13 reveals an aspect of Hester's character that has made the people reconsider the way they treat her. She willingly gives food and clothing to the poor, who may complain, but take what they are given. Whenever there is a sick person, Hester will sit up all night with him or her. However, with the morning light, Hester would leave the house, not asking for anything in return. Even when passed in the street, Hester would not let a single person thank her for all she has done, which could be taken as pride or the utmost humility. As a result of all of this, the magistrates contemplate allowing Hester to take off her scarlet letter, which most already considered to now contain a different meaning of able. But after so many long years, Hester has changed in appearance due to the weight of her scarlet letter. Even though she has worn the letter for so long, she does not feel sorry for her sin.
In chapter 14, Hester resolves to meet with Roger Chillingworth to confront him about the torture he is imparting on Arthur Dimmesdale's soul. She was surprised at how the man had changed in seven years. He looked as if possessed by some evil spirit. This causes Hester to confront him with more vigor about Dimmesdale. She states that she wishes she had not sworn to keep Chillingworth's true identity a secret, to which he replies that if she had not, Dimmesdale would have been sent to the gallows for what he had not. Hester believes that would have been better than putting him through emotional torture. Chillingworth says that Dimmesdale has been subconsciously aware of him. Hester warns him that she will reveal who he really is because she is now indebted to Dimmesdale for allowing this to happen when she could have stopped it before it ocurred. She also tells him that he must let his pure hatred go and move on. He replies by saying he cannot and will not do so. He is going to let things fall as they may.
Chapters 15 and 16
Chapter 15 begins with Hester reflecting on her confrontation of Roger Chillingworth. She has concluded that he is possessed by an evil spirit, and she absolutely hates him for it. She then thinks back to when they were first married, and how she had thought things to be so happy, but how they are now her worst memories. She determines that he has wronged her worse than she him. She then calls Pearl back to her, because she had been playing along the shore during this confrontation. When Pearl comes back, Hester sees that she has put an "A" on her chest, but she did not know the full meaning of it all. However, the intuitive Pearl has connected Hester's scarlet letter to Reverend Dimmesdale constantly keeping his hand over his heart. Pearl then shows the most caring gesture in taking Hester's hand. This causes Hester to have a small inner conflict in determining whether or not to explain to Pearl everything . She decides not to, telling Pearl she must not ask questions about some things.
Hester soon decides to speak to Reverend Dimmesdale. She refuses to go to his office, for fear of Roger Chillingworth interfering. When she found out of Dimmesdale travelling to pray over a sick man, she knew he would return by a certain time the next day. She goes with Pearl to the road on which Dimmesdale will return on through the forrest. Pearl goes runnig after the sunshine that shines through the treetops. She then askes Hester to tell her of the Black Man that lives in the forrest. She asks question after question about it because she had been told of the legend by an old woman while Hester was caring for one of the sick. Hester tells Pearl she has met the black man, and she carries his mark in the form of the scarlet letter. As the two wait patiently, they listen to the brook, who's melancholy babble reminds Hester of all her sorrows. Soon enough, Dimmesdale is coming towards them, although he does not see them. Pearl goes off to play whil her mother speaks with him. Hester sits in the shadow of a tree and observes Dimmesdale as he is approaching. She sees the change in him that he hides so well from all others, but only reveals when he is on his own. This causes Hester to be even more determined to do her best to help him.
Chapters 17 and 18
Chapter 17 begins with Hester waiting for Dimmesdale to pass her on his way back to the town. As he finally passes, she calls out to him, and after seeing the scarlet letter, he realizes it is Hester. The two went and sat in the shadows so they could speak to one another and not risk anyone hearing. Dimmesdale tells Hester that he has found no peace in the seven years that had passed. The people of his church respecting him so much only made it all worse. Hester tries to convince him that he has repented and it is all behind him, but he cannot accept that. He believes he can never be forgiven for what he has done. Hester then takes the opportunity to tell him what she has intended this conversation for. She tells him that he has an enemy in his close circle. It takes her a great effort to tel the rest to him becasue she knows she is responsible for the emotional torture he has gone through for seven years. She tells him that the man he has trusted for so long was her husband. Dimmesdale could not believe this at first, but once he thinks about it, he realizes that he has known that there is a reason he cannot stand the man. Hester then asks for forgiveness from him, and he does so. They then sit there for a very long time before he figured out that he could no longer live with Chillingworth, but he does not know where to go. Hester tells him he could leave the town or go back to Europe. Dimmesdale believes he is unable to go, and if he does, he cannot go alone. Hester then tells him he will not go alone.
Chapter 18 begins by describing Hester's courage the way Dimmesdale sees it. She has lived on the outskirts of what society has deemed proper for so long, she does not care what everyone thinks of her. She is not afraid of openly criticizing anything. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, has always closely follwed what has been set out in front of him and hardly strayed. He believes that if he has felt anything even remotely good in the past seven years, he will not leave, but he can think of nothing and reseloves to leave. This decision causes a new life to spring up in Hester. She takes off her scarlet letter and throws it away. She finally takes off her cap. She immediately feels the burden of it all fall away, although she had never really noticed it before. Then she calls for Pearl so that Dimmesdale can begin to know her. Pearl comes back very slowly because Dimmesdale is still sitting there, and she does not know what to make of it.
Chapters 19 and 20
Chapter 19 begins with Hester and Dimmesdale watching Pearl approach them. Hester points out that Pearl looks like him, but he will no longer have to worry about everyone else noticing this very soon. Pearl then stopped at the brook, not wanting to cross because she felt as if something had changed, although she is not sure what at the time. Her reluctance to cross the brook frightens the minister. Pearl then notices that Hester is missing her scarlet letter, which is something Pearl has never seen her without. It takes an extraordinarily long time for Hester to realize that she must leave it on for Pearl to come to her. She then put it on, along with her cap and felt the weight of both of them as soon as she put them on. Pearl then came to her.
No comments:
Post a Comment