... beating heart. Any number of outside conflicts may force this balance towards evil, yet anger and revenge are the most powerful. In the gothic novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorn carefully interlaces the theme of good and evil throughout the complex characters of Chillingworth, Hester, and Pearl. Both the potential for good or evil dwells within each of these characters; however, it is their choice whether ... never asking for anything in return. In contrast to Hester's unconditional love for others, Pearl cannot abandon her evil behavior until recognized by Dimmesdale as his d...

• Word Count: 1073
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... openly displayed shame with Dimmesdale's secret shame by having them both touch the stop where the scarlet letter is simultaneously. The second scaffold scene, also the climax of the plot, occurs in chapter 12. As a result of his guilt, Dimmesdale mounts the scaffold late one night, while Chillingworth cautiously watches in the darkness nearby. Hester and Pearl, who are out late because she had taken measurements for a funeral ... he refuses because he cannot expose himself. When he leaves he accidentally leaves a glove on the scaffold. However, when someone finds it they think it was ju...

• Word Count: 443
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... as possible. It consumes him to the point that he can only focus on causing him pain. Little Pearl plays a major role in the story. She is a living version of the scarlet letter. Her mother even makes her clothes look like the letter that she wears on her bosom. Pearl is not affected by the community. She is a free-spirited child. Pearl is curious and always asks her ... mother what the letter means. But every time she asks ... finds great joy in her daughter rather than resenting her. There is one point in the story where Hester Prynne takes off the letter and throws it on the ground....

• Word Count: 571
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... a very big secret. Hawthorne gives the reader subtle hints throughout the first half of the novel that may lead to the identification of Hester's lover and Pearl's father, Arthur Dimmesdale, before he publicly announces his true identity near the end of the novel. Evidence of such hints is found as early in the novel as the third chapter, "The Recognition." Reverend Dimmesdale opens conversation, ... reminding her of her sin (beginning on page 104 with "Oh, not so!" and ending on the following page before the start of the second paragraph). This accusation alone hints greatly at Pearl's f...

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... as well as their weaknesses with symbolic names. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses evocative names to portray the characters' inner self and what they represent in the story. The most significant name belongs to the character Pearl. Hawthorne shows that this name has two meanings, but only one is used to describe the importance of Pearl's existence. "For so had Hester called her; not ... as a name expressive of her aspect, which had nothing of the calm, white, unimpassioned luster that would be indicated by the comparison. But she named the infant Pearl' as being of great price "pur...

• Word Count: 500
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... wondering in puzzlement if what he saw was the letter "A" engraved in his chest or not . These incidents are used to create a mysterious atmosphere through the story. Finally, intuition is also used to add romanticism to this tragic novel. Pearl, is constantly questioning the meaning of the scarlet letter "A" on her mother's blouse. Pearl doesn't know the meaning of it, but seems to have some ... sort of knowledge of the connection between the letter, her mother, and the preacher. She is determined to find out ... some truth of this mystifying letter. Pearl also seems to have foreknowle...

• Word Count: 522
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... of sin, he is still cowardly and hypocritical in his confession by using the night to conceal his identity. In this scene, Pearl and Hester join him on the scaffold, as they link hands together and watch as a meteor illuminates a letter "A" in the sky. Pearl, consistently distinguishing connections in the novel, brings attention to the "A" as a sign of their sin being broadcasted to ... the town. Simultaneously, they notice a lurking man in the distance who brings overwhelming feelings of terror ... ...

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... , but his real intentions are revealed only to the reader. The underlying aspects of the characters in the book and their "twist of fate- will expose themselves in the novel. During the seven year span of the book, Chillingworth's kind fazade slowly becomes an evil obsession, the obsession being destroying his "closest friend,"" for Chillingworth suspects that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl. Chillingworth becomes a type of parasite, and one ... 's role in her life and is not afraid to hate Dimmesdale. She is true to herself and her emotions and allows people to make the decision on whe...

• Word Count: 995
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... shows a love that cannot be. "Mother," said little Pearl, "the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!" This quotation is how I see the love that cannot be. The sunshine is the love of a man (Arthur Dimmesdale) and it does ... just what Pearl says - it runs and hides itself from the scarlet letter. This love must be hidden because of practical reasons; such as Roger Chillingworth who is her husband ... , but then it would seem as if they were going to see the...

• Word Count: 381
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... , that is near a peninsula, because the setting doesn't play a major role in the story except when Hester and Pearl go into the forest, where Hester has a life-turning talk with Mr. Dimmesdale. The forest is like a dark and mysterious place where a dark creature, the "Black Man," lives. The time, however, cannot be changed because the story deals with the beliefs of people from the 1850's. For example people who committed ... lets others know about her sin. Hester, throughout her life, believes that she has to live with the scarlet letter on her bosom, so she will never forget about her....

• Word Count: 781
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... in this novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, there is no distinction made between crimes and sins. This is proven when a man tells Chillingworth that the people of the town have punished Hester and when governor Bellingham decides to take Pearl away from Hester because of what she identifies as her creator. In chapter three, a townsman tells Roger Chillingworth that he should be glad ... plucked from a bush of wild roses instead of being created by God. Reverend Dimmesdale later persuades Bellingham that it was God's will to keep Pearl with her mother. Bellingham's ultimate decision to...

• Word Count: 942
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... sin, is something she must always deal with and is something she can never escape. Pearl the product of Hester's sin, is usually dressed in red clothing, representing sin. Pearl is also called the names "Ruby", "Coral", or "red Rose," and "a little bird of scarlet plumage," further extending Pearl as a red representation of Hester's sin. Hawthorne also uses black and darkness as ... symbols throughout The Scarlet Letter. Black is used to represent evil and hiding. Hawthorne calls the prison the "black flower of civilized society," meaning it is evil and a place concealing the truth. Freq...

• Word Count: 1044
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... choices lead to other wrong actions that reflect their guilt. Lack of insight leads people to make bad choices, and there are several examples in the book, The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne and Roger Chillingworth get married even though they knew it was not going to be a truthful love relationship. Back then ... her husband, and she can not remain faithful. She commits the sin of adultery with a minister, Arthur Dimmesdale and has a child, Pearl. Roger Chillingworth is another character who does not recognize the consequences of his actions. Even though Hester tells him from the beginnin...

• Word Count: 1002
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... Dimmesdale suffers alone with a searing guilt which ultimately leads to his demise. Hester is the most immediately affected by guilt, which is openly shown to the public by the scarlet letter, that she bears on her clothing. Another visible sign of her guilt is the embodiment of it in Pearl, who is the direct result of Hester's sin and is therefore a constant reminder of guilt for ... both Hester and Dimmesdale. Pearl is also always doing something to further her mother's guilt. The first thing she recognizes in the world is the scarlet letter, she often throws things at the letter, and...

• Word Count: 917
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... however Randall Stewart has presented an argument that suggesur Dimmesdale as the Protagonist of the story. Hester Prynn is the character that the story focuses on, more then any other character. She is the mother of her only daughter, Pearl, who was conceived in sin with the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Arthur Dimmesdale is the reverend of the small puritan society, and Hester's partner in sin. This also ... and their brain at the same time, so saying that it was Dimmesdale's decision is almost entirely a lie. He waited with open arms and Hester, the protagonist, initiated the building o...

• Word Count: 855
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... descriptive language and by describing exactly how Hester perceived each situation. "It was perceived, too, that while Hester never put forward even the humblest title to share the world's privileges---further than to breathe the common air, and earn daily bread for little Pearl and herself- (p. 144). Hester is humble because she has given up her sin, as is expressed in ... Dimmesdale and Chillingworth continue to weaken and degrade physically, this increased weakness alludes to the spiritual weakness and degradation in each character. Hawthorne also uses the innocence of youth in little...

• Word Count: 890
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography

... deep character who underwent a major transformation. Chillingworth was the worst sinner in the book, and eventually that sin consumed him and all that was left was his need for revenge. It was thought that he had "made it his principle to consist in the pursuit of revenge"(175) In the beginning of the book, when Hester and baby Pearl were in jail, Chillingworth produced a very natural ... medicine to cure them. Chillingworth seemed the all-around-good-guy that everybody wants to befriend. The minister, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth became friends. However, when news of his true ... iden...

• Word Count: 473
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... because it reminds him of the sin and to ease his mind he physically abuses himself. Because of the guilt that Chillingworth has brought out of Dimmesdale, The Reverend becomes mentally unstable. He begins to have visions. In one of his visions he sees Hester and Pearl. Pearl first points to the scarlet letter on Hester's chest then she points to the reverend's chest. Although he knew ... that the visions were not real, he still had to ... deal with the guilt and shame that dwelled in his heart and mind. One night he had an idea ... ...

• Word Count: 735
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• Grade Level: High School

... , Chillingworth's over-abundance of evil begins to take a physical being on his body. It seems like the further Chillingworth pushes his mind to revenge, the further the deformity consumes. For example, when Hester was being evaluated by Governor Billingham as to being fit to raise Pearl, Hester "was startled to perceive what a change had come over [Roger Chillingworth's] features, how much ... corruption of Chillingworth's soul is the constant comparison between him and the Devil. He is called "devil's adversary," "archfiend," and a demonic "bat" (Hawthorne, 121, 146, 164). The odd thin...

• Word Count: 1004
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• Grade Level: High School

... way of punishing her for her criminal action of adultery. She wondered the streets to be given sour looks from all. This caused so much mental and physical anguish that she eventually questioned why she should live if it weren't for her Pearl. Pearl was a bundle of life sent from God to remind her of her wrong doing each and every moment and ... as a walking sermon to preach against sin for others. Hester Prynne, a strong willed and brave woman, in respect to the two additional people, has committed the least amount of sin in the novel. In the eyes of the Puritan community, though, she ...

• Word Count: 1211
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... become contrite or learn from her mistakes. Although her suffering is public, she experiences inward guilt comparable to Dimmesdale. The guilt is illustrated in the quote; "She never battled with the public, but submitted uncomplainingly to its worst usage- (127). At first, Hester only has penance because she has ... yet to be sorry for what she has done. She illustrates this in the making of her scarlet letter, " fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom!" (45). She is very proud and dignified. This pride ... his hand upon his bosom, and thrust aside the vestment..." s...

• Word Count: 695
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• Grade Level: High School

... society he was consider a dark soul. He did worse than Hester Prynne's sin of appalling act of adultery. Hester marries Chillingworth out of need, not love. She was poor and the future with a rich, wealthy man sounded promising than her current life. She might have believed that they could fall in love one day, and they could have. But Chillingworth assembles ... illustrates this event when he voices, "Now, there was something ugly and evil in his face, which they had not previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to sight, the oftener they looked upon him."(Ch.9 p.112) R...

• Word Count: 794
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• Grade Level: High School

... an adult trait. The "evil" person in the story is Roger Chillingworth. Roger is seen as evil because he does not sin for love, as do Hester and Dimmesdale, but sins for his own dark pleasure. This is seen as an adult trait because the children of the town are seen as spiritually superior and innocent, such as Pearl. But in The Crucible, the children are viewed ... as evil, the adults are treated as spiritual superiors, sort of vice versa form The Scarlet Letter. In The Crucible, the forest is seen as a place of mystery and evil. This shows that ... the author viewed this place as a pla...

• Word Count: 656
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... . Hester lives alone in a small seaside house. She makes money by sew and embroidering all different things. The child she had was a little girl named, Pearl. 2 Pearl was usually dressed in a dark red or scarlet. Pearl was very sly and new that the "A" the her mother bore was because of something her mother has done. I think she knew it was because of a bad sin. Either way ... to make. Hester had to decide weather or not to tell who Pearl's father was or to be the only one to deal with the consequences by herself. Dimmesdale on the other hand had to decide if his "Holy" reputation should...

• Word Count: 677
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... brings about a child, a new burden on Hester's already troubled life. Pearl's wit and perception, even at three years old, lead many to believe her father to be the Devil. Only Hester knows the real truth; Arthur Dimmesdale, the reverend, is Pearl's father. Because she committed adultery, Hester represents everything dark and sinful, whereas the young gorgeous Pearl represents everything light and beautiful. Hawthorne uses contrasting symbols of ... a contrast to herself: she looks magnificent, yet her cleverness and insight makes her seem to be a child of the Devil. Pearl continues to ...

• Word Count: 803
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School