... . When viewed in a mirror no longer its Hester's beauty the first thing we notice, but rather Hester's "A" has now become the most noticeable part of not only her physical features, but her spiritual being. The reflection of Pearl Prynne in the mirror uncovers her hard shell and brings out the ... a smile, and never with malice in them." This quote shows that Hester sometimes regrets Pearl's birth. Nathaniel Hawthorne's use of mirrors plays a crucial part in portraying the hidden side of Pearl Prynne. Pearl is shown in a negative light, the town viewed her as a child of witchcraft and evi...

• Word Count: 2043
• Approx Pages: 8

... - (74). As the story progresses we see Dimmesdale become weaker physically, due to his moral torment ", who's health had severly suffered" (119). In Chapter 8, we see him through Hester's eyes, as a man who "Looked now more careworn and emanciated than as we described him at the scene of Hester ... , or whatever the cause might be, his large dark eyes had a world of pain in their troubled and melancholy depth" (124). For a large part of the novel Dimmesdale becomes both, very sick physically and mentally, as a result of Chillingworth's "friendly care". Chillingworth, Hester's wronged husb...

• Word Count: 1627
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... is quite frequently, Hawthorne conveys formal and proper language which assists the reader in understanding the Puritan culture and the ancestry of the Boston inhabitants. In chapter 23, Roger Chillingworth kneels down toward the dying Reverend Dimmesdale and says "Thou hast escaped me!" In response, the reverend says, "Thou, too, ... Man" when Hibbins says, "Will thou [Pearl] ride with me, some fine night, to see thy father?" The mistress is even "present" in chapter 12 when Dimmesdale appears on the scaffold. Although Hawthorne writes that "The minister beheld there the appearance of a...

• Word Count: 1296
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... , the novel opens after the sin has been committed and Pearl, the offspring of the sinful, but natural, union is three months old. As Hawthorne himself states in the opening chapter, the novel is about human weakness and its resulting sorrow. Hawthorne's focus of attention is the effect the sin has on Hester and Dimmesdale. They constantly suffer from shame and ... the fact that the most respected member of this Puritanical society, the Reverend Dimmesdale, is Hester's partner in sin. THE TITLE OF THE BOOK The title is significant to every chapter of the book, as the scarlet letter is di...

• Word Count: 1285
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... identity for herself as a woman, completely devoid of her past sins, and in turn is shown to be a positive and empowering role model. In the final chapter and scene of the novel, Hawthorne indicates that although life for Hester in the past was, at times, a struggle, Boston will always be her home. One ... on shaping her identity. Hester even continues to wear the scarlet letter, no longer because of its negative connotation, but because it played such a prominent part in her life that she does not wish to eliminate. Free will again comes into play in this aspect of the novel. Hester mak...

• Word Count: 1347
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... to Chillingworth. This is disturbing as he has resorted to mutilation instead of confessing. The letter on his chest also represents that his sin will never leave because it is a part of his body rather than Hester's is only a piece of cloth. Before that, Chillingworth keeps digging into Dimmesdale's soul to try to "cure" him, when he is really trying to ... he does not have to suffer anymore. However other symbols show that he is not redeemed because the scarlet letter was engraved into him, showing that it will always be a part of him and also when he talks to Hester about how they wi...

• Word Count: 1619
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... joyless, but essentially evil. (Bloom 13-14, 97, 100) The person that is affected most by the scarlet letter is Hester Prynne, for many very obvious reasons. It is a large part of her daily life, and each of her actions is watched very closely by the community. Because of her public shame and constant ridicule, Hester becomes an outcast to society ... implies that he should wear the mask of shame like Hester does, even though the community interprets the "A" in the sky as angel, marking Governor Winthrop's entry to heaven. In Chapter 10 of the novel, Chillingworth discovers what is beli...

• Word Count: 1366
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... as almost a living saint to the people she helped. The "A- now became a badge of honor for her to wear and she inspired others to help others. This is evident in chapter 24 when Hester voluntarily wears the letter when she returns from England. This shows that Hester is no longer ashamed of her letter and it has become a big ... part of her life. Dimmesdale is as guilty as Hester, however he does not have to wear the "A- like she does, but it still effects him because he is always holding ... ...

• Word Count: 1455
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... revenge. As he feels the impact of this malice, Dimmesdale looks for comfort in the form of a midnight confession. According to The Scarlet Letter: A Student Casebook , however, " The Minister's Vigil' (Chapter 12) takes place at night when the purpose of the scaffold is controverted, becoming a place of concealment rather than exposure. Dimmesdale, unlike Hester, faces no crowd that passes judgment as ... role as the reminder of her mother's affair. At her father's request, she "kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief in which the wild infant bore a part, had deve...

• Word Count: 1627
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School