Mistress Hibbon's role in The Scarlet Letter

There is no doubt that Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter is filled with symbolism, especially in regards to the infamous “A”. But is this letter “A” just a symbol which stands for the adulterous actions between Hester Prynne and the minister Author Dimmsdale? Does is stand for the immoralness these two represent, compared to the morals the settlement is supposed to abide by? One can look at this story at many different angels.

But let’s be honest. At the first entrance of Mistress Hibbins, one should be thinking, okay, what is the point of her being here? Take this and the fact that within the story repeats the word “spell” eleven times and magic is stated seven times, along with the idea of the “Black Man” and one can’t help but formulate that this story is more than just an array of symbolism that feeds off the sins of Hester and Dimmsdale. No, in fact, they were lured into the forest, had a spell cast on them by Mistress Hibbins and the Black man branded the bosoms of the two main characters. What will be explained in this paper is the intimate relationship that Dimmsdale, Hester, and Pearl share because of Mistress Hibbins.

Like one willing to recognize a secret intimacy of connection…if the reader hadn’t noticed the significance of Hibbins beforehand, it is easy to see that yes, Hibbins is very much aware of Dimmsdale and Hester meeting in the forest, in fact, that “A” having an “effect of a spell” was indeed cast by Hibbins. Un this passage we see Dimmsdale scared, and “going mad” because he actually can not figure out why he feels “haunted” and “taunted” to go into the forest and the lines, “…but often turning back her head and smiling at him, like one willing to recognize a secret intimacy of connection is a key phrase in order to conclude that Hibbins has “the cankered wrath of an old witch” (192) bestowed upon Dimmsdale and Hester. She’s not just some witch-lady character that’s just thrown into the story for characterization sake. Maybe she is just used as a fictional account for the actual history that was going on at the time, as witches were being sought out at the time. But the phrase “cankered wrath” in association with Hibbins is the proof that her wrath is on these poor characters on the story. “The cankered wrath” is Hibbins basically beckoning the two characters into the forest. Her always popping up when Dimmsdale is lamenting in the forest leads me to be reminded of Morgan Le Fey’s role in the Arthurian Legends as well as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

What Hawthorne displays so well in the story is setting up the parallel between the settlement (civilization) and the forest (wilderness). Throughout the entire book, Hester and Dimmsdale are seen as being able to be free in the forest. They embrace and almost act like a family while there. It’s when they’re amongst civilization where the characters aren’t able to cope with their sin.

For example, it’s a bit odd that while Dimmsdale walks through the forest, lamenting, “…What is it that haunts and tempts me thus? Am I mad- or ma I given over utterly to the fiend? Did I make a contract with him in the forest, and sign it with my blood? And does he now summon me to his fulfillment, by suggesting the performance of every wickedness which his most foul imagination can conceive…”

“At that moment when Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale thus communed with himself, struck his forehead with his hand, old Mistress Hibbins, the reputed witch lady, is said to have been passing by” (201).

A rather eccentric character, Le Fay is upheld as the character who is the moving cause of the entire plot. What one learns by the end of the poem is that it is Le Fey, known for witchery, has put Bertilak up to the beheading game between himself and Gawain, which is the whole point of the work. Le Fey is Arthur’s half sister, historically, and is generally jealous of Guinevere, so it makes sense that Le Fay wants to see Gawain fail in the game that him and Bertilak play

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